Poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐based substrates bearing pendant small chemical groups as a platform for systemic investigation of chondrogenesis

Objectives Physiochemical properties of biomaterials play critical roles in dictating types of cell behaviour. In this study, a series of poly(ε‐caprolactone) ( PCL )‐derived polymers bearing different small chemical groups was employed as a platform to evaluate chondrogenesis of different cell types. Materials and methods Thin films were prepared by spin‐coating PCL derivatives. Rabbit articular chondrocytes ( rAC s) and rabbit bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells ( rMSC s) were seeded on to the films, and cell adhesion, proliferation, extracellular matrix production and gene expression were evaluated. Results The presence of hydrophilic groups (‐ NH 2 , ‐ COOH , ‐ OH and ‐C=O) promoted adhesion and proliferation of primary rAC s and rMSC s. On these polymeric films, chondrogenesis of primary rAC s depended on culture time. For passaged cells, re‐differentiation was induced on these films by chondrogenic induction, but less for cells of passage 5 compared to passage 3. While films with hydrophilic groups favoured chondrocytic gene expression of both types of passaged cells, production of glycosaminoglycans ( GAG ) was similar for those of passage 3 on all films, and PCL ‐ CH 3 film better supported GAG production for cells of passage 5. Under chondrogenic conditions, rMSC s were more efficient at GAG production on PCL and PCL ‐ NH 2 films. Conclusions This study demonstrates that different cells displayed distinct responses to substrate surface chemistry, implying that cell–biomaterial interactions can be developmental stage dependent. This provides a novel perspective for developing biomaterials for cartilage regeneration.