Customizing Three-Dimensional Structures of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes to Direct Neural Stem Cell Differentiation.

Neural tissue-related illnesses have a high incidence and prevalence in society. Despite intensive research efforts to enhance the regeneration of neural cells into functional tissue, effective treatments are still unavailable. Here we explored a novel therapeutic approach based on vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests (VA-CNT forests) and periodic VA-CNT micropillars produced by thermal chemical vapour deposition. Additionally, honeycomb-like and flower-like morphologies were created. Initial viability testing revealed that all morphologies of seeded NE-4C neural stem cells survived and proliferated. In addition, free-standing VA-CNT forests and capillary-driven VA-CNT forests were created, with the latter demonstrating enhanced capacity to stimulate neuritogenesis and network formation under minimal differentiation medium conditions. This was attributed to the interaction between surface roughness and 3D-like morphology that mimicked the native extracellular matrix, hence enhancing cellular attachment and communication. These findings provide a new avenue for the construction of electroresponsive scaffolds based on CNTs for neural tissue engineering. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.