Using single‐walled carbon nanotubes nonwoven films as scaffolds to enhance long‐term cell proliferation in vitro

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have attracted intensive interests in biomedical research in recent years. In this study, a novel type of carbon nanotubes material so called nonwoven single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with nanotopographic structure and macroscopic volume was used as cell growing scaffold. The morphology and surface chemistry of nonwoven SWNTs were observed and characterized through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The cells were cultivated in nonwoven SWNTs and in other types of substrate as control. The cells growth behaviors including adhesion, proliferation, and cytoskeletal development was investigated by using cell viability assay and confocal observation. The experimental results indicated that nonwoven SWNTs exhibited significant enhancement to the cells adhesion and proliferation in at least 3 weeks. Numerous and highly organized cytoskeletal structures were observed when the cells were cultured in nonwoven SWNTs. Furthermore, an obvious promotional influence of the cells cultivated in nonwoven SWNTs scaffold upon the proliferation of those growing in the other kind of substrate through cell-cell communication had been found. The results obtained in this work are of significance to in vitro cell amplification in large scale, tissue regeneration, or guided repair, as well as biomedical device application.

Carbon nanotube interaction with extracellular matrix proteins producing scaffolds for tissue engineering

“…111,112 It is also widely known that the presence of CNTs in the scaffold promotes cell adhesion. 62,[113][114][115] Jell et al performed experiments on polyurethane-CNT nanocomposite (a porous structure) and concluded that the amount of MWNT in the scaffold's structure altered the resulting foam's physical, mechanical, and surface properties, and also the osteoblast phenotype. 116 The surface roughness of CNT scaffolds was also found to influence the increase of osteoblastic cell differentiation and proliferation.…”

Morphology of fibroblasts grown on substrates formed by dielectrophoretically aligned carbon nanotubes

“…The disorganized cytoplasm network shown in Fig. 3a, most likely composed of actin (Meng et al 2006), indicates that the cells have grown over and under each other. The membrane boundary between cells is difficult to discern within the network.…”

Carbon nanotubes as VEGF carriers to improve the early vascularization of porcine small intestinal submucosa in abdominal wall defect repair

“…Moreover, PSIS is a natural and completely absorbable biomaterial, while MWNT are nonabsorbable and underwent rapid, first-order clearance from the blood compartment via renal excretion, although the CNT has been proved to have little influence on cell proliferation within safe concentration by various study. [30][31][32] The interaction between MWNT and VEGF in our system is noncovalent, which is considered a favorable factor for efficient drug release. Our system is not perfect, but we deem it a meaningful attempt to improve the performance of natural biological material, and a more ideal carrier will be adapted to the sustained release system in the near future.…”