Methods in cell biology: Cell-derived matrices

A newly improved method of primary cell culture: Tissue block with continuous adhesion subculture in skin fibroblast

BACKGROUND

Fibroblasts (FBs) have been widely used as a typical in vitro cell model for investigating the biological processes and cell pathophysiological mechanisms. However, FBs are prone to senescence in cell culture process after several passages. Thus, a new approach to cell culture is quite required to enhance the viability of cells.

OBJECTIVE

To explore a novel method of cell culture based on skin FBs.

METHODS

Dermal tissue blocks were obtained from BALB/c neonatal mice and randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group received the newly improved culture method, namely, continuous adherence subculture of tissue block (CASTB) method; while the traditional subculture method was applied in the control group. Cells at 1st, 5th and 10th passages were collected and identified by using histological/immunohistochemical and western blot analysis. Cellular viability, proliferation, senescence and apoptosis were analyzed through application of cell growth curve, CCK-8 assay, Ki67 assay, PCNA protein analysis, β-galactosidase staining, flow cytometry and western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Cells under two culture patterns exhibited spindle/irregular shape and vimentin positive expression. With the increase of passage times, the cellular growth rate in the control group gradually decreased, but no alterations emerged from the experimental group. CASTB method remarkably promoted cell growth and proliferation. Moreover, a greatly lower apoptosis and senescence tendency appeared in the experimental group than the control group with passages increasing.

CONCLUSION

The method of CASTB is superior to traditional subculture, offering a large number of primary FBs with higher efficiency and success rate and being worth of further popularization and application.

Acrylonitrile and Pullulan Based Nanofiber Mats as Easily Accessible Scaffolds for 3D Skin Cell Models Containing Primary Cells

(1) Background: Three-dimensional (3D) collagen I-based skin models are commonly used in drug development and substance testing but have major drawbacks such as batch-to-batch variations and ethical concerns. Recently, synthetic nanofibrous scaffolds created by electrospinning have received increasing interest as potential alternatives due to their morphological similarities to native collagen fibrils in size and orientation. The overall objective of this proof-of-concept study was to demonstrate the suitability of two synthetic polymers in creating electrospun scaffolds for 3D skin cell models. (2) Methods: Electrospun nanofiber mats were produced with (i) poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) (P(AN-MA)) and (ii) a blend of pullulan (Pul), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) (Pul/PVA/PAA) and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra. Primary skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes were seeded onto the nanofiber mats and analyzed for phenotypic characteristics (phalloidin staining), viability (Presto Blue HS assay), proliferation (Ki-67 staining), distribution (H/E staining), responsiveness to biological stimuli (qPCR), and formation of skin-like structures (H/E staining). (3) Results: P(AN-MA) mats were more loosely packed than the Pul/PVA/PAA mats, concomitant with larger fiber diameter (340 nm ± 120 nm vs. 250 nm ± 120 nm, p < 0.0001). After sterilization and exposure to cell culture media for 28 days, P(AN-MA) mats showed significant adsorption of fetal calf serum (FCS) from the media into the fibers (DRIFT spectra) and increased fiber diameter (590 nm ± 290 nm, p < 0.0001). Skin fibroblasts were viable over time on both nanofiber mats, but suitable cell infiltration only occurred in the P(AN-MA) nanofiber mats. On P(AN-MA) mats, fibroblasts showed their characteristic spindle-like shape, produced a dermis-like structure, and responded well to TGFβ stimulation, with a significant increase in the mRNA expression of PAI1, COL1A1, and αSMA (all p < 0.05). Primary keratinocytes seeded on top of the dermis equivalent proliferated and formed a stratified epidermis-like structure. (4) Conclusion: P(AN-MA) and Pul/PVA/PAA are both biocompatible materials suitable for nanofiber mat production. P(AN-MA) mats hold greater potential as future 3D skin models due to enhanced cell compatibility (i.e., adsorption of FCS proteins), cell infiltration (i.e., increased pore size due to swelling behavior), and cell phenotype preservation. Thus, our proof-of-concept study shows an easy and robust process of producing electrospun scaffolds for 3D skin cell models made of P(AN-MA) nanofibers without the need for bioactive molecule attachments.

FleXert: A Soft, Actuatable Multiwell Plate Insert for Cell Culture under Stretch

Porous multiwell plate inserts are widely used in biomedical research to study transport processes or to culture cells/tissues at the air-liquid interface. These inserts are made of rigid materials and used under static culture conditions, which are unrepresentative of biological microenvironments. Here, we present FleXert, a soft, actuatable cell culture insert that interfaces with six-well plates. It is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and comprises a porous PDMS membrane as cell/tissue support. FleXerts can be pneumatically actuated using a standard syringe pump, imparting tensile strains of up to 30%. A wide range of actuation patterns can be achieved by varying the air pressure and pumping rate. Facile surface functionalization of FleXert's porous PDMS membrane with fibronectin enables adhesion of human dermal fibroblasts and strains developing on FleXert's membrane are successfully transduced to the cell layer. 3D tissue models, such as fibroblast-laden collagen gels, can also be anchored to PDMS following polydopamine coating. Furthermore, collagen-coated FleXert membranes support the establishment of a human skin model, demonstrating the material's excellent biocompatibility required for tissue engineering. In contrast to existing technologies, FleXerts do not require costly fabrication equipment or custom-built culture chambers, making them a versatile and low-cost solution for tissue engineering and biological barrier penetration studies under physiological strain. This paper is an extensive toolkit for multidisciplinary mechanobiology studies, including detailed instructions for a wide variety of methods such as device fabrication, theoretical modeling, cell culture, and image analysis techniques.

Characterisation of the novel spontaneously immortalized and invasively growing human skin keratinocyte line HaSKpw

We here present the spontaneously immortalised cell line, HaSKpw, as a novel model for the multistep process of skin carcinogenesis. HaSKpw cells were established from the epidermis of normal human adult skin that, without crisis, are now growing unrestricted and feeder-independent. At passage 22, clonal populations were established and clone7 (HaSKpwC7) was further compared to the also spontaneously immortalized HaCaT cells. As important differences, the HaSKpw cells express wild-type p53, remain pseudodiploid, and show a unique chromosomal profile with numerous complex aberrations involving chromosome 20. In addition, HaSKpw cells overexpress a pattern of genes and miRNAs such as KRT34, LOX, S100A9, miR21, and miR155; all pointing to a tumorigenic status. In concordance, HaSKpw cells exhibit reduced desmosomal contacts that provide them with increased motility and a highly migratory/invasive phenotype as demonstrated in scratch- and Boyden chamber assays. In 3D organotypic cultures, both HaCaT and HaSKpw cells form disorganized epithelia but only the HaSKpw cells show tumorcell-like invasive growth. Together, HaSKpwC7 and HaCaT cells represent two spontaneous (non-genetically engineered) “premalignant” keratinocyte lines from adult human skin that display different stages of the multistep process of skin carcinogenesis and thus represent unique models for analysing skin cancer development and progression.