Accelerated epithelial layer healing induced by tactile anisotropy in surface topography.

Mammalian cells respond to tactile cues from topographic elements presented by the substrate. Among these, anisotropic features distributed in an ordered manner give directionality. In the extracellular matrix, this ordering is embedded in a noisy environment altering the contact guidance effect.

Neuronal contact guidance and YAP signaling on ultra-small nanogratings.

Contact interaction of neuronal cells with extracellular nanometric features can be exploited to investigate and modulate cellular responses. By exploiting nanogratings (NGs) with linewidth from 500 nm down to 100 nm, we here study neurite contact guidance along ultra-small directional topographies. The impact of NG lateral dimension on the neuronal morphotype, neurite alignment, focal adhesion (FA) development and YAP activation is investigated in nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiating PC12 cells and in primary hippocampal neurons, by confocal and live-cell total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, and at molecular level.

The role of ubiquitin ligase E3A in polarized contact guidance and rescue strategies in UBE3A-deficient hippocampal neurons.

Background: Although neuronal extracellular sensing is emerging as crucial for brain wiring and therefore plasticity, little is known about these processes in neurodevelopmental disorders. Ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) plays a key role in neurodevelopment. Lack of UBE3A leads to Angelman syndrome (AS), while its increase is among the most prevalent genetic causes of autism (e.

Chitosan films for regenerative medicine: fabrication methods and mechanical characterization of nanostructured chitosan films.

Regenerative medicine is continuously facing new challenges and it is searching for new biocompatible, green/natural polymer materials, possibly biodegradable and non-immunogenic. Moreover, the critical importance of the nano/microstructuring of surfaces is overall accepted for their full biocompatibility and in vitro/in vivo performances. Chitosan is emerging as a promising biopolymer for tissue engineering and its application can be further improved by exploiting its nano/microstructuration.

Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) Intermediate Molds for High-Resolution Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography.

Among soft lithography techniques, Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) is a high-throughput and low-cost process that can be applied to a broad range of thermoplastic materials. By simply applying the appropriate pressure and temperature combination, it is possible to transfer a pattern from a mold surface to the chosen material. Usually, high-resolution and large-area NIL molds are difficult to fabricate and expensive.

Hierarchical thermoplastic rippled nanostructures regulate Schwann cell adhesion, morphology and spatial organization.

Periodic ripples are a variety of anisotropic nanostructures that can be realized by ion beam irradiation on a wide range of solid surfaces. Only a few authors have investigated these surfaces for tuning the response of biological systems, probably because it is challenging to directly produce them in materials that well sustain long-term cellular cultures. Here, hierarchical rippled nanotopographies with a lateral periodicity of ∼300 nm are produced from a gold-irradiated germanium mold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a biocompatible polymer approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications, by a novel three-step embossing process.

Novel Light-Responsive Biocompatible Hydrogels Produced by Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition.

A novel multiresponsive hydrogel has been synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Hydrogels are known for their dynamic swelling response to aqueous environments. A chemical functionalization of the hydrogel surface was performed to add other stimuli-responsive functionalities and obtain a smart material that responds to two stimuli: light irradiation and exposure to aqueous environment.

Organosilicon phantom for photoacoustic imaging.

Photoacoustic imaging is an emerging technique. Although commercially available photoacoustic imaging systems currently exist, the technology is still in its infancy. Therefore, the design of stable phantoms is essential to achieve semiquantitative evaluation of the performance of a photoacoustic system and can help optimize the properties of contrast agents.