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Gwon K, Choi D, de Hoyos-Vega JM, Baskaran H, Gonzalez-Suarez AM, Lee S, Hong HJ, Nguyen KM, Dharmesh E, Sugahara G, Ishida Y, Saito T, Stybayeva G, Revzin A. Function of hepatocyte spheroids in bioactive microcapsules is enhanced by endogenous and exogenous hepatocyte growth factor. Bioact Mater 2023; 28:183-195. [PMID: 37266448 PMCID: PMC10230170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to maintain functional hepatocytes has important implications for bioartificial liver development, cell-based therapies, drug screening, and tissue engineering. Several approaches can be used to restore hepatocyte function in vitro, including coating a culture substrate with extracellular matrix (ECM), encapsulating cells within biomimetic gels (Collagen- or Matrigel-based), or co-cultivation with other cells. This paper describes the use of bioactive heparin-based core-shell microcapsules to form and cultivate hepatocyte spheroids. These microcapsules are comprised of an aqueous core that facilitates hepatocyte aggregation into spheroids and a heparin hydrogel shell that binds and releases growth factors. We demonstrate that bioactive microcapsules retain and release endogenous signals thus enhancing the function of encapsulated hepatocytes. We also demonstrate that hepatic function may be further enhanced by loading exogenous hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) into microcapsules and inhibiting transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 signaling. Overall, bioactive microcapsules described here represent a promising new strategy for the encapsulation and maintenance of primary hepatocytes and will be beneficial for liver tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug testing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kihak Gwon
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Daheui Choi
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - José M. de Hoyos-Vega
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Harihara Baskaran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Seonhwa Lee
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Hye Jin Hong
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kianna M. Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ether Dharmesh
- Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Go Sugahara
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Research and Development Department, PhoenixBio, Co., Ltd, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuji Ishida
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Research and Development Department, PhoenixBio, Co., Ltd, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Saito
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- USC Research Center for Liver Diseases, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gulnaz Stybayeva
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alexander Revzin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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2
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Flow-Based Three-Dimensional Co-Culture Model for Long-Term Hepatotoxicity Prediction. MICROMACHINES 2019; 11:mi11010036. [PMID: 31892214 PMCID: PMC7019533 DOI: 10.3390/mi11010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We developed concave microwell arrays to establish a size-controllable 3-D co-culture liver model for in vitro drug toxicity testing, to predict hepatotoxicity. The interaction of hepatocytes with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) was investigated by co-culturing primary 3-D hepatocyte spheroids and HSCs (heterosphere), using 3-D liver-on-a-chip. The effect of HSCs was investigated during spheroid formation; they were involved in controlling the organization of spheroidal aggregates and the formation of tight cell–cell contacts. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that co-cultured spheroids with smoother surfaces in the flow chip aggregated more tightly and rapidly, compared to mono-cultured spheroids, until 13 days. Metabolic function analysis revealed that heterospheres secreted 40% more albumin and urea than hepatospheres on day 13. Additionally, an acetaminophen (AAP) and isoniazid (INH) concentration-dependent increase in CYP3A4 expression was detected in the 3-D cultures, and an increase in Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release after AAP and INH treatment was observed. CYP1A2, Mrp1 and UGT1A5 mRNA expression levels in the heterospheres and hepatospheres were evaluated from days 3 to 13. To examine the potential for toxicity testing in the flow-conditioned culture of the heterospheres, we evaluated cytotoxicity using the endpoint LDH release in the heterospheres and hepatospheres. IC50 values for AAP and INH after 24 h of exposure were calculated from the dose–response curves of the compounds. Flow-conditioned heterosphere culture results suggest that it may be suitable for long-term culture and cytotoxicity testing. Thus, our co-culture system closely resembles the in vivo environment and allows long-term in vitro hepatotoxicity prediction.
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3
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Tao S, Zhou T, Saelao P, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Li T, Zhou H, Wang J. Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters the Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiles in Small Intestine, Liver and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Newborn Piglets. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:713-726. [PMID: 30678618 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666190124165243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) remains a major problem in swine production since the associated low birth weight leads to high rates of pre-weaning morbidity and mortality, and permanent retardation of growth and development. The underlying regulatory mechanisms from the aspects of epigenetic modification has received widespread attention. Studies explore the changes in genome wide methylation in small intestine (SI), liver and longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) between IUGR and normal birth weight (NBW) newborn piglets using a methylated DNA immunoprecipitation-sequencing (MeDIP-Seq) approach. The data demonstrated that methylated peaks were prominently distributed in distal intergenic regions and the quantities of peaks in IUGR piglets were more than that of NBW piglets. IUGR piglets had relatively high methylated level in promoters, introns and coding exons in all the three tissues. Through KEGG pathway analysis of differentially methylated genes found that 33, 54 and 5 differentially methylated genes in small intestine, liver and longissimus dorsi muscle between NBW and IUGR piglets, respectively, which are related to development and differentiation, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, protein turnover, immune response, detoxification, oxidative stress and apoptosis pathway. The objective of this review is to assess the impact of differentially methylation status on developmental delay, metabolic disorders and immune deficiency of IUGR piglets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tianjiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Perot Saelao
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Yuhua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huaijun Zhou
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Junjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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4
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Ferraz LR, Moreira BC, de Queiroz GDSR, Formigari RDF, Esquisatto MAM, Felonato M, Alves AA, Thomazini BF, de Oliveira CA. Tissue-specific transcriptional regulation of epithelial/endothelial and mesenchymal markers during renovascular hypertension. Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:4467-4476. [PMID: 31702037 PMCID: PMC6797995 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition are processes that can occur under different biological conditions, including tissue healing due to hypertension and oxidative stress. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the differences in gene expression of epithelial/endothelial and mesenchymal markers in different tissues. A two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) renovascular hypertension rat model was used. Hypertension was induced by the clipping of the left renal artery; the rats were randomized into sham and 2K1C groups and monitored for up to 4 weeks. The gene expressions of E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I (COL1A1), collagen III (COL3A1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were determined by reverse transcription-PCR. The levels of the cytokines transforming growth factor-β1, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 and IL-10 were evaluated using ELISAs. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and thiol groups were measured to evaluate oxidative stress. All analyses were performed on the liver, heart and kidneys tissues of sham and model rats. The 2K1C animals exhibited a higher systolic blood pressure, as well as cardiac hypertrophy and atrophy of the left kidney. Fibrotic alterations in the heart and kidneys were observed, as was an increase in the collagen fiber areas, and higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, which are associated with the increased expression of fibroproliferative and anti-fibrotic genes. Renovascular hypertension regulated epithelial/endothelial and mesenchymal markers, including E-cad, N-cad, α-SMA and COL1A1 in the kidneys and heart. EMT in the kidneys was mediated by an increased level of inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines, as well as by oxidative stress. The data in the present study suggested that the expression of epithelial/endothelial and mesenchymal markers are differentially regulated by hypertension in the liver, heart and kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Ricardo Ferraz
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | - Bianca Caruso Moreira
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | | | - Regiane de Freitas Formigari
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | | | - Maira Felonato
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | - Armindo Antonio Alves
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | - Bruna Fontana Thomazini
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
| | - Camila Andréa de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University Center of the Hermínio Ometto Foundation, Araras, São Paulo 13607-339, Brazil
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5
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Wang S, Wang X, Tan Z, Su Y, Liu J, Chang M, Yan F, Chen J, Chen T, Li C, Hu J, Wang Y. Human ESC-derived expandable hepatic organoids enable therapeutic liver repopulation and pathophysiological modeling of alcoholic liver injury. Cell Res 2019; 29:1009-1026. [PMID: 31628434 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-019-0242-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the generation of human ESC-derived, expandable hepatic organoids (hEHOs) using our newly established method with wholly defined (serum-free, feeder free) media. The hEHOs stably maintain phenotypic features of bipotential liver stem/progenitor cells that can differentiate into functional hepatocytes or cholangiocytes. The hEHOs can expand for 20 passages enabling large scale expansion to cell numbers requisite for industry or clinical programs. The cells from hEHOs display remarkable repopulation capacity in injured livers of FRG mice following transplantation, and they differentiate in vivo into mature hepatocytes. If implanted into the epididymal fat pads of immune-deficient mice, they do not generate non-hepatic lineages and have no tendency to form teratomas. We further develop a derivative model by incorporating human fetal liver mesenchymal cells (hFLMCs) into the hEHOs, referred to as hFLMC/hEHO, which can model alcoholic liver disease-associated pathophysiologic changes, including oxidative stress generation, steatosis, inflammatory mediators release and fibrosis, under ethanol treatment. Our work demonstrates that the hEHOs have considerable potential to be a novel, ex vivo pathophysiological model for studying alcoholic liver disease as well as a promising cellular source for treating human liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyong Wang
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China.,Army Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Key Laboratory, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, The 8th Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, 100091, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China.,Department of Nursing, Hebei Medical University, 050017, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zuolong Tan
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Su
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China.,Hepatal-Biliary-Pancreatic Center, Translational Research Center, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, 102218, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyang Chang
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Yan
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510289, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510289, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanjiang Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 510515, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Department of Nursing, Hebei Medical University, 050017, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yunfang Wang
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab, Beijing Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, 100850, Beijing, China. .,Hepatal-Biliary-Pancreatic Center, Translational Research Center, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, 102218, Beijing, China.
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6
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Bogenpohl JW, Smith ML, Farris SP, Dumur CI, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Grant KA, Miles MF. Cross-Species Co-analysis of Prefrontal Cortex Chronic Ethanol Transcriptome Responses in Mice and Monkeys. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:197. [PMID: 31456662 PMCID: PMC6701453 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent extensive genomic and genetic studies on behavioral responses to ethanol, relatively few new therapeutic targets for the treatment of alcohol use disorder have been validated. Here, we describe a cross-species genomic approach focused on identifying gene networks associated with chronic ethanol consumption. To identify brain mechanisms underlying a chronic ethanol consumption phenotype highly relevant to human alcohol use disorder, and to elucidate potential future therapeutic targets, we conducted a genomic study in a non-human primate model of chronic open-access ethanol consumption. Microarray analysis of RNA expression in anterior cingulate and subgenual cortices from rhesus macaques was performed across multiple cohorts of animals. Gene networks correlating with ethanol consumption or showing enrichment for ethanol-regulated genes were identified, as were major ethanol-related hub genes within these networks. A subsequent consensus module analysis was used to co-analyze monkey data with expression data from a chronic intermittent ethanol vapor-exposure and consumption model in C57BL/6J mice. Ethanol-related gene networks conserved between primates and rodents were enriched for genes involved in discrete biological functions, including; myelination, synaptic transmission, chromatin modification, Golgi apparatus function, translation, cellular respiration, and RNA processing. The myelin-related network, in particular, showed strong correlations with ethanol consumption behavior and displayed marked network reorganization between control and ethanol-drinking animals. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed that these networks also showed highly significant overlap with other ethanol-regulated gene sets. Altogether, these studies provide robust primate and rodent cross-species validation of gene networks associated with chronic ethanol consumption. Our results also suggest potential novel focal points for future therapeutic interventions in alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Bogenpohl
- Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, United States
| | - Maren L Smith
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Sean P Farris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Catherine I Dumur
- Aurora Diagnostics-Sonic Healthcare, Bernhardt Laboratories, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Michael F Miles
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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7
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Wang L, Ding Q, Zhao L, Pan Y, Song Z, Qin Y, Yan X. Decreased BMP-7 and p-Smad1/5/8 expression, and increased levels of gremlin in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:2113-2118. [PMID: 30008908 PMCID: PMC6036485 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), gremlin, and p-Smad/1/5/8 in carcinomatous and para-carcinoma tissue specimens from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The association of serum BMP-7 levels with clinicopathological parameters was examined to assess its relevance as a clinical biomarker for HCC. A total of 27 patients with HCC and 7 healthy subjects were included. Gene expression levels of BMP-7 and p-Smad1/5/8 were examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemical and western blot analysis were performed to determine the protein expression of target genes. The serum levels of BMP-7 were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA and protein expression of BMP-7 and gremlin were significantly down- and upregulated in HCC tumor tissues, respectively, compared with para-carcinoma tissues (P<0.05). The association of BMP-7 and gremlin expression with the differentiation status of HCC was also analyzed. There was a relatively higher level of BMP-7 and a lower level of gremlin expression in tumor tissues from patients with highly differentiated HCC when compared with poorly or moderately differentiated HCC (BMP-7, F=42.29, P<0.01; gremlin, F=37.93, P<0.01). Furthermore, the level of BMP-7 and p-Smad1/5/8 was decreased in patients with advanced stages of HCC, when compared with stage I HCC. The findings from the present study suggest that the BMP-7/p-Smad signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. The serum levels of BMP-7 may serve as a potential biomarker for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Qin Ding
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Respiratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Yu Pan
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Zhengxia Song
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Yanan Qin
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Xuebing Yan
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
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8
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Gheibi P, Son KJ, Stybayeva G, Revzin A. Harnessing endogenous signals from hepatocytes using a low volume multi-well plate. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 9:427-435. [PMID: 28353687 DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00010c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocytes are highly differentiated epithelial cells that lose their phenotype and function when removed from the in vivo environment. Given the importance of hepatic cultures for drug toxicity, bioartificial liver assist devices and basic biology studies, considerable efforts have been focused on the maintenance of hepatic function in vitro. The methods used to date include co-cultivation of hepatocytes with stromal cells, organizing these cells into spheroids and imbedding them into bioactive gels. Our team has recently demonstrated that primary rat hepatocytes confined to microfluidic channels in the absence of convection maintained the epithelial phenotype through upregulation of endogenous signals including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The objective of the present study was to transition from microfluidic devices, which are somewhat specialized and challenging to use, towards low volume multiwell plates ubiquitous in biology laboratories. Using a combination of 3D printing and micromolding we have constructed inserts that can be placed into standard 12-well plates and can be used to create low volume culture conditions under which primary hepatocytes maintained a differentiated phenotype. This phenotype enhancement was confirmed by hepatic function assays including albumin synthesis and expression. Importantly we confirmed upregulation of HGF inside the low volume culture plates and demonstrated that inhibition of HGF signaling degraded the hepatic phenotype in our cell culture platform. Overall, this study outlines a new cell culture system that leverages the low volume effects of microfluidic channels in a multiwell plate format. Beyond hepatocytes, such a system may be of use in the maintenance of other difficult-to-culture cells including stem cells and primary cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pantea Gheibi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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9
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Herrera B, Addante A, Sánchez A. BMP Signalling at the Crossroad of Liver Fibrosis and Regeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 19:ijms19010039. [PMID: 29295498 PMCID: PMC5795989 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) belong to the Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) family. Initially identified due to their ability to induce bone formation, they are now known to have multiple functions in a variety of tissues, being critical not only during development for tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis but also during adult tissue homeostasis. This review focus on the liver as a target tissue for BMPs actions, devoting most efforts to summarize our knowledge on their recently recognized and/or emerging roles on regulation of the liver regenerative response to various insults, either acute or chronic and their effects on development and progression of liver fibrosis in different pathological conditions. In an attempt to provide the basis for guiding research efforts in this field both the more solid and more controversial areas of research were highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Herrera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Annalisa Addante
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Aránzazu Sánchez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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10
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Lee GH, Lee JS, Lee GH, Joung WY, Kim SH, Lee SH, Park JY, Kim DH. Networked concave microwell arrays for constructing 3D cell spheroids. Biofabrication 2017; 10:015001. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aa9876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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11
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Gural N, Mancio-Silva L, He J, Bhatia SN. Engineered Livers for Infectious Diseases. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017; 5:131-144. [PMID: 29322086 PMCID: PMC5756057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Engineered liver systems come in a variety of platform models, from 2-dimensional cocultures of primary human hepatocytes and stem cell-derived progeny, to 3-dimensional organoids and humanized mice. Because of the species-specificity of many human hepatropic pathogens, these engineered systems have been essential tools for biologic discovery and therapeutic agent development in the context of liver-dependent infectious diseases. Although improvement of existing models is always beneficial, and the addition of a robust immune component is a particular need, at present, considerable progress has been made using this combination of research platforms. We highlight advances in the study of hepatitis B and C viruses and malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasites, and underscore the importance of pairing the most appropriate model system and readout modality with the particular experimental question at hand, without always requiring a platform that recapitulates human physiology in its entirety.
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Key Words
- 2D, 2-dimensional
- 3D
- 3D, 3-dimensional
- EBOV, Ebola virus
- Falciparum
- HBC, hepatitis C virus
- HBV
- HBV, hepatitis B virus
- HCV
- HLC, hepatocyte-like cells
- Hepatotropic
- LASV, Lassa virus
- Liver
- Liver Models
- MPCC, micropatterned coculture system
- Malaria
- PCR, polymerase chain reaction
- Pathogen
- SACC, self-assembling coculture
- Vivax
- iHLC, induced pluripotent stem cell–derived hepatocyte-like cells
- in vitro
- in vivo
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Affiliation(s)
- Nil Gural
- Harvard-MIT Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts,Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Liliana Mancio-Silva
- Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jiang He
- Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sangeeta N. Bhatia
- Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts,Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Sangeeta N. Bhatia, MD, PhD, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer, Research at MIT, Building 76, Room 473, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142.
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Zhang D, Lee J, Kilian KA. Synthetic Biomaterials to Rival Nature's Complexity-a Path Forward with Combinatorics, High-Throughput Discovery, and High-Content Analysis. Adv Healthc Mater 2017; 6. [PMID: 28841770 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cells in tissue receive a host of soluble and insoluble signals in a context-dependent fashion, where integration of these cues through a complex network of signal transduction cascades will define a particular outcome. Biomaterials scientists and engineers are tasked with designing materials that can at least partially recreate this complex signaling milieu towards new materials for biomedical applications. In this progress report, recent advances in high throughput techniques and high content imaging approaches that are facilitating the discovery of efficacious biomaterials are described. From microarrays of synthetic polymers, peptides and full-length proteins, to designer cell culture systems that present multiple biophysical and biochemical cues in tandem, it is discussed how the integration of combinatorics with high content imaging and analysis is essential to extracting biologically meaningful information from large scale cellular screens to inform the design of next generation biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois 61801
| | - Junmin Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois 61801
| | - Kristopher A. Kilian
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois 61801
- Department of Bioengineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana Illinois 61801
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13
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Lee J, Choi B, No DY, Lee G, Lee SR, Oh H, Lee SH. A 3D alcoholic liver disease model on a chip. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:302-8. [PMID: 26857817 DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00298b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol is one of the main causes of liver diseases, and the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) treatment methods has been one of the hottest issues. For this purpose, development of in vitro models mimicking the in vivo physiology is one of the critical requirements, and they help to determine the disease mechanisms and to discover the treatment method. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) ALD model was developed and its superior features in mimicking the in vivo condition were demonstrated. A spheroid-based microfluidic chip was employed for the development of the 3D in vitro model of ALD progression. We co-cultured rat primary hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in a fluidic chip to investigate the role of HSCs in the recovery of liver with ALD. An interstitial level of flow derived by an osmotic pump was applied to the chip to provide in vivo mimicking of fluid activity. Using this in vitro tool, we were able to observe structural changes and decreased hepatic functions with the increase in ethanol concentration. The recovery process of liver injured by alcohol was observed by providing fresh culture medium to the damaged 3D liver tissue for few days. A reversibly- and irreversibly-injured ALD model was established. The proposed model can not only be used for the research of alcoholic disease mechanism, but also has the potential for use in studies of hepatotoxicity and drug screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- JaeSeo Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - BongHwan Choi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Yoon No
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Medicine, Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - GeonHui Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Ri Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences College of Pharmacy University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - HyunJik Oh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea. and MicroFIT R&BD Institute, Dunchon-daero 457beon-gil, Jungwon-gu, Gyeonggi-do 462-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hoon Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea and Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea.
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Ductular reaction-on-a-chip: Microfluidic co-cultures to study stem cell fate selection during liver injury. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36077. [PMID: 27796316 PMCID: PMC5086854 DOI: 10.1038/srep36077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver injury modulates local microenvironment, triggering production of signals that instruct stem cell fate choices. In this study, we employed a microfluidic co-culture system to recreate important interactions in the liver stem cell niche, those between adult hepatocytes and liver progenitor cells (LPCs). We demonstrate that pluripotent stem cell-derived LPCs choose hepatic fate when cultured next to healthy hepatocytes but begin biliary differentiation program when co-cultured with injured hepatocytes. We connect this fate selection to skewing in production of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 caused by injury. Significantly, biliary fate selection of LPCs was not observed in the absence of hepatocytes nor did it happen in the presence of TGF-β inhibitors. Our study demonstrates that microfluidic culture systems may offer an interesting new tool for dissecting cellular interactions leading to aberrant stem cell differentiation during injury.
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Patel D, Haque A, Gao Y, Revzin A. Using reconfigurable microfluidics to study the role of HGF in autocrine and paracrine signaling of hepatocytes. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 7:815-24. [PMID: 26108037 DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00105f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer, developmental biology and tissue injury present multiple examples where groups of cells residing in close proximity communicate via paracrine factors. It is nearly impossible to dissect such cellular interactions in vivo and is quite challenging in vitro. The goal of this study is to utilize a reconfigurable microfluidic device in order to study paracrine signal exchange between groups of primary hepatocytes in vitro. Previously, we demonstrated that hepatocytes residing on protein spots containing collagen and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) spots expressed epithelial (hepatic) phenotypes and also rescued them in neighboring hepatocytes on collagen spots that did not receive direct HGF stimulus. Herein, we designed a microfluidic device with parallel fluidic channels separated by retractable (reconfigurable) walls and employed this device to investigate interactions between groups of HGF-stimulated and unstimulated hepatocytes. Using a novel reconfigurable microfluidic device, we demonstrate that cultivation of HGF-containing protein spots upregulates the production of endogenous HGF in hepatocytes and that these HGF molecules diffuse over, causing phenotype enhancement in the recipient cells. We also show that selective treatment of the recipient hepatocytes with a c-met inhibitor (SU11274) diminishes the rescue effect, as gauged by the down-regulation of albumin and HGF expression. Our study is one of the first to demonstrate paracrine signaling via HGF in primary hepatocytes. More broadly, tools and methods described here may be used to study paracrine signaling in other types of cells and will have relevance for various fields of biomedical research from cancer to immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipali Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 East Health Sciences St. #2619, Davis, CA, USA.
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16
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Siltanen C, Yaghoobi M, Haque A, You J, Lowen J, Soleimani M, Revzin A. Microfluidic fabrication of bioactive microgels for rapid formation and enhanced differentiation of stem cell spheroids. Acta Biomater 2016; 34:125-132. [PMID: 26774761 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in tissue engineering is to develop robust protocols for differentiating ES and iPS cells to functional adult tissues at a clinically relevant scale. The goal of this study is to develop a high throughput platform for generating bioactive, stem cell-laden microgels to direct differentiation in a well-defined microenvironment. We describe a droplet microfluidics system for fabricating microgels composed of polyethylene glycol and heparin, with tunable geometric, mechanical, and chemical properties, at kHz rates. Heparin-containing hydrogel particles sequestered growth factors Nodal and FGF-2, which are implicated in specifying pluripotent cells to definitive endoderm. Mouse ESCs were encapsulated into heparin microgels with a single dose of Nodal and FGF-2, and expressed high levels of endoderm markers Sox17 and FoxA2 after 5 days. These results highlight the use of microencapsulation for tailoring the stem cell microenvironment to promote directed differentiation, and may provide a straightforward path to large scale bioprocessing in the future. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Multicellular spheroids and microtissues are valuable for tissue engineering, but fabrication approaches typically sacrifice either precision or throughput. Microfluidic encapsulation in polymeric biomaterials is a promising technique for rapidly generating cell aggregates with excellent control of microenvironmental parameters. Here we describe the microfluidic fabrication of bioactive, heparin-based microgels, and demonstrate the adsorption of heparin-binding growth factors for enhancing directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells toward endoderm. This approach also facilitated a ∼90-fold decrease in consumption of exogenous growth factors compared to conventional differentiation protocols.
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17
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Zhou Q, Patel D, Kwa T, Haque A, Matharu Z, Stybayeva G, Gao Y, Diehl AM, Revzin A. Liver injury-on-a-chip: microfluidic co-cultures with integrated biosensors for monitoring liver cell signaling during injury. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:4467-78. [PMID: 26480303 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00874c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Tissue injury triggers complex communication between cells via secreted signaling molecules such as cytokines and growth factors. Discerning when and where these signals begin and how they propagate over time is very challenging with existing cell culture and analysis tools. The goal of this study was to develop new tools in the form of microfluidic co-cultures with integrated biosensors for local and continuous monitoring of secreted signals. Specifically, we focused on how alcohol injury affects TGF-β signaling between two liver cell types, hepatocytes and stellate cells. Activation of stellate cells happens early during liver injury and is at the center of liver fibrosis. We demonstrated that alcohol injury to microfluidic co-cultures caused significantly higher levels of stellate cell activation compared to conditioned media and transwell injury experiments. This highlighted the advantage of the microfluidic co-culture: placement of two cell types in close proximity to ensure high local concentrations of injury-promoting secreted signals. Next, we developed a microsystem consisting of five chambers, two for co-culturing hepatocytes with stellate cells and three additional chambers containing miniature aptamer-modified electrodes for monitoring secreted TGF-β. Importantly, the walls separating microfluidic chambers were actuatable; they could be raised or lowered to create different configurations of the device. The use of reconfigurable microfluidics and miniature biosensors revealed that alcohol injury causes hepatocytes to secrete TGF-β molecules, which diffuse over to neighboring stellate cells and trigger production of additional TGF-β from stellate cells. Our results lend credence to the emerging view of hepatocytes as active participants of liver injury. Broadly speaking, our microsystem makes it possible to monitor paracrine crosstalk between two cell types communicating via the same signaling molecule (e.g. TGF-β).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Dipali Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Timothy Kwa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Amranul Haque
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Zimple Matharu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Gulnaz Stybayeva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Yandong Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Anna Mae Diehl
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, 595 LaSalle Street, Snyderman Building, Suite 1073, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alexander Revzin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences, Davis, CA, USA.
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Foster E, You J, Siltanen C, Patel D, Haque A, Anderson L, Revzin A. Heparin hydrogel sandwich cultures of primary hepatocytes. Eur Polym J 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2014.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Yoon No D, Lee KH, Lee J, Lee SH. 3D liver models on a microplatform: well-defined culture, engineering of liver tissue and liver-on-a-chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3822-37. [PMID: 26279012 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00611b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The liver, the largest organ in the human body, is a multi-functional organ with diverse metabolic activities that plays a critical role in maintaining the body and sustaining life. Although the liver has excellent regenerative and recuperative properties, damages caused by chronic liver diseases or viral infection may lead to permanent loss of liver functions. Studies of liver disease mechanism have focused on drug screening and liver tissue engineering techniques, including strategies based on in vitro models. However, conventional liver models are plagued by a number of limitations, which have motivated the development of 'liver-on-a-chip' and microplatform-based bioreactors that can provide well-defined microenvironments. Microtechnology is a promising tool for liver tissue engineering and liver system development, as it can mimic the complex in vivo microenvironment and microlevel ultrastructure, by using a small number of human cells under two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture conditions. These systems provided by microtechnology allow improved liver-specific functions and can be expanded to encompass diverse 3D culture methods, which are critical for the maintenance of liver functions and recapitulation of the features of the native liver. In this review, we provide an overview of microtechnologies that have been used for liver studies, describe biomimetic technologies for constructing microscale 2D and 3D liver models as well as liver-on-a-chip systems and microscale bioreactors, and introduce applications of liver microtechnology and future trends in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Yoon No
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Korea University, Anamro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Matharu Z, Patel D, Gao Y, Haque A, Zhou Q, Revzin A. Detecting transforming growth factor-β release from liver cells using an aptasensor integrated with microfluidics. Anal Chem 2014; 86:8865-72. [PMID: 25105888 PMCID: PMC4151791 DOI: 10.1021/ac502383e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
We
developed a cell-culture/biosensor platform consisting of aptamer-modified
Au electrodes integrated with reconfigurable microfluidics for monitoring
of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), an important
inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokine. Aptamers were thiolated, labeled
with redox reporters, and self-assembled on gold surfaces. The biosensor
was determined to be specific for TGF-β1 with an experimental
detection limit of 1 ng/mL and linear range extending to 250 ng/mL.
Upon determining figures of merit, aptasensor was miniaturized and
integrated with human hepatic stellate cells inside microfluidic devices.
Reconfigurable microfluidics were developed to ensure that seeding
of “sticky” stromal cells did not foul the electrode
and compromise sensor performance. This microsystem with integrated
aptasensors was used to monitor TGF-β1 release from activated
stellate cells over the course of 20 h. The electrochemical response
went down upon infusing anti-TGF-β1 antibodies into the microfluidic
devices containing activated stellate cells. To further validate aptasensor
responses, stellate cells were stained for markers of activation (e.g.,
alpha smooth muscle actin) and were also tested for presence of TGF-β1
using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Given the importance
of TGF-β1 as a fibrogenic signal, a microsystem with integrated
biosensors for local and continuous detection of TGF-β1 may
prove to be an important tool to study fibrosis of the liver and other
organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimple Matharu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California , Davis, California 95616, United States
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21
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Patel D, Haque A, Jones CN, Tuleouva N, Foster E, Vu T, Reddi AH, Revzin A. Local control of hepatic phenotype with growth factor-encoded surfaces. Integr Biol (Camb) 2014; 6:44-52. [PMID: 24247788 DOI: 10.1039/c3ib40140e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to modulate the phenotype expression of hepatocytes in vitro on surfaces imprinted with growth factors (GFs). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or transforming-growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were mixed with collagen (I) and robotically printed onto standard glass slides to create arrays of 300 μm or 500 μm diameter spots. Primary rat hepatocytes were seeded on top of the arrays, forming clusters corresponding in size to the underlying protein spots. The TGF-β1 spots appeared to downregulate markers of hepatic (epithelial) phenotype while upregulating expression of mesenchymal markers. Conversely, hepatocytes cultured on HGF spots maintained high level of epithelial markers. When hepatocytes were seeded onto alternating spots of HGF and TGF-β1, their phenotype was found to depend on center-to-center distance between the spots. At shorter distances cross-expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers was observed while at distances exceeding 1.25 mm divergence of phenotypes, epithelial on HGF and mesenchymal on TGF-β was seen. Overall, our results demonstrate that GF-encoded surfaces can modulate phenotype within groups of cells cultured on the same surface. Given the importance of phenotype switching in development, fibrosis and cancer, this platform may be used to gain useful insights into the mechanisms of processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or stem cell fate selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipali Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 451 East Health Sciences St. #2619, Davis, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Despite the tremendous hurdles presented by the complexity of the liver's structure and function, advances in liver physiology, stem cell biology and reprogramming, and the engineering of tissues and devices are accelerating the development of cell-based therapies for treating liver disease and liver failure. This State of the Art Review discusses both the near- and long-term prospects for such cell-based therapies and the unique challenges for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta N Bhatia
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science at MIT, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, David H. Koch Institute at MIT, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Division of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Gregory H Underhill
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kenneth S Zaret
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ira J Fox
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
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You J, Park SA, Shin DS, Patel D, Raghunathan VK, Kim M, Murphy CJ, Tae G, Revzin A. Characterizing the effects of heparin gel stiffness on function of primary hepatocytes. Tissue Eng Part A 2013; 19:2655-63. [PMID: 23815179 PMCID: PMC3856597 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2012.0681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the liver, hepatocytes are exposed to a large array of stimuli that shape hepatic phenotype. This in vivo microenvironment is lost when hepatocytes are cultured in standard cell cultureware, making it challenging to maintain hepatocyte function in vitro. Our article focused on one of the least studied inducers of the hepatic phenotype-the mechanical properties of the underlying substrate. Gel layers comprised of thiolated heparin (Hep-SH) and diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-DA) were formed on glass substrates via a radical mediated thiol-ene coupling reaction. The substrate stiffness varied from 10 to 110 kPa by changing the concentration of the precursor solution. ELISA analysis revealed that after 5 days, hepatocytes cultured on a softer heparin gel were synthesizing five times higher levels of albumin compared to those on a stiffer heparin gel. Immunofluorescent staining for hepatic markers, albumin and E-cadherin, confirmed that softer gels promoted better maintenance of the hepatic phenotype. Our findings point to the importance of substrate mechanical properties on hepatocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmok You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Su-A Park
- Nano Convergence & Manufacturing Systems Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Dong-Sik Shin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Dipali Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Vijay Krishna Raghunathan
- Department of Surgical & Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Mihye Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Christopher J Murphy
- Department of Surgical & Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Giyoong Tae
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Alexander Revzin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California
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Alamdari OG, Seyedjafari E, Soleimani M, Ghaemi N. Micropatterning of ECM Proteins on Glass Substrates to Regulate Cell Attachment and Proliferation. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2013; 5:234-40. [PMID: 24285998 PMCID: PMC3838768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Micropatterning is becoming a powerful tool for studying cells in vitro. This method not only uses very small amount of material but also mimic the microenvironment structure present in living tissues better than flask culturing techniques. In previous studies using micropatterning of extracellular matrix proteins on glass surfaces, the rate of protein detachment from the surface was so high that the proteins and the cultivated cells detached after 3 three days of cell seeding. METHODS Here we optimized the glass surface modification method to fulfill the requirement of most in vitro studies. RESULTS In our study we showed that the optimum time for glass surface modification reaction is 1.5 hr, and the cells could be tracked in vitro for over 15 days after cell seeding which is enough for the most in vitro studies. As a model, we cultivated HEK 293T and HepG2 cells on the collagen micro-patterns and showed that they have normal growth and morphology on these micropatterns. The HEK cells also transfected with pmaxGFP plasmid vector to show that the cells on collagen micropatterns could also used in transfection studies. CONCLUSION Taking these together, this novel method is promising for efficient cell culture studies on micropatterened surfaces in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid G. Alamdari
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Nanotechnology and Tissue engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Seyedjafari
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasser Ghaemi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Zhang S, Chen D, Huang C, Bao J, Wang Z. Expression of HGF, MMP-9 and TGF-β1 in the CSF and cerebral tissue of adult rats with hydrocephalus. Int J Neurosci 2013; 123:392-9. [PMID: 23270462 DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2012.762363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECT The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are important cytokines with modulatory actions in the nervous system. In this study, we attempted to investigate the role and expression of HGF, MMP-9 and TGF-β1 in the cerebral tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of adult rats with hydrocephalus induced via intraventricular kaolin injection. METHODS Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n = 12) and experimental group (n = 20). Kaolin was injected into the lateral ventricle of experimental animals. Control rats underwent the same procedure but received sterile saline injection instead of kaolin. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess ventricle size. The CSF was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the excised brains were studied by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analyses to measure the messenger RNA and protein expression level of HGF, MMP-9 and TGF-β1. RESULTS Hydrocephalus was induced in all the rats after kaolin injection into the lateral ventricle. After 2 weeks, the expressions of HGF, MMP-9 and TGF-β1 in the CSF and cerebral tissue were significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS This results indicated that HGF, MMP-9 and TGF-β1 may participate in the formation and prognosis of hydrocephalus after kaolin induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaolin Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Papp K, Szittner Z, Prechl J. Life on a microarray: assessing live cell functions in a microarray format. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:2717-25. [PMID: 22391673 PMCID: PMC11115177 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-0947-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2011] [Revised: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Microarray technology outgrew the detection of simple intermolecular interactions, as incubation of slides with living cells opened new vistas. Cell-based array technology permits simultaneous detection of several different cell surface molecules, allowing the complex characterization of cells with an amount of information that is hardly assessed by any other technique. Furthermore, binding of cells to printed antibodies or ligands may induce their activation, and consequently the outcome of these interactions, such as phosphorylation, gene expression, secretion of various products; differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis of the cells are also measurable on arrays. Moreover, since cells can be transfected with printed vectors, over- or under-expression of selected genes is also achievable simultaneously, creating a nice tool for assessing the function of a given gene. The enormously high-throughput cell-based microarray technology enables testing the effect of external stimuli on a scale that was earlier unthinkable. This review summarizes the possible applications of cell-based arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztián Papp
- Immunology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA-ELTE, Pázmány P.s. 1/C, Budapest 1117, Hungary.
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Bukong TN, Lo T, Szabo G, Dolganiuc A. Novel developmental biology-based protocol of embryonic stem cell differentiation to morphologically sound and functional yet immature hepatocytes. Liver Int 2012; 32:732-41. [PMID: 22292891 DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2011.02743.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Liver diseases are common in the United States and often require liver transplantation; however, donated organs are limited and thus alternative sources for liver cells are in high demand. Embryonic stem cells (ESC) can provide a continuous and readily available source of liver cells. ESC differentiation to liver cells is yet to be fully understood and comprehensive differentiation protocols are yet to be defined. Here, we aimed to achieve human (h)ESC differentiation into mature hepatocytes using defined recombinant differentiation factors and metabolites. METHODS Embryonic stem cell H1 line was sub-cultured on feeder layer. We induced hESCs into endodermal differentiation succeeded by early/late hepatic specification and finally into hepatocyte maturation using step combinations of Activin A and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 for 7 days; followed by FGF-4 and bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) for 7 days, succeeded by FGF-10 + hepatocyte growth factor 4 + epidermal growth factor for 14 days. Specific inhibitors/stimulators were added sequentially throughout differentiation. Cells were analysed by PCR, flow cytometry, microscopy or functional assays. RESULTS Our hESC differentiation protocol resulted in viable cells with hepatocyte shape and morphology. We observed gradual changes in cell transcriptome, including up-regulation of differentiation-promoting GATA4, GATA6, POU5F1 and HNF4 transcription factors, steady levels of stemness-promoting SOX-2 and low levels of Nanog, as defined by PCR. The hESC-derived hepatocytes expressed alpha-antitrypsin, CD81, cytokeratin 8 and low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein and proliferation marker Ki-67 in hESC-derived hepatocytes remained elevated. Unlike stem cells, the hESC-derived hepatocytes performed LDL uptake, produced albumin and alanine aminotransferase and had functional alcohol dehydrogenase. CONCLUSION We report a novel protocol for hESC differentiation into morphological and functional yet immature hepatocytes as an alternative method for hepatocyte generation.
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Abstract
Current in vitro methodologies for the culture and analysis of liver specific responses lack the sophistication of in vivo dynamics. In this work, a microfluidic based experimental methodology has been utilized to reproduce a biomimetic microenvironment in which pseudo in vivo liver tissue studies can be carried out under in vitro conditions. This innovative technique, which exploits the inherent advantages of microfluidic technology, has been utilised to study the viability and functionality of explant liver tissue over four days in the presence of varying concentrations of ethanol. Concentrations of ethanol as low as 20 mM have produced a decrease in WST-1 metabolism, a marker of mitochondrial activity, and an increase lactose dehydrogenase release, reflecting cell death, in the explant samples; these effects increase with higher ethanol concentrations. A concomitant decrease in albumin and urea synthesis was also observed. We believe the proposed methodology is widely applicable and is clearly of relevance to biological and clinical research including drug development and toxicity, as well as enabling better fundamental understanding of tissue/cell processes.
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Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the result of the entire organism responding to a chronic injury. Every cell type in the liver contributes to the fibrosis. This paper first discusses key intracellular signaling pathways that are induced during liver fibrosis. The paper then examines the effects of these signaling pathways on the major cell types in the liver. This will provide insights into the molecular pathophysiology of liver fibrosis and should identify therapeutic targets.
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Wong SF, No DY, Choi YY, Kim DS, Chung BG, Lee SH. Concave microwell based size-controllable hepatosphere as a three-dimensional liver tissue model. Biomaterials 2011; 32:8087-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Tojima H, Kakizaki S, Kosone T, Horiguchi N, Yamazaki Y, Sato K, Takagi H, Mori M. Hepatocyte growth factor overexpression ameliorates liver inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Hepatol Int 2011; 6:620-30. [DOI: 10.1007/s12072-011-9301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2010] [Accepted: 12/19/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Ghaedi M, Tuleuova N, Zern MA, Wu J, Revzin A. Bottom-up signaling from HGF-containing surfaces promotes hepatic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 407:295-300. [PMID: 21382341 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The capacity of stem cells to differentiate into specific cell types makes them very promising in tissue regeneration and repair. However, realizing this promise requires novel methods for guiding lineage-specific differentiation of stem cells. In this study, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), an important morphogen in liver development, was co-printed with collagen I (Col) to create arrays of protein spots on glass. Human adipose stem cells (ASCs) were cultured on top of the HGF/Col spots for 2weeks. The effects of surface-immobilized HGF on hepatic differentiation of ASCs were analyzed using RT-PCR, ELISA and immunocytochemistry. Stimulation of stem cells with HGF from the bottom-up caused an upregulation in synthesis of α-fetoprotein and albumin, as determined by immunocytochemistry and ELISA. RT-PCR results showed that the mRNA levels for albumin, α-fetoprotein and α1-antitrypsin were 10- to 20-fold higher in stem cells cultured on the HGF/Col arrays compared to stem cells on Col only spots. Our results show that surfaces containing HGF co-printed with ECM proteins may be used to differentiate mesenchymal stem cells such as ASCs into hepatocyte-like cells. These results underscore the utility of growth factor-containing culture surfaces for stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboobe Ghaedi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Tuleuova N, Lee JY, Lee J, Ramanculov E, Zern MA, Revzin A. Using growth factor arrays and micropatterned co-cultures to induce hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Biomaterials 2010; 31:9221-31. [PMID: 20832855 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.08.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The success in driving embryonic stem cells towards hepatic lineage has been confounded by the complexity and cost of differentiation protocols that employ large quantities of expensive growth factors (GFs). Instead of supplementing culture media with soluble GFs, we investigated cultivation and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) on printed arrays of GFs. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP4) were mixed in solution with fibronectin and collagen (I) and then printed onto silane-modified glass slides to form 500 μm diameter protein spots. mESCs were cultured on top of GF spots for up to 12 days and analyzed by RT-PCR and immunostaining at different time points. The stem cells residing on HGF-containing combinations of GFs exhibited requisite features of hepatic differentiation including pronounced loss in pluripotency (Oct4), transient (up and down) expression of endoderm (Sox17) and upregulation of early hepatic markers--albumin and alpha-fetoprotein. The hepatic differentiation was enhanced further by adding hepatic stellate cells to surfaces that already contained mESCs on GF spots. A combination of co-culture with non-parenchymal liver cells and the optimal GF stimulation was found to induce endoderm and hepatic phenotype earlier and to a much greater extent than the GF arrays or micropatterned co-cultures used individually. While this paper investigated hepatic differentiation of mouse ESCs, our findings and stem cell culture approaches are likely to be relevant for human ESC cultivation. Overall, the platform combining printed GF arrays and heterotypic co-cultures will be broadly applicable for identifying the composition of the microenvironment niche for ESC differentiation into various tissue types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazgul Tuleuova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis, 451 Health Sciences Drive #2519, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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