title: The Effect of Electrospun Gelatin Fibers Alignment on Schwann Cell and Axon Behavior and Organization in the Perspective of Artificial Nerve Design.
abstract: Electrospun fibrous substrates mimicking extracellular matrices can be prepared by electrospinning, yielding aligned fibrous matrices as internal fillers to manufacture artificial nerves. Gelatin aligned nano-fibers were prepared by electrospinning after tuning the collector rotation speed. The effect of alignment on cell adhesion and proliferation was tested in vitro using primary cultures, the Schwann cell line, RT4-D6P2T, and the sensory neuron-like cell line, 50B11. Cell adhesion and proliferation were assessed by quantifying at several time-points. Aligned nano-fibers reduced adhesion and proliferation rate compared with random fibers. Schwann cell morphology and organization were investigated by immunostaining of the cytoskeleton. Cells were elongated with their longitudinal body parallel to the aligned fibers. B5011 neuron-like cells were aligned and had parallel axon growth when cultured on the aligned gelatin fibers. The data show that the alignment of electrospun gelatin fibers can modulate Schwann cells and axon organization in vitro, suggesting that this substrate shows promise as an internal filler for the design of artificial nerves for peripheral nerve reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. sara.gnavi@unito.it.|Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. sara.gnavi@unito.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gnavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. benedettaelena.fornasari@unito.it.|Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. benedettaelena.fornasari@unito.it.
authors.forename: Benedetta Elena
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Fornasari
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico of Torino, Torino 10100, Italy. chiara.tondaturo@polito.it.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tonda-Turo
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico of Torino, Torino 10100, Italy. rossella.laurano@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laurano
authors.affiliation: Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, University of Torino, Torino 10100, Italy. marco.zanetti@unito.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico of Torino, Torino 10100, Italy. gianluca.ciardelli@polito.it.|Department for Materials and Devices of the National Research Council, Institute for the Cehmical and Physical Processes (CNR-IPCF UOS), Pisa 56124, Italy. gianluca.ciardelli@polito.it.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciardelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. stefano.geuna@unito.it.|Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation, University of Torino, Orbassano 10043, Italy. stefano.geuna@unito.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geuna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005780:Gelatin
keywords: aligned fibers; artificial nerve organs; electrospinning; gelatin nano-fibers; peripheral nerve injury