Cell self-patterning on uniform PDMS-surfaces with controlled mechanical cues

The exploitation of cell-instructive scaffolds with uniform physical/chemical surfaces and controlled stiffness will be greatly useful in tissue engineering applications to resemble the extracellular matrix (ECM) or topographical appearance of native tissues. We herein describe a versatile and straightforward method to assemble a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-composite structure in which a uniformly laminin-coated membrane is placed on top of a micropatterned substrate that applies a stiffness gradient. This 'double-sheet' structure provides soft or stiff microdomains that guide the self-patterning of different cell types [e.g. chronic myeloid leukemia (KU812), cervix carcinoma (HeLa), NIH 3T3 and BJ], thereby stimulating their cytoskeletal remodeling. More interestingly, we used these uniform PDMS surfaces with patterned rigidity for obtaining co-cultures of tumor blood cells (KU812) and adherent fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) with spatially-controlled distribution. Thus, beyond single-cell stiffening and mechanosensing, these surfaces should also be used as simple and feasible co-culture systems for mimicking and dissecting the bidirectional interactions between blood cells and specific stromal elements of their in vivo microenvironment.