Control of cell migration using a conducting polymer device

Control of cell migration is receiving a great deal of attention due to its relevance to the engineering of tissues. Here we report a device that contains a conducting polymer stripe and achieves a continuum of microenvironments for cell growth under the influence of an applied bias. Marked differences are observed in the migration behaviour of bovine aortic endothelial cells (ECs) as a function of location along the polymer stripe, and a 3-fold variation is achieved in EC migration speed and directional persistence time. Moreover, the device induces directional cell migration along the conducting polymer stripe. A gradient in adsorbed fibronectin indicates that a spatial variation in cell adhesion is at play. The ability to control cell migration behaviour using external electrical stimuli highlights the potential of using conducting polymers as “active” substrates for the non-invasive control of cell behaviour.