Key cells in the brain, neurons, form networks by exchanging signals, enabling the brain to learn and adapt at incredible speed. Researchers of the University of Technology in Delft (TU Delft) have developed a 3D-printed ābrain-like environmentā where neurons grow similarly to a real brain. Using tiny nanopillars, they mimic the soft neural tissue and the brain extracellular matrix fibers. This model provides new insights into how neurons form networks, as well as a novel tool to understand in future how this process may change in neurological disorders such as Alzheimerās, Parkinsonās disease, and autism spectrum disorders.
Neurons, like many cells in the body, respond to the stiffness and geometry of their surroundings. Traditional petri dishes are flat and rigid, unlike the soft, fibrous extra-cellular matrix environment of the brain. To resemble the geometric and mechanical properties of this environment, the team of associate professor Angelo Accardo designed nanopillar arrays using two-photon polymerization, a 3D laser-assisted printing technique with nanoscale precision.
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