BACKGROUND@#For
stem cell applications in
regenerative medicine, it is very important to produce high-quality
stem cells in large quantities in a short
time period. Recently, many studies have shown big potential of
graphene oxide as a biocompatible substance to enhance
cell growth. We investigated if
graphene oxide-coated
culture plate can promote
production efficiency of
stem cells. @*
METHODS@#Three types of
graphene oxide were used for this study. They are highly concentrated
graphene oxide solution, single-layer
graphene oxide solution, and ultra-highly concentrated single-layer
graphene oxide solution with different single-layer ratios, and coated on
cell culture plates using a spray coating
method. Physiochemical and
biological properties of
graphene oxide-coated surface were analyzed by atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning
electron microscope (SEM),
cell counting kit, a live/dead assay kit, and confocal imaging. @*RESULTS@#
Graphene oxide was evenly coated on
cell culture plates with a roughness of 6.4 * 38.2 nm, as measured by SEM and AFM. Young’s Modulus value was up to 115.1 GPa, confirming that
graphene oxide was strongly glued to the surface. The ex vivo
stem cell expansion
efficiency was enhanced as
bone marrow-derived
stem cell doubling
time on the
graphene oxide decreased compared to the control (no
graphene oxide coating), from 64 to 58 h, and the
growth rate increased up to 145%. We also observed faster attachment and higher affinity of
stem cells to the
graphene oxide compared to control by confocal microscope. @*CONCLUSION@#This study demonstrated that
graphene oxide dramatically enhanced the ex vivo expansion
efficiency of
stem cells. Spray coating enabled an ultra-thin coating of
graphene oxide on
cell culture plates. The results supported that utilization of
graphene oxide on
culture plates can be a promising mean for mass
production of
stem cells for commercial applications.