Abstract
Investigating the ability of films of pristine multiwalled nanotubes (MWCNTs) to influence human mesenchymal stem cells' proliferation, morphology, and differentiation into osteoblasts, we concluded to the following: A. MWCNTs delay the proliferation of hBMS cells but increase their differentiation. The enhancement of the differentiation markers could be a result of decreased proliferation and maturation of the extracellular matrix B. Cell spread on MWCNTs toward a polygonal shape with many thin filopodia to attach to the surfaces. Spreading may be critical in supporting osteogenic differentiation in pre-osteoblastic progenitors, being related with cytoskeletal tension. C. hBMS cells prefer MWCNTs than tissue plastic to attach and grow, being non-toxic to these cells. MWCNTs can be regarded as osteoinductive biomaterial topographies for bone regenerative engineering.