The effect of the micro- and nanotopography on vascular cell-surface interaction is investigated using nano- and microstructured Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> as model substrate. Two different nanostructured Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> surfaces composed of low density (LD) and high density (HD) nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and commercially available microstructured Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> plates were used for comparison. A clear diverging response of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMC) was observed on these nano- and microstructured surfaces. LD Al<sub>2sub>O<sub>3sub> NWs seem to enhance the proliferation of HUVECs selectively. This selective control of the cell-surface interaction by topography may represent a key issue for the future stent material design.