Integration of photo-crosslinking and breath figures to fabricate biodegradable polymer substrates with tunable pores that regulate cellular behavior

Honeycomb films of crosslinked poly(ε-caprolactone) triacrylate were fabricated by incorporating the breath-figure method with photo-curing. Two different pore sizes of 5.6 and 3.0 μm were achieved by modulating the airflow rate at 0 and 50 mL min−1, respectively. Mouse pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, mineralization, and expression of integrin subunits of α1, α2, β1, and gene markers of osteocalcin, osteopontin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and collagen type I were investigated on these two series of honeycomb films and their flat control. The honeycomb films, especially those with smaller pores, could significantly promote MC3T3-E1 cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, ALP activity, mineralization, and gene expression of osteoblastic markers, via fostering expression of integrin subunits.