Laura E. McNamara

TL;DR: The study identifies a nanostructured surface that retains stem-cell phenotype and maintains stem- cell growth over eight weeks, and implicates a role for small RNAs in repressing key cell signalling and metabolomic pathways, demonstrating the potential of surfaces as non-invasive tools with which to address the stem cell niche.

TL;DR: Nanotopography is examined as a means to guide differentiation, and its application is described in the context of different subsets of stem cells, with a particular focus on skeletal (mesenchymal) stem cells.

TL;DR: This study focuses on the effects of topographical modulation of cell morphology on chromosomal positioning and gene regulation, using a microgrooved substrate as a non-invasive mechanostimulus.

TL;DR: The data demonstrate that osteogenic nanotopography promotes colocalization of integrins and BMP2 receptors in order to enhance osteogenic activity and that vitronectin is important in this interface provides insight that topographical regulation of adhesion can have effects on signaling cascades outside of cytoskeletal signaling and that adhesions can have roles in augmenting BMP signaling.

TL;DR: Metabolomics was used as a novel means of assessing cellular responses to the biomaterial substrates by analysing the global metabolite profile of the cells on the substrata and shows promise as a technique with high data yield for evaluating cell interactions with materials of different surface chemistry or topography.