Differentiation of postnatal neural stem cells into glia and functional neurons on laminin-coated polymeric substrates

A series of polymeric biomaterials, including poly(methyl acrylate), chitosan, poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA), poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA), and a series of random copolymers containing ethyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, and methyl acrylate were tested in vitro as culture substrates and compared for their effect on the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) obtained from the subventricular zone of postnatal rats. Immunocytochemical assay for specific markers and scanning electron microscopy techniques were employed to determine the adhesion of the cultured NSCs to the different biomaterials and the respective neuronal differentiation. The functional properties and the membrane excitability of differentiated NSCs were investigated using a patch-clamp. The results show that the substrate's surface chemistry influences cell attachment and neuronal differentiation, probably through its influence on adsorbed laminin, and that copolymers based on PEA and PHEA in a narrow composition window are suitable substrates to promote cell attachment and differentiation of adult NSCs into functional neurons and glia.