Fibroblast Cell Growth Research Articles

Porous scaffolds with the structure of an interpenetrating polymer network made by gelatin methacrylated nanoparticle-stabilized high internal phase emulsion polymerization targeted for tissue engineering.

The interlacing of biopolymers and synthetic polymers is a promising strategy to fabricate hydrogel-based tissue scaffolds to biomimic a natural extracellular matrix for cell growth. Herein, open-cellular macroporous 3D scaffolds with a semi-interpenetrating network were fabricated through high internal phase emulsion templating. The scaffolds are prepared by (I) the curing of PEG diacrylate (PEGDAC) and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) in the continuous aquatic phase of a coconut oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by GelMA nanoparticles, and (II) the removal of the internal phase. The effect of the main contributing parameters such as pH, GelMA content, and GelMA/PEGDAC weight ratio on the emulsion features was investigated systematically. Due to the isoelectric point of GelMA at around pH 6, the GelMA particle (aggregation) size decreased at both sides of pH from 1000 to 100–140 nm because of the increased number of positive and negative charges on GelMA. These GelMA nanoparticles were able to produce stable emulsions with narrowly distributed small emulsion droplets. Moreover, the stability and emulsion droplet size were enhanced and increased, respectively, with GelMA content increasing and GelMA/PEGDAC weight ratio decreasing. These trends lie in the prevented coalescence phenomenon caused by the improved viscosity and likely partially formed network by GelMA chains in the continuous phase. Hence, the following formulation was selected for scaffold preparation: φoil = 74%, pH = 12, GeMA = 4 wt%, and GelMA/PEGDAC = 10/8. Then, PCL in different contents was infiltrated into the scaffold to balance hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. The cell culture assay proved that the scaffold with a pore size of 60–180 μm and containing 51.2 wt% GelMA, 10.3 wt% PEG, and PCL 27.2 wt% provided a suitable microenvironment for mouse fibroblast cell (L929) adhesion, growth, and spreading. These results show that this strategy suggests promising culture for tissue engineering applications.

Reversible Bonding of Thermoplastic Elastomers for Cell Patterning Applications

In this paper, we present a simple, versatile method that creates patterns for cell migration studies using thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The TPE material used here can be robustly, but reversibly, bonded to a variety of plastic substrates, allowing patterning of cultured cells in a microenvironment. We first examine the bonding strength of TPE to glass and polystyrene substrates and com-pare it to thermoset silicone-based PDMS under various conditions and demonstrate that the TPE can be strongly and reversibly bonded on commercially available polystyrene culture plates. In cell migration studies, cell patterns are templated around TPE features cored from a thin TPE film. We show that the significance of fibroblast cell growth with fetal bovine serum (FBS)-cell culture media compared to the cells cultured without FBS, analyzed over two days of cell culture. This simple approach allows us to generate cell patterns without harsh manipulations like scratch assays and to avoid damaging the cells. We also confirm that the TPE material is non-toxic to cell growth and supports a high viability of fibroblasts and breast cancer cells. We anticipate this TPE-based patterning approach can be further utilized for many other cell patterning applications such as in cell-to-cell communication studies.

The Potential of CO2 Incubator "Sriwijaya CO2 Incubator" Against Cell Culture Proliferation In Invitro Study As Smart Controlling-Based CO2 Incubator For Cell Culture

A B S T R A C TIntroduction. A CO 2 incubator is an essential tool for the initiation of theproliferation of primary culture cells or cell lines. In principle, this tool works bykeeping the sample cell line at an optimum temperature of 37 o C and 5% carbondioxide supply. The ability of the CO 2 incubator to maintain temperature and supplyof 5% carbon dioxide are essential points in the development of the CO 2 incubator.This study is an attempt to convince the potential of Sriwijaya CO 2 Incubator inmaintaining the proliferation ability of cultured cells in an in vitro study. Methods.This study is an experimental pre-post test that explores the percentage of viabilityof primary culture cells (fibroblasts) before and after incubation in CO 2 incubators.The object of this study was fibroblast cells obtained from the prepuce of patientswho performed circumcision. Results. Fibroblast cell proliferation in CO 2 incubatorsshows an increase in the number of fibroblast proliferation which can be seen withthe increasing number of cells visualized by inverted microscopy. Conclusion.Sriwijaya CO 2 incubator has the potential to be used in in vitro research to triggerthe growth and proliferation of fibroblast cells.

Electrospun Bioabsorbable Fibers Containing S-Nitrosoglutathione for Tissue Engineering Applications.

Blended and coaxial fibers comprising polycaprolactone and gelatin, containing the endogenous nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), were electrospun. Both types of fibers had their NO release profiles tested under physiological conditions to examine their potential applications as biomedical scaffolds. The coaxial fibers exhibited a prolonged and consistent release of NO over the course of 4 d from the core-encapsulated GSNO, while the blended fibers had a large initial release and leaching of GSNO that was exhausted over a shorter period of time. Bacterial testing of both fiber scaffolds was conducted over a 24 h period against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and demonstrated a 3-log reduction in bacterial viability. In addition, no cytotoxic response was reported when the material was tested on mouse fibroblast cells in vitro. These fibrous matrices were also shown to support cell growth, attachment, and overall activity of fibroblasts when exposed to NO, especially when GSNO was encapsulated within coaxial fibers. From an application point of view, these NO-releasing fibers offer great potential in tissue engineering and biomedical applications because of the crucial role of NO in regulating a variety of biological processes in humans such as angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, and eliminating foreign pathogens.

A study on the viscoelastic behavior of chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol-graphene oxide nanocomposite films as a wound dressing

The nanocomposites of Chitosan (CS)-poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) were fabricated by casting in a mold. The nanocomposite films were characterized by various techniques. The viscoelastic properties of the wound dressings were evaluated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) since the healing quality of a wound dressing depends on such properties. DMTA results also were modeled by the Cole-Cole diagram. Finally, the effects of GO on antimicrobial and biological properties of films were studied. It has been shown that nanocomposite films support the initial attachment, proliferation, and growth of mouse fibroblast cells.

Polyurethane/chitosan/hyaluronic acid scaffolds: providing an optimum environment for fibroblast growth.

Biodegradable polymers can replace damaged tissue components using tissue engineering techniques. The objective of this study is to determine an optimum environment for polymer scaffolds to improve the proliferation of fibroblast cells capable of wound repair. In this study, the addition of polysaccharides, such as chitosan (CH) or hyaluronic acid (HA), to a polyurethane (PU) polymer was evaluated using different methods to determine if they affect scaffold morphology and cell activity of fibroblasts prepared from human foreskin tissues. Mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, contact angle and swelling test, were used to check the physical and mechanical properties of the scaffold. Fibroblast growth was also measured at 24, 48 and 72 hours. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) determined that a 3:1 ratio of PU/CH scaffold, developed by electrospinning, allowed the formation of a uniform structure in scaffold fibres. Physical mechanical tests showed that PU electrospun scaffolds were not modified by the addition of CH. The mean stretch and mean water absorption increased significantly using the PU/CH scaffold, compared with the PU scaffold. However, the mean tensile strength and the mean contact angle, used to study space and porosity, did not differ between scaffolds. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the functional groups (-OH, -NH and -C=O) in the PU/CH scaffold, compared with PU or CH chemical structures alone. HA was then added to CH and PU/CH scaffolds to evaluate the growth of fibroblast cells. Results showed that cell viability and the number of cells, using MTT and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively, increased significantly at 24, 48 and 72 hours of culture in PU/CH/HA scaffold compared to HA, CH/HA, and PU/HA. Moreover, PU/HA at 48 and 72 hours also increased cell viability and cell numbers compared to HA and CH/HA scaffolds. However, scaffolds at 72 hours had limited space for cell growth. Moreover, SEM data demonstrated that fibroblasts were able to proliferate, penetrate, migrate and survive on PU/HA and PU/CH/HA three-dimensional scaffolds, especially during the first 48 hours. Furthermore, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining confirmed that fibroblasts could penetrate PU scaffolds and showed higher cell viability and lower cellular damage in PU/CH/HA, compared to CH/HA and PU/HA scaffolds. Finally, flow cytometry using CD90 and CD105 surface markers revealed that >90% of cells isolated from the human dermis were fibroblasts. In summary, PU/HA and PU/CH/HA scaffolds were found to be biocompatible and provided a suitable environment for the growth and proliferation of fibroblasts, which filled and covered all pores between the fibres. The new scaffold used in this study, made of synthetic and natural polymers, is a good candidate for applications in tissue engineering. It is therefore recommended to use PU in grafts or in wound dressing.

Anti-atherosclerotic and Anti-Biofilm properties of Pleurotus ostreatus Metabolites

To investigate the anti-biofilm and anti-atherosclerotic properties of metabolites from a mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus was selected as the main objective of present study. The study involved the following series of steps to meet the objective. Coating the metal stents with fungal metabolites and vitamin-E, to study the anti-biofilm properties against biofilm producing bacterial species (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), to determine the drug release behaviour from the coated stents, and to investigate the cytotoxic assay and biocompatibility of the coated stents using MTT assay method. Anti-biofilm activity of the developed Metabolite-Vitamin E (MVE) combinations showed significant activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis (0.5mg/ml) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (0.75mg/ml). Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus expressed respective anti-biofilm values of 0.5mg/ml, 0.25mg/ml and 0.5mg/ml. Drug release behaviour analysis revealed controlled and sustained release of fungal metabolites from the stents coated with Metabolite-Vitamin E mixture. In vitro MTT assay revealed that Metabolite-Vitamin E did not inhibit the growth of L929 fibroblast cells; indicating the biocompatibility of the coated stents. Mushrooms producing pharmacologically significant metabolites could be exploited in treating cardiovascular diseases in human beings to a greater extent. Future analysis could be useful in identifying the significant chemical compounds present in the metabolites.

3D scaffolding of fast photocurable polyurethane for soft tissue engineering by stereolithography: Influence of materials and geometry on growth of fibroblast cells

Tissue engineering can benefit from the availability of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies that make it possible to produce scaffolds with complex geometry. Chemical, mechanical, and structural properties should be considered in scaffold design and development since these properties affect cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. To this end, in this study, we developed a series of fast photocuring polyurethanes (PUs), using poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and/or polyethylene glycol (PEG) as microdiols, using a solvent-free method and stereolithography strategy for the fabrication of elastic 3D-printed scaffold. The effects of different diols on the hydrolytic degradation, thermal and mechanical properties, and hydrophilicity of PUs were evaluated. The results showed that PEG-containing PUs had higher degradation rates, and the tensile strength of PU/PCL/PEG was 1.4 and 2 times higher than that of PU/PEG and PU/PCL, respectively. Moreover, the effect of different diols and scaffold geometry on toxicity and cell attachment were studied in vitro. The results of MTT and AlamarBlue assays on dermal fibroblast cells showed high proliferation of printed PU/PCL/PEG scaffold with no sign of cytotoxicity. In addition, compared to cast film PUs, relatively high cell attachment was seen on the surface of printed PU/PCL/PEG even after 4 days. Therefore, 3D printed PU/PCL/PEG showed high applicability in soft tissue engineering, especially for scaffold development.

Thin TiO2 Coatings by ALD Enhance the Cell Growth on TiO2 Nanotubular and Flat Substrates.

The present work exploits Ti sheets and TiO2 nanotube (TNT) layers and their surface modifications for the proliferation of different cells. Ti sheets with a native oxide layer, Ti sheets with a crystalline thermal oxide layer, and two kinds of TNT layers (prepared via electrochemical anodization) with a defined inner diameter of 12 and 15 nm were used as substrates. A part of the Ti sheets and the TNT layers was additionally coated by thin TiO2 coatings using atomic layer deposition (ALD). An increase in cell growth of WI-38 fibroblasts (>50%), MG-63 osteoblasts (>30%), and SH-SY5Y neuroblasts (>30%) was observed for all materials coated by five cycles ALD compared to their uncoated counterparts. The additional ALD TiO2 coatings changed the surface composition of all materials but preserved their original structure and protected them from unwanted crystallization and shape changes. The presented approach of mild surface modification by ALD has a significant effect on the materials' biocompatibility and is promising toward application in implant materials.

The influence of the molecular weight of polymer on the morphology, functional properties and L929 fibroblasts growth on polylactide membranes for tissue engineering

The main goal of tissue engineering (TE) is supporting the regeneration of damaged tissues that are difficult to regenerate. The experimental results of the preparation of semi-permeable membranes for cell cultures are presented. The effect of the PLA molecular weight and addition of pore precursors on the morphology of the membranes was studied. The pore precursor of choice was polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). It was found that semi-permeable membranes for application in tissue engineering can be prepared with polylactides of molecular weight more significant than 37,000 g/mol. Moreover, it was observed that the growth of the molecular weight of the polymer, the porosity, the size of the pores, the Young modulus and maximum tensile increased. Additionally, to obtain a better morphology of the membranes, PVP should be added to the polymeric solution. Positive growth of L929 fibroblast cells on the obtained scaffolds was shown.

Growth of NIH 3T3 Fibroblast Cells Exposed to Carbonated Hydroxyapatite with Incorporated Propolis

Carbonated hydroxyapatite is frequently used as bone graft material in dentistry. It is highly biocompatible, has osteoconductive properties, and functions as a drug delivery system. Propolis is a natural product from bees that has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and is capable of accelerating wound healing. Incorporating propolis into carbonated hydroxyapatite was expected to enhance the wound-healing process by stimulating fibroblast growth and regenerating alveolar bone in the treatment of periodontitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of carbonated hydroxyapatite with incorporated propolis on the viability of NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. This study used three treatment groups [carbonated hydroxyapatite with various concentrations of incorporated propolis (5%, 7.5%, and 10%)] and one control group (carbonated hydroxyapatite with no propolis). An MTT assay was carried out to assess cell viability, and absorbance readings were performed by using an ELISA reader. The data were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA. The results showed significant differences between all groups, and carbonated hydroxyapatite with 10% incorporated propolis has the highest cell viability level of all groups, while the control group has the lowest cell viability. In conclusion, adding propolis to carbonated hydroxyapatite could increase the growth of NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. Keywords: Carbonated hydroxyapatite, Propolis, NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells, MTT assay

The effect of electromagnetic field on decreasing and increasing of the growth and proliferation rate of dermal fibroblast cell.

Maintaining the health of dermal fibroblast cells and controlling their growth and proliferation would directly affect the health of skin tissues. The present study encompassed three control and three experimental specimens, which were different in terms of the duration of exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) and intensity. With a decrease in intensity from 2 to 1 mT during 24, 48, and 72 h after exposing the cells to EMF, the frequency of the sample fibroblast cells increased by 60.3%, 144.9%, and 90.1%, respectively. With an increase in intensity from 3 to 4 mT during 48 and 72 h of exposure to EMF, the frequencies of the sample fibroblast cells decreased by 6.8% and 86.7%, respectively. It seems to be possible to achieve the most desirable condition to help the restoration of wounds and skin lesions through decreasing the exposure intensity from 2 to 0.5 mT and increasing EMF exposure time from 24 to 72 h simultaneously and non-invasively. The most desirable approach to improve the treatment of skin cancers non-invasively is to increase the intensity from 3 to 5 mT and to enhance EMF exposure time from 48 to 72 h.

Long acting anti-infection constructs on titanium

Peri-prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are a serious adverse event following joint replacement surgeries; antibiotics are usually added to bone cement to prevent infection offset. For uncemented prosthesis, alternative antimicrobial approaches are necessary in order to prevent PJI; however, despite elution of drug from the surface of the device being shown one of the most promising approach, no effective antimicrobial eluting uncemented device is currently available on the market. Consequently, there is a clinical need for non-antibiotic antimicrobial uncemented prosthesis as these devices present numerous benefits, particularly for young patients, over cemented artificial joints. Moreover, non-antibiotic approaches are driven by the need to address the growing threat posed by antibiotic resistance.We developed a multilayers functional coating on titanium surfaces releasing chlorhexidine, a well-known antimicrobial agent used in mouthwash products and antiseptic creams, embedding the drug between alginate and poly-beta-amino-esters.Chlorhexidine release was sustained for almost 2 months and the material efficacy and safety was proven both in vitro and in vivo. The coatings did not negatively impact osteoblast and fibroblast cells growth and were capable of reducing bacterial load and accelerating wound healing in an excisional wound model.As PJI can develop weeks and months after the initial surgery, these materials could provide a viable solution to prevent infections after arthroplasty in uncemented prosthetic devices and, simultaneously, help the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Impact of Femtosecond Laser Treatment Accompanied with Anodization of Titanium Alloy on Fibroblast Cell Growth

Herein, Ti6Al4V alloy is surface modified by femtosecond laser ablation. The microstructure image obtained by secondary electron microscopy reveals a combination of micrometer spikes or cones superimposed by nanoripples (laser‐induced periodic surface structures). To make the surface hydrophilic, anodization is performed resulting in further smoothness of microstructure and a final thickness of 35 ± 4 nm is estimated for oxide produced after anodization at 10 V (scan rate = 0.1 V s−1) versus standard hydrogen electrode. The obtained electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) is approximately 8 times larger compared with flat mirror polished Ti6Al4V surface. Combined chemical analysis by Pourbaix diagram and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses reveal that titanium and aluminum are passivating into TiO2 and Al2O3, but the dissolution of aluminum in the form of solvated ion is inevitable. Finally, cell seeding experiments on anodized and laser‐treated titanium alloy samples show that the growth of murine fibroblast cells is significantly suppressed due to unique surface texture of the laser‐treated and anodized titanium alloy sample.

Development, characterization and evaluation of the biocompatibility of catechol crosslinked horsegram protein films

Proteins in the common legume Macrotyloma uniflorum have inherent antimicrobial properties and can be converted into films for food, medical and other applications. Crude proteins were extracted from horsegram seeds and were converted into thin films by casting approach. Amino acid analysis of the extracted protein confirmed the presence of both essential and non- essential amino acids required for food applications. However, the protein films have relatively weak mechanical properties and poor aqueous stability which can be substantially improved by crosslinking with a biocompatible crosslinker, catechol. Crosslinked films had strength of 7.32 MPa and were stable in water and cell culture media for upto 4 days suggesting their suitability for tissue engineering and other medical applications. The swelling % of the films was directly proportional to the amount of catechol used. The 20% catechol crosslinked films displayed significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus and E. coli in comparison to the uncrosslinked films. In addition to demonstrating good antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, the films were conducive to the growth of L929 mouse fibroblast cells, better than Zn @20 ppm. Overall, large availability, presence of essential amino acids, ability to develop films and other biomaterials with desired properties and cytocompatibility make horsegram proteins desirable for food, medical and other applications.

Fabrication of a Novel Ta(Zn)O Thin Film on Titanium by Magnetron Sputtering and Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation for Cell Biocompatibilities and Antibacterial Applications

Pure titanium (Ti) and titanium alloys are widely used as artificial implant materials for biomedical applications. The excellent biocompatibility of Ti has been attributed to the presence of a natural or artificial surface layer of titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide and tantalum oxide thin films are recognized due to their outstanding antibacterial properties. In this study, high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) was used for the deposition of tantalum oxide and zinc-doped Ta(Zn)O thin films on Ti with rough and porous surface, which was pretreated by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). Surface morphology, antibacterial property as well as cell biocompatibility were analyzed. The antibacterial effect was studied individually for the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans). The deposited Ta (Zn)O coating was composed of amorphous tantalum oxide and crystalline ZnO. The antibacterial results on the tantalum oxide and Ta(Zn)O coated Ti indicated a significant inhibition of both S. aureus and A. actinomycetemcomitans bacteria when compared with the uncoated Ti samples. The deposited Ta(Zn)O showed the best antibacterial performance. The Ta(Zn)O coated Ti showed lower level of the cell viability in MG-63 cells compared to other groups, indicating that Zn-doped Ta(Zn)O coatings may restrict the cell viability of hard tissue-derived MG-63 cells. However, the biocompatibility tests demonstrated that the tantalum oxide and Ta(Zn)O coatings improved cell attachment and cell growth in human skin fibroblasts. The cytotoxicity was found similar between the Ta2O5 and Ta(Zn)O coated Ti. By adopting a first PEO surface modification and a subsequent HiPIMS coating deposition, we synthetized amorphous tantalum oxide and Ta(Zn)O coatings that improved titanium surface properties and morphologies, making them a good surface treatment for titanium-based implants.

Rosmarinic acid-conjugated hemocyanins: synthesis and stability

Two oxygen-transporting proteins known for their immunostimulating and anticancer properties, namely hemocyanin from Helix lucorum (HlH) and hemocyanin from Rapana thomasiana (RtH), have been modified for the first time with rosmarinic acid (RA). We prepared two conjugates RA–HlH and RA–RtH containing 47 and 50 rosmarinic acid residues, respectively. The conformational analysis showed that the secondary structure of RA–HlH is less ordered than that of the native HlH, and for the modified protein we observed a decrease in α-helical structures in the favor of random coils, unordered structures, and aggregates. Calorimetric studies showed an increase in the thermal stability of RA–HlH in comparison with the native HlH which is in agreement with the observed structural changes. On the other hand, the conformation of RA–RtH was very similar to that of the native RtH although some rearrangements in the molecule were found. Interestingly, the modification of RtH with RA resulted in a decrease in its thermal stability. A 48-h in vitro experiment showed that tested in concentrations up to 0.7 mg mL−1 the two modified hemocyanins did not inhibit the cell growth of human fibroblasts.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Functionalized on Hydrogel Grafted Silk Fibroin Fabrics as Efficient Composite Dressing.

Recent advances in woundcare is targeted towards developing active-dressings, where multiple components are combined to provide a suitable environment for rapid healing. The aim of the present research is to study the preparation of biomimic composite wound dressings by the grafting of hydrogel on silk fibroin fabric. The swelling ability of hydrogel grafted silk fibroin fabric was optimized by changing the initiator concentration. In order to impart antimicrobial properties, these dressing are further coated sono-chemically with zinc oxide nanoparticles. The water vapor transmission rate of the prepared samples was measured. The conformation of silk fibroin proteins after grafting with hydrogel was also confirmed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphology of the zinc oxide-coated silk fibroin fabric and hydrogel-coated silk fibroin was studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The antimicrobial activity of the zinc oxide-coated samples was studied against E coli. The cytocompatibility of the prepared dressing materials were evaluated using L929 fibroblast cells. MTT assay and phase contrast microscopic studies showed that the adherence, growth, and proliferation of the L929 fibroblast cells that were seeded on zinc oxide nanoparticles on the functionalized hydrogel-coated silk fibroin dressing was significantly higher than that of pure silk fibroin due to the highly porous, bio-mimic structure that allowed ease of passage of nutrients, growth factors, metabolites, and the exchange of gases which is beneficial for successful regeneration of damaged tissues. The expression of TNF-α and IL-2 were not significantly higher than that of control. The proposed composite dressing would be a promising material for wound dressing and regenerative medicine but in order to prove the efficacy of these materials, more in vivo experiments and clinical tests are required to be conducted in future.

(Invited) A Combined Femtosecond Laser Treatment and Anodization Approach to Control Fibroblast Cell Growth on Titanium Alloys

Intra cardiac pace makers are an emerging technology. In case of revisions however they should not be found completely overgrown by fibroblasts. Titanium alloys which are used for their housings can be engineered. For this purpose the titanium alloy is surface treated by femtosecond laser ablation. The microstructure image obtained by secondary electron microscopy reveals a combination of micrometer spikes or cones superimposed by nanoripples or periodic nanoplate-like structure (LIPSS). To make the surface hydrophilic anodization was performed resulting in further smoothness of microstructure and a final thickness of 35±4 nm is estimated for oxide produced after anodization at 10 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode. The obtained electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) is approximately 8-9 times larger as compared to flat mirror polished titanium surface. Combined chemical analysis by Pourbaix diagram and (XPS) analysis reveal that titanium and aluminium are passivating into TiO2 and Al2O3 but the dissolution of aluminium in the form of solvated ion is inevitable. Finally, after exposing the anodized + laser treated titanium alloy sample to murine fibroblast environment, it is found that murine fibroblast cell growth is significantly restricted due to unique surface texture of the laser treated and anodized titanium alloy sample.

Electrical stimulation affects adsorption dynamics in a conductive, biocompatible polymer

Application of electrical stimulation on a conductive, partially biodegradable copolymer results in increased adsorption and heightened growth of fibroblast cells.