Application of fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy for the investigation of cell contact guidance

Cell contact guidance is the phenomenon of changes in cell shape, adhesion and migration in response to the substrate anisotropy. Here, we describe the application of fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy for the investigation of contact guidance. The model system used in this study consisted of HaCaT human keratinocytes grown on either random or aligned electrospun mats. Scanning electron microscopy allowed us to describe the cell shape and visualize both the nanofibers and the cell surface. The fluorescence microscopy was used to assess the influence of the substrate morphology on cell proliferation. HaCaT cells proliferated more intensely on the aligned mats than on the random ones.