The Combined Effects of Topography and Stiffness on Endothelial Cell Behavior in Microfabricated PDMS Substrates

This study investigates how the combined effects of substrate stiffness and microtopography regulate neuronal differentiation and maturation from mouse and human neural progenitor cells. Using a tunable polyacrylamide-based hydrogel system patterned with micron-scale gratings, the authors demonstrate that specific stiffness–topography combinations significantly enhance neuronal lineage commitment, neurite outgrowth, and maturation markers. Softer substrates with intermediate grating dimensions produced the highest neuronal yield and morphological maturity, highlighting the synergistic role of mechanical cues in neural mechanobiology and biomaterial design.