Detail Project and Funding

Abstract: Advanced tissue engineering requires scaffolds fabricated at different scales to facilitate cellular repair. Neurons respond to micro and nanopatterns over which are grown and it is possible to control – to some extent –
neurite protrusion and the formation of neuronal network by using only nanopatterns. The present proposal is based on four main steps:
i – Development and fabrication of Scaffolds;
ii – Experimentation and testing of the formation of 3D neuronal networks;
iii – Analysis of long term survival of 3D neuronal networks;
iv- Development and testing of scaffolds for implants.
The final and most important step concerns the implantation of our scaffolds in a neuronal tissue for repair. We will attempt to implant our scaffolds for repairing spinal cord and sciatic nerve injuries, a realistic but challenging aim

INO’s Experiments/Theoretical Study correlated:
Laser micro/nano fabrication

The Scientific Results:
1) Elastin-Coated Biodegradable Photopolymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications
2) Improved cell activity on biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds using titanate nanotube coatings
3) Excimer Laser-produced Biodegradable Photopolymer Scaffolds Do Not Induce Immune Rejection In Vivo
4) Note: Strain sensitivity comparison between fiber Bragg gratings inscribed on 125 and 80 micron cladding diameter fibers, case study on the solidification monitoring of a photo-curable resin
5) Photoinitiator-free 3D scaffolds fabricated by excimer laser photocuring
6) Report on pilot 3D scaffolds production and characterization.
7) Report on production of pilot multichannel conduits.
8) Four-order stiffness variation of laser-fabricated photopolymer biodegradable scaffolds by laser parameter modulation
9) Controlled antiseptic/eosin release from chitosan-based hydrogel modified fibrous substrates
10) Gold nanoparticle-filled biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds induced muscle remodeling: in vitro and in vivo findings