Graphene monolayer as an appropriate substrate for mesenchymal stem cells support in regenerative medicine

Abstract

Synergistic effect of mesenchymal stem cells and graphene monolayer is an undiscovered topic and crucial in the context of creating a graphene skin dressing. Moreover, capturing early changes in the cytoskeleton may prove to be a valuable indicator of cell condition after direct contact with the biomaterial. In this context, here, we investigated the response of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) to graphene monolayer as a scaffold, based on cytoskeleton architecture. Three main components of the cytoskeleton — microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules were characterized as well as analyzed its entire cell morphology (focal adhesions). Based on microscopic analysis and cell area measurements, it can be stated that graphene did not cause a damage or disturbance of any cytoskeleton members and linker proteins (plectin, vinculin) and gap junction protein (connexin 43). hBM-MSCs growing on the graphene monolayer were more spread than cells growing on the glass but without any other significant difference. This suggested that graphene substrate as a monolayer could be a structural reinforcement for MSCs cultivation without affecting their cytoskeleton, which determines cell integrity, connections and migration, all important cell properties in the process of skin wound healing.