Human Elastin-Based Recombinant Biopolymers Improve Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation a Betu ¨l C ¸ elebi, Maxime Cloutier, Rodrigo Balloni, Diego Mantovani, Antonella Bandiera* 1. Introduction The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the acellular part of most tissues and consists of an intricate structure of biomacro- molecules, mainly proteins and polysaccharides, forming the environment where cells reside and grow. [1] The ECM constituents are synthesized, secreted and organized by the cellular components, forming a complex molecular network that is not only a support, but also has a profound influence on cell behavior. [2–4] Thus, cell/matrix interac- tions play a prominent role in the cellular response, regulating several processes such as adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, it is, in turn, related to more articulated and dynamic processes invol- ving the whole cellular community, including develop- ment, tissue maintenance, inflammation, wound healing and others. [5,6] Stem cells are particularly dependent on the microenvir- onmental niche where they reside, which highlights the paramount importance of cell/matrix interactions and the crucial role they have in the biological context. [7,8] Among the many types of stem cells, human-bone-marrow- derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM MSCs) are currently considered to have a great potential for regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies. [9] They have been shown to possess multipotent capabilities, giving rise to Full Paper B. C ¸elebi, M. Cloutier, R. Balloni, D. Mantovani Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Laval University, Quebec City, G1V 0A6, PQ, Canada A. Bandiera Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Universita ` degli Studi di Trieste, via Giorgieri, 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy E-mail: abandiera@units.it a Supporting Information for this article is available from the Wiley Online Library or from the author. Elastin-based polypeptides are a class of smart biopolymers representing an important model in the design of biomaterials. The combination of biomimetic materials with cells that have great plasticity provides a promising strategy for the realization of highly engineered cell-based constructs for regenera- tive medicine and tissue repair applications. Two recombinant biopolymers inspired by human elastin are assessed as coating agents to prepare biomimetic surfaces for cell culture. These substrates are assayed for hBM MSC culture. The coated surfaces are also character- ized with AFM to evaluate the topographical features of the deposited biopolymers. The results suggest that the elastin-derived biomi- metic surfaces play a stimulatory role on osteo- genic differentiation of MSCs. 1546 Macromol. Biosci. 2012, 12, 1546–1554 ß 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim wileyonlinelibrary.com DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201200170