Natural interface guiding cell: Directly using waste fish scales with rich micro/nano structures for control of cell behaviors

Extracellular matrix (ECM) with various micro/nano features is an important chemical and physical clue to control cell behaviors. Fish scale surface has rich structures and similar components to ECM, but there are no reports on directly using the natural surface of fish scales to guide cell behavior. Herein, natural interface of waste fish scales can be directly, simply, green, and low-costly used to regulate cell behavior. A series of characterization showed that the natural surface of fish scales is rich in micro/nano structures (groove, short ridge, fibers), contain collagen and hydroxyapatite, has suitable wettability and no cytotoxicity. These natural structures on waste fish scales have adjustable cell guidance abilities, which are consistent with the anisotropy levels of these structures (ordered fibers > grooves > damaged fibers > short ridges). Moreover, cell contact interaction with micro/nano topographies on the fish scale surface is dynamically adjustable with growth time, and also increased the chemoresistance of cancer cells to drug (irinotecan and cisplatin). Due to its advantages of wide material sources, waste recycling, patterning-free, and pretreatment-free, directly using biowastes (fish scales) not only provides a new opportunity for the development of in vitro anisotropic culture platform, but also helps to deepen the understanding and application of natural materials.

Automated summary

The natural surface of waste fish scales, with rich micro/nano structures and components, can be used to regulate cell behavior and dynamically adjust cell contact interaction with growth time.