"Three Dimentional brain in vitro models via electrofluidodynamics" - 3D NEUROGLIA - 2st Year report of the project

In biological and medical applications, the capability of controlling physical and chemical interactions among the components of natural tissues at the multiscale level - from proteins to cells - is mandatory to offer a more efficient exploration, manipulation, and application of living systems and biological phenomena. For this purpose, 3D neuroglia aims to design nano-structured biomaterials and nanocomposites with peculiar topological/chemical/physical features, controlled at micro-, sub micro- and nano- scale level, to validate their use as 3D models for mimic and/or in vitro supporting the functionalities of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Among nanotechnologies based on electrofluidodynamic processes, in the first year of the project, electrospinning was selected to fabricate Poly ?-caprolactone (- GEL) and Poly ?-caprolactone/Gelatin fibres (+Gel), to form 3D instructive platforms and we have demonstrated their ability to variously affect the growth of astrocytes and neurons, as a function of their chemical and morphological/topological cues. In the second year of the project, in vitro studies on these platforms were further assessed for long-term in vitro neurophysiological investigations. Meanwhile, new fibrous platforms based on the integration of intrinsically conductive polymers were also optimized to investigate the astrocyte response through electrical stimulation, in addition to biophysical and biochemical cues, just present in the previously tested models. Accordingly, polyaniline (PANi) was synthesized in the form of nano-needles and integrated into electrospun fibres (+ GEL), for the fabrication of novel bio conductive platforms able to better interface astrocytes, under controlling their bio-electrical properties.