The determination of stem cell fate by 3D scaffold structures through the control of cell shape

Response of fibroblasts to transforming growth factor-β1 on two-dimensional and in three-dimensional hyaluronan hydrogels

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), an important cytokine with multiple functions, is secreted during wound healing. Previous studies have utilized two-dimensional (2D) cell culture to elucidate the functions of TGF-β1; however, 2D culture does not represent the complex three-dimensional (3D) in vivo environment. Using a synthetic hyaluronan (HA) extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel, we investigated the effect of TGF-β1 on fibroblasts cultured in three conditions--on tissue culture polystyrene (TCP), on HA (2D), and in HA (3D). After TGF-β1 treatment (0.1 to 20 ng/mL), morphological features and ECM regulation were analyzed by immunocytochemistry, Western blot, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and zymogram assays. On TCP, cells showed the typical spindle shape with strong alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) staining of cytoplasmic myofilaments along the cell axes after TGF-β1 treatment; on HA (2D), spindle-shape cells showed little α-SMA staining; in HA (3D), cells were smaller and rounded with less α-SMA deposition. The α-SMA gene and protein expression on TCP were significantly upregulated by TGF-β1, but TGF-β1 did not induce α-SMA expression in the presence of HA (both 2D and 3D). 3D HA culture significantly downregulated collagen I, III, and fibronectin expression, increased matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 2 (MMP1/MMP2) activity, upregulated MMP1 mRNA and downregulated TIMP3 mRNA expression. This study suggested that exogenous HA, particularly in 3D culture, appears to suppress ECM production, enhances ECM degradation and remodeling, and inhibits myofibroblast differentiation without decreasing TGF-β receptor expression.

Surface modifications by gas plasma control osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells

Numerous studies have shown that the physicochemical properties of biomaterials can control cell activity. Cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation as well as tissue formation in vivo can be tuned by properties such as the porosity, surface micro- and nanoscale topography and chemical composition of biomaterials. This concept is very appealing for tissue engineering since instructive properties in bioactive materials can be more economical and time efficient than traditional strategies of cell pre-differentiation in vitro prior to implantation. The biomaterial surface, which is easy to modify due to its accessibility, may provide the necessary signals to elicit a certain cellular behavior. Here, we used gas plasma technology at atmospheric pressure to modify the physicochemical properties of polylactic acid and analyzed how this influenced pre-osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Tetramethylsilane and 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane with helium as a carrier gas or a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen were discharged to polylactic acid discs to create different surface chemical compositions, hydrophobicity and microscale topographies. Such modifications influenced protein adsorption and pre-osteoblast cell adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore polylactic acid treated with tetramethylsilane enhanced osteogenic differentiation compared to the other surfaces. This promising surface modification could be further explored for potential development of bone graft substitutes.

Micro-structured polymer scaffolds fabricated by direct laser writing for tissue engineering

This work presents the latest results on direct laser writing of polymeric materials for tissue engineering applications. A femtosecond Yb:KGW laser (300 fs, 200 kHz, 515 nm) was used as a light source for non-linear lithography. Fabrication was implemented in various photosensitive polymeric materials, such as: hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel based on silicon-zirconium oxides, commercial ORMOCER® class photoresins. These materials were structured via multi-photon polymerization technique with submicron resolution. Porous three-dimensional scaffolds for artificial tissue engineering were fabricated with constructed system and were up to several millimeters in overall size with 10 to 100 μm internal pores. Biocompatibility of the used materials was tested in primary rabbit muscle-derived stem cell culture in vitro and using laboratory rats in vivo. This interdisciplinary study suggests that proposed technique and materials are suitable for tissue engineering applications.

Orchestrating cell/material interactions for tissue engineering of surgical implants

Research groups are currently recognising a critical clinical need for innovative approaches to organ failure and agenesis. Allografting, autologous reconstruction and prosthetics are hampered with severe limitations. Pertinently, readily available 'laboratory-grown' organs and implants are becoming a reality. Tissue engineering constructs vary in their design complexity depending on the specific structural and functional demands. Expeditious methods on integrating autologous stem cells onto nanoarchitectured 3D nanocomposites, are being transferred from lab to patients with a number of successful first-in-man experiences. Despite the need for a complete understanding of cell/material interactions tissue engineering is offering a plethora of exciting possibilities in regenerative medicine.

Freeform fabricated scaffolds with roughened struts that enhance both stem cell proliferation and differentiation by controlling cell shape

We demonstrate that freeform fabricated (FFF) scaffolds with a roughened surface topography can support hBMSC proliferation, while also inducing osteogenic differentiation, for maximized generation of calcified, bone-like tissue. Previously, hBMSCs rapidly proliferated, without osteogenic differentiation, during culture in FFF scaffolds. In contrast, hBMSCs underwent osteogenic differentiation, with slow proliferation, during culture in nanofiber scaffolds. Analysis of cell morphology showed that the topography presented by the nanofiber scaffolds drove hBMSC differentiation by guiding them into a morphology that induced osteogenic differentiation. Herein, we hypothesized that using the high-surface area architecture of FFF scaffolds to present a surface roughness that drives hBMSCs into a morphology that induces osteogenic differentiation would yield a maximum amount differentiated hBMSCs and bone-like tissue. Thus, a solvent etching method was developed that imparted a 5-fold increase in roughness to the surface of the struts of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) FFF scaffolds. The etched scaffolds induced osteogenic differentiation of the hBMSCs while un-etched scaffolds did not. The etched scaffolds also supported the same high levels of hBMSC proliferation that un-etched scaffolds supported. Finally, hBMSCs on un-etched scaffolds had a large spread area, while hBMSCs on etched scaffolds has a smaller area and were more rounded, indicating that the surface roughness from the etched scaffolds dictated the morphology of the hBMSCs. The results demonstrate that FFF scaffolds with surface roughness can support hBMSC proliferation, while also inducing osteogenic differentiation, to maximize generation of calcified tissue. This work validates a rational approach to scaffold fabrication where the structure of the scaffold was designed to optimize stem cell function by controlling cell morphology.

Time-Dependent Effects of Pre-Aging 3D Polymer Scaffolds in Cell Culture Medium on Cell Proliferation

Protein adsorption is known to direct biological response to biomaterials and is important in determining cellular response in tissue scaffolds. In this study we investigated the effect of the duration of protein adsorption to 3D polymer scaffolds on cell attachment and proliferation. 3D macro-porous polymer scaffolds were pre-aged in serum-containing culture medium for 5 min, 1 d or 7 d prior to seeding osteoblasts. The total amount of protein adsorbed was found to increase with pre-ageing time. Cell attachment and proliferation were measured 1 d and 14 d, respectively, after cell seeding. Osteoblast proliferation, but not attachment, increased with scaffold pre-ageing time and amount of adsorbed serum protein. These results demonstrate that the amount of time that scaffolds are exposed to serum-containing medium can affect cell proliferation and suggest that these effects are mediated by differences in the amount of protein adsorption.

Gas-Foamed Scaffold Gradients for Combinatorial Screening in 3D

Current methods for screening cell-material interactions typically utilize a two-dimensional (2D) culture format where cells are cultured on flat surfaces. However, there is a need for combinatorial and high-throughput screening methods to systematically screen cell-biomaterial interactions in three-dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds for tissue engineering. Previously, we developed a two-syringe pump approach for making 3D scaffold gradients for use in combinatorial screening of salt-leached scaffolds. Herein, we demonstrate that the two-syringe pump approach can also be used to create scaffold gradients using a gas-foaming approach. Macroporous foams prepared by a gas-foaming technique are commonly used for fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds due to their high interconnectivity and good mechanical properties. Gas-foamed scaffold gradient libraries were fabricated from two biodegradable tyrosine-derived polycarbonates: poly(desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine ethyl ester carbonate) (pDTEc) and poly(desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine octyl ester carbonate) (pDTOc). The composition of the libraries was assessed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and showed that pDTEc/pDTOc gas-foamed scaffold gradients could be repeatably fabricated. Scanning electron microscopy showed that scaffold morphology was similar between the pDTEc-rich ends and the pDTOc-rich ends of the gradient. These results introduce a method for fabricating gas-foamed polymer scaffold gradients that can be used for combinatorial screening of cell-material interactions in 3D.