Acta Biomater. 2018 Aug 30. pii: S1742-7061(18)30506-3. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.08.039. [Epub ahead of print]

Transparent Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes: Processing, Characterization, and Application in Establishing Cellular Response Mechanisms.

Meyerink JG¹, Kota D², Wood ST², Crawford GA³.

Abstract

The therapeutic applications of titanium dioxide nanotubes as osteogenic surface treatments for titanium-based implants are largely due to the finely tunable physical characteristics of these nanostructures. As these characteristics change, so does the cellular response, yet the exact mechanisms for this relationship remains largely undefined. We present a novel TiO₂ NT imaging platform that is suitable for use with live-cell imaging techniques, thereby enabling, for the first time, dynamic investigation of those mechanisms. In this work, fabrication methods for producing transparent TiO₂ NTs with diameters of 56 ± 6 nm, 75 ± 7 nm, 92 ± 9 nm, and 116 ± 10 nm are described. To demonstrate the diagnostic potential of these TiO₂ NT imaging platforms, the focal adhesion protein vinculin and actin cytoskeletal filaments were fluorescently tagged in osteoblasts and real-time, high-resolution fluorescent microscopy of live-cell interactions with TiO₂ NT substrates were observed. The scope of such a platform is expected to extend far beyond the current proof-of-concept, with great potential for addressing the dynamic response of cells interacting with nanostructured substrates.