Valeria Caprettini

King's College London

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Francesco De Angelis

Italian Institute of Technology

Michele Dipalo

Italian Institute of Technology

Giovanni Melle

Italian Institute of Technology

Francesco Tantussi

Italian Institute of Technology

Giulia Bruno

Italian Institute of Technology

Andrea Cerea

Italian Institute of Technology

Ciro Chiappini

London Centre for Nanotechnology

Laura Lovato

Ospedale Maggiore di Chieri

Francesca Santoro

Forschungszentrum Jülich

F. Moia

Italian Institute of Technology

Cooperative Institutions

Italian Institute of Technology

King's College London

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova

University of Genoa

Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

London Centre for Nanotechnology

Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic

Imperial College London

University of L'Aquila

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Enhanced Raman Investigation of Cell Membrane and Intracellular Compounds by 3D Plasmonic Nanoelectrode Arrays

Advanced Science (2018)

Valeria Caprettini Jian‐An Huang F. Moia Andrea Jacassi Carlo Andrea Gonano

Abstract 3D nanostructures are widely exploited in cell cultures for many purposes such as controlled drug delivery, transfection, intracellular sampling, and electrical recording. However, little is known about the interaction of the cells with these substrates, and even less about the effects of electroporation on the cellular membrane and the nuclear envelope. This work exploits 3D plasmonic nanoelectrodes to study, by surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the cell membrane dynamics on the nanostructured substrate before, during, and after electroporation. In vitro cultured cells tightly adhere on 3D plasmonic nanoelectrodes precisely in the plasmonic hot spots, making this kind of investigation possible. After electroporation, the cell membrane dynamics are studied by recording the Raman time traces of biomolecules in contact or next to the 3D plasmonic nanoelectrode. During this process, the 3D plasmonic nanoelectrodes are intracellularly coupled, thus enabling the monitoring of different molecular species, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Scanning electron microscopy cross‐section analysis evidences the possibility of nuclear membrane poration compatible with the reported Raman spectra. These findings may open a new route toward controlled intracellular sampling and intranuclear delivery of genic materials. They also show the possibility of nuclear envelope disruption which may lead to negative side effects.

Biomolecule

Nanopore

Cell membrane

10.1002/advs.201800560

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Citations (55)

Membrane Poration Mechanisms at the Cell–Nanostructure Interface

Advanced Biosystems (2019)

Michele Dipalo Valeria Caprettini Giulia Bruno Fabio Caliendo Leonardo D. Garma

Abstract 3D vertical nanostructures have become one of the most significant methods for interfacing cells and the nanoscale and for accessing significant intracellular functionalities such as membrane potential. As this intracellular access can be induced by means of diverse cellular membrane poration mechanisms, it is important to investigate in detail the cell condition after membrane rupture for assessing the real effects of the poration techniques on the biological environment. Indeed, differences of the membrane dynamics and reshaping have not been observed yet when the membrane‐nanostructure system is locally perturbed by, for instance, diverse membrane breakage events. In this work, new insights are provided into the membrane dynamics in case of two different poration approaches, optoacoustic‐ and electro‐poration, both mediated by the same 3D nanostructures. The experimental results offer a detailed overview on the different poration processes in terms of electrical recordings and membrane conformation.

Interfacing

Cell membrane

10.1002/adbi.201900148

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Citations (31)

Cell electroporation and intracellular delivery by mean of 3D vertical hollow nanoelectrodes

Valeria Caprettini Andrea Cerea Angelica Carrara Giulia Bruno Giovanni Melle

In this work we present a device able to electroporate and deliver molecules inside adherent cells using hollow nanoelectrodes that act also as nanofluidic channels. Our fabrication approach allows to greatly reduce the amplitude of the applied electrical pulse train and to selectively deliver molecules only to the targeted cells.

10.1109/nano.2017.8117274

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Modified three-dimensional nanoantennas for infrared hydrogen detection

Microelectronic Engineering (2016)

Andrea Cerea Denis Garoli Pierfrancesco Zilio Michele Dipalo Eugenio Calandrini

Localized surface plasmon

10.1016/j.mee.2016.05.004

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Citations (10)

Lithiated porous silicon nanowires stimulate periodontal regeneration

Nature Communications (2024)

Martti Kaasalainen Ran Zhang Priya Vashisth Anahid A. Birjandi Mark S’ari

Abstract Periodontal disease is a significant burden for oral health, causing progressive and irreversible damage to the support structure of the tooth. This complex structure, the periodontium, is composed of interconnected soft and mineralised tissues, posing a challenge for regenerative approaches. Materials combining silicon and lithium are widely studied in periodontal regeneration, as they stimulate bone repair via silicic acid release while providing regenerative stimuli through lithium activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Yet, existing materials for combined lithium and silicon release have limited control over ion release amounts and kinetics. Porous silicon can provide controlled silicic acid release, inducing osteogenesis to support bone regeneration. Prelithiation, a strategy developed for battery technology, can introduce large, controllable amounts of lithium within porous silicon, but yields a highly reactive material, unsuitable for biomedicine. This work debuts a strategy to lithiate porous silicon nanowires (LipSiNs) which generates a biocompatible and bioresorbable material. LipSiNs incorporate lithium to between 1% and 40% of silicon content, releasing lithium and silicic acid in a tailorable fashion from days to weeks. LipSiNs combine osteogenic, cementogenic and Wnt/β-catenin stimuli to regenerate bone, cementum and periodontal ligament fibres in a murine periodontal defect.

Periodontal fiber

Silicic acid

Periodontium

10.1038/s41467-023-44581-5

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Citations (12)

Mimicking and interfacing neuro-biological architectures with nanostructured materials

Michele Dipalo Francesco Tantussi Valeria Caprettini Andrea Jacassi Victoria Shalabaeva

In natural environments commonly appear periodic micro- and nano-structures exhibiting macroscopic properties different from the ones on the single elements. Typical examples are butterfly wings in optics, lotus leaves in fluidics or complex 3D neuronal networks in neuroscience and biology. Within this context, mimicking the intrinsic regularity exhibited by natural architectures can lead to unprecedented results addressing fundamental science but also intriguing challenges in technological applications. Here we will describe results we achieved by combining plasmonic nanostructures with nature-inspired superhydrophobic metamaterials. Then, we will try to extend this concept to the recent development of electronic devices with neuromorphic architectures for future computing.

Neuromorphic engineering

Interfacing

Biomimetics

10.1109/metamaterials.2016.7746449

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Biomaterials-based approaches to model embryogenesis

Biomaterials Science (2020)

Chantelle Spiteri Valeria Caprettini Ciro Chiappini

Biomaterials are emerging as invaluable tools to investigate key mechanisms of human development using advancein vitromodels. Nanomaterials can contribute to further refine these models.

10.1039/d0bm01485k

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Citations (7)

Selective intracellular delivery and intracellular recordings combined on MEA biosensors

arXiv (Cornell University) (2018)

Andrea Cerea Valeria Caprettini Giulia Bruno Laura Lovato Giovanni Melle

Biological studies on in vitro cell cultures are of fundamental importance to investigate cells response to external stimuli, such as new drugs for treatment of specific pathologies, or to study communication between electrogenic cells. Although three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures brought tremendous improvements on biosensors used for various biological in vitro studies, including drug delivery and electrical recording, there is still a lack of multifunctional capabilities that could help gaining deeper insights in several bio-related research fields. In this work, the electrical recording of large cell ensembles and the intracellular delivery of few selected cells are combined on the same device by integrating microfluidics channels on the bottom of a multi-electrode array decorated with 3D hollow nanostructures. The novel platform allows to record intracellular-like action potentials from large ensembles of cardiomyocytes derived from human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC) and from the HL-1 line, while different molecules are selectively delivered into single/few targeted cells. The proposed approach shows high potential for enabling new comprehensive studies that can relate drug effects to network level cell communication processes.

10.48550/arxiv.1808.07682

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Cells Adhering to 3D Vertical Nanostructures: Cell Membrane Reshaping without Stable Internalization

Nano Letters (2018)

Michele Dipalo Allister F. McGuire Hsin-Ya Lou Valeria Caprettini Giovanni Melle

The dynamic interface between the cellular membrane and 3D nanostructures determines biological processes and guides the design of novel biomedical devices. Despite the fact that recent advancements in the fabrication of artificial biointerfaces have yielded an enhanced understanding of this interface, there remain open questions on how the cellular membrane reacts and behaves in the presence of sharp objects on the nanoscale. Here we provide a multifaceted characterization of the cellular membrane's mechanical stability when closely interacting with high-aspect-ratio 3D vertical nanostructures, providing strong evidence that vertical nanostructures spontaneously penetrate the cellular membrane to form a steady intracellular coupling only in rare cases and under specific conditions. The cell membrane is able to conform tightly over the majority of structures with various shapes while maintaining its integrity.

Internalization

Cell membrane

10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b03163

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Citations (71)

Soft electroporation for delivering molecules into tightly adherent mammalian cells through 3D hollow nanoelectrodes

Scientific Reports (2017)

Valeria Caprettini Andrea Cerea Giovanni Melle Laura Lovato Rosario Capozza

Electroporation of in-vitro cultured cells is widely used in biological and medical areas to deliver molecules of interest inside cells. Since very high electric fields are required to electroporate the plasma membrane, depending on the geometry of the electrodes the required voltages can be very high and often critical to cell viability. Furthermore, in traditional electroporation configuration based on planar electrodes there is no a priori certain feedback about which cell has been targeted and delivered and the addition of fluorophores may be needed to gain this information. In this study we present a nanofabricated platform able to perform intracellular delivery of membrane-impermeable molecules by opening transient nanopores into the lipid membrane of adherent cells with high spatial precision and with the application of low voltages (1.5-2 V). This result is obtained by exploiting the tight seal that the cells present with 3D fluidic hollow gold-coated nanostructures that act as nanochannels and nanoelectrodes at the same time. The final soft-electroporation platform provides an accessible approach for controlled and selective drug delivery on ordered arrangements of cells.

Fluidics

Nanopore

10.1038/s41598-017-08886-y

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Citations (66)