Performance of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers on Biological Cell Response: A Review

Abstract

Dynamic interplay between extracellular matrix with anisotropic structure and biological cells has directed the scaffold path of development toward the utilization of actuation-responsive biomaterials. Among stimuliresponsive polymers, liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs), owing to attachment of highly anisotropic mesogenic units to the amorphous elastomeric chains, are able to reveal reversible orientational order. Dynamic order− disorder phase transition and stimuli-responsiveness are the main factors to consider them as rationally smart mimickers of biological cell topology. This Review explains briefly the structures and synthesis methods of LCEs as well as their materiobiology with an emphasis on biochemical and biomechanical features of cells from molecular view. In this regard, some indispensable factors such as quasi-liquid crystalline behavior of cells, degree of orientational order in different cells and liquid crystalline induced topographical signals as growth enhancing agent for cells are investigated. Moreover, the interactions of cellliquid crystalline substrate and the performance of LCE scaffolds on various cell lines response are given as an overview.

Improvement of Intracellular Interactions through Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Scaffolds by the Alteration of Topology

“…However, these types of defects are still present in living systems in various forms. There are many examples of fibers forming topological defects with +1 charge, either with azimuthal or with radial alignment, such as those around the optic nerve and at the tumor-stromal interface. , In this line, the flow fields and topological defects of PC12 cells seeded on LCE 3 film , LCE 3 fiber , PCL fibers , and PCL-LCE fiber (2:1) nanofibers were characterized over a period of time. Figure shows the flow fields of PC12 cells seeded on the mentioned samples 15, 45, and 90 min after culture.…”

“…Anisotropic essence, quasi-liquid crystalline behavior, and responsiveness to liquid crystal induced topographical signals are highly evaluated properties of biological cells, confirming the similarity of LCEs with the biophysical nature of cells. 9 , 10 Active nematic theory and materiobiology are outstanding protectors for the development of scaffolds based on LCEs and for interpretation of the interplay between LCE scaffolds’ surface topography and cellular topology. 11 − 13 It is noticeable that the liquid crystalline properties of various cell lines, including fibroblast cells, 14 muscular cells, 12 , 15 epithelial cells, 16 , 17 nerve cells, 18 , 19 and cancer cells, 20 have been investigated via recognition of singularity points, type of topological defects, displacement and velocity of defects, orientation of cells, and their strain rate.…”

Degradable biomedical elastomers: paving the future of tissue repair and regenerative medicine

“…This capability makes LCEs an ideal material for promoting cell growth and tissue formation in tissue engineering. 228 Since Rehage and colleagues first proposed three different alignment phases of liquid crystal elastomers in 1981, the intrinsic stimulus responsiveness of this material, such as reversible behavior, bidirectional driving force, and anisotropic mechanical properties, has been extensively researched. [229][230][231] In recent years, liquid crystalline materials have garnered widespread attention and discussion in biological tissue repair, exhibiting bidirectional driving forces under thermal, electrical, and magnetic stimuli.…”

Liquid Crystal Networks Meet Water: It's Complicated!

“…LCNs have not been widely regarded as biocompatible materials, which limits their potential in biomedical applications. But, recently, a number of reports investigated their cytocompatibility, [45,[73][74][75][76] as well as in vivo animal studies. [77] For instance, Shaha et al implanted LCN constructs mimicking intervertebral discs in rats.…”