{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T16:06:03Z","timestamp":1768320363969,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,6,11]],"date-time":"2014-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1402444800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Micromachines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We applied two-photon polymerization to fabricate 3D synthetic niches arranged in complex patterns to study the effect of mechano-topological parameters on morphology, renewal and differentiation of rat mesenchymal stromal cells. Niches were formed in a photoresist with low auto-fluorescence, which enabled the clear visualization of the fluorescence emission of the markers used for biological diagnostics within the internal niche structure. The niches were structurally stable in culture up to three weeks. At three weeks of expansion in the niches, cell density increased by almost 10-fold and was 67% greater than in monolayer culture. Evidence of lineage commitment was observed in monolayer culture surrounding the structural niches, and within cell aggregates, but not inside the niches. Thus, structural niches were able not only to direct stem cell homing and colony formation, but also to guide aggregate formation, providing increased surface-to-volume ratios and space for stem cells to adhere and renew, respectively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mi5020341","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,6,11]],"date-time":"2014-06-11T11:59:22Z","timestamp":1402487962000},"page":"341-358","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":45,"title":["Optimization of Femtosecond Laser Polymerized Structural Niches to Control Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Fate in Culture"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2585-7206","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Raimondi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LaBS, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering \"G. Natta\", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8733-6364","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele","family":"Nava","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LaBS, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering \"G. Natta\", Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"given":"Shane","family":"Eaton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"given":"Arianna","family":"Bernasconi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"given":"Krishna","family":"Vishnubhatla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Nano Science and Technology of IIT@POLIMI, Via Pascoli 70\/3, Milano 20133, Italy, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"given":"Giulio","family":"Cerullo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Osellame","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IFN-CNR), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano 20133, Italy"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiotec.2013.04.021","article-title":"Artificial niche substrates for embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell cultures","volume":"168","author":"Joddar","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. 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