title: Three-Dimensional Stiff Graphene Scaffold on Neural Stem Cells Behavior.
abstract: Physical cues of the scaffolds, elasticity, and stiffness significantly guide adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells. In addressable microenvironments constructed by three-dimensional graphene foams (3D-GFs), neural stem cells (NSCs) interact with and respond to the structural geometry and mechanical properties of porous scaffolds. Our studies aim to investigate NSC behavior on the various stiffness of 3D-GFs. Two kinds of 3D-GFs scaffolds present soft and stiff properties with elasticity moduli of 30 and 64 kPa, respectively. Stiff scaffold enhanced NSC attachment and proliferation with vinculin and integrin gene expression were up-regulated by 2.3 and 1.5 folds, respectively, compared with the soft one. Meanwhile, up-regulated Ki67 expression and almost no variation of nestin expression in a group of the stiff scaffold were observed, implying that the stiff substrate fosters NSC growth and keeps the cells in an active stem state. Furthermore, NSCs grown on stiff scaffold exhibited enhanced differentiation to astrocytes. Interestingly, differentiated neurons on stiff scaffold are suppressed since growth associated protein-43 expression was significantly improved by 5.5 folds.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.|School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University , 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qinqin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lingyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ziyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University , 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tieqiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 398 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4810-9403
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D006108:Graphite; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D006108:Graphite
keywords: differentiation; neural stem cells; proliferation; stiffness; three-dimensional graphene scaffolds