Oriented collagen nanocoatings for tissue engineering.
Collagens are among the most widely present and important proteins composing the human total body, providing strength and structural stability to various tissues, from skin to bone. In this paper, we report an innovative approach to bioactivate planar surfaces with oriented collagen molecules to promote cells proliferation and alignment. The Langmuir-Blodgett technique was used to form a stable collagen film at the air-water interface and the Langmuir-Schaefer deposition was adopted to transfer it to the support surface. The deposition process was monitored by estimating the mass of the protein layers after each deposition step. Collagen films were then structurally characterized by atomic force, scanning electron and fluorescent microscopies. Finally, collagen films were functionally tested in vitro. To this aim, 3T3 cells were seeded onto the silicon supports either modified or not (control) by collagen film deposition. Cells adhesion and proliferation on collagen films were found to be greater than those on control both after 1 (p<0.05) and 7 days culture. Moreover, the functionalization of the substrate surface triggered a parallel orientation of cells when cultured on it. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that the Langmuir-Schaefer technique can be successfully used for the deposition of oriented collagen films for tissue engineering applications.
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genova, Via all'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy.
Laura
L
Pastorino
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genova, Via all'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy.
Elena
E
Dellacasa
IEIIT-CNR, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: silvia.scaglione@ieiit.cnr.it.
Silvia
S
Scaglione
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genova, Via all'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy.
Massimo
M
Giulianelli
IBF-CNR, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy.
Francesca
F
Sbrana
IBF-CNR, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy.
Massimo
M
Vassalli
Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genova, Via all'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genova, Italy.
Carmelina
C
Ruggiero
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D058525:Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques; D013696:Temperature; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D003094:Collagen
Cellular response; Collagen; Langmuir Blodgett technique; Tissue engineering