Programmable Laser-Assisted Surface Microfabrication on a Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Coated Glass Chip with Self-Changing Cell Adhesivity for Heterotypic Cell Patterning

Organs are composed of heterotypic cells with patterned architecture that enables intercellular interaction to perform specific functions. In tissue engineering, the ability to pattern heterotypic cells into desired arrangement will allow us to model complex tissues in vitro and to create tissue equivalents for regeneration. This study was aimed at developing a method for fast heterotypic cell patterning with controllable topological manipulation on a glass chip. We found that poly­(vinyl alcohol)-coated glass showed a biphasic change in adhesivity to cells in vitro: low adhesivity in the first 24 h and higher adhesivity at later hours due to increased serum protein adsorption. Combining programmable CO₂ laser ablation to remove poly­(vinyl alcohol) and glass, we were able to create arrays of adhesive microwells of adjustable patterns. We tested whether controllable patterns of epithelial-mesenchymal interaction could be created. When skin dermal papilla cells and fibroblasts were seeded respectively 24 h apart, we were able to pattern these two cells into aggregates of dermal papilla cells in arrays of microwells in a background of fibroblasts sheet. Seeded later, keratinocytes attached to these mesenchymal cells. Keratinocytes contacting dermal papilla cells started to differentiate toward a hair follicle fate, demonstrating patternable epithelial-mesenchymal interaction. This method allows fast adjustable heterotypic cell patterning and surface topology control and can be applied to the investigation of heterotypic cellular interaction and creation of tissue equivalent in vitro.