Effects of Lithium Niobate Polarization on Cell Adhesion and Morphology

Understanding how the interfacial effects influence cell adhesion and morphology is of fundamental interest for controlling function, growth, and movement of cells in vitro and in vivo. In particular, the influence of surface charges is well-known but still controversial, especially when new functional materials and methods are introduced. Here, the influence of the spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric lithium niobate (LN) on the adhesion properties of fibroblast cells is investigated. The spontaneous polarization of LN has one of the largest known magnitudes at room temperature (similar to 78 mu C/cm(2)), and its orientation can be patterned easily by an external voltage, this motivating highly the investigation of its interaction with cells. Immunofluorescence and migration assays show strong evidence that the surface polarity regulates the adhesion functions, with enhanced spreading of the cytoskeleton on the negative face. The results suggest the potential of LN as a platform for investigating the role of charges on cellular processes, thus favoring new strategies in fabricating those biocompatible constructs used for tissue engineering. In fact, the orientation of the high-magnitude polarization can be patterned easily and, in combination with piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and photorefractive properties, may open the route to more sophisticated charge templates for modulating the cell response.