NER: Nanofabricated Photosensitive Polymers for Controlled Cell Manipulation in 2D & 3D

Cuny College Of Staten Island, Staten Island NY

Investigators

Abstract

The focus of this proposed program is on the design and assembly of unique scaffold materials with a photosensitive cleavable element for the controlled adhesion and release of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and cells. The approach offers versatility in generating cell and tissue scaffolds with planar or 3D nanofeatures. The capability to produce planar/topological nano-and microfeatures will be developed based on a photosensitive di-block copolymer recently synthesized in our laboratory for selective remove / deposit cells from / into a cell network or to manipulate cell attachment sites. The response of the affected cells or network regions will be studied through quantification of cell-cell communication and cell function. Furthermore, in 3D the unique characteristics of the new scaffold material will be used to design a strategy for building a stratified functional (cardiac) tissue by stacking oriented cell sheets to achieve in vivo-like anisotropy and even transmural fiber rotation. The central focus of the proposed design is the controlled adhesion/release of cell syncytia on/from the topographically modified polymer surfaces. Cell responses will be quantified and interpreted based on structural and functional data from fluorescence confocal, atomic force microscopy imaging, as well as electromechanical fluorescence measurements. The successful completion of the program aims will enable us to: 1) establish new means for precise cell control at the micro- and nano-scale; 2) create a new way of engineering functional tissue with defined architecture and anisotropy, superior to techniques currently in use. The eventual goal is to create an in vitro three-dimensional cardiac tissue system capable of preserving the salient structural, mechanical and electrical characteristics of the heart, yet minimizing ambiguity in interpreting systemic effects.