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O'Shea TC, Croland KJ, Salem A, Urbanski R, Schultz KM. A Rheological Study on the Effect of Tethering Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines into Hydrogels on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Migration, Degradation, and Morphology. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5121-5137. [PMID: 38961715 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Polymer-peptide hydrogels are being designed as implantable materials that deliver human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to treat wounds. Most wounds can progress through the healing process without intervention. During the normal healing process, cytokines are released from the wound to create a concentration gradient, which causes directed cell migration from the native niche to the wound site. Our work takes inspiration from this process and uniformly tethers cytokines into the scaffold to measure changes in cell-mediated degradation and motility. This is the first step in designing cytokine concentration gradients into the material to direct cell migration. We measure changes in rheological properties, encapsulated cell-mediated pericellular degradation and migration in a hydrogel scaffold with covalently tethered cytokines, either tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). TNF-α is expressed in early stages of wound healing causing an inflammatory response. TGF-β is released in later stages of wound healing causing an anti-inflammatory response in the surrounding tissue. Both cytokines cause directed cell migration. We measure no statistically significant difference in modulus or the critical relaxation exponent when tethering either cytokine in the polymeric network without encapsulated hMSCs. This indicates that the scaffold structure and rheology is unchanged by the addition of tethered cytokines. Increases in hMSC motility, morphology and cell-mediated degradation are measured using a combination of multiple particle tracking microrheology (MPT) and live-cell imaging in hydrogels with tethered cytokines. We measure that tethering TNF-α into the hydrogel increases cellular remodeling on earlier days postencapsulation and tethering TGF-β into the scaffold increases cellular remodeling on later days. We measure tethering either TGF-β or TNF-α enhances cell stretching and, subsequently, migration. This work provides rheological characterization that can be used to design new materials that present chemical cues in the pericellular region to direct cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C O'Shea
- Purdue University, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kiera J Croland
- University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 3415 Colorado Ave, Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Ahmad Salem
- Lehigh University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 124 East Morton Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Rylie Urbanski
- Lehigh University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 124 East Morton Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Kelly M Schultz
- Purdue University, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Rose KA, Marino E, O'Bryan CS, Murray CB, Lee D, Composto RJ. Nanoparticle dynamics in hydrogel networks with controlled defects. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:9045-9056. [PMID: 36416054 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01224c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The effect of nanoscale defects on nanoparticle dynamics in defective tetra-poly(ethylene glycol) (tetra-PEG) hydrogels is investigated using single particle tracking. In a swollen nearly homogeneous hydrogel, PEG-functionalized quantum dot (QD) probes with a similar hydrodynamic diameter (dh = 15.1 nm) to the mesh size (〈ξs〉 = 16.3 nm), are primarily immobile. As defects are introduced to the network by reaction-tuning, both the percentage of mobile QDs and the size of displacements increase as the number and size of the defects increase with hydrolysis time, although a large portion of the QDs remain immobile. To probe the effect of nanoparticle size on dynamics in defective networks, the transport of dh = 47.1 nm fluorescent polystyrene (PS) and dh = 9.6 nm PEG-functionalized QDs is investigated. The PS nanoparticles are immobile in all hydrogels, even in highly defective networks with an open structure. Conversely, the smaller QDs are more sensitive to perturbations in the network structure with an increased percentage of mobile particles and larger diffusion coefficients compared to the larger QDs and PS nanoparticles. The differences in nanoparticle mobility as a function of size suggests that particles of different sizes probe different length scales of the defects, indicating that metrics such as the confinement ratio alone cannot predict bulk dynamics in these systems. This study provides insight into designing hydrogels with controlled transport properties, with particular importance for degradable hydrogels for drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A Rose
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Emanuele Marino
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, 90123, Italy
| | - Christopher S O'Bryan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christopher B Murray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Russell J Composto
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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McGlynn JA, Schultz KM. Measuring human mesenchymal stem cell remodeling in hydrogels with a step-change in elastic modulus. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:6340-6352. [PMID: 35968833 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00717g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are instrumental in the wound healing process. They migrate to wounds from their native niche in response to chemical signals released during the inflammatory phase of healing. At the wound, hMSCs downregulate inflammation and regulate tissue regeneration. Delivering additional hMSCs to wounds using cell-laden implantable hydrogels has the potential to improve healing outcomes and restart healing in chronic wounds. For these materials to be effective, cells must migrate from the scaffold into the native tissue. This requires cells to traverse a step-change in material properties at the implant-tissue interface. Migration of cells in material with highly varying properties is not well characterized. We measure 3D encapsulated hMSC migration and remodeling in a well-characterized hydrogel with a step-change in stiffness. This cell-degradable hydrogel is composed of 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol)-norbornene cross-linked with an enzymatically-degradable peptide. The scaffold is made with two halves of different stiffnesses separated by an interface where stiffness changes rapidly. We characterize changes in structure and rheology of the pericellular region using multiple particle tracking microrheology (MPT). MPT measures Brownian motion of embedded particles and relates it to material rheology. We measure more remodeling in the soft region of the hydrogel than the stiff region on day 1 post-encapsulation and similar remodeling everywhere on day 6. In the interface region, we measure hMSC-mediated remodeling along the interface and migration towards the stiff side of the scaffold. These results can improve materials designed for cell delivery from implants to a wound to enhance healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A McGlynn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Iacocca Hall, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
| | - Kelly M Schultz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Iacocca Hall, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
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McGlynn JA, Schultz KM. Characterizing Nonuniform Hydrogel Elastic Moduli Using Autofluorescence. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John A. McGlynn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Kelly M. Schultz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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Geng G, Xiao Y, Shang Y, Zhang Y, Zhu F, Tang L, Peng F, Shen W, Jin Y, Yang Z, Li Q, Chen X. Naphthalenephenylalanine-phenylalanine-glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartic promotes self-assembly of nephron progenitor cells in decellularized scaffolds to construct bioengineered kidneys. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2021; 134:112590. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2021.112590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Daviran M, McGlynn JA, Catalano JA, Knudsen HE, Druggan KJ, Croland KJ, Stratton A, Schultz KM. Measuring the Effects of Cytokines on the Modification of Pericellular Rheology by Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:5762-5774. [PMID: 34752080 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Implantable hydrogels are designed to treat wounds by providing structure and delivering additional cells to damaged tissue. These materials must consider how aspects of the native wound, including environmental chemical cues, affect and instruct delivered cells. One cell type researchers are interested in delivering are human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) due to their importance in healing. Wound healing involves recruiting and coordinating a variety of cells to resolve a wound. hMSCs coordinate the cellular response and are signaled to the wound by cytokines, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), present in vivo. These cytokines change hMSC secretions, regulating material remodeling. TGF-β, present from inflammation through remodeling, directs hMSCs to reorganize collagen, increasing extracellular matrix (ECM) structure. TNF-α, present primarily during inflammation, cues hMSCs to clear debris and degrade ECM. Because cytokines change how hMSCs degrade their microenvironment and are naturally present in the wound, they also affect how hMSCs migrate out of the scaffold to conduct healing. Therefore, the effects of cytokines on hMSC remodeling are important when designing materials for cell delivery. In this work, we encapsulate hMSCs in a polymer-peptide hydrogel and incubate the scaffolds in media with TGF-β or TNF-α at concentrations similar to those in wounds. Multiple particle tracking microrheology (MPT) measures hMSC-mediated scaffold degradation in response to these cytokines, which mimics aspects of the in vivo microenvironment post-implantation. MPT uses video microscopy to measure Brownian motion of particles in a material, quantifying structure and rheology. Using MPT, we measure increased hMSC-mediated remodeling when cells are exposed to TNF-α and decreased remodeling after exposure to TGF-β when compared to untreated hMSCs. This agrees with previous studies that measure: (1) TNF-α encourages matrix reorganization and (2) TGF-β signals the formation of new matrix. These results enable material design that anticipates changes in remodeling after implantation, improving control over hMSC delivery and healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Daviran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - John A McGlynn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Jenna A Catalano
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Hannah E Knudsen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Kilian J Druggan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Kiera J Croland
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Amanda Stratton
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Kelly M Schultz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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