Chitosan Micro-Grooved Membranes with Increased Asymmetry for the Improvement of the Schwann Cell Response in Nerve Regeneration |
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Authors: | Luca Scaccini Roberta Mezzena Alessia De Masi Mariacristina Gagliardi Giovanna Gambarotta Marco Cecchini Ilaria Tonazzini |
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Affiliation: | 1.National Enterprise for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NEST), Istituto Nanoscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (L.S.); (R.M.); (A.D.M.); (M.G.); (M.C.);2.Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences (DSCB), University of Torino, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;3.Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy |
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Abstract: | Peripheral nerve injuries are a common condition in which a nerve is damaged, affecting more than one million people every year. There are still no efficient therapeutic treatments for these injuries. Artificial scaffolds can offer new opportunities for nerve regeneration applications; in this framework, chitosan is emerging as a promising biomaterial. Here, we set up a simple and effective method for the production of micro-structured chitosan films by solvent casting, with high fidelity in the micro-pattern reproducibility. Three types of chitosan directional micro-grooved patterns, presenting different levels of symmetricity, were developed for application in nerve regenerative medicine: gratings (GR), isosceles triangles (ISO) and scalene triangles (SCA). The directional patterns were tested with a Schwann cell line. The most asymmetric topography (SCA), although it polarized the cell shaping less efficiently, promoted higher cell proliferation and a faster cell migration, both individually and collectively, with a higher directional persistence of motion. Overall, the use of micro-structured asymmetrical directional topographies may be exploited to enhance the nerve regeneration process mediated by chitosan scaffolds. |
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Keywords: | contact guidance Schwann cells nerve regeneration |
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