{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T11:05:13Z","timestamp":1768820713183,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,16]],"date-time":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1600214400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003448","name":"General Secretariat for Research and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["122"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003448","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003448","name":"General Secretariat for Research and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["KRIPIS II ODYSSEUS"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KRIPIS II ODYSSEUS"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003448","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100013209","name":"Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["122"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100013209","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Biocompatible materials-topography could be used for the construction of scaffolds allowing the three-dimensional (3D) organization of human stem cells into functional tissue-like structures with a defined architecture. Methods: Structural characterization of an alumina-based substrate was performed through XRD, Brunauer\u2013Emmett\u2013Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wettability measurements. Biocompatibility of the substrate was assessed by measuring the proliferation and differentiation of human neural precursor stem cells (NPCs). Results: \u03b1-Al2O3 is a ceramic material with crystallite size of 40 nm; its surface consists of aggregates in the range of 8\u201322 \u03bcm which forms a rough surface in the microscale with 1\u20138 \u03bcm cavities. The non-calcined material has a surface area of 5.5 m2\/gr and pore size distribution of 20 nm, which is eliminated in the calcined structure. Thus, the pore network on the surface and the body of the ceramic becomes more water proof, as indicated by wettability measurements. The alumina-based substrate supported the proliferation of human NPCs and their differentiation into functional neurons. Conclusions: Our work indicates the potential use of alumina for the construction of 3D engineered biosystems utilizing human neurons. Such systems may be useful for diagnostic purposes, drug testing, or biotechnological applications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfb11030065","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,16]],"date-time":"2020-09-16T20:44:13Z","timestamp":1600289053000},"page":"65","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Biocompatibility of \u03b1-Al2O3 Ceramic Substrates with Human Neural Precursor Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Akrivi","family":"Asimakopoulou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical Process &amp; Energy Resources Institute\/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Gkekas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences\/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Georgia","family":"Kastrinaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Inorganic Materials\/Chemical Process &amp; Energy Resources Institute\/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9457-1952","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Prigione","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology University Clinic D\u00fcsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vasileios T.","family":"Zaspalis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Inorganic Materials\/Chemical Process &amp; Energy Resources Institute\/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"},{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University, P.O. Box 1517, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9094-3480","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Spyros","family":"Petrakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Applied Biosciences\/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1564","DOI":"10.1002\/adhm.201300052","article-title":"Millimeter-sized neural building blocks for 3D heterogeneous neural network assembly","volume":"2","author":"Morimoto","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv. Healthc. 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