@article {2497, title = {Improving African Healthcare through Open Source Biomedical Engineering}, journal = {International Journal On Advances in Life Sciences}, year = {2015}, month = {01/2015}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, author = {C. De Maria and D. Mazzei and A. Ahluwalia} } @article {1791, title = {In vitro toxicological screening of nanoparticles on primary human endothelial cells and the role of flow in modulating cell response}, journal = {Nanotoxicology}, year = {2013}, abstract = {

Abstract After passage through biological barriers, nanomaterials inevitably end up in contact with the vascular endothelium and physiological flow, and can induce cardiovascular damage. In this study the toxicity and sublethal effects of 6 nanoparticles, including 4 of industrial and biomedical importance, on human endothelial cells was investigated using different in vitro assays. The results show that all the particles investigated induce some level of damage to the cells and that silver particles were most toxic, followed by titanium dioxide. Furthermore endothelial cells were shown to be more susceptible when exposed to silver nanoparticles under flow conditions in a bioreactor. The study underlines that although simple in vitro tests are useful to screen compounds and to identify the type of effect induced on cells, they may not be sufficient to define safe exposure limits. Therefore, once initial toxicity screening has been conducted on nanomaterials, it is necessary to develop more physiologically relevant in vitro models to better understand how nanomaterials can impact on human health.

}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, issn = {1743-5404}, doi = {10.3109/17435390.2013.831500}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23909703}, author = {Ucciferri, N and Collnot, E. M. and Gaiser, B. and Tirella, A and Stone, V. and C. Domenici and Lehr, C.-M. and A. Ahluwalia} } @article {1329, title = {The impact of fabrication parameters and substrate stiffness in direct writing of living constructs}, journal = {Biotechnology progress}, volume = {28}, year = {2012}, pages = {1315{\textendash}1320}, abstract = {

Biomolecules and living cells can be printed in high-resolution patterns to fabricate living constructs for tissue engineering. To evaluate the impact of processing cells with rapid prototyping (RP) methods, we modeled the printing phase of two RP systems that use biomaterial inks containing living cells: a high-resolution inkjet system (BioJet) and a lower-resolution nozzle-based contact printing system (PAM(2) ). In the first fabrication method, we reasoned that cell damage occurs principally during drop collision on the printing surface, in the second we hypothesize that shear stresses act on cells during extrusion (within the printing nozzle). The two cases were modeled changing the printing conditions: biomaterial substrate stiffness and volumetric flow rate, respectively, in BioJet and PAM(2) . Results show that during inkjet printing impact energies of about 10(-8) J are transmitted to cells, whereas extrusion energies of the order of 10(-11) J are exerted in direct printing. Viability tests of printed cells can be related to those numerical simulations, suggesting a threshold energy of 10(-9) J to avoid permanent cell damage. To obtain well-defined living constructs, a combination of these methods is proposed for the fabrication of scaffolds with controlled 3D architecture and spatial distribution of biomolecules and cells. {\textcopyright} 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012.

}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, issn = {1520-6033}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.1586}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22736619}, author = {Tirella, A and A. Ahluwalia} } @inbook {1789, title = {{Inherently Bio-Active Scaffolds: Intelligent Constructs to Model the Stem Cell Niche}}, booktitle = {Myocardial Tissue Engineering}, series = {Studies in Mechanobiology, Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials}, volume = {6}, year = {2011}, pages = {29{\textendash}47}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, organization = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, address = {Berlin, Heidelberg}, abstract = {

The oft-abused phrase {\^a}{\texteuro}{\oe}genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger{\^a}{\texteuro} can be applied to stem cells and stem cell niches as well as to cell{\^a}{\texteuro}{\textquotedblleft}material interfaces. Much is known about cell{\^a}{\texteuro}{\textquotedblleft}material interaction in general, perhaps a little less about how these interactions condition cell phenotype. With the increasing interest in stem cells and, in particular, their applications in tissue regeneration, the regulation of the stem cell microenvironment through modulation of intuitive or smart materials and structures, or what we term IBAS (Inherently Bio-Active Scaffolds) is poised to become a major field of research. Here, we discuss how cardiac regeneration strategies have undergone a gradual shift from the emphasis on biochemical signals and basic biology to one in which the material or scaffold plays a major role in establishing an equilibrium state. From being a constant battle or tug-of-war between the cells and synthetic environments, we conceive IBAS as intuitively responding to the cell{\^a}{\texteuro}{\texttrademark}s requirements to instate a sort of equilibrium in the system.

}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, isbn = {978-3-642-18055-2}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-18056-9}, url = {http://www.springerlink.com/content/j3k541l113233424/}, author = {P. Di Nardo and M. Minieri and Tirella, A and G. Forte and A. Ahluwalia}, editor = {Boccaccini, A. R. and Harding, S. E.} } @conference {1537, title = {In silico model of hepatic metabolism of Diclofenac}, booktitle = {Congresso Nazionale di Bioingegneria 2010}, year = {2010}, author = {A. Moschetti and F. Montemurro and C. De Maria and Vozzi, F. and A. Ahluwalia and G. Vozzi} } @article {1284, title = {In vitro liver model using microfabricated scaffolds in a modular bioreactor.}, journal = {Biotechnol J}, volume = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {Feb}, pages = {232{\textendash}241}, abstract = {

Hepatocyte function on 3-D microfabricated polymer scaffolds realised with the pressure-activated microsyringe was tested under static and dynamic conditions. The dynamic cell culture was obtained using the multicompartment modular bioreactor system. Hepatocyte cell density, glucose consumption, and albumin secretion rate were measured daily over a week. Cells seeded on scaffolds showed an increase in cell density compared with monolayer controls. Moreover, in dynamic culture, cell metabolic function increased three times in comparison with static monolayer cultures. These results suggest that cell density and cell-cell interactions are mediated by the architecture of the substrate, while the endogenous biochemical functions are regulated by a sustainable supply of nutrients and interstitial-like flow. Thus, a combination of 3-D scaffolds and dynamic flow conditions are both important for the development of a hepatic tissue model for applications in drug testing and regenerative medicine.

}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/biot.200900074}, author = {Vinci, B. and Cavallone, D. and G. Vozzi and D. Mazzei and C. Domenici and Brunetto, M. and A. Ahluwalia} } @article {1275, title = {IMPROVED BIOREACTOR CHAMBER}, year = {2008}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, issn = {P121684GB}, author = {A. Ahluwalia and D. Mazzei and Vozzi, F.} } @article {1545, title = {In vitro engineering of the liver using multiple axis stimuli}, journal = {INTERNAL MEDICINE}, volume = {15}, year = {2008}, pages = {13{\textendash}15}, keywords = {Bioengineering}, issn = {0918-2918}, author = {Vinci, B. and G. Vozzi and AVOGARO, A and A. Ahluwalia} }