Decellularized tongue tissue as an in vitro model for studying tongue cancer and tongue regeneration

The potential of hydrogel-free tumoroids in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Head and neck malignancy, and in particular squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is responsible for a significant disease burden globally. The lack of an optimal in vitro model system to accurately recapitulate in vivo response to therapy in HNSCC remains a challenge. The development of patient-derived three-dimensional tumour cultures, or tumoroids, has enabled improved modelling of the tumour microenvironment through simulation of important characteristics such as tumour hypoxia, cell-cell interactions and nutrient diffusion characteristics.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive English-language literature review of current methods of tumoroid development utilising Matrigel and Cultrex Basement Membrane Extract 2 (key terms: tumour organoids, tumoroids, hydrogels, Matrigel, Cultrex, squamous cell carcinoma, head and neck)-two common proprietary murine-derived hydrogels containing extracellular matrix proteins. Nascent literature on the establishment of a novel hydrogel-free platform for tumoroid development as distinct from these existing methods was also explored.

RESULTS

Whilst useful for facilitating cell-matrix interactions and providing a scaffold for three-dimensional cell growth and organisation, murine-derived cell matrix methods were noted to have notable limitations including temperature sensitivity and the medium forming a barrier to analysis of the supernatant. A novel hydrogel-free method of establishing in vitro tumoroid cultures has been subject to experimentation in colorectal but not head and neck malignancy. The absence of a hydrogel provides for the de novo synthesis of extracellular matrix native to the tumour and self-organisation of cells within this scaffold through the use of ultralow attachment plates. This model demonstrates similar structural and physiological properties to native tissue, whilst enabling more accurate biomimicry of the tumour microenvironment for drug testing.

CONCLUSIONS

In the absence of prior experimentation on a hydrogel-free method for establishing HNSCC tumoroids, and comparisons between hydrogel and hydrogel-free models, the future development of a comparative protocol encompassing recruitment, collection, processing and analysis represents a valuable opportunity.

Scaffold-based 3D cell culture models in cancer research

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have emerged as valuable tools in cancer research, offering significant advantages over traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems. In 3D cell cultures, cancer cells are grown in an environment that more closely mimics the 3D architecture and complexity of in vivo tumors. This approach has revolutionized cancer research by providing a more accurate representation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enabling the study of tumor behavior and response to therapies in a more physiologically relevant context. One of the key benefits of 3D cell culture in cancer research is the ability to recapitulate the complex interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. Tumors consist not only of cancer cells but also various other cell types, including stromal cells, immune cells, and blood vessels. These models bridge traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models, offering a cost-effective, scalable, and ethical alternative for preclinical research. As the field advances, 3D cell cultures are poised to play a pivotal role in understanding cancer biology and accelerating the development of effective anticancer therapies. This review article highlights the key advantages of 3D cell cultures, progress in the most common scaffold-based culturing techniques, pertinent literature on their applications in cancer research, and the ongoing challenges.

The Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in the Study of Oral Cancer Immune Microenvironment

The onset and progression of oral cancer are accompanied by a dynamic interaction with the host immune system, and the immune cells within the tumor microenvironment play a pivotal role in the development of the tumor. By exploring the cellular immunity of oral cancer, we can gain insight into the contribution of both tumor cells and immune cells to tumorigenesis. This understanding is crucial for developing effective immunotherapeutic strategies to combat oral cancer. Studies of cancer immunology present unique challenges in terms of modeling due to the extraordinary complexity of the immune system. With its multitude of cellular components, each with distinct subtypes and various activation states, the immune system interacts with cancer cells and other components of the tumor, ultimately shaping the course of the disease. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture methods fall short of capturing these intricate cellular interactions. Mouse models enable us to learn about tumor biology in complicated and dynamic physiological systems but have limitations as the murine immune system differs significantly from that of humans. In light of these challenges, three-dimensional (3D) culture systems offer an alternative approach to studying cancer immunology and filling the existing gaps in available models. These 3D culture models provide a means to investigate complex cellular interactions that are difficult to replicate in 2D cultures. The direct study of the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells of human origin offers a more relevant and representative platform compared to mouse models, enabling advancements in our understanding of cancer immunology. This review explores commonly used 3D culture models and highlights their significant contributions to expanding our knowledge of cancer immunology. By harnessing the power of 3D culture systems, we can unlock new insights that pave the way for improved strategies in the battle against oral cancer.

Engineered organoids in oral and maxillofacial regeneration

Oral and maxillofacial organoids, as three-dimensional study models of organs, have attracted increasing attention in tissue regeneration and disease modeling. However, traditional strategies for organoid construction still fail to precisely recapitulate the key characteristics of real organs, due to the difficulty in controlling the self-organization of cells in vitro. This review aims to summarize the recent progress of novel approaches to engineering oral and maxillofacial organoids. First, we introduced the necessary components and their roles in forming oral and maxillofacial organoids. Besides, we discussed cutting-edge technology in advancing the architecture and function of organoids, especially focusing on oral and maxillofacial tissue regeneration via novel strategy with designed cell-signal scaffold compounds. Finally, current limitations and future prospects of oral and maxillofacial organoids were represented to provide guidance for further disciplinary progression and clinical application to achieve organ regeneration.

Preparation and Use of Decellularized Extracellular Matrix for Tissue Engineering

The multidisciplinary fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have the potential to revolutionize the practise of medicine through the abilities to repair, regenerate, or replace tissues and organs with functional engineered constructs. To this end, tissue engineering combines scaffolding materials with cells and biologically active molecules into constructs with the appropriate structures and properties for tissue/organ regeneration, where scaffolding materials and biomolecules are the keys to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM). For this, one emerging way is to decellularize the native ECM into the materials suitable for, directly or in combination with other materials, creating functional constructs. Over the past decade, decellularized ECM (or dECM) has greatly facilitated the advance of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, while being challenged in many ways. This article reviews the recent development of dECM for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with a focus on the preparation of dECM along with its influence on cell culture, the modification of dECM for use as a scaffolding material, and the novel techniques and emerging trends in processing dECM into functional constructs. We highlight the success of dECM and constructs in the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical applications and further identify the key issues and challenges involved, along with a discussion of future research directions.

In vitro models for head and neck cancer: Current status and future perspective

The 5-year overall survival rate remains approximately 50% for head and neck (H&N) cancer patients, even though new cancer drugs have been approved for clinical use since 2016. Cancer drug studies are now moving toward the use of three-dimensional culture models for better emulating the unique tumor microenvironment (TME) and better predicting in vivo response to cancer treatments. Distinctive TME features, such as tumor geometry, heterogenous cellularity, and hypoxic cues, notably affect tissue aggressiveness and drug resistance. However, these features have not been fully incorporated into in vitro H&N cancer models. This review paper aims to provide a scholarly assessment of the designs, contributions, and limitations of in vitro models in H&N cancer drug research. We first review the TME features of H&N cancer that are most relevant to in vitro drug evaluation. We then evaluate a selection of advanced culture models, namely, spheroids, organotypic models, and microfluidic chips, in their applications for H&N cancer drug research. Lastly, we propose future opportunities of in vitro H&N cancer research in the prospects of high-throughput drug screening and patient-specific drug evaluation.

The Progress of Decellularized Scaffold in Stomatology

The oral and maxillofacial region contains oral organs and facial soft tissues. Due to the complexity of the structures and functions of this region, the repair of related defects is complicated. Different degrees of defects require different repair methods, which involve a great combination of medicine and art, and the material requirements are extremely high. Hence, clinicians are plagued by contemporary oral repair materials due to the limitations of bone harvesting, immune rejection, low osteogenic activity and other problems. Decellularized extracellular matrix has attracted much attention as a bioactive scaffold material because of its nonimmunogenic properties, good osteogenic properties, slow release of growth factors, promotion of seed cell adhesion and maintenance of stem cell characteristics. This article reviews the sources, preparation methods, application and research progress of extracellular matrix materials in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects to provide an overview for fundamental research and clinical development.

Cocktail Formula and Application Prospects for Oral and Maxillofacial Organoids

Oral and maxillofacial organoids (OMOs), tiny tissues and organs derived from stem cells cultured through 3-d cell culture models, can fully summarize the cell tissue structure, physiological functions and biological characteristics of the source tissues in the body. OMOs are applied in areas such as disease modelling, developmental and regenerative medicine, drug screening, personalized treatment, etc. Although the construction of organoids in various parts of the oral and maxillofacial (OM) region has achieved considerable success, the existing cocktail formulae (construction strategies) are not widely applicable for tissues of various sources due to factors including the heterogeneity of the source tissues and the dependence on laboratory technology. Most of their formulae are based on growth factor niches containing expensive recombinant proteins with their efficiency remaining to be improved. In view of this, the cocktail formulae of various parts of the OM organs are reviewed with further discussion of the application and prospects for those OMOs to find some affordable cocktail formula with strong operability and high repeatability for various maxillofacial organs. The results may help improve the efficiency of organoid construction in the laboratory and accelerate the pace of the clinical use of organoid technology.

Hypes and Hopes of Stem Cell Therapies in Dentistry: a Review

One of the most exciting advances in life science research is the development of 3D cell culture systems to obtain complex structures called organoids and spheroids. These 3D cultures closely mimic in vivo conditions, where cells can grow and interact with their surroundings. This allows us to better study the spatio-temporal dynamics of organogenesis and organ function. Furthermore, physiologically relevant organoids cultures can be used for basic research, medical research, and drug discovery. Although most of the research thus far focuses on the development of heart, liver, kidney, and brain organoids, to name a few, most recently, these structures were obtained using dental stem cells to study in vitro tooth regeneration. This review aims to present the most up-to-date research showing how dental stem cells can be grown on specific biomaterials to induce their differentiation in 3D. The possibility of combining engineering and biology principles to replicate and/or increase tissue function has been an emerging and exciting field in medicine. The use of this methodology in dentistry has already yielded many interesting results paving the way for the improvement of dental care and successful therapies.

Matrisome provides a supportive microenvironment for oral squamous cell carcinoma progression

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common pernicious tumor in the head and neck regions. However, the function of tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) has not been elucidated. A tissue engineering method was applied for remodeling ECM through decellularization. The cellular components were removed, and the biological composition was mostly preserved. Proteomics was performed to analyze the characterization between normal and tumor ECM. According to LC-MS/MS results, 26 proteins just showed in tumor ECM, and 14 proteins only showed in late-stage tumor ECM. KEGG pathway analysis showed that most variant proteins were linked to metabolic regulation and tumor immunity (such as SCC-Ag1, LOX). To affirm the influence of tumor ECM on the progression of OSCC, tumor cells and macrophages were co-cultured with ECM scaffold. Marked differences in proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of OSCC cells were observed between tumor and normal ECM. Tumor ECM polarized macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype (higher IL-10 and CD68, and relatively lower CD86 and IL1-β). Collectively, these findings suggest that tumor ECM served as a permissive role in OSCC progression. SIGNIFICANCE: The variation between OSCC ECM and normal ECM confirm tumor ECM plays a significant role in OSCC deterioration, which is conducive to exploring the occurrence and progression mechanisms of OSCC, and further improving the curative effect of this disease.

Development of novel apoptosis-assisted lung tissue decellularization methods

Decellularized tissues hold great potential for both regenerative medicine and disease modeling applications. The acellular extracellular matrix (ECM)-enriched scaffolds can be recellularized with patient-derived cells prior to transplantation, or digested to create thermally-gelling ECM hydrogels for 3D cell culture. Current methods of decellularization clear cellular components using detergents, which can result in loss of ECM proteins and tissue architectural integrity. Recently, an alternative approach utilizing apoptosis to decellularize excised murine sciatic nerves resulted in superior ECM preservation, cell removal, and immune tolerance in vivo. However, this apoptosis-assisted decellularization approach has not been optimized for other tissues with a more complex geometry, such as lungs. To this end, we developed an apoptosis-assisted lung tissue decellularization method using a combination of camptothecin and sulfobetaine-10 (SB-10) to induce apoptosis and facilitate gentle and effective removal of cell debris, respectively. Importantly, combination of the two agents resulted in superior cell removal and ECM preservation compared to either of the treatments alone, presumably because of pulmonary surfactants. In addition, our method was superior in cell removal compared to a previously established detergent-based decellularization protocol. Furthermore, thermally-gelling lung ECM hydrogels supported high viability of rat lung epithelial cells for up to 2 weeks in culture. This work demonstrates that apoptosis-based lung tissue decellularization is a superior technique that warrants further utilization for both regenerative medicine and disease modeling purposes.

Oral Organoids: Progress and Challenges

Oral organoids are complex 3-dimensional structures that develop from stem cells or organ-specific progenitors through a process of self-organization and re-create architectures and functionalities similar to in vivo organs and tissues in the oral and maxillofacial region. Recently, striking advancements have been made in the construction and application of oral organoids of the tooth, salivary gland, and tongue. Dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells isolated from tooth germs or derived from pluripotent stem cells could generate tooth germ-like organoids by self-organization in a specific culture system. Tooth organoids can also be constructed based on tissue engineering principles by seeding stem cells on a scaffold with the bioregulatory functions of odontogenic differentiation. Two main approaches have been used to construct salivary gland organoids: 1) incubation of salivary gland-derived stem/progenitor cells in a 3-dimensional culture system to form the structure of the gland through mimicking regenerative processes and 2) inducing of pluripotent stem cells to generate embryonic salivary glands by replicating the development process. Taste bud organoids can be generated by embedding isolated circumvallate papilla tissue in Matrigel with a mixture of growth factors, while lingual epithelial organoids have been constructed using lingual stem cells in a suitable culture system containing specific signaling molecules. These oral organoids usually maintain the main functions and characteristic structures of the corresponding organ to a certain extent. Furthermore, using cells isolated from patients, oral organoids could replicate specific diseases such as maxillofacial tumors and tooth dysplasia. Until now, oral organoids have been applied in the study of mechanisms of tooth development, pathology and regeneration of the salivary gland, and precision therapeutics for tongue cancer. These findings strongly demonstrate that the organoid technique is a novel paradigm for the study of the development, pathology, and regeneration of oral and maxillofacial tissue.

Decellularized tissues as platforms for in vitro modeling of healthy and diseased tissues

Biomedical engineers are at the forefront of developing novel treatments to improve human health, however, many products fail to translate to clinical implementation. In vivo pre-clinical animal models, although the current best approximation of complex disease conditions, are limited by reproducibility, ethical concerns, and poor accurate prediction of human response. Hence, there is a need to develop physiologically relevant, low cost, scalable, and reproducible in vitro platforms to provide reliable means for testing drugs, biomaterials, and tissue engineered products for successful clinical translation. One emerging approach of developing physiologically relevant in vitro models utilizes decellularized tissues/organs as biomaterial platforms for 2D and 3D models of healthy and diseased tissue. Decellularization is a process that removes cellular content and produces tissue-specific extracellular matrix scaffolds that can more accurately recapitulate an organ/tissue's native microenvironment compared to other natural or synthetic materials. Decellularized tissues hold enormous potential for in vitro modeling of various disease phenotypes and tissue responses to drugs or external conditions such as aging, toxin exposure, or even implantation. In this review, we highlight the need for in vitro models, the advantages and limitations of implementing decellularized tissues, and considerations of the decellularization process. We discuss current research efforts towards applying decellularized tissues as platforms to generate in vitro models of healthy and diseased tissues, and where we foresee the field progressing. A variety of organs/tissues are discussed, including brain, heart, kidney, large intestine, liver, lung, skeletal muscle, skin, and tongue. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Many biomedical products fail to reach clinical translation due to animal model limitations. Development of physiologically relevant in vitro models can provide a more economic, scalable, and reproducible means of testing drugs/therapeutics for successful clinical translation. The use of decellularized tissues as platforms for in vitro models holds promise, as these scaffolds can effectively replicate native tissue complexity, but is not widely explored. This review discusses the need for in vitro models, the promise of decellularized tissues as biomaterial substrates, and the current research applying decellularized tissues towards the creation of in vitro models. Further, this review provides insights into the current limitations and future of such in vitro models.

Benzo[a]pyrene promotes progression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a member of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) family. Although the potent carcinogenicity of high-dose B[a]P has been extensively reported, the effects of long-term exposure to B[a]P on the progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) are poorly understood.

METHODS

In the present study, TSCC cells were treated with 5 or 50 nM of B[a]P for three months. The proliferation and chemoresistance of B[a]P-treated cells to 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin were detected by CCK8. The motility of the B[a]P-treated cells was evaluated with wound healing analysis, invasion assay, and three-dimensional culture in decellularized mouse tongue matrix. Xenograft assay was used to investigate the aggressiveness of B[a]P-treated cells. Immunofluorescence staining, terminal restriction fragment assay, and whole-genome sequence were used to determine the mutation spectrums.

RESULTS

Long-term 50 nM B[a]P-treated cells exhibited increased aggressiveness and chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin. In addition, data from whole-genome sequencing demonstrated that C:T to A:T transitions were the predominant nucleotide substitutions occurred in 50 nM B[a]P-treated CAL27 cells. Furthermore, 102 non-synonymous or stop-gain mutations were enriched in the extracellular-matrix-receptor interactive pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

B[a]P exposure may contribute to genomic instability, and therefore, B[a]P may promote the progression of TSCC.

Crosslinked nanogel-based porous hydrogel as a functional scaffold for tongue muscle regeneration

Surgical resection in tongue cancer can impair speech and swallowing, reducing quality of life. There is a need for biomaterials that can regenerate tongue muscle tissue defects. Ideally, such a biomaterial would allow controlled release of therapeutic proteins, support the survival and differentiation of therapeutic cells, and promote tongue muscle regeneration in vivo. The aim of the current study was to assess these factors in an acryloyl group-modified crosslinked nanogel, consisting of cholesterol-bearing pullulan hydrogel nanoparticles, to determine its potential as a regenerative therapeutic following tongue resection. The hydrogel demonstrated substantial porosity and underwent slow biodegradation. When loaded with a model protein, the gel enabled sustained protein release over two weeks in serum, with no initial burst release. Mouse myoblasts demonstrated adhesion to the hydrogel and cell survival was observed up to one week. Gel-encapsulated myoblasts demonstrated normal myotube differentiation. Myoblast-loaded gels were implanted in a tongue defect in mice, and there was a significant increase in newly-regenerated myofibers in gel-implanted animals. The developed biomaterial platform demonstrates significant potential as a regenerative treatment following tongue resection, as it facilitates both protein and cell-mediated therapy, and stimulates tongue muscle regeneration in vivo.

Ocular surface repair using decellularized porcine conjunctiva

The primary functions of the conjunctiva embody ocular surface protection and the maintenance of the tear film equilibrium. Severe conjunctival defects such as symblepharon may impair the integrity of ocular surface and cause loss of visual functions. Here we report the use of a decellularized porcine conjunctiva (DPC) for conjunctival reconstruction in rabbit models and in clinic. Our results show that the major xenoantigens are efficiently removed, while abundant matrix components and integrated microstructures are well preserved in the DPC. These characteristics provide mechanical support and favorable histocompatibility for repairing damaged conjunctiva. The DPC application has demonstrated enhanced transplant stability and improved epithelial regeneration in severe ocular surface damage comparing to those of amniotic membrane (AM), the most frequently applied matrix for ocular surface reconstruction nowadays. In order to test the DPC performance in clinic, three patients with pterygium and one patient with symblepharon underwent transplant with DPC. The grafts in all cases were completely re-epithelized and no graft melt or fibroplasia were observed. These results suggest that the strategy we developed is feasible and effective for conjunctival reconstruction and ocular surface repair. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we adopted an innovative approach to prepare decellularized porcine conjunctiva (DPC). The intricate conjunctiva-specific structures and abundant matrix components were preserved in DPC, which offers favorable mechanical properties for graft. DPC has shown positive effects in ocular surface repair, which has been proven particularly in a rabbit model with severe symblepharon. Reconstructed conjunctiva by DPC exhibited epithelial heterogeneity, extremely resembling that of native conjunctiva. In addition, results from clinical studies were encouraging for pterygium and symblepharon and clinical application of DPC is promising.

Advances in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering: Innovation and Transformation of Medicine

Humans and animals lose tissues and organs due to congenital defects, trauma, and diseases. The human body has a low regenerative potential as opposed to the urodele amphibians commonly referred to as salamanders. Globally, millions of people would benefit immensely if tissues and organs can be replaced on demand. Traditionally, transplantation of intact tissues and organs has been the bedrock to replace damaged and diseased parts of the body. The sole reliance on transplantation has created a waiting list of people requiring donated tissues and organs, and generally, supply cannot meet the demand. The total cost to society in terms of caring for patients with failing organs and debilitating diseases is enormous. Scientists and clinicians, motivated by the need to develop safe and reliable sources of tissues and organs, have been improving therapies and technologies that can regenerate tissues and in some cases create new tissues altogether. Tissue engineering and/or regenerative medicine are fields of life science employing both engineering and biological principles to create new tissues and organs and to promote the regeneration of damaged or diseased tissues and organs. Major advances and innovations are being made in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and have a huge impact on three-dimensional bioprinting (3D bioprinting) of tissues and organs. 3D bioprinting holds great promise for artificial tissue and organ bioprinting, thereby revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine. This review discusses how recent advances in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering can improve 3D bioprinting and vice versa. Several challenges must be overcome in the application of 3D bioprinting before this disruptive technology is widely used to create organotypic constructs for regenerative medicine.

Fabrication of Tongue Extracellular Matrix and Reconstitution of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

In order to construct an effective and realistic model for tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) in vitro, the methods were created to produce decellularized tongue extracellular matrix (TEM) which provides functional scaffolds for TSCC construction. TEM provides an in vitro niche for cell growth, differentiation, and cell migration. The microstructures of native extracellular matrix (ECM) and biochemical compositions retained in the decellularized matrix provide tissue-specific niches for anchoring cells. The fabrication of TEM can be realized by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) digestion accompanied with a serious of organic or inorganic pretreatment. This protocol is easy to operate and ensures high efficiency for the decellularization. The TEM showed favorable cytocompatibility for TSCC cells under static or stirred culture conditions, which enables the construction of the TSCC model. A self-made bioreactor was also used for the persistent stirred condition for cell culture. Reconstructed TSCC using TEM showed the characteristics and properties resembling clinical TSCC histopathology, suggesting the potential in TSCC research.