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Zhang S, Liu J, Feng F, Jia Y, Xu F, Wei Z, Zhang M. Rational design of viscoelastic hydrogels for periodontal ligament remodeling and repair. Acta Biomater 2024; 174:69-90. [PMID: 38101557 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a distinctive yet critical connective tissue vital for maintaining the integrity and functionality of tooth-supporting structures. However, PDL repair poses significant challenges due to the complexity of its mechanical microenvironment encompassing hard-soft-hard tissues, with the viscoelastic properties of the PDL being of particular interest. This review delves into the significant role of viscoelastic hydrogels in PDL regeneration, underscoring their utility in simulating biomimetic three-dimensional microenvironments. We review the intricate relationship between PDL and viscoelastic mechanical properties, emphasizing the role of tissue viscoelasticity in maintaining mechanical functionality. Moreover, we summarize the techniques for characterizing PDL's viscoelastic behavior. From a chemical bonding perspective, we explore various crosslinking methods and characteristics of viscoelastic hydrogels, along with engineering strategies to construct viscoelastic cell microenvironments. We present a detailed analysis of the influence of the viscoelastic microenvironment on cellular mechanobiological behavior and fate. Furthermore, we review the applications of diverse viscoelastic hydrogels in PDL repair and address current challenges in the field of viscoelastic tissue repair. Lastly, we propose future directions for the development of innovative hydrogels that will facilitate not only PDL but also systemic ligament tissue repair. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songbai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Jingyi Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Fan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China
| | - Yuanbo Jia
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Zhao Wei
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
| | - Min Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of General Dentistry and Emergency, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
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Cho DH, Aguayo S, Cartagena-Rivera AX. Atomic force microscopy-mediated mechanobiological profiling of complex human tissues. Biomaterials 2023; 303:122389. [PMID: 37988897 PMCID: PMC10842832 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Tissue mechanobiology is an emerging field with the overarching goal of understanding the interplay between biophysical and biochemical responses affecting development, physiology, and disease. Changes in mechanical properties including stiffness and viscosity have been shown to describe how cells and tissues respond to mechanical cues and modify critical biological functions. To quantitatively characterize the mechanical properties of tissues at physiologically relevant conditions, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a highly versatile biomechanical technology. In this review, we describe the fundamental principles of AFM, typical AFM modalities used for tissue mechanics, and commonly used elastic and viscoelastic contact mechanics models to characterize complex human tissues. Furthermore, we discuss the application of AFM-based mechanobiology to characterize the mechanical responses within complex human tissues to track their developmental, physiological/functional, and diseased states, including oral, hearing, and cancer-related tissues. Finally, we discuss the current outlook and challenges to further advance the field of tissue mechanobiology. Altogether, AFM-based tissue mechanobiology provides a mechanistic understanding of biological processes governing the unique functions of tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Cho
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sebastian Aguayo
- Dentistry School, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Schools of Engineering, Medicine, and Biological Sciences, Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexander X Cartagena-Rivera
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Construction of hyperelastic model of human periodontal ligament based on collagen fibers distribution. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2022; 135:105484. [PMID: 36179616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The human periodontal ligament (PDL) dominated by collagen fibers showed hyperelastic mechanical behavior under orthodontic force. Despite previous researches on the hyperelastic model of PDL, there were certain limitations because of the types of samples and the ignorance of distribution of collagen fibers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the effect of collagen fibers distribution of human PDL on its hyperelastic behavior. METHODS A total of 6 human PDL samples of root neck, root middle and root apex were cut from human maxillary central incisor and lateral incisor. The spatial angles of collagen fibers were observed by optical microscope, the hyperelastic model was constructed combined with the observation results. The quasi-static uniaxial tensile tests with displacement load 0.05 mm/min were carried out, and the test data were used to identify the parameters of model. RESULTS The mechanical behavior of human PDL conformed to the trend of hyperelastic materials, and greatly depended on the spatial angles of internal collagen fibers. The R2 value statistical fit of the constitutive model to the data is excellent (R2 > 0.98). This model could excellently describe the hyperelastic properties of human PDL. SIGNIFICANCE In this study, we quantitatively described the effect of spatial distribution of collagen fibers on the mechanical properties of human PDL. The accuracy of this model was verified by the uniaxial test data, and the relevant model parameters were acquired, which have certain reference value in subsequent researches on hyperelasticity of human PDL and clinical treatment.
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Zhong J, Pierantoni M, Weinkamer R, Brumfeld V, Zheng K, Chen J, Swain MV, Weiner S, Li Q. Microstructural heterogeneity of the collagenous network in the loaded and unloaded periodontal ligament and its biomechanical implications. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107772. [PMID: 34311076 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a highly heterogeneous fibrous connective tissue and plays a critical role in distributing occlusal forces and regulating tissue remodeling. Its mechanical properties are largely determined by the extracellular matrix, comprising a collagenous fiber network interacting with the capillary system as well as interstitial fluid containing proteoglycans. While the phase-contrast micro-CT technique has portrayed the 3D microscopic heterogeneity of PDL, the topological parameters of its network, which is crucial to understanding the multiscale constitutive behavior of this tissue, has not been characterized quantitatively. This study aimed to provide new understanding of such microscopic heterogeneity of the PDL with quantifications at both tissue and collagen network levels in a spatial manner, by combining phase-contrast micro-CT imaging and a purpose-built image processing algorithm for fiber analysis. Both variations within a PDL and among the PDL with different shapes, i.e. round-shaped and kidney-shaped PDLs, are described in terms of tissue thickness, fiber distribution, local fiber densities, and fiber orientation (namely azimuthal and elevation angles). Furthermore, the tissue and collagen fiber network responses to mechanical loading were evaluated in a similar manner. A 3D helical alignment pattern was observed in the fiber network, which appears to regulate and adapt a screw-like tooth motion under occlusion. The microstructural heterogeneity quantified here allows development of sample-specific constitutive models to characterize the PDL's functional and pathological loading responses, thereby providing a new multiscale framework for advancing our knowledge of this complex limited mobility soft-hard tissue interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxiao Zhong
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maria Pierantoni
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Richard Weinkamer
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Vlad Brumfeld
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Keke Zheng
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Junning Chen
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael V Swain
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Steve Weiner
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Qing Li
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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Viscoelastic Properties in Cancer: From Cells to Spheroids. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071704. [PMID: 34359874 PMCID: PMC8304080 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AFM-based rheology methods enable the investigation of the viscoelastic properties of cancer cells. Such properties are known to be essential for cell functions, especially for malignant cells. Here, the relevance of the force modulation method was investigated to characterize the viscoelasticity of bladder cancer cells of various invasiveness on soft substrates, revealing that the rheology parameters are a signature of malignancy. Furthermore, the collagen microenvironment affects the viscoelastic moduli of cancer cell spheroids; thus, collagen serves as a powerful proxy, leading to an increase of the dynamic moduli vs. frequency, as predicted by a double power law model. Taken together, these results shed new light on how cancer cells and tissues adapt their viscoelastic properties depending on their malignancy and the microenvironment. This method could be an attractive way to control their properties in the future, based on the similarity of spheroids with in vivo tumor models.
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