Azobenzene-based polymers: emerging applications as cell culture platforms

Fedele, Chiara; Netti, Paolo A.; Cavalli, Silvia

doi:10.1039/c8bm00019k

Cited by 48 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Among the various light‐responsive materials used for cell cultures, the azobenzene‐based polymers certainly occupy an important position . These materials are characterized by the presence of azobenzene groups bound to the polymer structure (sometimes referred to as matrix).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulating Fibroblast Shape and Mechanics through Photoresponsive Surfaces with Concentric Circular Topographic Patterns

Rossano

Cimmino

Cavalli

et al. 2018

Adv Materials Inter

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Material signals in the form of surface topographies, proved to be potent regulators of cell functions and fate, through mechanotransduction pathways. While a wealth of data is related to regular topographic patterns, i.e., lines, pit, or protrusions, there are comparatively few studies addressing the effects of circular, concentric patterns. Yet, curvatures affecting cell shape dramatically alter cell contractility and behavior. Additionally, the vast majority of patterned surfaces are static in nature and this prevents to understand how cells perceive and respond to the topographic patterns. Here, a technique is exploited for dynamically embossing micrometerscale circular pattern on azopolymeric substrates using a confocal laser microscope and it is analyzed how NIH‐3T3 reacts to the underlying topography in terms of changes in shape and mechanical properties. A characteristic pattern arrangement is found which most effectively alters cell morphology and orientation. Cells perceive the concentric pattern and reconfigure as fast as 2 h after pattern inscription. The changes in morphology also reflect dramatic changes in cell mechanics and cytoskeletal arrangements. The reported method is useful to manipulate cell shape and mechanics in a facile and cost‐effective manner and most importantly enables investigate mechanotransduction events dynamically.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulating Fibroblast Shape and Mechanics through Photoresponsive Surfaces with Concentric Circular Topographic Patterns

Rossano

Cimmino

Cavalli

et al. 2018

Adv Materials Inter

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“…[19,20] Such a photoisomerization is crucial in triggering the so-called directional photofluidization [21,22] and induce deformation effects in azopolymers, [23,24] which have been extensively exploited as a fabrication mean to reversibly inscribe/erase surface relieves (SR) on continuous, homogenous planar films. [30] In this way, arbitrary geometries can be obtained by properly controlling the position of a scanning laser in a confocal microscope system. [30] In this way, arbitrary geometries can be obtained by properly controlling the position of a scanning laser in a confocal microscope system.…”

Section: Doi: 101002/advs201801826mentioning

confidence: 99%

Driving Cells with Light‐Controlled Topographies

et al. 2019

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Cell–substrate interactions can modulate cellular behaviors in a variety of biological contexts, including development and disease. Light‐responsive materials have been recently proposed to engineer active substrates with programmable topographies directing cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. However, current approaches are affected by either fabrication complexity, limitations in the extent of mechanical stimuli, lack of full spatio‐temporal control, or ease of use. Here, a platform exploiting light to plastically deform micropatterned polymeric substrates is presented. Topographic changes with remarkable relief depths in the micron range are induced in parallel, by illuminating the sample at once, without using raster scanners. In few tens of seconds, complex topographies are instructed on demand, with arbitrary spatial distributions over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Proof‐of‐concept data on breast cancer cells and normal kidney epithelial cells are presented. Both cell types adhere and proliferate on substrates without appreciable cell damage upon light‐induced substrate deformations. User‐provided mechanical stimulation aligns and guides cancer cells along the local deformation direction and constrains epithelial colony growth by biasing cell division orientation. This approach is easy to implement on general‐purpose optical microscopy systems and suitable for use in cell biology in a wide variety of applications.

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“…Recent advances in nanotechnology led to a number of sophisticated techniques to pattern a polymer substrate with nanogrooves. Most of them are based on various types of lithography, ranging from photo‐ and electron beam lithography to soft lithography (Chen et al, ; Fedele, Netti, & Cavalli, ; Nikkhah, Edalat, Manoucheri, & Khademhosseini, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell alignment by smectic liquid crystal elastomer coatings with nanogrooves

Babakhanova

Krieger

et al. 2020

J Biomedical Materials Res

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Control of cells behavior through topography of substrates is an important theme in biomedical applications. Among many materials used as substrates, polymers show advantages since they can be tailored by chemical functionalization. Fabrication of polymer substrates with nano‐ and microscale topography requires processing by lithography, microprinting, etching, and so forth. In this work, we introduce a different approach based on anisotropic elastic properties of polymerized smectic A (SmA) liquid crystal elastomer (LCE). When the SmA liquid crystal coating is deposited onto a substrate with planar alignment of the molecules, it develops nanogrooves at its free surface. After photopolymerization, these nanogrooves show an excellent ability to align human dermal fibroblasts over large areas. The alignment quality is good for both bare SmA LCE substrates and for substrates coated with fibronectin. The SmA LCE nano‐topographies show a high potential for tissue engineering.

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Azobenzene-based polymers: emerging applications as cell culture platforms

Cited by 48 publications

References 57 publications

Regulating Fibroblast Shape and Mechanics through Photoresponsive Surfaces with Concentric Circular Topographic Patterns

Regulating Fibroblast Shape and Mechanics through Photoresponsive Surfaces with Concentric Circular Topographic Patterns

Driving Cells with Light‐Controlled Topographies

Cell alignment by smectic liquid crystal elastomer coatings with nanogrooves

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