Modification of Glial Attachment by Surface Nanostructuring of SU-8 Thin Films

Abstract

Various methods are currently under development to enhance the biocompatibility of neural electrodes and to minimize the reactive gliosis around the implant surface. As cells in their native microenvironment interact with 3D nanoscale topographies of the extracellular matrix, physical modification of implant surfaces may provide an alternative solution to the negative tissue response by imitating the structure of the extracellular matrix, and therefore affecting the attachment and behavior of neurons and glial cells. The attachment of primary mouse astrocytes on nanostructured SU8 polymer surfaces fabricated by e-beam lithography was investigated in our study. We found that attachment of primary mouse astrocytes on silicon-SU8 surfaces is strongly influenced by the surface topography.