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Nanotopography and macrophage functions
The project aims to determine how integrin pattern on nanogold influences macrophage focal adhesion and the sequential signal-transduction that control macrophage functions.
Keywords: nanogold, macrophage, biomaterials
Nanotopography and cell adhesion have been shown to influence cell fate and inflammatory response of monocyte/macrophages. (Ferraz, Hong et al. 2010) Macrophages play a crucial role in the host response to biomaterials. By using the Block copolymer micelle nanolithography (BCMN), substrates with precise posi-tioning of nano-gold particles immobilized with functional motif (e.g. RGD, a tri-peptide which present on a variety of adhesive extracellular matrix (ECM) that mediates cell attachment) in various patterns and dis-tances can be produced. (Arnold, Hirschfeld-Warneken et al. 2008) This allows the investigation of the molecular interactions of macrophages on substrates with nano-scale distribution of cell adhesion integrin. The knowledge will play a significant role in biomaterials implant development and will contribute to design strategies for controlling specific biological functions and modulate the host inflammatory response to the implanted materials.
Nanotopography and cell adhesion have been shown to influence cell fate and inflammatory response of monocyte/macrophages. (Ferraz, Hong et al. 2010) Macrophages play a crucial role in the host response to biomaterials. By using the Block copolymer micelle nanolithography (BCMN), substrates with precise posi-tioning of nano-gold particles immobilized with functional motif (e.g. RGD, a tri-peptide which present on a variety of adhesive extracellular matrix (ECM) that mediates cell attachment) in various patterns and dis-tances can be produced. (Arnold, Hirschfeld-Warneken et al. 2008) This allows the investigation of the molecular interactions of macrophages on substrates with nano-scale distribution of cell adhesion integrin. The knowledge will play a significant role in biomaterials implant development and will contribute to design strategies for controlling specific biological functions and modulate the host inflammatory response to the implanted materials.
The project aims to determine how nano-topography and integrin pattern influences macrophage focal adhesion and the sequential signal-transduction that control macrophage functions. This is a multi-disciplinary project that the student is expected to learn how to prepare RGD-linked nanogold substrate by BCMN in Max-Planck institute for intelligent system, Stuttgart. The morphology and behavior of macrophages on these substrates will be analyzed by confocal microscopy and subsequent image analysis, and the functional activities of the macrophages will be evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA for their RNA and protein synthesis.
The project aims to determine how nano-topography and integrin pattern influences macrophage focal adhesion and the sequential signal-transduction that control macrophage functions. This is a multi-disciplinary project that the student is expected to learn how to prepare RGD-linked nanogold substrate by BCMN in Max-Planck institute for intelligent system, Stuttgart. The morphology and behavior of macrophages on these substrates will be analyzed by confocal microscopy and subsequent image analysis, and the functional activities of the macrophages will be evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA for their RNA and protein synthesis.