Effects of Polymeric Nanogratings on Cell Orientation

Published

December 30, 2010

Author(s)

Nancy J. Lin, Sheng Lin-Gibson, Jirun Sun, Yifu Ding

Abstract

Surface topography is known to play a critical role in the biological response to materials, with surface features on the order of both microns and nanometers altering cell response, including morphology, adhesion, cytoskeletal orientation, and gene expression. However, the mechanisms responsible for the changes in cell response are not well understood. Recent studies have shed some light on the mechanisms behind cell orientation on line-and-space grating patterns utilizing a novel nanograting with a height gradient. Cell orientation on these nanogratings as a function of pattern height correlates with the contact angle anisotropy for water droplets on the same gratings and suggests a similar mechanism for early cell alignment and water droplet spreading.

Citation

Biomaterials Forum

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

nanograting, lithography, cell orientation, contact angle, anisotropy, cell elongation, gradient, polymer, cell contact guidance, biomaterial

Citation

Lin, N. , Lin-Gibson, S. , Sun, J. and Ding, Y. (2010), Effects of Polymeric Nanogratings on Cell Orientation, Biomaterials Forum (Accessed April 3, 2026)