title: Ultra-fast laser microprocessing of medical polymers for cell engineering applications.
abstract: Picosecond laser micromachining technology (PLM) has been employed as a tool for the fabrication of 3D structured substrates. These substrates have been used as supports in the in vitro study of the effect of substrate topography on cell behavior. Different micropatterns were PLM-generated on polystyrene (PS) and poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and employed to study cellular proliferation and morphology of breast cancer cells. The laser-induced microstructures included parallel lines of comparable width to that of a single cell (which in this case is roughly 20μm), and the fabrication of square-like compartments of a much larger area than a single cell (250,000μm(2)). The results obtained from this in vitro study showed that though the laser treatment altered substrate roughness, it did not noticeably affect the adhesion and proliferation of the breast cancer cells. However, pattern direction directly affected cell proliferation, leading to a guided growth of cell clusters along the pattern direction. When cultured in square-like compartments, cells remained confined inside these for eleven incubation days. According to these results, laser micromachining with ultra-short laser pulses is a suitable method to directly modify the cell microenvironment in order to induce a predefined cellular behavior and to study the effect of the physical microenvironment on cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Ultraprecision Processes Unit, Fundación IK4-TEKNIKER, Iñaki Goenaga 5, 20600, Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Biosurfaces Unit, CIC biomaGUNE, Pº Miramón, 182, 20009, San Sebastián, Donostia, Spain. Electronic address: susana.moreno-flores@boku.ac.at.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno-Flores
authors.affiliation: Ultraprecision Processes Unit, Fundación IK4-TEKNIKER, Iñaki Goenaga 5, 20600, Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Spain; Micro and Nanoengineering Unit, CIC microGUNE, Goiru Kalea 9, 20500, Arrasate-Mondragón, Gipuzkoa, Spain. Electronic address: iban.quintana@tekniker.es.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology & Stem Cells Unit, CIC bioGUNE, Technology Park of Bizkaia, Ed. 801A, 48160 Derio, Spain.
authors.forename: MdM
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vivanco
authors.affiliation: University of the Basque Country (EHU-UPV), School of Engineering, Department of Mining and Metallurgy Engineering & Materials Science, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sarasua
authors.affiliation: Biosurfaces Unit, CIC biomaGUNE, Pº Miramón, 182, 20009, San Sebastián, Donostia, Spain; Micro and Nanoengineering Unit, CIC microGUNE, Goiru Kalea 9, 20500, Arrasate-Mondragón, Gipuzkoa, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Toca-Herrera
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000528:radiation effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D060846:Cell Engineering; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008422:Materials Testing; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D011137:Polystyrenes; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: Biodegradable polymer; Contact guidance effect; Picosecond laser ablation; Topographical cues