In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Studies on Engineered Fabric with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Carla Fanizza,
Mara Stefanelli,
Anna Risuglia,
Erika Bruni,
Federica Ietto,
Federica Incoronato,
Fabrizio Marra,
Adele Preziosi,
Patrizia Mancini,
Maria Sabrina Sarto,
Daniela Uccelletti
Affiliations
Carla Fanizza
Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DITSIPIA), National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Mara Stefanelli
Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DITSIPIA), National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Anna Risuglia
Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DITSIPIA), National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Erika Bruni
Department of Biology and Biotechnology C. Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Federica Ietto
Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DITSIPIA), National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Federica Incoronato
Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DITSIPIA), National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Marra
Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Adele Preziosi
Department of Biology and Biotechnology C. Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Patrizia Mancini
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Maria Sabrina Sarto
Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Daniela Uccelletti
Department of Biology and Biotechnology C. Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
To produce clothes made with engineered fabrics to monitor the physiological parameters of workers, strain sensors were produced by depositing two different types of water-based inks (P1 and P2) suitably mixed with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on a fabric. We evaluated the biocompatibility of fabrics with GNPs (GNP fabric) through in vitro and in vivo assays. We investigated the effects induced on human keratinocytes by the eluates extracted from GNP fabrics by the contact of GNP fabrics with cells and by seeding keratinocytes directly onto the GNP fabrics using a cell viability test and morphological analysis. Moreover, we evaluated in vivo possible adverse effects of the GNPs using the model system Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell viability assay, morphological analysis and Caenorhabditis elegans tests performed on smart fabric treated with P2 (P2GNP fabric) did not show significant differences when compared with their respective control samples. Instead, a reduction in cell viability and changes in the membrane microvilli structure were found in cells incubated with smart fabric treated with P1. The results were helpful in determining the non-toxic properties of the P2GNP fabric. In the future, therefore, graphene-based ink integrated into elastic fabric will be developed for piezoresistive sensors.
