The cellular microenvironment/niche plays a significant role in the regulation of a host of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Autonomous signals derived from the intrinsic cell machinery can be inhibited or potentiated by soluble or insoluble factors present in such niche in the form of chemical, structural, and topographical cues. Similarly, specific cell behaviors can be evoked by the same factors even in the absence of intracellular inputs. A normal or aberrant interplay between the cells and their niche could determine for example either the continuation of a regular biological process, or the onset of a disease. Consequently, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these cell-microenvironment interactions could help to develop novel therapies for a number of conditions.
Micro- and nanoscale technologies have been shown to offer unique capabilities to probe and recapitulate many aspects of the cellular microenvironment. In this thesis, we explored a number of scenarios of clinical and/or biological/biomedical relevance where such technologies could be implemented, with the ultimate goal being the regulation of a specific cell behavior (depending on the application) via micro/nanoscale manipulation of the environment. The first chapters, therefore, discussed the use of conventional materials processing techniques to modify the nano and microstructural properties of a cement material for bone repair/regeneration. Subsequent chapters introduced a set of soft lithography-based techniques that could yield 3D scaffolding structures and/or 1D/2D surface textures that have the potential to better recapitulate the complexity of tissue-specific cellular niches in different applications. Finally, the last chapters illustrated how micro- and nanomanufacturing approaches can be used synergistically to develop systems with a higher degree of complexity, which could be of interest in cell therapy, and drug discovery among other fields.