A mechanoregulation approach for probing substrate elasticities and geometric constraints on differentiation of human neuroblastoma

Cellular differentiations are regulated by various mechanical and physical factors in their local microenvironment, such as cell-substrate interactions and geometric confinements. Understanding the systematic mechanisms of these factors in cell mechanoregulation is critical for fundamental cell biology and development of novel approaches in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we investigate the differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells on various substrates with different elastic moduli controlled by the crosslinker concentration of PDMS and with different geometric constraints created by plasma lithographic surface modification. This mechanoregulation approach allows systematic investigation of the effects of the interrelated mechanical factors, i.e., geometric confinement and substrate elasticity, on cellular differentiation and other biological processes.