Evaluation of cell adhesion and inflammatory response of chitin and chitosan nanofibers patterned by inkjet printing

Chitin and chitosan nanofibers (ChNF and CtsNF) are promising biomaterials due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity. This study investigates the cell adhesion properties and inflammatory responses of CtsNF, ChNF, and their mixtures when patterned on cellophane films using inkjet printing technology, keeping in mind their potential applications as cell culture scaffolds. The viscosities of 0.1 wt% aqueous dispersions of CtsNF, ChNF, and their mixtures were confirmed to be suitable for inkjet printing. Microstructures with varying thicknesses were fabricated by adjusting the printing parameters. Mouse fibroblast cells (L929) and mouse macrophages (RAW264.7) were used to evaluate cell adhesion and inflammatory responses. The results demonstrated that CtsNF microstructures exhibited excellent cell adhesion even for those as thin as ~140 nm and low inflammatory potential. This finding provides valuable insights into the development of advanced biomaterials for medical applications and could be instrumental in optimizing dosage settings for wound healing treatments as well.