title: Directing the morphology and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells using oriented cellulose nanowhiskers.
abstract: Radially oriented submonolayer surfaces of 10-15 nm diameter cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were prepared by spin-coating. The response of myoblasts (muscle cells) to the surfaces was assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), immunocytochemistry, and image analysis. Despite the small size of the CNWs, the myoblasts oriented along the CNW surfaces. Upon differentiation, the myoblasts produced striking radial patterns of myotubes, following the radial pattern of the CNWs. This facile method of nanopatterning surfaces may be applied where the directed growth of tissue is required and shows for the first time the potential of CNWs for tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Centre and Northwest Composites Centre, School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Grosvenor Street, Manchester M14 9PL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dugan
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gough
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D022001:Focal Adhesions; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010968:Plasticizers; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010968:Plasticizers; D002482:Cellulose