Multifunctionalized electrospun silk fibers promote axon regeneration in central nervous system

The repair of central nerves remains a major challenge in regenerative neurobiology. Regenerative guides possessing critical features such as cell adhesion, physical guiding and topical stimulation are needed. To generate such a guide, silk protein materials are prepared using electrospinning. The silk is selected for this study due to its biocompatibility and ability to be electrospun for the formation of aligned biofunctional nanofibers. The addition of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) or both to the electrospun fibers enable enhanced function without impact to the structure or the surface morphology. Only a small fraction of the loaded growth factors is released over time allowing the fibers to continue to provide these factors to the cells for extended periods of time. The entrapped factors remain active and available to the cells as rat retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) exhibit longer axonal growth when in contact with the biofunctionalized fibers. Compare to non-functionalized fibers, the growth of neurites increased 2 fold on fibers containing BDNF, 2.5 fold with fibers containing CNTF and by almost 3-fold on fibers containing both factors. The results demonstrate the potential of aligned and functionalized electrospun silk fibers to promote nerve growth in the central nervous system, underlying the great potential of complex biomaterials in neuroregenerative strategies following axotomy and nerve crush traumas.

Suppression of E-cadherin function drives the early stages of Ras-induced squamous cell carcinoma through upregulation of FAK and Src

Advanced stages of epithelial carcinogenesis involve the loss of intercellular adhesion, but it remains unclear how proteins that regulate alterations in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion are deregulated to promote the early stages of cancer development. To address this, a three-dimensional human tissue model that mimics the incipient stages of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) was used to study how E-cadherin suppression promotes tumor progression in Ras-expressing human keratinocytes. We found that E-cadherin suppression triggered elevated mRNA and protein expression levels of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), and increased FAK and Src activities above the level seen in Ras-expressing E-cadherin-competent keratinocytes. sh-RNA-mediated depletion of FAK and Src restored E-cadherin expression levels by increasing its stability in the membrane, and blocked tumor cell invasion in tissues. Surface transplantation of these tissues to mice resulted in reversion of the tumor phenotype to low-grade tumor islands in contrast to control tissues that manifested an aggressive, high-grade SCC. These findings suggest that the tumor-promoting effect of E-cadherin suppression, a common event in SCC development, is exacerbated by enhanced E-cadherin degradation induced by elevated FAK and Src activities. Furthermore, they imply that targeting FAK or Src in human epithelial cells with neoplastic potential may inhibit the early stages of SCC.

Epigenetic and phenotypic profile of fibroblasts derived from induced pluripotent stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells offer a novel source of patient-specific cells for regenerative medicine. However, the biological potential of iPS-derived cells and their similarities to cells differentiated from human embryonic stem (hES) cells remain unclear. We derived fibroblast-like cells from two hiPS cell lines and show that their phenotypic properties and patterns of DNA methylation were similar to that of mature fibroblasts and to fibroblasts derived from hES cells. iPS-derived fibroblasts (iPDK) and their hES-derived counterparts (EDK) showed similar cell morphology throughout differentiation, and patterns of gene expression and cell surface markers were characteristic of mature fibroblasts. Array-based methylation analysis was performed for EDK, iPDK and their parental hES and iPS cell lines, and hierarchical clustering revealed that EDK and iPDK had closely-related methylation profiles. DNA methylation analysis of promoter regions associated with extracellular matrix (ECM)-production (COL1A1) by iPS- and hESC-derived fibroblasts and fibroblast lineage commitment (PDGFRβ), revealed promoter demethylation linked to their expression, and patterns of transcription and methylation of genes related to the functional properties of mature stromal cells were seen in both hiPS- and hES-derived fibroblasts. iPDK cells also showed functional properties analogous to those of hES-derived and mature fibroblasts, as seen by their capacity to direct the morphogenesis of engineered human skin equivalents. Characterization of the functional behavior of ES- and iPS-derived fibroblasts in engineered 3D tissues demonstrates the utility of this tissue platform to predict the capacity of iPS-derived cells before their therapeutic application.

Fibroblasts derived from human embryonic stem cells direct development and repair of 3D human skin equivalents

Introduction

Pluripotent, human stem cells hold tremendous promise as a source of progenitor and terminally differentiated cells for application in future regenerative therapies. However, such therapies will be dependent upon the development of novel approaches that can best assess tissue outcomes of pluripotent stem cell-derived cells and will be essential to better predict their safety and stability following in vivo transplantation.

Methods

In this study we used engineered, human skin equivalents (HSEs) as a platform to characterize fibroblasts that have been derived from human embryonic stem (hES) cell. We characterized the phenotype and the secretion profile of two distinct hES-derived cell lines with properties of mesenchymal cells (EDK and H9-MSC) and compared their biological potential upon induction of differentiation to bone and fat and following their incorporation into the stromal compartment of engineered, HSEs.

Results

While both EDK and H9-MSC cell lines exhibited similar morphology and mesenchymal cell marker expression, they demonstrated distinct functional properties when incorporated into the stromal compartment of HSEs. EDK cells displayed characteristics of dermal fibroblasts that could support epithelial tissue development and enable re-epithelialization of wounds generated using a 3D tissue model of cutaneous wound healing, which was linked to elevated production of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Lentiviral shRNA-mediated knockdown of HGF resulted in a dramatic decrease of HGF secretion from EDK cells that led to a marked reduction in their ability to promote keratinocyte proliferation and re-epithelialization of cutaneous wounds. In contrast, H9-MSCs demonstrated features of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) but not those of dermal fibroblasts, as they underwent multilineage differentiation in monolayer culture, but were unable to support epithelial tissue development and repair and produced significantly lower levels of HGF.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that hES-derived cells could be directed to specified and alternative mesenchymal cell fates whose function could be distinguished in engineered HSEs. Characterization of hES-derived mesenchymal cells in 3D, engineered HSEs demonstrates the utility of this tissue platform to predict the functional properties of hES-derived fibroblasts before their therapeutic transplantation.

RalA function in dermal fibroblasts is required for the progression of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

A large body of evidence has shown that stromal cells play a significant role in determining the fate of neighboring tumor cells through the secretion of various cytokines. How cytokine secretion by stromal cells is regulated in this context is poorly understood. In this study, we used a bioengineered human tissue model of skin squamous cell carcinoma progression to reveal that RalA function in dermal fibroblasts is required for tumor progression of neighboring neoplastic keratinocytes. This conclusion is based on the observations that suppression of RalA expression in dermal fibroblasts blocked tumorigenic keratinocytes from invading into the dermal compartment of engineered tissues and suppressed more advanced tumor progression after these tissues were transplanted onto the dorsum of mice. RalA executes this tumor-promoting function of dermal fibroblasts, at least in part, by mediating hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) secretion through its effector proteins, the Sec5 and Exo84 subunits of the exocyst complex. These findings reveal a new level of HGF regulation and highlight the RalA signaling cascade in dermal fibroblasts as a potential anticancer target.

The role of fibroblast Tiam1 in tumor cell invasion and metastasis

The co-evolution of tumors and their microenvironment involves bidirectional communication between tumor cells and tumor-associated stroma. Various cell types are present in tumor-associated stroma, of which fibroblasts are the most abundant. The Rac exchange factor Tiam1 is implicated in multiple signaling pathways in epithelial tumor cells and lack of Tiam1 in tumor cells retards tumor growth in Tiam1 knock-out mouse models. Conversely, tumors arising in Tiam1 knock-out mice have increased invasiveness. We have investigated the role of Tiam1 in tumor-associated fibroblasts as a modulator of tumor cell invasion and metastasis, using retroviral delivery of short hairpin RNA to suppress Tiam1 levels in three different experimental models. In spheroid co-culture of mammary epithelial cells and fibroblasts, Tiam1 silencing in fibroblasts led to increased epithelial cell outgrowth into matrix. In tissue-engineered human skin, Tiam1 silencing in dermal fibroblasts led to increased invasiveness of epidermal keratinocytes with premalignant features. In a model of human breast cancer in mice, co-implantation of mammary fibroblasts inhibited tumor invasion and metastasis, which was reversed by Tiam1 silencing in co-injected fibroblasts. These results suggest that stromal Tiam1 may play a role in modulating the effects of the tumor microenvironment on malignant cell invasion and metastasis. This suggests a set of pathways for further investigation, with implications for future therapeutic targets.

Integrin-blocking antibodies delay keratinocyte re-epithelialization in a human three-dimensional wound healing model

The alpha6beta4 integrin plays a significant role in tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis through modulation of growth factor signaling, and is a potentially important therapeutic target. However, alpha6beta4-mediated cell-matrix adhesion is critical in normal keratinocyte attachment, signaling and anchorage to the basement membrane through its interaction with laminin-5, raising potential risks for targeted therapy. Bioengineered Human Skin Equivalent (HSE), which have been shown to mimic their normal and wounded counterparts, have been used here to investigate the consequences of targeting beta4 to establish toxic effects on normal tissue homeostasis and epithelial wound repair. We tested two antibodies directed to different beta4 epitopes, one adhesion-blocking (ASC-8) and one non-adhesion blocking (ASC-3), and determined that these antibodies were appropriately localized to the basal surface of keratinocytes at the basement membrane interface where beta4 is expressed. While normal tissue architecture was not altered, ASC-8 induced a sub-basal split at the basement membrane in non-wounded tissue. In addition, wound closure was significantly inhibited by ASC-8, but not by ASC-3, as the epithelial tongue only covered 40 percent of the wound area at 120 hours post-wounding. These results demonstrate beta4 adhesion-blocking antibodies may have adverse effects on normal tissue, whereas antibodies directed to other epitopes may provide safer alternatives for therapy. Taken together, we conclude that these three-dimensional tissue models provide a biologically relevant platform to identify toxic effects induced by candidate therapeutics, which will allow generation of findings that are more predictive of in vivo responses early in the drug development process.

Three-dimensional human tissue models of wounded skin

Human skin equivalents (HSEs) are in vitro tissues in which a fully differentiated, stratified squamous epithelium is grown at an air-liquid interface on a Type I collagen gel harboring human dermal fibroblasts. HSEs now provide experimental human tissue models to study factors that direct re-epithelialization and epithelial-mesenchymal cross-talk following wounding. This chapter describes the fabrication of HSEs from human keratinocytes and fibroblasts and how HSEs can be modified to characterize the response of the human epithelium during wound repair. The protocols outlined first describe techniques for the generation of human tissues that closely approximate the architectural features, differentiation, and growth of human skin. This will be followed by a description of a protocol that enables HSEs to be adapted to monitor their response following wounding. These engineered human tissues provide powerful tools to study biological process in tissues that mimic the healing of human skin and of the epithelial tissue.

Three-dimensional epithelial tissues generated from human embryonic stem cells

The use of pluripotent human embryonic stem (hES) cells for tissue engineering may provide advantages over traditional sources of progenitor cells because of their ability to give rise to multiple cell types and their unlimited expansion potential. We derived cell populations with properties of ectodermal and mesenchymal cells in two-dimensional culture and incorporated these divergent cell populations into three-dimensional (3D) epithelial tissues. When grown in specific media and substrate conditions, two-dimensional cultures were enriched in cells (EDK1) with mesenchymal morphology and surface markers. Cells with a distinct epithelial morphology (HDE1) that expressed cytokeratin 12 and beta-catenin at cell junctions became the predominant cell type when EDK1 were grown on surfaces enriched in keratinocyte-derived extracellular matrix proteins. When these cells were incorporated into the stromal and epithelial tissue compartments of 3D tissues, they generated multilayer epithelia similar to those generated with foreskin-derived epithelium and fibroblasts. Three-dimensional tissues demonstrated stromal cells with morphologic features of mature fibroblasts, type IV collagen deposition in the basement membrane, and a stratified epithelium that expressed cytokeratin 12. By deriving two distinct cell lineages from a common hES cell source to fabricate complex tissues, it is possible to explore environmental cues that will direct hES-derived cells toward optimal tissue form and function.

Soft tissue augmentation using silk gels: an in vitro and in vivo study

BACKGROUND

Restoration of a three-dimensional shape with soft tissue augmentation is a challenge for surgical reconstruction and esthetic improvement of intraoral mucosa and perioral skin tissues. A connective tissue graft or free gingival graft, classically used for such indications, requires a donor site, which may lead to various clinical complications.

METHODS

In this article, a new three-dimensional scaffold made of silk fibroin that could be of great interest for these indications was studied. Mechanical tests were conducted to characterize the physical properties of the materials. The biocompatibility of such scaffolds was positively assessed in vitro using a combination of immunostaining, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine proliferation assays, and histologic staining. Finally, the shaped material was grafted subcutaneously in nude mice for a long-time implantation study.

RESULTS

Human fibroblasts embedded in this material had a survival rate up to 68.4% and were able to proliferate and synthesize proteins. One month after subcutaneous implantation, the three-dimensional soft tissue augmentation was stable, and histologic analysis revealed revascularization of the area through the biomaterial. A mild inflammatory reaction disappeared after 12 weeks.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that silk-gel material was able to create a lasting three-dimensional soft tissue augmentation and is a promising biomaterial for periodontal and maxillofacial therapies, either as a scaffold for cells or alone as a biomaterial.

Abstract C254: Suppression of E-cadherin function leads to deregulation of FAK and Src to direct squamous cell carcinoma progression

Advanced stages of epithelial carcinogenesis are linked to loss of intercellular adhesion, but it remains unclear how alterations in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions are coordinated to promote the early stages of cancer development. To address this, we used 3D tissue models that mimic human premalignant disease, and studied the impact of E-cadherin suppression in early stage, epithelial tumor cells (HaCaT-II-4) on the expression and activity of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and Src kinase and on tumor cell motility and invasiveness. Suppression of E-cadherin function triggered elevated expression of FAK, increased tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and Src, and redirected these protein tyrosine kinases to a perinuclear distribution. Pharmacological inhibition of FAK or Src, by either Tyrphostin AG1007 or PP2, reduced their phosphorylation, and reversibly inhibited tumor cell motility in 2D, monolayer cultures. Decreased FAK or Src expression by lentivirus-mediated shRNA restored E-cadherin expression and cell-cell adhesion and inhibited cell migration. 3D, bioengineered tissues harboring E-cadherin-deficient-II-4 cells in which FAK or Src were depleted, demonstrated increased membrane localization of E-cadherin, normalization of tissue phenotype and suppression of tumor cell invasion into the underlying matrix. When these 3D tissues were grafted to the dorsum of immunocompromised mice, down-regulation of FAK or Src resulted in suppression of tumor growth in vivo. Specifically, decreased Src expression reversed the tumor phenotype from high-grade, aggressive and infiltrative SCC to low-grade, well-differentiated and demarcated tumor islands. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that E-cadherin suppression directs the biological behavior of early stage, E-cadherin-deficient tumor cells in vitro and SCC progression in vivo, through modulation of FAK and Src expression and/or activity.

Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C254.

Biofunctionalized electrospun silk mats as a topical bioactive dressing for accelerated wound healing

Materials able to deliver topically bioactive molecules represent a new generation of biomaterials. In this article, we describe the use of silk mats, made of electrospun nanoscale silk fibers containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), for the promotion of wound healing processes. In our experiments, we demonstrated that EGF is incorporated into the silk mats and slowly released in a time-dependent manner (25% EGF release in 170h). We tested these materials using a new model of wounded human skin-equivalents displaying the same structure as human skin and able to heal using the same molecular and cellular mechanisms found in vivo. This human three-dimensional model allows us to demonstrate that the biofunctionalized silk mats, when placed on the wounds as a dressing, aid the healing by increasing the time of wound closure by the epidermal tongue by 90%. The preservation of the structure of the mats during the healing period as demonstrated by electronic microscopy, the biological action of the dressing, as well as the biocompatibility of the silk demonstrate that this biomaterial is a new and very promising material for medical applications, especially for patients suffering from chronic wounds.

Three-dimensional tissue models of normal and diseased skin

Over the last decade, the development of in vitro, human, three-dimensional (3D) tissue models, known as human skin equivalents (HSEs), has furthered understanding of epidermal cell biology and provided novel experimental systems. Signaling pathways that mediate the linkage between growth and differentiation function optimally when cells are spatially organized to display the architectural features seen in vivo, but are uncoupled and lost in two-dimensional culture systems. HSEs consist of a stratified squamous epithelium grown at an air-liquid interface on a collagen matrix populated with dermal fibroblasts. These 3D tissues demonstrate in vivo-like epithelial differentiation and morphology, and rates of cell division, similar to those found in human skin. This unit describes fabrication of HSEs, allowing the generation of human tissues that mimic the morphology, differentiation, and growth of human skin, as well as disease processes of cancer and wound re-epithelialization, providing powerful new tools for the study of diseases in humans.

E-cadherin suppression directs cytoskeletal rearrangement and intraepithelial tumor cell migration in 3D human skin equivalents

The link between loss of cell-cell adhesion, the activation of cell migration, and the behavior of intraepithelial (IE) tumor cells during the early stages of skin cancer progression is not well understood. The current study characterized the migratory behavior of a squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HaCaT-II-4) upon E-cadherin suppression in both 2D, monolayer cultures and within human skin equivalents that mimic premalignant disease. The migratory behavior of tumor cells was first analyzed in 3D tissue context by developing a model that mimics transepithelial tumor cell migration. We show that loss of cell adhesion enabled migration of single, IE tumor cells between normal keratinocytes as a prerequisite for stromal invasion. To further understand this migratory behavior, E-cadherin-deficient cells were analyzed in 2D, monolayer cultures and displayed altered cytoarchitecture and enhanced membrane protrusive activity that was associated with circumferential actin organization and induction of the nonmuscle, beta actin isoform. These features were associated with increased motility and random, individual cell migration in response to scrape-wounding. Thus, loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion led to the acquisition of phenotypic properties that augmented cell motility and directed the transition from the precancer to cancer in skin-like tissues.

Self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds accelerate wound healing

Cutaneous wound repair regenerates skin integrity, but a chronic failure to heal results in compromised tissue function and increased morbidity. To address this, we have used an integrated approach, using nanobiotechnology to augment the rate of wound reepithelialization by combining self-assembling peptide (SAP) nanofiber scaffold and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). This SAP bioscaffold was tested in a bioengineered Human Skin Equivalent (HSE) tissue model that enabled wound reepithelialization to be monitored in a tissue that recapitulates molecular and cellular mechanisms of repair known to occur in human skin. We found that SAP underwent molecular self-assembly to form unique 3D structures that stably covered the surface of the wound, suggesting that this scaffold may serve as a viable wound dressing. We measured the rates of release of EGF from the SAP scaffold and determined that EGF was only released when the scaffold was in direct contact with the HSE. By measuring the length of the epithelial tongue during wound reepithelialization, we found that SAP scaffolds containing EGF accelerated the rate of wound coverage by 5 fold when compared to controls without scaffolds and by 3.5 fold when compared to the scaffold without EGF. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrated that biomaterials composed of a biofunctionalized peptidic scaffold have many properties that are well-suited for the treatment of cutaneous wounds including wound coverage, functionalization with bioactive molecules, localized growth factor release and activation of wound repair.

The basement membrane microenvironment directs the normalization and survival of bioengineered human skin equivalents

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions promote the morphogenesis and homeostasis of human skin. However, the role of the basement membrane (BM) during this process is not well-understood. To directly study how BM proteins influence epidermal differentiation, survival and growth, we developed novel 3D human skin equivalents (HSEs). These tissues were generated by growing keratinocytes at an air-liquid interface on polycarbonate membranes coated with individual matrix proteins (Type I Collagen, Type IV Collagen or fibronectin) that were placed on contracted Type I Collagen gels populated with dermal fibroblasts. We found that only keratinocytes grown on membranes coated with the BM protein Type IV Collagen showed optimal tissue architecture that was similar to control tissues grown on de-epidermalized dermis (AlloDerm) that contained intact BM. In contrast, tissues grown on proteins not found in BM, such as fibronectin and Type I Collagen, demonstrated aberrant tissue architecture that was linked to a significant elevation in apoptosis and lower levels of proliferation of basal keratinocytes. While all tissues demonstrated a normalized, linear pattern of deposition of laminin 5, tissues grown on Type IV Collagen showed elevated expression of alpha6 integrin, Type IV Collagen and Type VII Collagen, suggesting induction of BM organization. Keratinocyte differentiation (Keratin 1 and filaggrin) was not dependent on the presence of BM proteins. Thus, Type IV Collagen acts as a critical microenvironmental factor in the BM that is needed to sustain keratinocyte growth and survival and to optimize epithelial architecture.

Engineering skin to study human disease--tissue models for cancer biology and wound repair

Recent advances in the engineering of three-dimensional tissues known as skin equivalents, that have morphologic and phenotypic properties of human skin, have provided new ways to study human disease processes. This chapter will supply an overview of two such applications--investigations of the incipient development of squamous cell cancer, and studies that have characterized the response of human epithelium during wound repair. Using these novel tools to study cancer biology, it has been shown that cell-cell interactions inherent in three-dimensional tissue architecture can suppress early cancer progression by inducing a state of intraepithelial dormancy. This dormant state can be overcome and cancer progression enabled by altering tissue organization in response to tumor promoters or UV irradiation or by modifying the interaction of tumor cells with extracellular matrix proteins or their adjacent epithelia. By adapting skin equivalent models of human skin to study wound reepithelialization, it has been shown that several key responses, including cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, growth-factor responsiveness and protease expression, will mimic the response seen in human skin. In this light, these engineered models of human skin provide powerful new tools for studying disease processes in these tissues as they occur in humans.

E-cadherin loss promotes the initiation of squamous cell carcinoma invasion through modulation of integrin-mediated adhesion

Much remains to be learned about how cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions are coordinated to influence the earliest development of neoplasia. We used novel 3D human tissue reconstructs that mimic premalignant disease in normal epidermis, to directly investigate how loss of E-cadherin function directs conversion to malignant disease. We used a genetically tagged variant of Ha-Ras-transformed human keratinocytes (II-4) expressing dominant-interfering E-cadherin fusion protein (H-2kd-Ecad). These cells were admixed with normal human keratinocytes and tumor cell fate was monitored in 3D reconstructed epidermis upon transplantation to immunodeficient mice. Tumor initiation was suppressed in tissues harboring control- and mock-infected II-4 cells that lost contact with the stromal interface. By contrast, H-2kd-Ecad-expressing cells persisted at this interface, thus enabling incipient tumor cell invasion upon in vivo transplantation. Loss of intercellular adhesion was linked to elevated cell surface expression of α2, α3 and β1 integrins and increased adhesion to laminin-1 and Types I and IV collagen that was blocked with β1-integrin antibodies, suggesting that invasion was linked to initial II-4 cell attachment at the stromal interface. Collectively, these results outline a novel aspect to loss of E-cadherin function that is linked to the mutually interdependent regulation of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion and has significant consequences for the conversion of premalignancy to cancer.

Escape from microenvironmental control and progression of intraepithelial neoplasia

We previously reported that normal human keratinocytes controlled neoplastic progression of tumor cells at an early stage of transformation in stratified squamous epithelium. We now studied if cells at a more advanced stage of transformation were also subject to such microenvironmental control. To accomplish this, 3D human tissues that mimic intraepithelial neoplasia were fabricated by mixing genetically marked (beta-gal), early-stage (II-4 cells) or advanced-stage (SCC13) transformed keratinocytes with normal keratinocytes, and tumor cell fate and phenotype were monitored in organotypic culture and after surface transplantation to nude mice. In vivo, SCC13 cells evaded local growth suppression to undergo connective tissue invasion at significantly lower tumor cell volumes (12:1, 50:1 normal:tumor cells) than II-4 cells. This behavior was explained by the growth suppression of II-4 cells, while advanced-stage tumor cells escaped this control and continued to undergo clonal expansion in mixed cultures to form large, intraepithelial tumor clusters. These communities of tumor cells underwent autonomous growth that was associated with altered expression of markers of differentiation (keratin 1) and cell-cell communication (connexin-43). Furthermore, significantly greater numbers of SCC13 cells expanded into a basal position after low-calcium stripping of suprabasal cells of mixed cultures compared to II-4 cells, suggesting that expansion of these cells enabled tumor cell invasion after transplantation. These findings demonstrated that early tumor development in human stratified squamous epithelium required escape from microenvironmental growth control that was dependent on the transformation stage of intraepithelial tumor cells during the premalignant stage of cancer progression.

Loss of intercellular adhesion activates a transition from low- to high-grade human squamous cell carcinoma

The relationship between loss of intercellular adhesion and the biologic properties of human squamous cell carcinoma is not well understood. We investigated how abrogation of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion influenced the behavior and phenotype of squamous cell carcinoma in 3D human tissues. Cell-cell adhesion was disrupted in early-stage epithelial tumor cells (HaCaT-II-4) through expression of a dominant-negative form of E-cadherin (H-2Kd-Ecad). Three-dimensional human tissue constructs harboring either H-2Kd-Ecad-expressing or control II-4 cells (pBabe, H-2Kd-EcadDeltaC25) were cultured at an air-liquid interface for 8 days and transplanted to nude mice; tumor phenotype was analyzed 2 days and 2 and 4 weeks later. H-2Kd-Ecad-expressing tumors demonstrated a switch to a high-grade aggressive tumor phenotype characterized by poorly differentiated tumor cells that infiltrated throughout the stroma. This high-grade carcinoma revealed elevated cell proliferation in a random pattern, loss of keratin 1 and diffuse deposition of laminin 5 gamma2 chain. When II-4 cell variants were seeded into type I collagen gels as an in vitro assay for cell migration, we found that only E-cadherin-deficient cells detached, migrated as single cells and expressed N-cadherin. Function-blocking studies demonstrated that this migration was matrix metalloproteinase-dependent, as GM-6001 and TIMP-2, but not TIMP-1, could block migration. Gene expression profiles revealed that E-cadherin-deficient II-4 cells demonstrated increased expression of proteases and cell-cell and cell-matrix proteins. These findings showed that loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion plays a causal role in the transition from low- to high-grade squamous cell carcinomas and that the absence of E-cadherin is an important prognostic marker in the progression of this disease.

Characterization of the Initial Response of Engineered Human Skin to Sulfur Mustard

We have used a new approach to identify early events in sulfur mustard-induced, cutaneous injury by exposing human, bioengineered tissues that mimic human skin to this agent to determine the morphologic, apoptotic, inflammatory, ultrastructural, and basement membrane alterations that lead to dermal-epidermal separation. We found distinct prevesication and post-vesication phases of tissue damage that were identified 6 and 24 h after sulfur mustard (SM) exposure, respectively. Prevesication (6 h) injury was restricted to small groups of basal keratinocytes that underwent apoptotic cell death independent of SM dose. Immunoreactivity for basement membrane proteins was preserved and basement membrane ultrastructure was intact 6 h after exposure. Dermal-epidermal separation was seen by the presence of microvesicles 24 h after SM exposure. This change was accompanied by the dose-dependent induction of apoptosis, focal loss of basement membrane immunoreactivity, increase in acute inflammatory cell infiltration, and ultrastructural evidence of altered basement membrane integrity. These studies provide important proof of concept that bioengineered, human skin demonstrates many alterations previously found in animal models of cutaneous SM injury. These findings further our understanding of mechanisms of SM-induced damage and can help development of new countermeasures designed to limit the morbidity and mortality caused by this chemical agent.

Microenvironmental control of premalignant disease: the role of intercellular adhesion in the progression of squamous cell carcinoma

Interactions between potentially neoplastic cells and their normal neighbors act as an important microenvironmental control during the premalignant, intraepithelial (IE) stage of squamous cell cancer development. Using human three-dimensional (3D) tissue models, it has been shown that such interactions induce a state of IE dormancy in which cancer progression is suppressed. This dormant state can be overcome by altering tissue dynamics in response to the tumor promoter TPA, UV irradiation, decreasing adhesive interactions between tumor cells and adjacent epithelia or enabling tumor cells to interact with basement membrane proteins. This chapter will provide an overview of investigations that have characterized how the tissue microenvironment can regulate the incipient development of squamous cell carcinoma.

E-cadherin suppression accelerates squamous cell carcinoma progression in three-dimensional, human tissue constructs

We studied the link between loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion and acquisition of malignant properties in three-dimensional, human tissue constructs that mimicked the initial stages of squamous cell cancer progression. Suppression of E-cadherin expression in early-stage, skin-derived tumor cells (HaCaT-II-4) was induced by cytoplasmic sequestration of beta-catenin upon stable expression of a dominant-negative E-cadherin fusion protein (H-2Kd-Ecad). In monolayer cultures, expression of H-2Kd-Ecad resulted in decreased levels of E-cadherin, redistribution of beta-catenin to the cytoplasm, and complete loss of intercellular adhesion when compared with control II-4 cells. This was accompanied by a 7-fold decrease in beta-catenin-mediated transcription and a 12-fold increase in cell migration. In three-dimensional constructs, E-cadherin-deficient tissues showed disruption of architecture, loss of adherens junctional proteins from cell contacts, and focal tumor cell invasion. Invasion was linked to activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-mediated degradation of basement membrane in H-2Kd-Ecad-expressing tissue constructs that was blocked by MMP inhibition (GM6001). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed a 2.5-fold increase in MMP-2 and an 8-fold increase in MMP-9 in cells expressing the H-2Kd-Ecad fusion protein when compared with controls, and gel zymography showed increased MMP protein levels. Following surface transplantation of three-dimensional tissues, suppression of E-cadherin expression greatly accelerated tumorigenesis in vivo by inducing a switch to high-grade carcinomas that resulted in a 5-fold increase in tumor size after 4 weeks. Suppression of E-cadherin expression and loss of its function fundamentally modified squamous cell carcinoma progression by activating a highly invasive, aggressive tumor phenotype, whereas maintenance of E-cadherin prevented invasion in vitro and limited tumor progression in vivo.