Hybrid
interfaces between living cells and nano/microstructured
scaffolds have huge application potential in biotechnology, spanning
from regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies to localized drug
delivery and from biosensing and tissue engineering to neural computing.
However, 3D architectures based on semiconducting polymers, endowed
with responsivity to visible light, have never been considered. Here,
we apply for the first time a push-coating technique to realize high
aspect ratio polymeric pillars, based on polythiophene, showing optimal
biocompatibility and allowing for the realization of soft, 3D cell
cultures of both primary neurons and cell line models. HEK-293 cells
cultured on top of polymer pillars display a remarkable change in
the cell morphology and a sizable enhancement of the membrane capacitance
due to the cell membrane thinning in correspondence to the pillars’
top surface, without negatively affecting cell proliferation. Electrophysiology
properties and synapse number of primary neurons are also very well
preserved. In perspective, high aspect ratio semiconducting polymer
pillars may find interesting applications as soft, photoactive elements
for cell activity sensing and modulation.
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