Structure-process-functional property relationship of nanostructured carbon mediated cellular response for...

The flexible and ductile silicone is widely used as a soft-tissue substitute for joint reconstruction and replacement in situations including joint pain and loss of mobility caused by the congenital or acquired factors such as osteoarthritis. Although these artificial devices have an expected life span of 15 years or more, they can fragment prematurely. Explanations for such failure are low tensile strength and inadequate bone build-up around the device, as a result of which the device does not bind with the surrounding tissues. Thus, the continued challenge for materials in contact with the bone is the design of high-strength-at-break silicone with the ability to modulate cell-substrate interactions for promoting osseointegration and long-term stability. To this end, we have discovered exciting evidence that the introduction of a novel nanostructured carbon in the void space between the silicone chains combined with processing at elevated pressure favorably stimulate cellular functions and provide a high degree of cytocompatibility. Furthermore, the high strength-at-break and undiminished intrinsic elongation of silicone are retained. In this regard, we combine here materials science and engineering and cellular biology, to elucidate the mechanism of cell-substrate interactions and the molecular machinery controlling the cell response. This is accomplished by investigating cell attachment, proliferation, and morphology, including cytomorphometric evaluation and quantitative assessment of prominent proteins, actin, vinculin, and fibronectin that are sensitive to cell-substrate interactions. The study strengthens the foundation for utilizing the nano- or quantum-size effects of nanostructured biomaterials.