Nanotopographical modification: a regulator of cellular function through focal adhesions.
As materials technology and the field of biomedical engineering advances, the role of cellular mechanisms, in particular adhesive interactions with implantable devices, becomes more relevant in both research and clinical practice. A key tenet of medical device design has evolved from the exquisite ability of biological systems to respond to topographical features or chemical stimuli, a process that has led to the development of next-generation biomaterials for a wide variety of clinical disorders. In vitro studies have identified nanoscale features as potent modulators of cellular behavior through the onset of focal adhesion formation. The focus of this review is on the recent developments concerning the role of nanoscale structures on integrin-mediated adhesion and cellular function with an emphasis on the generation of medical constructs with regenerative applications.


BACKGROUND
In this review, recent developments related to the role of nanoscale structures on integrin-mediated adhesion and cellular function is discussed, with an emphasis on regenerative applications.
Nanotechnology Center for Mechanics in Regenerative Medicine, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. mb3235@columbia.edu
Manus Jonathan Paul
MJ
Biggs
R Geoff
RG
Richards
Matthew J
MJ
Dalby
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D049329:Nanostructures; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D016023:Integrins