光触媒作用を用いた液中表面改質による培養神経細胞の操作

抄録

Dissociated neurons form a uniform network in culture that covers the whole coverslip. The number of neurons in the network and extent of their axon/dendrite elaboration can be controlled by using micropatterned surfaces as growth scaffolds. “Defined” neuronal networks thus fabricated make it possible to study how structure of a network correlates with its functional properties. We first describe surface micropatterning techniques can be used to make an array of neurons and to direct axon-dendrite polarity of each cell. To create functional networks, the isolated neurons must subsequently be interconnected. To accomplish this, the cell-repellent domain between individual neurons needs to be altered from cell-repellent to cell-permissive in the culture medium, so that the neurons would be hard-wired. We developed for this purpose a novel surface modification method using titanium dioxide photocatalysis.