Biochemical cues

Nanofibrous architecture presents a very different set of structural and biochemical cues to attached cells to that presented by flat culture surfaces. These variations... 

Li, N. Z. and Folch, A., Integration of topographical and biochemical cues by axons during growth on microfabricated 3-D substrates, Exp Cell Res, 311, 307, 2005. 

Polymeric Heart Valves 314 19.5.2.1 Surface with Biochemical Cues 321... 

Recent development in microfluidic technologies has created novel microfluidic platforms (see Figs. 1 and 2) that integrate biophysical (e.g., hydrogel) and/or biochemical cues... 

Synthetic polymers are associated with a lack of specific integrin binding domains resulting in low cell adhesion, non-homogenous cell distribution, reduced cell proliferation and spreading (Chiono et al., 2013b). In the last years, the possibility to introduce biochemical cues into PURs has been explored to overcome the limitations of synthetic polymers in terms of cell response, compared to the natural based ones (Table 6.5). 

Stimuli responsive polymeric systems in combination with a better design of biomaterials, with control over the chemical and physical properties are critical for an improvement in the efficiency of implantable materials. Consequently, elegant and clever designs by combining smart polymers with micro- and nanopatterned biochemical cues and cells show enormous potential for clinical appUcable engineered biomaterials. 

Cells cultured on the surfaces of hydrogels may be useful as an in vitro defined culture system to investigate the physiology and pathophysiology of both cells and tissues. The two-dimensional culture system, however, does not provide a microenvironment close to that in vivo and therefore may not represent an accurate model. The main drawbacks of the two-dimensional culture hydrogel system are the insufficient regulation of 3D architecture and the variations in biochemical cues from those of the in vivo environment, which may alter metabolism and reduce the functionalities of cells (Lutolf et al., 2009 Tibbitt and Anseth, 2009). 

Advances in materials and scaffold design have also included biochemical cues that mimic those found within articular cartilage exhibiting improved cell adhesion, pro-hferation, directed differentiation, and phenotypic expression (Chen et al., 2011 Guo et al., 2010). Extended culture approaches, in which cartilage-like tissue is secreted by... 

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