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Gonzalez-Leon EA, Bielajew BJ, Hu JC, Athanasiou KA. Engineering self-assembled neomenisci through combination of matrix augmentation and directional remodeling. Acta Biomater 2020; 109:73-81. [PMID: 32344175 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Knee meniscus injury is frequent, resulting in over 1 million surgeries annually in the United States and Europe. Because of the near-avascularity of this fibrocartilaginous tissue and its intrinsic lack of healing, tissue engineering has been proposed as a solution for meniscus repair and replacement. This study describes an approach employing bioactive stimuli to enhance both extracellular matrix content and organization of neomenisci toward augmenting their mechanical properties. Self-assembled fibrocartilages were treated with TGF-β1, chondroitinase ABC, and lysyl oxidase-like 2 (collectively termed TCL) in addition to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). TCL + LPA treatment synergistically improved circumferential tensile stiffness and strength, significantly enhanced collagen and pyridinoline crosslink content per dry weight, and achieved tensile anisotropy (circumferential/radial) values of neomenisci close to 4. This study utilizes a combination of bioactive stimuli for use in tissue engineering studies, providing a promising path toward deploying these neomenisci as functional repair and replacement tissues. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study utilizes a scaffold-free approach, which strays from the tissue engineering paradigm of using scaffolds with cells and bioactive factors to engineer neotissue. While self-assembled neomenisci have attained compressive properties akin to native tissue, tensile properties still require improvement before being able to deploy engineered neomenisci as functional tissue repair or replacement options. In order to augment tensile properties, this study utilized bioactive factors known to augment matrix content in combination with a soluble factor that enhances matrix organization and anisotropy via cell traction forces. Using a bioactive factor to enhance matrix organization mitigates the need for bioreactors used to apply mechanical stimuli or scaffolds to induce proper fiber alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A Gonzalez-Leon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.
| | - Benjamin J Bielajew
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.
| | - Jerry C Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.
| | - Kyriacos A Athanasiou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.
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Donahue RP, Gonzalez-Leon EA, Hu JC, Athanasiou KA. Considerations for translation of tissue engineered fibrocartilage from bench to bedside. J Biomech Eng 2018; 141:2718210. [PMID: 30516244 PMCID: PMC6611470 DOI: 10.1115/1.4042201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Fibrocartilage is found in the knee meniscus, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc, the pubic symphysis, the annulus fibrosus of intervertebral disc, tendons, and ligaments. These tissues are notoriously difficult to repair due to their avascularity, and limited clinical repair and replacement options exist. Tissue engineering has been proposed as a route to repair and replace fibrocartilages. Using the knee meniscus and TMJ disc as examples, this review describes how fibrocartilages can be engineered toward translation to clinical use. Presented are fibrocartilage anatomy, function, epidemiology, pathology, and current clinical treatments because they inform design criteria for tissue engineered fibrocartilages. Methods for how native tissues are characterized histomorphologically, biochemically, and mechanically to set gold standards are described. Then, provided is a review of fibrocartilage-specific tissue engineering strategies, including the selection of cell sources, scaffold or scaffold-free methods, and biochemical and mechanical stimuli. In closing, the Food and Drug Administration paradigm is discussed to inform researchers of both the guidance that exists and the questions that remain to be answered with regard to bringing a tissue engineered fibrocartilage product to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Donahue
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
University of California, Irvine,
Irvine, CA 92697
e-mail:
| | - Erik A. Gonzalez-Leon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
University of California, Irvine,
Irvine, CA 92697
e-mail:
| | - Jerry C. Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
University of California, Irvine,
Irvine, CA 92697
e-mail:
| | - Kyriacos A. Athanasiou
- Fellow ASME
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697
e-mail:
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Hadidi P, Cissell DD, Hu JC, Athanasiou KA. Temporal development of near-native functional properties and correlations with qMRI in self-assembling fibrocartilage treated with exogenous lysyl oxidase homolog 2. Acta Biomater 2017; 64:29-40. [PMID: 28963018 PMCID: PMC5682207 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Advances in cartilage tissue engineering have led to constructs with mechanical integrity and biochemical composition increasingly resembling that of native tissues. In particular, collagen cross-linking with lysyl oxidase has been used to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of engineered neotissues. In this study, development of collagen cross-links over time, and correlations with tensile properties, were examined in self-assembling neotissues. Additionally, quantitative MRI metrics were examined in relation to construct mechanical properties as well as pyridinoline cross-link content and other engineered tissue components. Scaffold-free meniscus fibrocartilage was cultured in the presence of exogenous lysyl oxidase, and assessed at multiple time points over 8weeks starting from the first week of culture. Engineered constructs demonstrated a 9.9-fold increase in pyridinoline content, reaching 77% of native tissue values, after 8weeks of culture. Additionally, engineered tissues reached 66% of the Young's modulus in the radial direction of native tissues. Further, collagen cross-links were found to correlate with tensile properties, contributing 67% of the tensile strength of engineered neocartilages. Finally, examination of quantitative MRI metrics revealed several correlations with mechanical and biochemical properties of engineered constructs. This study displays the importance of culture duration for collagen cross-link formation, and demonstrates the potential of quantitative MRI in investigating properties of engineered cartilages. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study to demonstrate near-native cross-link content in an engineered tissue, and the first study to quantify pyridinoline cross-link development over time in a self-assembling tissue. Additionally, this work shows the relative contributions of collagen and pyridinoline to the tensile properties of collagenous tissue for the first time. Furthermore, this is the first investigation to identify a relationship between qMRI metrics and the pyridinoline cross-link content of an engineered collagenous tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasha Hadidi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Derek D Cissell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jerry C Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697-2715, USA
| | - Kyriacos A Athanasiou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Nims RJ, Cigan AD, Durney KM, Jones BK, O'Neill JD, Law WSA, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Hung CT, Ateshian GA. * Constrained Cage Culture Improves Engineered Cartilage Functional Properties by Enhancing Collagen Network Stability. Tissue Eng Part A 2017; 23:847-858. [PMID: 28193145 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2016.0467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When cultured with sufficient nutrient supply, engineered cartilage synthesizes proteoglycans rapidly, producing an osmotic swelling pressure that destabilizes immature collagen and prevents the development of a robust collagen framework, a hallmark of native cartilage. We hypothesized that mechanically constraining the proteoglycan-induced tissue swelling would enhance construct functional properties through the development of a more stable collagen framework. To test this hypothesis, we developed a novel "cage" growth system to mechanically prevent tissue constructs from swelling while ensuring adequate nutrient supply to the growing construct. The effectiveness of constrained culture was examined by testing constructs embedded within two different scaffolds: agarose and cartilage-derived matrix hydrogel (CDMH). Constructs were seeded with immature bovine chondrocytes and cultured under free swelling (FS) conditions for 14 days with transforming growth factor-β before being placed into a constraining cage for the remainder of culture. Controls were cultured under FS conditions throughout. Agarose constructs cultured in cages did not expand after the day 14 caging while FS constructs expanded to 8 × their day 0 weight after 112 days of culture. In addition to the physical differences in growth, by day 56, caged constructs had higher equilibrium (agarose: 639 ± 179 kPa and CDMH: 608 ± 257 kPa) and dynamic compressive moduli (agarose: 3.4 ± 1.0 MPa and CDMH 2.8 ± 1.0 MPa) than FS constructs (agarose: 193 ± 74 kPa and 1.1 ± 0.5 MPa and CDMH: 317 ± 93 kPa and 1.8 ± 1.0 MPa for equilibrium and dynamic properties, respectively). Interestingly, when normalized to final day wet weight, cage and FS constructs did not exhibit differences in proteoglycan or collagen content. However, caged culture enhanced collagen maturation through the increased formation of pyridinoline crosslinks and improved collagen matrix stability as measured by α-chymotrypsin solubility. These findings demonstrate that physically constrained culture of engineered cartilage constructs improves functional properties through improved collagen network maturity and stability. We anticipate that constrained culture may benefit other reported engineered cartilage systems that exhibit a mismatch in proteoglycan and collagen synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Nims
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Alexander D Cigan
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Krista M Durney
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Brian K Jones
- 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - John D O'Neill
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Wing-Sum A Law
- 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York.,3 Department of Medicine, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Clark T Hung
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Gerard A Ateshian
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York.,2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
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Hadidi P, Paschos NK, Huang BJ, Aryaei A, Hu JC, Athanasiou KA. Tendon and ligament as novel cell sources for engineering the knee meniscus. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2016; 24:2126-2134. [PMID: 27473559 PMCID: PMC5107319 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The application of cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine is hindered by the difficulty of acquiring adequate numbers of competent cells. For the knee meniscus in particular, this may be solved by harvesting tissue from neighboring tendons and ligaments. In this study, we have investigated the potential of cells from tendon and ligament, as compared to meniscus cells, to engineer scaffold-free self-assembling fibrocartilage. METHOD Self-assembling meniscus-shaped constructs engineered from a co-culture of articular chondrocytes and either meniscus, tendon, or ligament cells were cultured for 4 weeks with TGF-β1 in serum-free media. After culture, constructs were assessed for their mechanical properties, histological staining, gross appearance, and biochemical composition including cross-link content. Correlations were performed to evaluate relationships between biochemical content and mechanical properties. RESULTS In terms of mechanical properties as well as biochemical content, constructs engineered using tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes were found to be equivalent or superior to constructs engineered using meniscus cells. Furthermore, cross-link content was found to be correlated with engineered tissue tensile properties. CONCLUSION Tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes represent viable cell sources for engineering meniscus fibrocartilage using the self-assembling process. Due to greater cross-link content, fibrocartilage engineered with tenocytes and ligament fibrocytes may maintain greater tensile properties than fibrocartilage engineered with meniscus cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasha Hadidi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nikolaos K. Paschos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian J. Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ashkan Aryaei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jerry C. Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kyriacos A. Athanasiou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Cell-Based Strategies for Meniscus Tissue Engineering. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:4717184. [PMID: 27274735 PMCID: PMC4871968 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4717184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Meniscus injuries remain a significant challenge due to the poor healing potential of the inner avascular zone. Following a series of studies and clinical trials, tissue engineering is considered a promising prospect for meniscus repair and regeneration. As one of the key factors in tissue engineering, cells are believed to be highly beneficial in generating bionic meniscus structures to replace injured ones in patients. Therefore, cell-based strategies for meniscus tissue engineering play a fundamental role in meniscal regeneration. According to current studies, the main cell-based strategies for meniscus tissue engineering are single cell type strategies; cell coculture strategies also were applied to meniscus tissue engineering. Likewise, on the one side, the zonal recapitulation strategies based on mimicking meniscal differing cells and internal architectures have received wide attentions. On the other side, cell self-assembling strategies without any scaffolds may be a better way to build a bionic meniscus. In this review, we primarily discuss cell seeds for meniscus tissue engineering and their application strategies. We also discuss recent advances and achievements in meniscus repair experiments that further improve our understanding of meniscus tissue engineering.
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Cromeens BP, Liu Y, Stathopoulos J, Wang Y, Johnson J, Besner GE. Production of tissue-engineered intestine from expanded enteroids. J Surg Res 2016; 204:164-75. [PMID: 27451883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2016.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short bowel syndrome is a life-threatening condition with few solutions. Tissue-engineered intestine (TEI) is a potential treatment, but donor intestine is a limiting factor. Expanded epithelial surrogates termed enteroids may serve as a potential donor source. MATERIALS AND METHODS To produce TEI from enteroids, crypts were harvested from mice and enteroid cultures established. Enteroids were seeded onto polymer scaffolds using Matrigel or culture medium and implanted in immunosuppressed mice for 4 wk. Histology was analyzed using Periodic acid-Schiff staining and immunofluorescence. Neomucosa was quantified using ImageJ software. To determine whether TEI could be produced from enteroids established from small intestinal biopsies, 2 × 2-mm pieces of jejunum were processed for enteroid culture, enteroids were expanded and seeded onto scaffolds, and scaffolds implanted for 4 wk. RESULTS Enteroids in Matrigel produced TEI in 15 of 15 scaffolds, whereas enteroids in medium produced TEI in 9 of 15 scaffolds. Use of Matrigel led to more neomucosal surface area compared to media (10,520 ± 2905 μm versus 450 ± 127 μm, P < 0.05). Histologic examination confirmed the presence of crypts and blunted villi, normal intestinal epithelial lineages, intestinal subepithelial myofibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells. Crypts obtained from biopsies produced an average of 192 ± 71 enteroids. A single passage produced 685 ± 58 enteroids, which was adequate for scaffold seeding. TEI was produced in 8 of 9 scaffolds seeded with expanded enteroids. CONCLUSIONS Enteroids can be obtained from minimal starting material, expanded ex vivo, and implanted to produce TEI. This method shows promise as a solution to the limited donor intestine available for TEI production in patients with short bowel syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barrett P Cromeens
- Department of General Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Yanchun Liu
- Department of General Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Yijie Wang
- Department of General Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Gail E Besner
- Department of General Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
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Yanmei L, Guangjie B, Ni Z, Wei L, Wenxia Z, Lanlan W, Hong K. [Collagen structure and biomechanical properties of the goat temporomandibular joint disc]. HUA XI KOU QIANG YI XUE ZA ZHI = HUAXI KOUQIANG YIXUE ZAZHI = WEST CHINA JOURNAL OF STOMATOLOGY 2016; 34:73-77. [PMID: 27266203 PMCID: PMC7030774 DOI: 10.7518/hxkq.2016.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To establish objectively biomechanical criteria for temporomandibular joint disc tissue engineerings. METHODS Eight temporomandibular joint discs from a four-month-old goat were separated completely. A cylindrical sample with diameter of 3 mm in the anterior, intermediate, and posterior bands was obtained, and the samples underwent pre-compression test with three cycles under a speed of 0.025 mm · s⁻¹. With the end condition for the maximum load of less than 4.9 N and 1.5 mm compression displacement, the formal compression test was performed with the same speed. Moreover, this test obtained the stress-strain relationship and elastic modulus of each disc band. Ultrastructure and collagen fiber orientation of the district zone were observed by scanning electron microscope and polarized light microscope. RESULTS 1) The physiological strain range of an articular disc was within 10%, and the quasilinear constitutive equation of articular disc tissues can be fitted with the polynomial function: y = ax + bx² + cx³. 2) The elastic modulus of the intermediate disc zone was the largest (P < 0.05). No significant difference existed between the anterior and posterior bands (P = 0.361). 3) Scanning electron microscope and polarized light microscope showed an annular disc collagen network structure, which was the internal part of the goat temporomandibular joint disc. The collagen arrangement of intermediate bands was tensely arranged anterior-posteriorly. The collagen of anterior and posterior bands went through mediolaterally with intersection of anterior-posterior branch fibersd. CONCLUSION Annular collagen network structure is the basis for goat temporomandibular joint disc compression resistance properties. The intermediate band demonstrated higher compression resistance performance than the anterior and posterior bands.
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