Compatibility of cancer cells with nanostructured oxidized porous silicon substrates

The attachment and long-term viability of three types of human cancer cell lines (glioma U87, breast cancer MDA-MB-231, and cervical cancer HeLa) onto nanostructured oxidized porous Si substrates is investigated. The porous layers are fabricated to give cylindrically-shaped structures with pore diameters in the tunable range of 10 to 150 nm by anodizing a heavily-doped p-type Si. The Alamar Blue viability assay and optical microscopy are employed to assess the attachment, viability and the morphology of the cells. The results show that cells remain viable and proliferate on all surfaces. The nano-architecture of the studied scaffolds does not exert a deleterious effect on cancer cells. Cell coverage levels comparable to standard culture preparations on tissue culture polystyrene are observed.