ABSTRACT
Stem cells possess their abilities to self-renew and differentiate into specic lineages in response to appropriate signals. In the body, the presentation of chemical, topographical, mechanical, and electrical stimuli cues in the surrounding uid and extracellular matrix (ECM) provides the guidance for stem cell response. Recently, much attention has been paid to topographical cues as a useful tool for controlling stem cell fate and guiding stem cell differentiation. The use of topographically guided scaffolds for supporting stem cells has a great advantage over the use of chemical reagents due to allowing cells to grow and differentiate in the absence of potentially harmful inducing reagents. Different sizes of topographies, ranging from macro-, micro-, to nanoscale features, have their own potentials to affect cellular behaviors. Besides, surface geometries such as smooth/at, groove/ridge, pit/pore, and disordered/ordered structure signicantly inuence cellular morphology, proliferation, and differentiation ability. Additionally, dimensionality of the substrate topographies (two dimension [2D] vs. three dimension [3D]) has a remarkable impact on cell fate and signaling cascade. Understanding inuences of topographical cues on stem cell behaviors plays an important role in designing suitable scaffolds for tissue regeneration to expedite expansion and differentiation of stem cells without changing the plasticity nature of stem cells.
