Tissue engineering in cardiovascular surgery: MTT, a rapid and reliable quantitative method to assess the optimal human cell seeding on polymeric meshes

Photocrosslinked Fish Collagen Peptide/Chitin Nanofiber Composite Hydrogels from Marine Resources: Preparation, Mechanical Properties, and an In Vitro Study

Fish collagen peptide (FCP) is a water-soluble polymer with easy accessibility, bioactivity, and reactivity due to its solubility. The gelation of FCP can be carried out by chemical crosslinking, but the mechanical strength of FCP hydrogel is very low because of its intrinsically low molecular weight. Therefore, the mechanical properties of FCP gel should be improved for its wider application as a biomaterial. In this study, we investigated the mechanical properties of M-FCP gel in the context of understanding the influence of chitin nanofibers (CHNFs) on FCP hydrogels. FCP with a number average molecular weight (M_n) of ca. 5000 was reacted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and used for the preparation of photocrosslinked hydrogels. Subsequently, composite hydrogels of methacrylate-modified FCP (M-FCP) and CHNF were prepared by the photoirradiation of a solution of M-FCP containing dispersed CHNF at an intensity of ~60 mW/cm² for 450 s in the presence of 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959) as a photoinitiator. Compression and tensile tests of the FCP hydrogels were carried out using a universal tester. The compression and tensile strength of the hydrogel increased 10-fold and 4-fold, respectively, by the addition of 0.6% CHNF (20% M-FCP), and Young's modulus increased 2.5-fold (20% M-FCP). The highest compression strength of the M-FCP/CHNF hydrogel was ~300 kPa. Cell proliferation tests using fibroblast cells revealed that the hydrogel with CHNF showed good cell compatibility. The cells showed good adhesion on the M-FCP gel with CHNF, and the growth of fibroblast cells after 7 days was higher on the M-FCP/CHNF gel than on the M-FCP gel without CHNF. In conclusion, we found that CHNF improved the mechanical properties as well as the fibroblast cell compatibility, indicating that M-FCP hydrogels reinforced with CHNF are useful as scaffolds and wound-dressing materials.

Comprehensive Review on the Degradation Chemistry and Toxicity Studies of Functional Materials

In recent decades there has been growing interest of material chemists in the successful development of functional materials for drug delivery, tissue engineering, imaging, diagnosis, theranostic, and other biomedical applications with advanced nanotechnology tools. The efficacy and safety of functional materials are determined by their pharmacological, toxicological, and immunogenic effects. It is essential to consider all degradation pathways of functional materials and to assess plausible intermediates and final products for quality control. This review provides a brief insight into chemical degradation mechanisms of functional materials like oxidation, photodegradation, and physical and enzymatic degradation. The intermediates and products of degradation were confirmed with analytical methods such as proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mass spectroscopy, and other sophisticated analytical methods. These analytical methods are also used for regulatory, quality control, and stability purposes in industry. The assessment of degradation is important to predetermine the behavior of functional materials in specific storage conditions and can be relevant to their behavior during in vivo applications. Another important aspect is the evaluation of the toxicity of functional materials. Toxicity can be accessed with various methods using in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and in silico models. In vitro cell culture methods are used to determine mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species, stress responses, and cellular toxicity. In vitro cellular toxicity can be measured by MTT assay, LDH leakage assay, and hemolysis. In vivo studies are performed using various animal models involving zebrafish, rodents (mice and rats), and nonhuman primates. Ex vivo studies are also used for efficacy and toxicity determinations of functional materials like ex vivo potency assay and precision-cut liver slice (PCLS) models. The in silico tools with computational simulations like quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR), pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), dose and time response, and quantitative cationic-activity relationships ((Q)CARs) are used for prediction of the toxicity of functional materials. In this review, we studied the principle methods used for degradation studies, different degradation pathways, and mechanisms of functional material degradation with prototype examples. We discuss toxicity assessments with different toxicity approaches used for estimation of the safety and efficacy of functional materials.

Morphological Modification of Carbon Nanoparticles after Interacting with Methotrexate as a Potential Anticancer Agent

PURPOSE

Production of highly penetrable and targetable drug delivery particles is mainly focused by current therapy and such focus is achieved in our present study. The carbon nanoparticle (CNP) prepared from purely natural source was modified from spherical shape to cylindrical floral like structure after treatment with the anticancer drug methotrexate (CM).

METHODS

The physiochemical properties of the CNP and CM was characterized using FT-IR/Raman Spectrometer, XRD, SEM, AFM, particle size analyzer and its biological evaluation using haemolysis and MTT assay.

RESULTS

The shift in FT-IR peaks at 1592, 1120 cm^-1 and peaks of raman spectra observed at 1303, 1300 cm^-1 represents ordered carbon nanotubes. The morphological change from spherical to cylindrical floral like structure was observed using SEM and AFM and its particle size distribution analysis shows an average diameter of 269 nm for CM. XRD peak at 2θ = 23.86° (002) indicates the presence of large amount of amorphous material that corresponds to multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Haemocompatibility studies proved the safety level usage as 100 μg/ml and MTT assay shows viability rate of 85-98% with mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH/3 T3) and 30-45% with pancreatic carcinoma (MIA PaCa-2) and gastric cancer cell lines (SNU- 484) respectively.These results are also supported by phase contrast microscope images observed after staining with calcein AM and EthD-1.

CONCLUSIONS

The morphologically modified CNPs has shown good anticancer, biocompatibility and haemocompatibility property which is an important criterion to be satisfied by a biomedical product.

In Vitro Cytocompatibility and Osteoinduction of Phosphorylated Chitosan with Osteoblasts

The cytocompatibility and osteoinduction of water-soluble phosphorylated chitosan (P-chitosan), that was modified by PO23 groups, with neonatal rat osteoblasts in vitro was studied. To identify the biocompatibility of P-chitosan with osteoblasts, the biofunctions of osteoblast cells, in the presence of three different concentrations of P-chitosan solutions as culture media and DMEM with 10% FBS as controls, were determined. The osteoblast differences in the P-chitosan solutions and on chitosan films were also investigated with immunocytochemistry. It was found, based on the ALP activity and mineralization assay that water-soluble P-chitosan has excellent cytocompatibility compared to the chitosan without phosphorylated modification. P-chitosan concentrations as high as 2% had a significant influence on cytocompatibility and osteoinduction; one tissue (or derived product) caused a second undifferentiated tissue to differentiate into bone. Water-soluble P-chitosan could be a promising osteoinductive biomaterial for tissue engineering and orthopedic uses.

Polysaccharide Scaffolds Prepared by Crosslinking of Polysaccharides with Chitosan or Proteins for Cell Growth

The synthesis and characterization of sponges composed of polysaccharides crosslinked with different amine-containing natural polymers for the use as cell carriers is described. Sponges based on arabinogalactan, dextran, and amylose were synthesized by crosslinking with chitosan, or with the protein: gelatin, or bovine serum albumin. Highly porous sponges that rapidly absorbed water with little change in size were obtained. The degradation rate of the sponges was varied by controlling the oxidation with periodate or perchlorite for different times and ratios, in order to tailor the sponges for use as cell carriers in tissue engineering. The sponges performed well as a platform for the growth of bEnd2 cells. The chitosan based sponges were the most effective and cell compatible.

Tuning cell adhesion on polymeric and nanocomposite surfaces: Role of topography versus superhydrophobicity

Development of surface modification procedures which allow tuning the cell adhesion on the surface of biomaterials and devices is of great importance. In this study, the effects of different topographies and wettabilities on cell adhesion behavior of polymeric surfaces are investigated. To this end, an improved phase separation method was proposed to impart various wettabilities (hydrophobic and superhydrophobic) on polypropylene surfaces. Surface morphologies and compositions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Cell culture was conducted to evaluate the adhesion of 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells. It was found that processing conditions such as drying temperature is highly influential in cell adhesion behavior due to the formation of an utterly different surface topography. It was concluded that surface topography plays a more significant role in cell adhesion behavior rather than superhydrophobicity since the nano-scale topography highly inhibited the cell adhesion as compared to the micro-scale topography. Such cell repellent behavior could be very useful in many biomedical devices such as those in drug delivery and blood contacting applications as well as biosensors.

Synthesis, Characterization and Molecular Docking of Novel Bioactive Thiazolyl-Thiazole Derivatives as Promising Cytotoxic Antitumor Drug

Reactions of ethylidenethiocarbohydrazide with hydrazonoyl halides gave 1,3-thiazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives according to the type of hydrazonoyl halides. Treatment of ethylidenethiosemicarbazide with hydrazonoyl halides and dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) afforded the corresponding arylazothiazoles and 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives, respectively. The structures of the synthesized products were confirmed by IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and mass spectral techniques. The cytotoxic activity of the selected products against the Hepatic carcinoma cell line (Hepg-2) was determined by MTT assay indicating a concentration dependent cellular growth inhibitory effect, especially for compounds 14c and 14e. The dose response curves indicated the IC₅₀ (the concentration of test compounds required to kill 50% of cell population) were 0.54 μM and 0.50 μM, respectively. Confocal laser scanning imaging of the treated cells stained by Rhodamin 123 and Acridine orange dyes confirmed that the selected compounds inhibit the mitochondrial lactate dehydrogenase enzymes. The binding mode of the active compounds was interpreted by a molecular docking study. The obtained results revealed promising cytotoxic activity.

Incorporation of fibrin into a collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix results in a scaffold with improved mechanical properties and enhanced capacity to resist cell-mediated contraction

Fibrin has many uses as a tissue engineering scaffold, however many in vivo studies have shown a reduction in function resulting from the susceptibility of fibrin to cell-mediated contraction. The overall aim of the present study was to develop and characterise a reinforced natural scaffold using fibrin, collagen and glycosaminoglycan (FCG), and to examine the cell-mediated contraction of this scaffold in comparison to fibrin gels. Through the use of an injection loading technique, a homogenous FCG scaffold was developed. Mechanical testing showed a sixfold increase in compressive modulus and a thirtyfold increase in tensile modulus of fibrin when reinforced with a collagen-glycosaminoglycan backbone structure. Human vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) were successfully incorporated into the FCG scaffold and demonstrated excellent viability over 7 days, while proliferation of these cells also increased significantly. VSMCs were seeded into both FCG and fibrin-only gels at the same seeding density for 7 days and while FCG scaffolds did not demonstrate a reduction in size, fibrin-only gels contracted to 10% of their original diameter. The FCG scaffold, which is composed of natural biomaterials, shows potential for use in applications where dimensional stability is crucial to the functionality of the tissue.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Fibrin is a versatile scaffold for tissue engineering applications, but its weak mechanical properties leave it susceptible to cell-mediated contraction, meaning the dimensions of the fibrin construct will change over time. We have reinforced fibrin with a collagen glycosaminoglycan matrix and characterised the mechanical properties and bioactivity of the reinforced fibrin (FCG). This is the first scaffold manufactured from all naturally derived materials that resists cell-mediated contraction. In fact, over 7 days, the FCG scaffold fully resisted cell-mediated contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells. This FCG scaffold has many potential applications where natural scaffold materials can encourage regeneration.

Ex vivo non-invasive assessment of cell viability and proliferation in bio-engineered whole organ constructs

Decellularized organ scaffolds allow whole organ regeneration and study of cell behavior in three-dimensional culture conditions. Cell viability within the bio-engineered organ constructs is an essential parameter reflecting the performance of participating cells during long-term ex vivo culture, and is a prerequisite for further functional performance. Resazurin-based redox metabolic assays have been used to monitor cell viability in both two- and three-dimensional cell cultures. Here we developed a method for monitoring cell viability and proliferation in bio-engineered organ constructs using a resazurin perfusion assay. This method allows non-invasive, repetitive and rapid estimation of viable cell numbers during long-term ex vivo culture. As a proof-of-principle, we assessed the performance of two different endothelial sources and the impact of different perfusion programs on endothelial viability after re-endothelialization of decellularized lung scaffolds. The resazurin-based perfusion assay revealed changes in endothelial viability and proliferation during long-term ex vivo culture, which was consistent with histological assessment at different time points. Finally, we showed that this method could be used for assessment of proliferation and cytotoxicity after pharmacological treatment on a three-dimensional non-small cell lung cancer culture model.

Investigating the role of surface micro/nano structure in cell adhesion behavior of superhydrophobic polypropylene/nanosilica surfaces

The main aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of different topographical features on the biological performance of polypropylene (PP)/silica coatings. To this end, a novel method including combined use of nanoparticles and non-solvent was used for preparation of superhydrophobic PP coatings. The proposed method led to a much more homogeneous appearance with a better adhesion to the glass substrate. Moreover, a notable reduction was observed in the required contents of nanoparticles (100-20 wt% with respect to the polymer) and non-solvent (35.5-9 vol%) for achieving superhydrophobicity. Surface composition and morphology of the coatings were also investigated via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Based on both qualitative and quantitative evaluations, it was found that the superhydrophobic coatings with only nano-scale roughness strongly prevented adhesion and proliferation of 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells as compared to the superhydrophobic surfaces with micro-scale structure. Such results demonstrate that the cell behavior could be controlled onto the polymer and nanocomposite-based surfaces via tuning the surface micro/nano structure.

Nanoparticle labeling of bone marrow-derived rat mesenchymal stem cells: their use in differentiation and tracking

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cellular therapies due to their ability to migrate to damaged tissue without inducing immune reaction. Many techniques have been developed to trace MSCs and their differentiation efficacy; however, all of these methods have limitations. Conjugated polymer based water-dispersible nanoparticles (CPN) represent a new class of probes because they offer high brightness, improved photostability, high fluorescent quantum yield, and noncytotoxicity comparing to conventional dyes and quantum dots. We aimed to use this tool for tracing MSCs' fate in vitro and in vivo. MSC marker expression, survival, and differentiation capacity were assessed upon CPN treatment. Our results showed that after CPN labeling, MSC markers did not change and significant number of cells were found to be viable as revealed by MTT. Fluorescent signals were retained for 3 weeks after they were differentiated into osteocytes, adipocytes, and chondrocytes in vitro. We also showed that the labeled MSCs migrated to the site of injury and retained their labels in an in vivo liver regeneration model. The utilization of nanoparticle could be a promising tool for the tracking of MSCs in vivo and in vitro and therefore can be a useful tool to understand differentiation and homing mechanisms of MSCs.

Rapid manufacturing techniques for the tissue engineering of human heart valves

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies have reached a level of quality that justifies considering rapid manufacturing for medical applications. Herein, we introduce a new approach using 3D printing to simplify and improve the fabrication of human heart valve scaffolds by tissue engineering (TE). Custom-made human heart valve scaffolds are to be fabricated on a selective laser-sintering 3D printer for subsequent seeding with vascular cells from human umbilical cords. The scaffolds will be produced from resorbable polymers that must feature a number of specific properties: the structure, i.e. particle granularity and shape, and thermic properties must be feasible for the printing process. They must be suitable for the cell-seeding process and at the same time should be resorbable. They must be applicable for implementation in the human body and flexible enough to support the full functionality of the valve. The research focuses mainly on the search for a suitable scaffold material that allows the implementation of both the printing process to produce the scaffolds and the cell-seeding process, while meeting all of the above requirements. Computer tomographic data from patients were transformed into a 3D data model suitable for the 3D printer. Our current activities involve various aspects of the printing process, material research and the implementation of the cell-seeding process. Different resorbable polymeric materials have been examined and used to fabricate heart valve scaffolds by rapid manufacturing. Human vascular cells attached to the scaffold surface should migrate additionally into the inner structure of the polymeric samples. The ultimate intention of our approach is to establish a heart valve fabrication process based on 3D rapid manufacturing and TE. Based on the computer tomographic data of a patient, a custom-made scaffold for a valve will be produced on a 3D printer and populated preferably by autologous cells. The long-term goal is to support the growth of a new valve by a 3D structure resorbed by the human body in the course of the growth process. Our current activities can be characterized as basic research in which the fundamental steps of the technical process and its feasibility are investigated.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite scaffolds based on triblock copolymer of L-lactide, ε-caprolactone and nano-hydroxyapatite for bone tissue engineering

The employment of biodegradable polymer scaffolds is one of the main approaches for achieving a tissue engineered construct to reproduce bone tissues, which provide a three dimensional template to regenerate desirable tissues for different applications. The main goal of this study is to design a novel triblock scaffold reinforced with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) for hard tissue engineering using gas foaming/salt leaching method with minimum solvent usage. With this end in view, the biodegradable triblock copolymers of l-lactide and ε-caprolactone with different mol% were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization method in the presence of Sn(Oct)2 catalyst as initiator and ethylene glycol as co-initiator. The chemical compositions of biodegradable copolymers were characterized by means of FTIR and NMR. The thermal and crystallization behaviors of copolymers were characterized using TGA and DSC thermograms. Moreover, nano-hydroxyapatite was synthesized by the chemical precipitation process and was thoroughly characterized by FTIR, XRD and TEM. Additionally, the nanocomposites with different contents of nHA were prepared by mixing triblock copolymer with nHA. Mechanical properties of the prepared nanocomposites were evaluated by stress-strain measurements. It was found that the nanocomposite with 30% of nHA showed the optimum result. Therefore, nanocomposite scaffolds with 30% nHA were fabricated by gas foaming/salt leaching method and SEM images were used to observe the microstructure and morphology of nanocomposites and nanocomposite scaffolds before and after cell culture. The in-vitro and cell culture tests were also carried out to further evaluate the biological properties. The results revealed that the porous scaffolds were biocompatible to the osteoblast cells because the cells spread and grew well. The resultant nanocomposites could be considered as good candidates for use in bone tissue engineering.

Bio-modified carbon nanoparticles loaded with methotrexate possible carrier for anticancer drug delivery

The modification of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) using biological molecules is important in the field of chemical biology, as the CNPs have the potential to deliver the drugs directly to the targeted cells and tissues. We have modified the CNPs by coating bovine serum albumin (BSA) on their surfaces and loaded with methotrexate (Mtx). Infrared spectra have revealed the coating of BSA and Mtx on CNP (CBM). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) pictures have exhibited the spherical nature of the composite and coating of the proteins on CNPs. The prepared CBM biocomposite has exhibited a sustained release of drug. MTT assay using A549 lung cancer cell lines has revealed 83% cell death at 150 μg/ml concentration of CBM. These results indicate that CNPs based biocomposites may be tried as therapeutic agents in treatment of cancer like diseases.

Use of the mitochondria toxicity assay for quantifying the viable cell density of microencapsulated jurkat cells

The mitochondria toxicity assay (MTT assay) is an established method for monitoring cell viability based on mitochondrial activity. Here the MTT assay is proposed for the in situ quantification of the living cell density of microencapsulated Jurkat cells. Three systems were used to encapsulate the cells, namely a membrane consisting of an interpenetrating polyelectrolyte network of sodium cellulose sulphate/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (NaCS/PDADMAC), a calcium alginate hydrogel covered with poly(L-lysine) (Ca-alg-PLL), and a novel calcium alginate-poly(ethylene glycol) hybrid material (Ca-alg-PEG). MTT results were correlated to data obtained by the trypan blue exclusion assay after release of the cells from the NaCS/PDADMAC and Ca-alg-PLL capsules, while a resazurin-based assay was used for comparison in case of the Ca-alg-PEG material. Analysis by MTT assay allows quick and reliable determination of viable cell densities of encapsulated cells independent of the capsule material. The assay is highly reproducible with inter-assay relative standard deviations below 10%.

Polarised bovine endometrial epithelial cells vectorially secrete prostaglandins and chemotactic factors under physiological and pathological conditions

Epithelial cells of the endometrium secrete prostaglandins to regulate the bovine oestrous cycle and form a functional barrier to microbes. However, bacterial infection of the endometrium commonly causes infertility in dairy cattle by disrupting endometrial physiology. Epithelial cell cultures are used to study the mechanisms of physiology and pathology, but 2D cultures may not reflect the 3D complexity of the epithelium. In this study, a polarised epithelial cell transwell culture was developed, using transepithelial resistance (TER), to monitor epithelial integrity. Polarised epithelial cells were treated with oxytocin and arachidonic acid to test physiological function and with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic bacterial infection. Supernatants were analysed for prostaglandin E(2) (PGE), prostaglandin F(2)(α), the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL8) and the ability of supernatants to induce neutrophil migration. Confluent epithelial cells established polarity when TER was >1800  Ω cm(2) and predominantly released prostaglandins basolaterally. In contrast, IL8 from epithelial cells accumulated apically and the supernatants were highly chemotactic for neutrophils. The striking exception was when the epithelial cells were treated with LPS in the apical or basolateral compartment independently, which led to the release of IL8 towards the treated compartment. Although stromal cells also accumulated PGE and IL8 in response to treatment, co-culture of stromal cells in the well below polarised epithelial cells did not influence cellular responses. In conclusion, polarised endometrial epithelial cells vectorially released prostaglandins and chemokines to reflect their respective mechanistic roles in physiology and pathology.

Ruthenium(II) [3 + 2 + 1] mixed ligand complexes: substituent effect on photolability, photooxidation of bases, photocytotoxicity and photonuclease activity

Mixed ligand complexes of ruthenium(II), [Ru(itpy)(bpy)Cl]ClO(4)1, [Ru(itpy)(phen)Cl]ClO(4)2, [Ru(bitpy)(bpy)Cl]ClO(4)3 and [Ru(bitpy)(phen)Cl]ClO(4)4 have been synthesized and characterized. Complex 3 has also been characterized crystallographically. These complexes exhibit photolability of the Ru-Cl bond. Upon irradiation at 440 nm in the presence of nucleosides and nucleotides the complexes exchange chloride for the nucleoside or nucleotide. The photolability of the Ru-Cl bond depends on the nature of the substituent in the tridentate tpy ligand. Photolysis of the complexes in the presence of a nucleoside or nucleotide also produces 8-oxoguanine due to the oxidation of guanine by the excited states of the complexes. These four complexes exhibit photonuclease properties and bring about the cleavage of plasmid DNA when irradiated at 440 nm. These complexes have been found to be toxic towards NIH 3T3 cells under photolytic conditions.

Posterolateral spinal fusion with nano-hydroxyapatite-collagen/PLA composite and autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in a rabbit model

Spinal fusion is routinely performed to treat low back pain caused by degeneration of intervertebral discs. An autologous bone graft derived from the iliac crest is the standard procedure used for spinal fusion. However, several shortcomings, including pseudarthrosis, pain and the need for blood transfusion are known to be associated with the procedure. Our study analysed the effectiveness of a new mineralized collagen matrix, nano-hydroxyapatite-collagen-polylactic acid (nHAC-PLA), combined with autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) as a graft material for posterolateral spinal fusion in a rabbit model. Forty rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: autologous iliac crest bone group (ACB), nHAC-PLA composite group (nHAC-PLA), autologous iliac crest bone mixed with nHAC-PLA composite group (ACB + nHAC-PLA), and nHAC-PLA composite combined with ADMSCs (ADMSCs + nHAC-PLA). The viability and the proliferation of the ADMSCs seeded on the scaffolds were evaluated by live/dead kit and MTT assay in vitro, respectively. Lumbar posterolateral fusions were assessed by manual palpation, radiographical and histological procedures, mechanical strength and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) in 10 weeks of observation. The results showed that the rate of fusion was significantly higher in the ACB and ADMSCs + nHAC-PLA groups than that in the nHAC-PLA and ACB + nHAC-PLA groups. It was not significantly higher in the ACB group than in the ADMSCs + nHAC-PLA group. From microstructural analysis of the samples using histological staining methods, there was more new bone-like tissue formation in the ACB and ADMSCs + nHAC-PLA groups than that in the other two groups at the 10th postoperative week. Our study demonstrated the effective impact of nHAC-PLA combined with ADMSCs in rabbit posterolateral spinal fusion.

Preparation of 3D fibroin/chitosan blend porous scaffold for tissue engineering via a simplified method

In this work, we developed a simple and flexible method to manufacture a 3D porous scaffold based on the blend of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) and chitosan (CS). No crosslinker or other toxic reagents were used in this method. The pores of resulted 3D scaffolds were connected with each other, and their sizes could be easily controlled by the concentration of the mixed solution. Compared with pure RSF scaffolds, the water absorptivities of these RSF/CS blend scaffolds with significantly enhanced mechanical properties were greatly increased. The results of MTT and RT-PCR tests indicated that the chondrocytes grew very well in these blend RSF/CS porous scaffolds. This suggested that the RSF/CS blend scaffold prepared by this new method could be a promising candidate for applications in tissue engineering.

Cryopreservation of Cell/Hydrogel Constructs Based on a New Cell-assembling Technique

Organ manufacturing is a promising method to replace failing complex organs. In this study, a new cell cryopreservation technique was developed with cryoprotectants being directly incorporated into the cell/hydrogel construct according to predesigned structures and then subjected to a special freezing/thaw process. The hydration of the gelatin/alginate hydrogel was greatly increased while the eutectic temperature was decreased by the adding glycerol. The addition of dextran-40 was found to also effectively improve the cell survival when incorporated with glycerol. The most favorable cryoprotectant concentration was 2.5% glycerol with 5% dextran-40 in a gelatin/alginate hydrogel. Under these conditions, the cell viability in the construct was >95%. Microscopic observations, MTT analysis, hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that the cells proliferated immediately after thawing. The cells in the gelatin/alginate hydrogel with both glycerol and dextran-40 had proliferated more than with only glycerol or dextran-40 alone. This approach can be adapted for use in cell assembly in high-throughput drug screening and complex organ manufacturing areas.

A novel route in bone tissue engineering: magnetic biomimetic scaffolds

In recent years, interest in tissue engineering and its solutions has increased considerably. In particular, scaffolds have become fundamental tools in bone graft substitution and are used in combination with a variety of bio-agents. However, a long-standing problem in the use of these conventional scaffolds lies in the impossibility of re-loading the scaffold with the bio-agents after implantation. This work introduces the magnetic scaffold as a conceptually new solution. The magnetic scaffold is able, via magnetic driving, to attract and take up in vivo growth factors, stem cells or other bio-agents bound to magnetic particles. The authors succeeded in developing a simple and inexpensive technique able to transform standard commercial scaffolds made of hydroxyapatite and collagen in magnetic scaffolds. This innovative process involves dip-coating of the scaffolds in aqueous ferrofluids containing iron oxide nanoparticles coated with various biopolymers. After dip-coating, the nanoparticles are integrated into the structure of the scaffolds, providing the latter with magnetization values as high as 15 emu g(-)(1) at 10 kOe. These values are suitable for generating magnetic gradients, enabling magnetic guiding in the vicinity and inside the scaffold. The magnetic scaffolds do not suffer from any structural damage during the process, maintaining their specific porosity and shape. Moreover, they do not release magnetic particles under a constant flow of simulated body fluids over a period of 8 days. Finally, preliminary studies indicate the ability of the magnetic scaffolds to support adhesion and proliferation of human bone marrow stem cells in vitro. Hence, this new type of scaffold is a valuable candidate for tissue engineering applications, featuring a novel magnetic guiding option.

Comparison of Electrospun PBSU and PLGA Scaffolds Applied in Vascular Tissue Engineering

Poly(butylenes succinate) (PBSU) had good biocompatibility and biodegradability, but it is left unexplored for the possible application of PBSU in tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to compare PBSU and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds prepared by electrospinning technique as vascular tissue engineering materials. Both scaffolds were characterized by fiber morphology, pore structure and mechanical properties. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) were seeded on the electrospun PBSU and PLGA scaffolds and cultured for different time periods. Cell adhesion and proliferation on the scaffolds were measured by MTT assay, while SEM was used for observing cell morphology on the scaffolds. The results showed that fiber diameter of the electrospun scaffolds ranged from 300nm to 800nm and their porosities were higher than 90%. The electrospun PBSU scaffolds showed a high tensile strength of 2.06±0.11MPa, whereas the ultimate tensile strength of the electrospun PLGA scaffolds reached 14.31±5.24MPa. Cell adhesion efficacy had no significant difference between PBSU and PLGA scaffolds, but cell proliferation rate on PLGA scaffolds was significantly higher than that on PBSU scaffolds after 7 days of culture. Cell morphology was similar on both scaffolds with the polygonal shape for ECs and spindle-like shape for SMCs. From these results, the present in vitro study revealed that as compared to PLGA scaffolds, the electrospun PBSU scaffolds showed lower tensile strength and slower proliferation rate, but as regards the biocompatibility and pore structure, the electrospun PBSU scaffolds had a potential application in vascular tissue engineering.

A Novel Strategy Incorporated the Power of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Allografts for Segmental Bone Tissue Engineering

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for bone regeneration. However, the power of mesenchymal stem cells has not been applied to structural bone allografts in clinical practice. This study designed a new strategy to enhance the efficiency of allografts for segmental bone regeneration. Isolated MSCs were cultured to form a cell sheet. The MSC sheet was then wrapped onto structural allografts. The assembled structures were cultured in vitro to evaluate the differentiation potential of MSC sheet. The assembled structures were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice as well as into the segmental radius defect of rabbits to investigate the efficiency of MSC sheets to repopulate allografts for bone repair. MSC sheets, upon assembling on bone grafts, showed similar differentiation properties to the in situ periosteum in vitro. After implantation the MSC sheets accelerated the repopulation of bone grafts in nude mice. Moreover, MSC sheets induced thicker cortical bone formation and more efficient graft-to-bone end fusion at the segmental bone defects in rabbits. This study thus presented a novel, more efficient, and practical strategy for large weight-bearing bone reconstruction by using MSC sheets to deliver large number of MSCs to repopulate the bone allografts.

The effect of a cholesterol liquid crystalline structure on osteoblast cell behavior

To investigate the effect of a liquid crystalline structure on cell behavior, polymethylsiloxane-graft-(10-cholesteryloxydecanol) was specially designed to get a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer. Results of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) indicated that cholesterol was successfully covalently grafted onto polymethylhydrosiloxane via decamethylene 'flexible spacer'. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) investigations revealed that the copolymer with 44.9% mesogenic unit showed obvious thermotropic liquid crystalline transition at about 124.9 degrees C. Polymer films were prepared by spin coating on clean glass plates from 5 mg ml(-1) toluene solutions of the copolymers. The POM investigation indicated that while the unannealed films (SC15, SC45) showed no liquid crystalline structure, the films which were annealed in vacuo at 140 degrees C for 9 h and then quenched to room temperature (SC15C, SC45C) formed discrete island-like liquid crystalline and continuous liquid crystalline structures, respectively. Osteoblast cells (MC3T3) were chosen to test the cell behavior of annealed and unannealed films. In comparison to unannealed films, the annealed films with a cholesterol liquid crystalline structure could promote osteoblast cell attachment and growth significantly.

Differentiation of smooth muscle progenitor cells in peripheral blood and its application in tissue engineered blood vessels

BACKGROUND

A major shortcoming in tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) is the lack of healthy and easily attainable smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Smooth muscle progenitor cells (SPCs), especially from peripheral blood, may offer an alternative cell source for tissue engineering involving a less invasive harvesting technique.

METHODS

SPCs were isolated from 5-ml fresh rat peripheral blood by density-gradient centrifugation and cultured for 3 weeks in endothelial growth medium-2-MV (EGM-2-MV) medium containing platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF BB). Before seeded on the synthesized scaffold, SPC-derived smooth muscle outgrowth cell (SOC) phenotypes were assessed by immuno-fluorescent staining, Western blot analysis, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The cells were seeded onto the silk fibroin-modified poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (SF-PHBHHx) scaffolds by 6x10(4) cells/cm2 and cultured under the static condition for 3 weeks. The growth and proliferation of the seeded cells on the scaffold were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining.

RESULTS

SOCs displayed specific "hill and valley" morphology, expressed the specific markers of the SMC lineage: smooth muscle (SM) alpha-actin, calponin and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM MHC) at protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels. RT-PCR results demonstrate that SOCs also expressed smooth muscle protein 22alpha (SM22alpha), a contractile protein, and extracellular matrix components elastin and matrix Gla protein (MGP), as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). After seeded on the SF-PHBHHx scaffold, the cells showed excellent metabolic activity and proliferation.

CONCLUSION

SPCs isolated from peripheral blood can be differentiated into the SMCs in vitro and have an impressive growth potential in the biodegradable synthesized scaffold. Thus, SPCs may be a promising cell source for constructing TEBVs.

In Vitro Angiogenesis of 3D Tissue Engineered Adipose Tissue

Using a cell assembly device developed in this laboratory, we coextruded adipose derived stem cells (ADSC) and gelatin/alginate hydrogel to form cubic 3D constructions (10 × 10 × 10 mm3) with regular distributed go-through pores. The ADSC grew, proliferated, and differentiated within these constructions. With the addition of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), cells located on the scaffold walls differentiated into endothelial like cells while cells embedded in the hydrogel differentiated into adipose like cells. The integrity of the constructions remained for more than 60 days. This new technology enables us to construct 3D adipose tissue with blood vessel-like structures in vitro which is a significant enhancement in adipose tissue engineering and provides a better biomimic 3D model for studying cell—cell interaction, stem cell differentiation conditions and cell organization mechanisms.

Fibrous poly(chitosan-g-DL-lactic acid) scaffolds prepared via electro-wet-spinning

DL-lactic acid was grafted onto chitosan to produce poly(chitosan-g-DL-lactic acid)(PCLA) copolymers. These PCLAs were then spun into submicron and/or nanofibers to fabricate scaffolds using an electro-wet-spinning technique. The diameter of fibers in different scaffolds could vary from about 100 nm to around 3 microm. The scaffolds exhibited various pore sizes ranging from about 1 microm to less than 30 microm and different porosities up to 80%. Two main processing parameters, that is, the concentration of PCLA solutions and the composition proportions of coagulation solutions, were optimized for obtaining desired scaffolds with well-controlled structures. The tensile properties of the scaffolds in both dry and hydrated states were examined. Significantly improved tensile strength and modulus for these fibrous scaffolds in their hydrated state were observed. The data collected from in vitro rabbit-fibroblast/scaffold culture showed that there were no substantial differences in the viability, density and distribution of cultured fibroblasts between PCLA scaffolds and pure chitosan scaffolds.

Proliferation of chondrocytes on porous poly(DL-lactide)/chitosan scaffolds

Porous poly(DL-lactide)(PDLLA)/chitosan scaffolds with well-controlled pore structures and desirable mechanical characteristics were fabricated via a combination of solvent extraction, phase separation and freeze-drying. These scaffolds were further evaluated for the proliferation of isolated rabbit chondrocytes in vitro for various incubation periods up to 4 weeks in order to finally use them for the cartilage tissue engineering. MTT assay data revealed that the number of cells grown on PDLLA/chitosan scaffolds measurably increased with the weight ratio of the chitosan component and was significantly higher than those collected from pure PDLLA scaffolds for the entire incubation period. Scanning electron microscopy examinations, histological observations and proteoglycan measurements indicated that the resulting PDLLA/chitosan scaffolds exhibited increasing ability to promote the attachment and proliferation of chondrocytes, and also helped seeded chondrocytes spread through the scaffolds and distribute homogeneously inside compared to pure PDLLA scaffolds. Immunohistochemical staining verified that these PDLLA/chitosan scaffolds could preserve the phenotype of chondrocyte and effectively support the production of type II collagen.

A novel injectable scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering using adipose-derived adult stem cells

Articular cartilage has a limited self-regenerative capacity. Thus, treatment of cartilage lesions is a major challenge. Tissue engineering using a variety of biomaterials is a promising solution to the problem of cartilage damage. In this in vitro study, we investigated the effect of the presence of cartilage-tissue chondroitin-sulfate (CS) in a fibrin scaffold on the differentiation of adipose-derived adult stem cells (ADAS cells) into chondrocytes. Isolated rabbit ADAS cells were cultured in fibrin matrices with and without CS for up to 14 days. ADAS cells differentiated into chondrocytes in both matrices, but cell proliferation, glycoaminoglycans content, and type II collagen expression were significantly higher in the fibrin-CS matrices than those in the fibrin matrices alone. Histological examination and scanning electronic microscopy revealed the fibrin-CS matrices exceeded in inducing differentiation of ADAS cells into chondrocytes in terms of tissue morphological characteristics. We concluded that the fibrin-CS matrices mimicking native cartilage extracellular matrix could act as a three-dimensional scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering and have the potential for promoting ADAS cells differentiation into chondrocytes.