Browsing by Subject "Biocompatible Materials"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Open Access
Atomic force microscopy for the investigation of molecular and cellular behavior
(Elsevier, 2016-10) Ozkan A.D.; Topal, A. E.; Dana, A.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
The present review details the methods used for the measurement of cells and their exudates using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and outlines the general conclusions drawn by the mechanical characterization of biological materials through this method. AFM is a material characterization technique that can be operated in liquid conditions, allowing its use for the investigation of the mechanical properties of biological materials in their native environments. AFM has been used for the mechanical investigation of proteins, nucleic acids, biofilms, secretions, membrane bilayers, tissues and bacterial or eukaryotic cells; however, comparison between studies is difficult due to variances between tip sizes and morphologies, sample fixation and immobilization strategies, conditions of measurement and the mechanical parameters used for the quantification of biomaterial response. Although standard protocols for the AFM investigation of biological materials are limited and minor differences in measurement conditions may create large discrepancies, the method is nonetheless highly effective for comparatively evaluating the mechanical integrity of biomaterials and can be used for the real-time acquisition of elasticity data following the introduction of a chemical or mechanical stimulus. While it is currently of limited diagnostic value, the technique is also useful for basic research in cancer biology and the characterization of disease progression and wound healing processes.
Open Access
Glycosaminoglycan-Mimetic Signals Direct the Osteo/Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Three-Dimensional Peptide Nanofiber Extracellular Matrix Mimetic Environment
(American Chemical Society, 2016-02) Arslan, E.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Recent efforts in bioactive scaffold development focus strongly on the elucidation of complex cellular responses through the use of synthetic systems. Designing synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) materials must be based on understanding of cellular behaviors upon interaction with natural and artificial scaffolds. Hence, due to their ability to mimic both the biochemical and mechanical properties of the native tissue environment, supramolecular assemblies of bioactive peptide nanostructures are especially promising for development of bioactive ECM-mimetic scaffolds. In this study, we used glycosaminoglycan (GAG) mimetic peptide nanofiber gel as a three-dimensional (3D) platform to investigate how cell lineage commitment is altered by external factors. We observed that amount of fetal bovine serum (FBS) presented in the cell media had synergistic effects on the ability of GAG-mimetic nanofiber gel to mediate the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. In particular, lower FBS concentration in the culture medium was observed to enhance osteogenic differentiation while higher amount FBS promotes chondrogenic differentiation in tandem with the effects of the GAG-mimetic 3D peptide nanofiber network, even in the absence of externally administered growth factors. We therefore demonstrate that mesenchymal stem cell differentiation can be specifically controlled by the combined influence of growth medium components and a 3D peptide nanofiber environment.
Open Access
Spatial organization of functional groups on bioactive supramolecular glycopeptide nanofibers for differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to brown adipogenesis
(American Chemical Society, 2016-12) Caliskan, O. S.; Sardan, Ekiz M.; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.
Spatial organization of bioactive moieties in biological materials has significant impact on the function and efficiency of these systems. Here, we demonstrate the effect of spatial organization of functional groups including carboxylate, amine, and glucose functionalities by using self-assembled peptide amphiphile (PA) nanofibers as a bioactive scaffold. We show that presentation of bioactive groups on glycopeptide nanofibers affects mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a distinct manner by means of adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Strikingly, when the glutamic acid is present in the glycopeptide backbone, the PA nanofibers specifically induced differentiation of MSCs into brown adipocytes in the absence of any differentiation medium as shown by lipid droplet accumulation and adipogenic gene marker expression analyses. This effect was not evident in the other glycopeptide nanofibers, which displayed the same functional groups but with different spatial organization. Brown adipocytes are attractive targets for obesity treatment and are found in trace amounts in adults, which also makes this specific glycopeptide nanofiber system an attractive tool to study molecular pathways of brown adipocyte formation.
Open Access
Texturing of titanium (Ti6Al4V) medical implant surfaces with MHz-repetition-rate femtosecond and picosecond Yb-doped fiber lasers
(Optical Society of American (OSA), 2011) Erdoǧan, M.; Öktem, B.; Kalaycioǧlu H.; Yavaş, S.; Mukhopadhyay P.K.; Eken, K.; Özgören, K.; Aykaç, Y.; Tazebay, U.H.; Ilday F.O.
We propose and demonstrate the use of short pulsed fiber lasers in surface texturing using MHz-repetition-rate, microjoule- and sub-microjoule-energy pulses. Texturing of titanium-based (Ti6Al4V) dental implant surfaces is achieved using femtosecond, picosecond and (for comparison) nanosecond pulses with the aim of controlling attachment of human cells onto the surface. Femtosecond and picosecond pulses yield similar results in the creation of micron-scale textures with greatly reduced or no thermal heat effects, whereas nanosecond pulses result in strong thermal effects. Various surface textures are created with excellent uniformity and repeatability on a desired portion of the surface. The effects of the surface texturing on the attachment and proliferation of cells are characterized under cell culture conditions. Our data indicate that picosecond-pulsed laser modification can be utilized effectively in low-cost laser surface engineering of medical implants, where different areas on the surface can be made cell-attachment friendly or hostile through the use of different patterns. © 2011 Optical Society of America.