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Yang C, Yin D, Zhang H, Badea I, Yang SM, Zhang W. Cell Migration Assays and Their Application to Wound Healing Assays-A Critical Review. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:720. [PMID: 38930690 PMCID: PMC11205366 DOI: 10.3390/mi15060720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, cell migration assays (CMAs) have emerged as a tool to study the migration of cells along with their physiological responses under various stimuli, including both mechanical and bio-chemical properties. CMAs are a generic system in that they support various biological applications, such as wound healing assays. In this paper, we review the development of the CMA in the context of its application to wound healing assays. As such, the wound healing assay will be used to derive the requirements on CMAs. This paper will provide a comprehensive and critical review of the development of CMAs along with their application to wound healing assays. One salient feature of our methodology in this paper is the application of the so-called design thinking; namely we define the requirements of CMAs first and then take them as a benchmark for various developments of CMAs in the literature. The state-of-the-art CMAs are compared with this benchmark to derive the knowledge and technological gap with CMAs in the literature. We will also discuss future research directions for the CMA together with its application to wound healing assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China;
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
| | - Di Yin
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
| | - Ildiko Badea
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada;
| | - Shih-Mo Yang
- School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China;
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
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2
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Ren Z, Ahn EH, Do M, Mair DB, Monemianesfahani A, Lee PHU, Kim DH. Simulated microgravity attenuates myogenesis and contractile function of 3D engineered skeletal muscle tissues. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:18. [PMID: 38365862 PMCID: PMC10873406 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00353-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
While the effects of microgravity on inducing skeletal muscle atrophy have been extensively studied, the impacts of microgravity on myogenesis and its mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we developed a microphysiological system of engineered muscle tissue (EMT) fabricated using a collagen / Matrigel composite hydrogel and murine skeletal myoblasts. This 3D EMT model allows non-invasive quantitative assessment of contractile function. After applying a 7-day differentiation protocol to induce myotube formation, the EMTs clearly exhibited sarcomerogenesis, myofilament formation, and synchronous twitch and tetanic contractions with electrical stimuli. Using this 3D EMT system, we investigated the effects of simulated microgravity at 10-3 G on myogenesis and contractile function utilizing a random positioning machine. EMTs cultured for 5 days in simulated microgravity exhibited significantly reduced contractile forces, myofiber size, and differential expression of muscle contractile, myogenesis regulatory, and mitochondrial biogenesis-related proteins. These results indicate simulated microgravity attenuates myogenesis, resulting in impaired muscle function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanping Ren
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Eun Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Minjae Do
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Devin B Mair
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Amir Monemianesfahani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Peter H U Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Southcoast Health, Fall River, MA, 02720, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Center for Microphysiological Systems, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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3
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Rousset N, de Geus M, Chimisso V, Kaestli AJ, Hierlemann A, Lohasz C. Controlling bead and cell mobility in a recirculating hanging-drop network. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:4834-4847. [PMID: 37853793 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00103b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Integrating flowing cells, such as immune cells or circulating tumour cells, within a microphysiological system is crucial for body-on-a-chip applications. However, ensuring unimpeded recirculation of cells is a significant challenge. Closed microfluidic devices have a no-slip boundary condition along channel walls and a defined chip geometry (laminar flow) that hinders the ability to freely control cell flow. Open microfluidic devices, where the bottom device boundary is an air-liquid interface (ALI), e.g., hanging drop networks (HDNs), offer the advantage of an easily-actuatable fluid-phase geometry, where cells can either flow or stagnate. In this paper, we optimized a hanging-drop-integrated pneumatic-pump system for closed-loop recirculation of particles (i.e., beads or cells). Experiments with both beads and cells in cell culture medium initially resulted in particle stagnation, which was suggestive of a pseudo-no-slip boundary condition at the ALI. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements of the ALI suggested that aggregation of submicron-scale cell-culture-medium components is the cause of the pseudo-no-slip boundary condition. We used the finite element method to study the forces on particles at the ALI and to optimize HDN design (drop aperture) and operation (drop height) parameters. Based on this analysis, we report a phase diagram delineating the conditions for free flow or stagnation of particles at the ALI of hanging drops. Using our experimental setup with 3.5 mm drop apertures, we conducted particle flow experiments while actuating drop heights. We confirmed the ability to control the flow or stagnation of particles by actuating the height of hanging drops: a drop height over 300 μm led to particle stagnation and a drop height under 300 μm allowed for particle flow. This particle-flow control, combined with the ease of integrating scaffold-free organ models (microtissues or organoids) in HDNs, constitutes the basis for an experimental setup enabling the control of the residence time of single cells around 3D organ models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nassim Rousset
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
| | - Martina de Geus
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
| | - Vittoria Chimisso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel, CH, Switzerland
| | - Alicia J Kaestli
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
| | - Christian Lohasz
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, CH, Switzerland.
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4
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Tahir N, Sharifi F, Khan TA, Khan MM, Madni A, Rehman M. Microfluidics: A versatile tool for developing, optimizing, and delivering nanomedicines. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818627-5.00017-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
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5
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A time-coded multi-concentration microfluidic chemical waveform generator for high-throughput probing suspension single-cell signaling. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.09.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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6
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Özkale B, Lou J, Özelçi E, Elosegui-Artola A, Tringides CM, Mao AS, Sakar MS, Mooney DJ. Actuated 3D microgels for single cell mechanobiology. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1962-1970. [PMID: 35437554 PMCID: PMC10116575 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00203e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We present a new cell culture technology for large-scale mechanobiology studies capable of generating and applying optically controlled uniform compression on single cells in 3D. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are individually encapsulated inside an optically triggered nanoactuator-alginate hybrid biomaterial using microfluidics, and the encapsulating network isotropically compresses the cell upon activation by light. The favorable biomolecular properties of alginate allow cell culture in vitro up to a week. The mechanically active microgels are capable of generating up to 15% compressive strain and forces reaching 400 nN. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the use of the mechanically active cell culture system in mechanobiology by subjecting singly encapsulated MSCs to optically generated isotropic compression and monitoring changes in intracellular calcium intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Özkale
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Junzhe Lou
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Ece Özelçi
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Christina M Tringides
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Angelo S Mao
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Mahmut Selman Sakar
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - David J Mooney
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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7
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Measuring the density and viscosity of culture media for optimized computational fluid dynamics analysis of in vitro devices. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2021; 126:105024. [PMID: 34911025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.105024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Culture medium is frequently modelled as water in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of in vitro culture systems involving flow, such as bioreactors and organ-on-chips. However, culture medium can be expected to have different properties to water due to its higher solute content. Furthermore, cellular activities such as metabolism and secretion of ECM proteins alter the composition of culture medium and therefore its properties during culture. As these properties directly determine the hydromechanical stimuli exerted on cells in vitro, these, along with any changes during culture must be known for CFD modelling accuracy and meaningful interpretation of cellular responses. In this study, the density and dynamic viscosity of DMEM and RPMI-1640 media supplemented with typical concentrations of foetal bovine serum (0, 5, 10 and 20% v/v) were measured to serve as a reference for computational design analysis. Any changes in the properties of medium during culture were also investigated with NCI-H460 and HN6 cell lines. The density and dynamic viscosity of the media increased proportional to the % volume of added foetal bovine serum (FBS). Importantly, the viscosity of 5% FBS-supplemented RPMI-1640 was found to increase significantly after 3 days of culture of NCI-H460 and HN6 cell lines, with distinct differences between magnitude of change for each cell line. Finally, these experimentally-derived values were applied in CFD analysis of a simple microfluidic device, which demonstrated clear differences in maximum wall shear stress and pressure between fluid models. Overall, these results highlight the importance of characterizing model-specific properties for CFD design analysis of cell culture systems.
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8
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Parpaite T, Brosse L, Séjourné N, Laur A, Mechioukhi Y, Delmas P, Coste B. Patch-seq of mouse DRG neurons reveals candidate genes for specific mechanosensory functions. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109914. [PMID: 34731626 PMCID: PMC8578708 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of mechanosensory neurons are involved in touch, proprioception, and pain. Many molecular components of the mechanotransduction machinery subserving these sensory modalities remain to be discovered. Here, we combine recordings of mechanosensitive (MS) currents in mechanosensory neurons with single-cell RNA sequencing. Transcriptional profiles are mapped onto previously identified sensory neuron types to identify cell-type correlates between datasets. Correlation of current signatures with single-cell transcriptomes provides a one-to-one correspondence between mechanoelectric properties and transcriptomically defined neuronal populations. Moreover, a gene-expression differential comparison provides a set of candidate genes for mechanotransduction complexes. Piezo2 is expectedly found to be enriched in rapidly adapting MS current-expressing neurons, whereas Tmem120a and Tmem150c, thought to mediate slow-type MS currents, are uniformly expressed in all mechanosensory neuron subtypes. Further knockdown experiments disqualify them as mediating MS currents in sensory neurons. This dataset constitutes an open resource to explore further the cell-type-specific determinants of mechanosensory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Parpaite
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Lucie Brosse
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Nina Séjourné
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Amandine Laur
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France
| | | | - Patrick Delmas
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Bertrand Coste
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LNC-UMR 7291, 13344 Marseille, France.
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9
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Yadav S, Ta HT, Nguyen N. Mechanobiology in cardiology: Micro‐ and nanotechnologies to probe mechanosignaling. VIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sharda Yadav
- Queensland Micro‐ and Nanotechnology Centre Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Hang T. Ta
- Queensland Micro‐ and Nanotechnology Centre Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
- School of Environment and Science Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Nam‐Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro‐ and Nanotechnology Centre Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
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10
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Özkale B, Sakar MS, Mooney DJ. Active biomaterials for mechanobiology. Biomaterials 2021; 267:120497. [PMID: 33129187 PMCID: PMC7719094 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Active biomaterials offer novel approaches to study mechanotransduction in mammalian cells. These material systems probe cellular responses by dynamically modulating their resistance to endogenous forces or applying exogenous forces on cells in a temporally controlled manner. Stimuli-responsive molecules, polymers, and nanoparticles embedded inside cytocompatible biopolymer networks transduce external signals such as light, heat, chemicals, and magnetic fields into changes in matrix elasticity (few kPa to tens of kPa) or forces (few pN to several μN) at the cell-material interface. The implementation of active biomaterials in mechanobiology has generated scientific knowledge and therapeutic potential relevant to a variety of conditions including but not limited to cancer metastasis, fibrosis, and tissue regeneration. We discuss the repertoire of cellular responses that can be studied using these platforms including receptor signaling as well as downstream events namely, cytoskeletal organization, nuclear shuttling of mechanosensitive transcriptional regulators, cell migration, and differentiation. We highlight recent advances in active biomaterials and comment on their future impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Özkale
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Mahmut Selman Sakar
- Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - David J Mooney
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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11
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da Silva Madaleno C, Jatzlau J, Knaus P. BMP signalling in a mechanical context - Implications for bone biology. Bone 2020; 137:115416. [PMID: 32422297 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are extracellular multifunctional signalling cytokines and members of the TGFβ super family. These pleiotropic growth factors crucially promote bone formation, remodeling and healing after injury. Additionally, bone homeostasis is systematically regulated by mechanical inputs from the environment, which are incorporated into the bone cells' biochemical response. These inputs range from compression and tension induced by the movement of neighboring muscle, to fluid shear stress induced by interstitial fluid flow in the canaliculi and in the vascular system. Although BMPs are widely applied in a clinic context to promote fracture healing, it is still elusive how mechanical inputs modulate this signalling pathway, hindering an efficient and side-effect free application of these ligands in bone healing. This review aims to summarize the current understanding in how mechanical cues (tension, compression, shear force and hydrostatic pressure) and substrate stiffness modulate BMP signalling. We highlight the time-dependent effects in modulating immediate early up to long-term effects of mechano-BMP crosstalk during bone formation and remodeling, considering the interplay with other already established mechanosensitive pathways, such as MRTF/SRF and Hippo signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina da Silva Madaleno
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Brandenburg School of Regenerative Therapies (BSRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jerome Jatzlau
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Knaus
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Brandenburg School of Regenerative Therapies (BSRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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12
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Guo Y, Gao Z, Liu Y, Li S, Zhu J, Chen P, Liu BF. Multichannel Synchronous Hydrodynamic Gating Coupling with Concentration Gradient Generator for High-Throughput Probing Dynamic Signaling of Single Cells. Anal Chem 2020; 92:12062-12070. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhaolong Gao
- The Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Image Processing and Intelligent Control, School of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yinan Liu
- Department of Genetics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shunji Li
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jinchi Zhu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Peng Chen
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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13
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Chen P, Li S, Guo Y, Zeng X, Liu BF. A review on microfluidics manipulation of the extracellular chemical microenvironment and its emerging application to cell analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2020; 1125:94-113. [PMID: 32674786 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal manipulation of extracellular chemical environments with simultaneous monitoring of cellular responses plays an essential role in exploring fundamental biological processes and expands our understanding of underlying mechanisms. Despite the rapid progress and promising successes in manipulation strategies, many challenges remain due to the small size of cells and the rapid diffusion of chemical molecules. Fortunately, emerging microfluidic technology has become a powerful approach for precisely controlling the extracellular chemical microenvironment, which benefits from its integration capacity, automation, and high-throughput capability, as well as its high resolution down to submicron. Here, we summarize recent advances in microfluidics manipulation of the extracellular chemical microenvironment, including the following aspects: i) Spatial manipulation of chemical microenvironments realized by convection flow-, diffusion-, and droplet-based microfluidics, and surface chemical modification; ii) Temporal manipulation of chemical microenvironments enabled by flow switching/shifting, moving/flowing cells across laminar flows, integrated microvalves/pumps, and droplet manipulation; iii) Spatiotemporal manipulation of chemical microenvironments implemented by a coupling strategy and open-space microfluidics; and iv) High-throughput manipulation of chemical microenvironments. Finally, we briefly present typical applications of the above-mentioned technical advances in cell-based analyses including cell migration, cell signaling, cell differentiation, multicellular analysis, and drug screening. We further discuss the future improvement of microfluidics manipulation of extracellular chemical microenvironments to fulfill the needs of biological and biomedical research and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Shunji Li
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yiran Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xuemei Zeng
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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14
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Lyu J, Chen L, Zhang J, Kang X, Wang Y, Wu W, Tang H, Wu J, He Z, Tang K. A microfluidics-derived growth factor gradient in a scaffold regulates stem cell activities for tendon-to-bone interface healing. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:3649-3663. [PMID: 32458839 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm00229a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of tendon-to-bone interface injury has long been challenging in sports medicine. The major obstacle lies with the complicated three-layer structure of the tissue that consists of a bone region with osteocytes, a tendon region with tenocytes and a transitional region with chondrocytes. Conventional tissue engineering approaches using simply biomaterial scaffolds, stem cells and combinations of them had limited abilities to reconstruct the gradient structure with normal biomechanical properties. We herein aim to construct a three-layer structure with bone marrow-derived stem cells and tendon stem cells cultured in a decellularized tendon scaffold, through application of a gradient of biological cues in the longitudinal direction of the scaffold that guides the stem cells to differentiate and remodel the extracellular matrix in response to different medium concentrations in different regions. A microfluidic chip, on which a tree-like flow pattern was implemented, was adopted to create the concentration gradient in a dichotomous manner. We screened for an optimized seeding ratio between the two stem cell types before incubation of the scaffold in the medium concentration gradient and surgical implantation. Histology and immunohistochemistry assessments, both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively, showed that the microfluidic system provided desired guidance to the seeded stem cells that the healing at 8-week post-implantation presented a similar structure to that of a normal tendon-to-bone interface, which was outstanding compared to treatments without gradient guidance, stem cells or scaffolds where chaotic and fibrotic structures were obtained. This strategy offers a potentially translational tissue engineering approach for better outcomes in tendon-to-bone healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingtong Lyu
- Center of Sports Medicine of Orthopaedic Department, Southwest hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
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15
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Wang J, Guo J, Che B, Ouyang M, Deng L. Cell motion-coordinated fibrillar assembly of soluble collagen I to promote MDCK cell branching formation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 524:317-324. [PMID: 31996308 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular Matrix (ECM) assembly and remodeling are critical physiological events in vivo, and abnormal ECM assembly or remodeling is related to pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis, fibrosis, cancers, and genetic diseases. ECM assembly/remodeling driven by cells represents more physiological processes. Collagen I (COL) is very abundant in tissues, which assembly/remodeling is mediated by biochemical and mechanical factors. How cells regulate COL assembly biomechanically still remains to be well understood. Here we used fluorescent COL in the medium to study how cells assembled ECM which represents more physiological structures. The results showed that MDCK cells actively recruited COL from the medium and helped assemble the fibers, which in turn facilitated cell branching morphogenesis, both displaying highly spatial associations and mutual dependency. Inhibition of cellular contraction force by ROCK and Myosin II inhibitors attenuated but did not block the COL fiber formation, while cell motion showed high consistency with the fiber assembly. Under ROCK or Myosin II inhibition, further analysis indicated high correlation between local cell movement and COL fiber strength as quantified from different regions of the same groups. Blocking cell motion by actin cytoskeleton disruption completely inhibited the fiber formation. These suggest that cell motion coordinated COL fiber assembly from the medium, possibly through generated strain on deposited COL to facilitate the fiber growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 213164, China
| | - Jia Guo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 213164, China
| | - Bo Che
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 213164, China
| | - Mingxing Ouyang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 213164, China.
| | - Linhong Deng
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, College of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, 1 Gehu Road, Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, 213164, China.
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16
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Wioland H, Suzuki E, Cao L, Romet-Lemonne G, Jegou A. The advantages of microfluidics to study actin biochemistry and biomechanics. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 41:175-188. [PMID: 31749040 PMCID: PMC7109186 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09564-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The regulated assembly of actin filaments is essential in nearly all cell types. Studying actin assembly dynamics can pose many technical challenges. A number of these challenges can be overcome by using microfluidics to observe and manipulate single actin filaments under an optical microscope. In particular, microfluidics can be tremendously useful for applying different mechanical stresses to actin filaments and determining how the physical context of the filaments affects their regulation by biochemical factors. In this review, we summarize the main features of microfluidics for the study of actin assembly dynamics, and we highlight some recent developments that have emerged from the combination of microfluidics and other techniques. We use two case studies to illustrate our points: the rapid assembly of actin filaments by formins and the disassembly of filaments by actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin. Both of these protein families play important roles in cells. They regulate actin assembly through complex molecular mechanisms that are sensitive to the filaments’ mechanical context, with multiple activities that need to be quantified separately. Microfluidics-based experiments have been extremely useful for gaining insight into the regulatory actions of these two protein families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Wioland
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Université de Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Emiko Suzuki
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Université de Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Luyan Cao
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Université de Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Antoine Jegou
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Université de Paris, 75013, Paris, France.
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17
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Baek MO, Ahn CB, Cho HJ, Choi JY, Son KH, Yoon MS. Simulated microgravity inhibits C2C12 myogenesis via phospholipase D2-induced Akt/FOXO1 regulation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14910. [PMID: 31624287 PMCID: PMC6797799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The skeletal muscle system has evolved to maintain body posture against a constant gravitational load. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates the mechanically induced increase in the skeletal muscle mass. In the present study, we investigated mTOR pathway in C2C12 myoblasts in a model of mechanical unloading by creating a simulated microgravity (SM) using 3 D clinorotation. SM decreased the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser 473, which was mediated by mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), in C2C12 myoblasts, leading to a decrease in the cell growth rate. Subsequently, SM inhibited C2C12 myogenesis in an Akt-dependent manner. In addition, SM increased the phospholipase D (PLD) activity by enhancing PLD2 expression, resulting in the dissociation of mSIN1 from the mTORC2, followed by decrease in the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser 473, and FOXO1 at Ser 256 in C2C12 myoblasts. Exposure to SM decreased the autophagic flux of C2C12 myoblasts by regulation of mRNA level of autophagic genes in a PLD2 and FOXO1-dependent manner, subsequently, resulting in a decrease in the C2C12 myogenesis. In conclusion, by analyzing the molecular signature of C2C12 myogenesis using SM, we suggest that the regulatory axis of the PLD2 induced Akt/FOXO1, is critical for C2C12 myogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Ock Baek
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, GAIHST, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.,Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi Bum Ahn
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jeong Cho
- Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Young Choi
- Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Kuk Hui Son
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21565, Republic of Korea.
| | - Mee-Sup Yoon
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, GAIHST, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea. .,Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.
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18
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Robinson T, Dittrich PS. Observations of Membrane Domain Reorganization in Mechanically Compressed Artificial Cells. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2666-2673. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Robinson
- ETH ZurichDepartment of Biosystems Science and Engineering Mattenstrasse 26 4058 Basel Switzerland
- Present address: Department of Theory, Bio-SystemsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Science Park Golm 14424 Potsdam Germany
| | - Petra S. Dittrich
- ETH ZurichDepartment of Biosystems Science and Engineering Mattenstrasse 26 4058 Basel Switzerland
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19
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Feng Q, Lee SS, Kornmann B. A Toolbox for Organelle Mechanobiology Research-Current Needs and Challenges. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E538. [PMID: 31426349 PMCID: PMC6723503 DOI: 10.3390/mi10080538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanobiology studies from the last decades have brought significant insights into many domains of biological research, from development to cellular signaling. However, mechano-regulation of subcellular components, especially membranous organelles, are only beginning to be unraveled. In this paper, we take mitochondrial mechanobiology as an example to discuss recent advances and current technical challenges in this field. In addition, we discuss the needs for future toolbox development for mechanobiological research of intracellular organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Feng
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Sung Sik Lee
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM), ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Benoît Kornmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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20
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Wang J, Wang C, Xu N, Liu ZF, Pang DW, Zhang ZL. A virus-induced kidney disease model based on organ-on-a-chip: Pathogenesis exploration of virus-related renal dysfunctions. Biomaterials 2019; 219:119367. [PMID: 31344514 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Renal dysfunctions usually happen in viral infections and many viruses specially infect distal renal tubules, however the pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, in order to explore the pathogenesis of virus-related renal dysfunctions, a Pseudorabies Virus (PrV) induced kidney disease model was built on a distal tubule-on-a-chip (DTC), for the first time. The barrier structure and Na reabsorption of distal renal tubules were successfully reconstituted in DTCs. After PrV infection, results showed electrolyte regulation dysfunction in Na reabsorption for the disordered Na transporters, the broken reabsorption barrier, and the transformed microvilli. And it would lead to virus induced serum electrolyte abnormalities. This work brought us a new cognition about the advantages of organ-on-a-chip (OOC) in virus research, for it had given us a better insight into the pathogenesis of virus induced dysfunctions, based on its unique ability in function reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Na Xu
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Zheng-Fei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Zhi-Ling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
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21
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Mestres G, Perez RA, D’Elía NL, Barbe L. Advantages of microfluidic systems for studying cell-biomaterial interactions—focus on bone regeneration applications. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2019. [DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ab1033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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22
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Shorr AZ, Sönmez UM, Minden JS, LeDuc PR. High-throughput mechanotransduction in Drosophila embryos with mesofluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1141-1152. [PMID: 30778467 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01055b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Developing embryos create complexity by expressing genes to coordinate movement which generates mechanical force. An emerging theory is that mechanical force can also serve as an input signal to regulate developmental gene expression. Experimental methods to apply mechanical stimulation to whole embryos have been limited, mainly to aspiration, indentation, or moving a coverslip; these approaches stimulate only a few embryos at a time and require manual alignment. A powerful approach for automation is microfluidic devices, which can precisely manipulate hundreds of samples. However, using microfluidics to apply mechanical stimulation has been limited to small cellular systems, with fewer applications for larger scale whole embryos. We developed a mesofluidic device that applies the precision and automation of microfluidics to the Drosophila embryo: high-throughput automatic alignment, immobilization, compression, real-time imaging, and recovery of hundreds of live embryos. We then use twist:eGFP embryos to show that the mechanical induction of twist depends on the dose and duration of compression. This device allows us to quantify responses to compression, map the distribution of ectopic twist, and measure embryo stiffness. For building mesofluidic devices, we describe modifications on ultra-thick photolithography, derive an analytical model that predicts the deflection of sidewalls, and discuss parametric calibration. This "mesomechanics" approach combines the high-throughput automation and precision of microfluidics with the biological relevance of live embryos to examine mechanotransduction. These analytical models facilitate the design of future devices to process multicellular organisms such as larvae, organoids, and mesoscale tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardon Z Shorr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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23
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Lin CC, Bachmann M, Bachler S, Venkatesan K, Dittrich PS. Tunable Membrane Potential Reconstituted in Giant Vesicles Promotes Permeation of Cationic Peptides at Nanomolar Concentrations. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:41909-41916. [PMID: 30450894 PMCID: PMC6420060 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b12217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the influence of membrane potential on the permeation of cationic peptides. Therefore, we employ a microfluidic chip capable of capturing giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in physical traps and fast exchange of chemical compounds. Control experiments with calcein proved that the vesicle membranes' integrity is not affected by the physical traps and applied shear forces. Combined with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, permeation of fluorescently labeled peptides across vesicle membranes can be measured down to the nanomolar level. With the addition of a lipophilic ruthenium(II) complex Ru(C17)22+, GUVs consisting of mixed acyl phospholipids are prepared with a negative membrane potential, resembling the membrane asymmetry in cells. The membrane potential serves as a driving force for the permeation of cationic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) nonaarginine (Arg9) and the human immunodeficiency virus trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide already at nanomolar doses. Hyperpolarization of the membrane by photo-oxidation of Ru(C17)22+ enhances permeation significantly from 55 to 78% for Arg9. This specific enhancement for Arg9 (cf. TAT) is ascribed to the higher affinity of the arginines to the phosphoserine head groups. On the other hand, permeation is decreased by introducing an additional negative charge in close proximity to the N-terminal arginine residue when changing the fluorophore. In short, with the capability to reconstitute membrane potential as well as shear stress, our system is a suitable platform for modeling the membrane permeability of pharmaceutics candidates. The results also highlight the membrane potential as a major cause of discrepancies between vesicular and cellular studies on CPP permeation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Chen Lin
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bachmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Bachler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Koushik Venkatesan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Petra S. Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Zhang J, Xu S, Zhang Y, Zou S, Li X. Effects of equibiaxial mechanical stretch on extracellular matrix-related gene expression in human calvarial osteoblasts. Eur J Oral Sci 2018; 127:10-18. [PMID: 30474904 DOI: 10.1111/eos.12595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stretch commonly promotes craniofacial suture remodeling during interceptive orthodontics. The mechanical responses of osteoblasts in craniofacial sutures play a role in suture remodeling. Moreover, the extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by osteoblasts is crucial for the transduction of mechanical signals that promote cell differentiation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of mechanical stretch on cell viability and ECM-related gene-expression changes in human osteoblasts. Human calvarial osteoblasts (HCObs) were subjected to 2% deformation. Caspase activity, MTT, and cell viability assays were used to estimate osteoblast apoptosis, proliferation, and viability, respectively. Real-time RT-PCR (RT2 -PCR) arrays were used to assess expression of cytoskeletal-, apoptosis-, osteogenesis-, and ECM-related genes. We found that mechanical stretch significantly increased osteoblast viability and cell proliferation, and decreased the activities of caspases 3 and 7. Moreover, the expression of 18 genes related to osteoblast differentiation, apoptosis, and ECM remodeling changed by more than two-fold in a time-dependent manner. Therefore, mechanical stretch promotes HCOb viability and alters expression of genes that are closely related to suture remodeling under mechanical stretch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuhao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanggen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shujuan Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaobing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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25
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Zaidi KF, Agrawal N. Microstencil-based spatial immobilization of individual cells for single cell analysis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:064104. [PMID: 30867865 PMCID: PMC6404921 DOI: 10.1063/1.5061922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Cells exhibit biologically heterogeneous phenotypes, particularly in pathogenic states. To study cell behavior at the single cell level, a variety of micropatterning techniques have been proposed that allow the spatial organization of cells with great control over cell volume, morphology, and intercellular interactions. Among these strategies, microstencil patterning has traditionally been eschewed due to fragility of membranes and lack of control over cell configurations within patterns. Here, we present a simple and reproducible strategy to create robust microstencils and achieve consistent and efficient cell patterns requiring less than 4 μl of cell solution. Polydimethylsiloxane microstencils fabricated with this technique can be used dozens of times over the course of several months with minimal wear or degradation. Characterization of pattern size, cell suspension density, and droplet volume allows on-demand configurations of singlets, doublets, triplets, or multiple cells per individual space. In addition, a novel technique to suppress evaporative convection provides precise and repeatable results, with a twofold increase in patterning efficacy. Selective dual surface modification to create hydrophilic islands on a hydrophobic substrate facilitates a significantly longer and healthier lifespan of cells without crossover of pattern boundaries. The ability to pattern individual cells with or without an extracellular matrix substrate and to control the magnitude of cell-cell contact as well as spread area provides a powerful approach to monitoring cell functions such as proliferation and intercellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija F. Zaidi
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22033, USA
| | - Nitin Agrawal
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22033, USA
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26
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Kim AA, Nekimken AL, Fechner S, O'Brien LE, Pruitt BL. Microfluidics for mechanobiology of model organisms. Methods Cell Biol 2018; 146:217-259. [PMID: 30037463 PMCID: PMC6418080 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli play a critical role in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. Understanding how mechanical signals are processed in multicellular model systems is critical for connecting cellular processes to tissue- and organism-level responses. However, progress in the field that studies these phenomena, mechanobiology, has been limited by lack of appropriate experimental techniques for applying repeatable mechanical stimuli to intact organs and model organisms. Microfluidic platforms, a subgroup of microsystems that use liquid flow for manipulation of objects, are a promising tool for studying mechanobiology of small model organisms due to their size scale and ease of customization. In this work, we describe design considerations involved in developing a microfluidic device for studying mechanobiology. Then, focusing on worms, fruit flies, and zebrafish, we review current microfluidic platforms for mechanobiology of multicellular model organisms and their tissues and highlight research opportunities in this developing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Kim
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Beth L Pruitt
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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27
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Geraili A, Jafari P, Hassani MS, Araghi BH, Mohammadi MH, Ghafari AM, Tamrin SH, Modarres HP, Kolahchi AR, Ahadian S, Sanati-Nezhad A. Controlling Differentiation of Stem Cells for Developing Personalized Organ-on-Chip Platforms. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7. [PMID: 28910516 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip (OOC) platforms have attracted attentions of pharmaceutical companies as powerful tools for screening of existing drugs and development of new drug candidates. OOCs have primarily used human cell lines or primary cells to develop biomimetic tissue models. However, the ability of human stem cells in unlimited self-renewal and differentiation into multiple lineages has made them attractive for OOCs. The microfluidic technology has enabled precise control of stem cell differentiation using soluble factors, biophysical cues, and electromagnetic signals. This study discusses different tissue- and organ-on-chip platforms (i.e., skin, brain, blood-brain barrier, bone marrow, heart, liver, lung, tumor, and vascular), with an emphasis on the critical role of stem cells in the synthesis of complex tissues. This study further recaps the design, fabrication, high-throughput performance, and improved functionality of stem-cell-based OOCs, technical challenges, obstacles against implementing their potential applications, and future perspectives related to different experimental platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Geraili
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; Sharif University of Technology; Azadi, Tehran 14588-89694 Iran
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering; Western University; London N6A 5B9 ON Canada
| | - Parya Jafari
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering; Western University; London N6A 5B9 ON Canada
- Department of Electrical Engineering; Sharif University of Technology; Azadi, Tehran 14588-89694 Iran
| | - Mohsen Sheikh Hassani
- Department of Systems and Computer Engineering; Carleton University; 1125 Colonel By Drive Ottawa K1S 5B6 ON Canada
| | - Behnaz Heidary Araghi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Sharif University of Technology; Azadi, Tehran 14588-89694 Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S 3G9 Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario M5S 3E5 Canada
| | - Amir Mohammad Ghafari
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology; Cell Science Research Center; Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology; Tehran 16635-148 Iran
| | - Sara Hasanpour Tamrin
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory (BioM); Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; University of Calgary; 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary T2N 1N4 AB Canada
| | - Hassan Pezeshgi Modarres
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory (BioM); Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; University of Calgary; 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary T2N 1N4 AB Canada
| | - Ahmad Rezaei Kolahchi
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory (BioM); Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; University of Calgary; 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary T2N 1N4 AB Canada
| | - Samad Ahadian
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto ON M5S 3G9 Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario M5S 3E5 Canada
| | - Amir Sanati-Nezhad
- BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory (BioM); Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; University of Calgary; 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary T2N 1N4 AB Canada
- Center for Bioengineering Research and Education; Biomedical Engineering Program; University of Calgary; Calgary T2N 1N4 AB Canada
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28
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Ahadian S, Civitarese R, Bannerman D, Mohammadi MH, Lu R, Wang E, Davenport-Huyer L, Lai B, Zhang B, Zhao Y, Mandla S, Korolj A, Radisic M. Organ-On-A-Chip Platforms: A Convergence of Advanced Materials, Cells, and Microscale Technologies. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7. [PMID: 29034591 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Significant advances in biomaterials, stem cell biology, and microscale technologies have enabled the fabrication of biologically relevant tissues and organs. Such tissues and organs, referred to as organ-on-a-chip (OOC) platforms, have emerged as a powerful tool in tissue analysis and disease modeling for biological and pharmacological applications. A variety of biomaterials are used in tissue fabrication providing multiple biological, structural, and mechanical cues in the regulation of cell behavior and tissue morphogenesis. Cells derived from humans enable the fabrication of personalized OOC platforms. Microscale technologies are specifically helpful in providing physiological microenvironments for tissues and organs. In this review, biomaterials, cells, and microscale technologies are described as essential components to construct OOC platforms. The latest developments in OOC platforms (e.g., liver, skeletal muscle, cardiac, cancer, lung, skin, bone, and brain) are then discussed as functional tools in simulating human physiology and metabolism. Future perspectives and major challenges in the development of OOC platforms toward accelerating clinical studies of drug discovery are finally highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samad Ahadian
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Robert Civitarese
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Dawn Bannerman
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Rick Lu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Erika Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Locke Davenport-Huyer
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Ben Lai
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Serena Mandla
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Anastasia Korolj
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto M5S 3G9 Ontario Canada
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Hosseinzadeh S, Rezayat SM, Giaseddin A, Aliyan A, Soleimani M. Microfluidic system for synthesis of nanofibrous conductive hydrogel and muscle differentiation. J Biomater Appl 2017; 32:853-861. [PMID: 29187019 DOI: 10.1177/0885328217744377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Microscale hydrogels can be synthesized within microfluidic systems and subsequently assembled to make tissues composed of units such as myofibers in muscle tissue. Importantly, the nanofibrous surface of hydrogels is essential for tissue engineering aims due to inducing beneficial cell-surface interactions. In this study, a new microfluidic platform, embedded with a hydrogel, was introduced that allowed for performing multiple non-parallel steps for the synthetic approaches. Satellite cells, isolated from skeletal tissues of 10-day Naval Medical Research Institute-murine were cultured on the prepared hydrogel within the microfluidic system. The normal proliferation of satellite cells occurred after the employment of continuous perfusion cell culture. Interestingly, the positive results of the immuno-staining assay along with the cellular bridge formation between hydrogel fragments confirmed the muscle differentiation of seeded satellite cells. Further on, COMSOl simulations anticipated that the thermodynamic conditions of the microfluidic system during hydrogel synthesis had to be kept steady while a shear stress value of 15 × 10-6 Pa was calculated, exhibiting a cell culture condition free of environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simzar Hosseinzadeh
- 1 Department of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,2 Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sayed Mahdi Rezayat
- 3 Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Giaseddin
- 4 Biomedical Engineering Group, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Aliyan
- 5 Hematology Department, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- 5 Hematology Department, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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30
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Mechanical Characterization of Microengineered Epithelial Cysts by Using Atomic Force Microscopy. Biophys J 2017; 112:398-409. [PMID: 28122225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Most organs contain interconnected tubular tissues that are one-cell-thick, polarized epithelial monolayers enclosing a fluid-filled lumen. Such tissue organization plays crucial roles in developmental and normal physiology, and the proper functioning of these tissues depends on their regulation by complex biochemical perturbations and equally important, but poorly understood, mechanical perturbations. In this study, by combining micropatterning techniques and atomic force microscopy, we developed a simple in vitro experimental platform for characterizing the mechanical properties of the MDCK II cyst, the simplest model of lumen-enclosing epithelial monolayers. By using this platform, we estimated the elasticity of the cyst monolayer and showed that the presence of a luminal space influences cyst mechanics substantially, which could be attributed to polarization and tissue-level coordination. More interestingly, the results from force-relaxation experiments showed that the cysts also displayed tissue-level poroelastic characteristics that differed slightly from those of single cells. Our study provides the first quantitative findings, to our knowledge, on the tissue-level mechanics of well-polarized epithelial cysts and offers new insights into the interplay between cyst mechanics and cyst physiology. Moreover, our simple platform is a potentially useful tool for enhancing the current understanding of cyst mechanics in health and disease.
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31
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Chandrasekaran A, Abduljawad M, Moraes C. Have microfluidics delivered for drug discovery? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2016; 11:745-8. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2016.1193485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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32
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Tay A, Schweizer FE, Di Carlo D. Micro- and nano-technologies to probe the mechano-biology of the brain. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:1962-1977. [PMID: 27161943 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00349d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Biomechanical forces have been demonstrated to influence a plethora of neuronal functions across scales including gene expression, mechano-sensitive ion channels, neurite outgrowth and folding of the cortices in the brain. However, the detailed roles biomechanical forces may play in brain development and disorders has seen limited study, partly due to a lack of effective methods to probe the mechano-biology of the brain. Current techniques to apply biomechanical forces on neurons often suffer from low throughput and poor spatiotemporal resolution. On the other hand, newly developed micro- and nano-technologies can overcome these aforementioned limitations and offer advantages such as lower cost and possibility of non-invasive control of neuronal circuits. This review compares the range of conventional, micro- and nano-technological techniques that have been developed and how they have been or can be used to understand the effect of biomechanical forces on neuronal development and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Tay
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA and Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117583 Singapore
| | - Felix E Schweizer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA and California Nanosystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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33
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Kolesinska B, Eyer K, Robinson T, Dittrich PS, Beck AK, Seebach D, Walde P. Interaction of β(3) /β(2) -peptides, consisting of Val-Ala-Leu segments, with POPC giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and white blood cancer cells (U937)--a new type of cell-penetrating peptides, and a surprising chain-length dependence of their vesicle- and cell-lysing activity. Chem Biodivers 2016; 12:697-732. [PMID: 26010661 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201500085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Many years ago, β(2) /β(3) -peptides, consisting of alternatively arranged β(2) - and β(3) h-amino-acid residues, have been found to undergo folding to a unique type of helix, the 10/12-helix, and to exhibit non-polar, lipophilic properties (Helv. Chim. Acta 1997, 80, 2033). We have now synthesized such 'mixed' hexa-, nona-, dodeca-, and octadecapeptides, consisting of Val-Ala-Leu triads, with N-terminal fluorescein (FAM) labels, i.e., 1-4, and studied their interactions with POPC (=1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and with human white blood cancer cells U937. The methods used were microfluidic technology, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), a flow-cytometry assay, a membrane-toxicity assay with the dehydrogenase G6PDH as enzymatic reporter, and visual microscopy observations. All β(3) /β(2) -peptide derivatives penetrate the GUVs and/or the cells. As shown with the isomeric β(3) /β(2) -, β(3) -, and β(2) -nonamers, 2, 5, and 6, respectively, the derivatives 5 and 6 consisting exclusively of β(3) - or β(2) -amino-acid residues, respectively, interact neither with the vesicles nor with the cells. Depending on the method of investigation and on the pretreatment of the cells, the β(3) /β(2) -nonamer and/or the β(3) /β(2) -dodecamer derivative, 2 and/or 3, respectively, cause a surprising disintegration or lysis of the GUVs and cells, comparable with the action of tensides, viral fusion peptides, and host-defense antimicrobial peptides. Possible sources of the chain-length-dependent destructive potential of the β(3) /β(2) -nona- and β(3) /β(2) -dodecapeptide derivatives, and a possible relationship with the phosphate-to-phosphate and hydrocarbon thicknesses of GUVs, and eukaryotic cells are discussed. Further investigations with other types of GUVs and of eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism(s) of interaction of 'mixed' β(3) /β(2) -peptides with membranes and to evaluate possible biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Kolesinska
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technical University of Łodz, Zeromskiego 116, PL-90-924 Łodz (phone: +48-42-631-3149).
| | - Klaus Eyer
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-2990; fax: +41-44-632-114).,École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielle de la Ville de Paris, 10 Rue de Vauquelin, FR-75005 Paris
| | - Tom Robinson
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-2990; fax: +41-44-632-114).,Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Am Mühlenberg 1, DE-14476 Potsdam-Golm
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-2990; fax: +41-44-632-114).
| | - Albert K Beck
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-2990; fax: +41-44-632-114)
| | - Dieter Seebach
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Departement Chemie und Angewandte Biowissenschaften, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-2990; fax: +41-44-632-114).
| | - Peter Walde
- Institut für Polymere, Departement Materialwissenschaft, ETH-Zürich, Hönggerberg HCI, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, CH-8093 Zürich, (phone: +41-44-632-0473; fax: +41-44-632-126).
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Hümmer D, Kurth F, Naredi-Rainer N, Dittrich PS. Single cells in confined volumes: microchambers and microdroplets. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:447-58. [PMID: 26758781 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01314c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices capable of manipulating and guiding small fluid volumes open new methodical approaches in the fields of biology, pharmacy, and medicine. They have already proven their extraordinary value for cell analysis. The emergence of microfluidic platforms has paved the way to novel analytical strategies for the positioning, treatment and observation of living cells, for the creation of chemically defined liquid environments, and for tailoring biomechanical or physical conditions in small volumes. In this article, we particularly focus on two complementary approaches: (i) the isolation of cells in small chambers defined by microchannels and integrated valves and (ii) the encapsulation of cells in microdroplets. We review the advantages and limitations of both approaches and discuss their potential for single-cell analysis and related fields. Our intention is also to give a recommendation on which platform is most appropriate for a new question, i.e., a guideline to choose the most suitable platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hümmer
- ETH Zurich - Department of Biosystems Science Engineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - F Kurth
- ETH Zurich - Department of Biosystems Science Engineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - N Naredi-Rainer
- ETH Zurich - Department of Biosystems Science Engineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - P S Dittrich
- ETH Zurich - Department of Biosystems Science Engineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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35
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Kurth F, Franco-Obregón A, Bärtschi CA, Dittrich PS. An adaptable stage perfusion incubator for the controlled cultivation of C2C12 myoblasts. Analyst 2015; 140:127-33. [PMID: 25368875 DOI: 10.1039/c4an01758g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Here we present a stage perfusion incubation system that allows for the cultivation of mammalian cells within PDMS microfluidic devices for long-term microscopic examination and analysis. The custom-built stage perfusion incubator is adaptable to any x-y microscope stage and is enabled for temperature, gas and humidity control as well as equipped with chip and tubing holder. The applied double-layered microfluidic chip allows the predetermined positioning and concentration of cells while the gas permeable PDMS material facilitates pH control via CO2 levels throughout the chip. We demonstrate the functionality of this system by culturing C2C12 murine myoblasts in buffer free medium within its confines for up to 26 hours. We moreover demonstrated the system's compatibility with various chip configurations, other cells lines (HEK-293 cells) and for longer-term culturing. The cost-efficient system are applicable for any type of PDMS-based cell culture system. Detailed technical drawings and specification to reproduce this perfusion incubation system is provided in the ESI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Kurth
- ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Kurth F, Franco-Obregón A, Casarosa M, Küster SK, Wuertz-Kozak K, Dittrich PS. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2-mediated shear-stress responses in C2C12 myoblasts are regulated by serum and extracellular matrix. FASEB J 2015. [PMID: 26207028 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-275396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The developmental sensitivity of skeletal muscle to mechanical forces is unparalleled in other tissues. Calcium entry via reputedly mechanosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channel classes has been shown to play an essential role in both the early proliferative stage and subsequent differentiation of skeletal muscle myoblasts, particularly TRP canonical (TRPC) 1 and TRP vanilloid (TRPV) 2. Here we show that C2C12 murine myoblasts respond to fluid flow-induced shear stress with increments in cytosolic calcium that are largely initiated by the mechanosensitive opening of TRPV2 channels. Response to fluid flow was augmented by growth in low extracellular serum concentration (5 vs. 20% fetal bovine serum) by greater than 9-fold and at 18 h in culture, coincident with the greatest TRPV2 channel expression under identical conditions (P < 0.02). Fluid flow responses were also enhanced by substrate functionalization with laminin, rather than with fibronectin, agreeing with previous findings that the gating of TRPV2 is facilitated by laminin. Fluid flow-induced calcium increments were blocked by ruthenium red (27%) and SKF-96365 (38%), whereas they were unaltered by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, further corroborating that TRPV2 channels play a predominant role in fluid flow mechanosensitivity over that of TRPC1 and TRP melastatin (TRPM) 7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Kurth
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
| | - Alfredo Franco-Obregón
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
| | - Marco Casarosa
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
| | - Simon K Küster
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
| | - Karin Wuertz-Kozak
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- *Department of Biosystems and Science Engineering and Institute for Biomechanics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and National University Hospital Sports Centre, Singapore
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Kopf J, Paarmann P, Hiepen C, Horbelt D, Knaus P. BMP growth factor signaling in a biomechanical context. Biofactors 2014; 40:171-87. [PMID: 24123658 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 07/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily of secreted polypeptide growth factors and are important regulators in a multitude of cellular processes. To ensure the precise and balanced propagation of their pleiotropic signaling responses, BMPs and their corresponding signaling pathways are subject to tight control. A large variety of regulatory mechanisms throughout different biological levels combines into a complex network and provides the basis for physiological BMP function. This regulatory network not only includes biochemical factors but also mechanical cues. Both BMP signaling and mechanotransduction pathways are tightly interconnected and represent an elaborate signaling network active during development but also during organ homeostasis. Moreover, its dysregulation is associated with a number of human pathologies. A more detailed understanding of this crosstalk in respect to molecular interactions will be indispensable in the future, in particular to understand BMP-related diseases as well as with regard to an efficient clinical application of BMP ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Kopf
- Institute for Chemistry/Biochemistry, Freie Universität, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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38
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Jacobs MJ, Blank K. Joining forces: integrating the mechanical and optical single molecule toolkits. Chem Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3sc52502c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Combining single molecule force measurements with fluorescence detection opens up exciting new possibilities for the characterization of mechanoresponsive molecules in Biology and Materials Science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique J. Jacobs
- Radboud University Nijmegen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Department of Molecular Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Blank
- Radboud University Nijmegen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Department of Molecular Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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39
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Siddique R, Thakor N. Investigation of nerve injury through microfluidic devices. J R Soc Interface 2013; 11:20130676. [PMID: 24227311 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2013.0676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic injuries, both in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), can potentially lead to irreversible damage resulting in permanent loss of function. Investigating the complex dynamics involved in these processes may elucidate the biological mechanisms of both nerve degeneration and regeneration, and may potentially lead to the development of new therapies for recovery. A scientific overview on the biological foundations of nerve injury is presented. Differences between nerve regeneration in the central and PNS are discussed. Advances in microtechnology over the past several years have led to the development of invaluable tools that now facilitate investigation of neurobiology at the cellular scale. Microfluidic devices are explored as a means to study nerve injury at the necessary simplification of the cellular level, including those devices aimed at both chemical and physical injury, as well as those that recreate the post-injury environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rezina Siddique
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, , Baltimore, MD, USA
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40
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Abstract
Bone is a tissue that dynamically adapts mass and architecture to the mechanical loads that occur in daily life in a world with gravity. Bone architecture and mass are influenced by the applied tension peak, whereas the bone formation rate is modulated by the stimulus frequency. In bone tissue, osteocytes govern the detection of mechanical afferents and their transformation into biochemical messages, therefore these cells can be considered a mechanosensor that directs osteogenesis to where it is most needed to increase bone strength. The stimulation of osteocytes occurs with several modalities: shear stress and stretch, extracellular pressure modifications, strains, variations of electric field in and around osteocytes lacunae. The osteocyte network, under physiological conditions, activates osteoclastogenesis and suppresses osteoblast function enhancing bone resorption and inhibiting bone formation. In the unloaded condition, the functions of the osteocyte network are augmented, whereas exercise could decrease inhibitory effects on bone mass by reducing both osteoclastogenesis and inhibition on osteoblast function.
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41
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Travagliati M, Girardo S, Pisignano D, Beltram F, Cecchini M. Easy monitoring of velocity fields in microfluidic devices using spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy. Anal Chem 2013; 85:8080-4. [PMID: 23919917 DOI: 10.1021/ac4019796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy (STICS) is a simple and powerful technique, well established as a tool to probe protein dynamics in cells. Recently, its potential as a tool to map velocity fields in lab-on-a-chip systems was discussed. However, the lack of studies on its performance has prevented its use for microfluidics applications. Here, we systematically and quantitatively explore STICS microvelocimetry in microfluidic devices. We exploit a simple experimental setup, based on a standard bright-field inverted microscope (no fluorescence required) and a high-fps camera, and apply STICS to map liquid flow in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels. Our data demonstrates optimal 2D velocimetry up to 10 mm/s flow and spatial resolution down to 5 μm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Travagliati
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto di Nanoscienze - CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy.
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Benavides Damm T, Richard S, Tanner S, Wyss F, Egli M, Franco-Obregón A. Calcium-dependent deceleration of the cell cycle in muscle cells by simulated microgravity. FASEB J 2013; 27:2045-54. [PMID: 23363573 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-218693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Of all our mechanosensitive tissues, skeletal muscle is the most developmentally responsive to physical activity. Conversely, restricted mobility due to injury or disease results in muscle atrophy. Gravitational force is another form of mechanical input with profound developmental consequences. The mechanical unloading resulting from the reduced gravitational force experienced during spaceflight results in oxidative muscle loss. We examined the early stages of myogenesis under conditions of simulated microgravity (SM). C2C12 mouse myoblasts in SM proliferated more slowly (2.23× less) as a result of their being retained longer within the G2/M phase of the cell cycle (2.10× more) relative to control myoblasts at terrestrial gravity. Blocking calcium entry via TRP channels with SKF-96365 (10-20 μM) accumulated myoblasts within the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and retarded their proliferation. On the genetic level, SM resulted in the reduced expression of TRPC1 and IGF-1 isoforms, transcriptional events regulated by calcium downstream of mechanical input. A decrease in TRPC1-mediated calcium entry thus appears to be a pivotal event in the muscle atrophy brought on by gravitational mechanical unloading. Hence, relieving the constant force of gravity on cells might prove one valid experimental approach to expose the underlying mechanisms modulating mechanically regulated developmental programs.
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Mechanical cues in cellular signalling and communication. Cell Tissue Res 2012; 352:77-94. [PMID: 23224763 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1531-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Multicellular organisms comprise an organized array of individual cells surrounded by a meshwork of biomolecules and fluids. Cells have evolved various ways to communicate with each other, so that they can exchange information and thus fulfil their specified and unique functions. At the same time, cells are also physical entities that are subjected to a variety of local and global mechanical cues arising in the microenvironment. Cells are equipped with several different mechanisms to sense the physical properties of the microenvironment and the mechanical forces arising within it. These mechanical cues can elicit a variety of responses that have been shown to play a crucial role in vivo. In this review, we discuss the current views and understanding of cell mechanics and demonstrate the emerging evidence of the interplay between physiological mechanical cues and cell-cell communication pathways.
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