Using two-photon polymerization for the fabrication of 3D matrices for cell migration studies

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

0854288 E. Mazur This NSF award by the Biosensing and Bioengineering/CBET program supports work by Professors Eric Mazur and David Mooney at Harvard University to study the role of material architecture and physical properties in 3D cell-cell interactions and motility using a two- photon fabrication technique. Using two-photon polymerization to fabricate 3D matrices, they study cell adhesion and migration in three dimensions. Cell migration research is taking intriguing new turns and emerging studies are revealing marked differences in the way that cells migrate in two versus three dimensions. Such studies are important to understand a variety of physiological and pathological processes such as progression of cancer, metastasis, and tissue regeneration. The main goal of this proposal is to develop a synthetic three-dimensional extracellular matrix (ECM) that permits independent and precise spatial control of biochemical and biophysical cues. Specifically, they will develop two-photon polymerization system to fabricate three-dimensional matrix with varying physical and chemical properties. They will then perform a systematic study on cell migration by varying several parameters of the ECM in a controlled way. The effects of pore size and shape, mechanical-stiffness, adhesion peptide concentration of the ECM walls, degradation of the matrix on cell motility, and adhesion will be studied. This approach will allow them to have a precise, independent control over architecture as well as various adhesion and mechanical parameters at a micrometer and submicrometer scale to study their role in cell migration in a systematic manner. Finally, the proposed work will demonstrate the broad applicability of this approach to study various cell and tissue processes in isolation in order to address novel problems in biology.