Enhancement of fibroblast growing on the mannosylated surface of cellulose membranes

Paper-based plasmonic substrates as surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy platforms for cell culture applications

The engineering of advanced materials capable of mimicking the cellular micro-environment while providing cells with physicochemical cues is central for cell culture applications. In this regard, paper meets key requirements in terms of biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, porosity, mechanical strength, ease of physicochemical modifications, cost, and ease of large-scale production, to be used as a scaffold material for biomedical applications. Most notably, paper has demonstrated the potential to become an attractive alternative to conventional biomaterials for creating two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic cell culture models that mimic the features of in vivo tissue environments for improving our understanding of cell behavior (e.g. growth, cell migration, proliferation, differentiation and tumor metastasis) in their natural state. On the other hand, integration of plasmonic nanomaterials (e.g. gold nanoparticles) within the fibrous structure of paper opens the possibility to generate multifunctional scaffolds equipped with biosensing tools for monitoring different cell cues through physicochemical signals. Among different plasmonic based detection techniques, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy emerged as a highly specific and sensitive optical tool for its extraordinary sensitivity and the ability for multidimensional and accurate molecular identification. Thus, paper-based plasmonic substrates in combination with SERS optical detection represent a powerful future platform for monitoring cell cues during cell culture processes. To this end, in this review, we will describe the different methods for fabricating hybrid paper-plasmonic nanoparticle substrates and their use in combination with SERS spectroscopy for biosensing and, more specifically, in cell culture applications.

Bacterial cellulose/hyaluronic acid nanocomposites production through co-culturing Gluconacetobacter hansenii and Lactococcus lactis in a two-vessel circulating system

Bacterial cellulose (BC) based composites have been widely studied in the biomedical field. In this study, the BC/HA (hyaluronic acid) nanocomposites in the pellicle form were directly produced through co-culturing Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC 23769 and Lactococcus lactis APJ3 in a novel two-vessel circulating system. The concentration of HA secreted by L. lactis was controlled through adjusting the constant feed rate of glucose. The dynamic growth of the strains revealed that L. lactis was mainly growing within 48 h while G. hansenii started to grow after 48 h. XRD analysis indicated the presence of HA would not affect the crystallinity of cellulose but increase the crystalline sizes. The FESEM images showed that more ribbons within the width of 20-40 nm and larger ribbons between 180 and 360 nm were observed in BC/HA. The strain at break and the water holding capacity of BC/HA increased with the concentration of HA.

Recent Advances in Modified Cellulose for Tissue Culture Applications

Tissue engineering is a rapidly advancing field in regenerative medicine, with much research directed towards the production of new biomaterial scaffolds with tailored properties to generate functional tissue for specific applications. Recently, principles of sustainability, eco-efficiency and green chemistry have begun to guide the development of a new generation of materials, such as cellulose, as an alternative to conventional polymers based on conversion of fossil carbon (e.g., oil) and finding technologies to reduce the use of animal and human derived biomolecules (e.g., foetal bovine serum). Much of this focus on cellulose is due to it possessing the necessary properties for tissue engineering scaffolds, including biocompatibility, and the relative ease with which its characteristics can be tuned through chemical modification to adjust mechanical properties and to introduce various surface modifications. In addition, the sustainability of producing and manufacturing materials from cellulose, as well as its modest cost, makes cellulose an economically viable feedstock. This review focusses specifically on the use of modified cellulose materials for tissue culturing applications. We will investigate recent techniques used to promote scaffold function through physical, biochemical and chemical scaffold modifications, and describe how these have been utilised to reduce reliance on the addition of matrix ligands such as foetal bovine serum.