Fibroblast response to a controlled nanoenvironment produced by colloidal lithography

It is thought that by understanding how cells respond to topography, that better tissue engineering may be achievable. An important consideration in the cellular environment is topography. The effects of microtopography have been well documented, but the effects of nanotopography are less well known. Previously, methods of nanofabrication have been costly and time-consuming, but research by engineers, physicists, and chemists is starting to allow the production of nanostructures using low-cost techniques. In this report, nanotopography is specifically considered. Controlled patterns of 160 nm high nanocolumns were produced for in vitro cell culture using colloidal lithography. By studying cell adhesion with time and cytoskeletal (actin, tubulin, and vimentin) maturity, insight has been gained as to how fibroblasts adhere to these nanofeatures. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.