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Vo Q, Benam KH. Advancements in preclinical human-relevant modeling of pulmonary vasculature on-chip. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 195:106709. [PMID: 38246431 PMCID: PMC10939731 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical human-relevant modeling of organ-specific vasculature offers a unique opportunity to recreate pathophysiological intercellular, tissue-tissue, and cell-matrix interactions for a broad range of applications. Lung vasculature is particularly important due to its involvement in genesis and progression of rare, debilitating disorders as well as common chronic pathologies. Here, we provide an overview of the latest advances in the development of pulmonary vascular (PV) models using emerging microfluidic tissue engineering technology Organs-on-Chips (so-called PV-Chips). We first review the currently reported PV-Chip systems and their key features, and then critically discuss their major limitations in reproducing in vivo-seen and disease-relevant cellularity, localization, and microstructure. We conclude by presenting latest efforts to overcome such technical and biological limitations and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quoc Vo
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kambez H Benam
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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2
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Shakeri A, Wang Y, Zhao Y, Landau S, Perera K, Lee J, Radisic M. Engineering Organ-on-a-Chip Systems for Vascular Diseases. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2023; 43:2241-2255. [PMID: 37823265 PMCID: PMC10842627 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.318233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis, are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traditional in vitro models for studying vascular diseases have limitations, as they do not fully recapitulate the complexity of the in vivo microenvironment. Organ-on-a-chip systems have emerged as a promising approach for modeling vascular diseases by incorporating multiple cell types, mechanical and biochemical cues, and fluid flow in a microscale platform. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in engineering organ-on-a-chip systems for modeling vascular diseases, including the use of microfluidic channels, ECM (extracellular matrix) scaffolds, and patient-specific cells. We also discuss the limitations and future perspectives of organ-on-a-chip for modeling vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amid Shakeri
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto; Ontario, M5G 2C4; Canada
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto; Ontario, M5G 2C4; Canada
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto; Ontario, M5G 2C4; Canada
| | - Shira Landau
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto; Ontario, M5G 2C4; Canada
| | - Kevin Perera
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonguk Lee
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- KITE - Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomaterials Engineering; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3G9; Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto; Ontario, M5G 2C4; Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; University of Toronto; Toronto; Ontario, M5S 3E5; Canada
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3
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Simmons Beck R, Liang OD, Klinger JR. Light at the ENDothelium-role of Sox17 and Runx1 in endothelial dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1274033. [PMID: 38028440 PMCID: PMC10656768 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1274033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease that is characterized by an obliterative vasculopathy of the distal pulmonary circulation. Despite significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology, currently approved medical therapies for PAH act primarily as pulmonary vasodilators and fail to address the underlying processes that lead to the development and progression of the disease. Endothelial dysregulation in response to stress, injury or physiologic stimuli followed by perivascular infiltration of immune cells plays a prominent role in the pulmonary vascular remodeling of PAH. Over the last few decades, our understanding of endothelial cell dysregulation has evolved and brought to light a number of transcription factors that play important roles in vascular homeostasis and angiogenesis. In this review, we examine two such factors, SOX17 and one of its downstream targets, RUNX1 and the emerging data that implicate their roles in the pathogenesis of PAH. We review their discovery and discuss their function in angiogenesis and lung vascular development including their roles in endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT) and their ability to drive progenitor stem cells toward an endothelial or myeloid fate. We also summarize the data from studies that link mutations in Sox17 with an increased risk of developing PAH and studies that implicate Sox17 and Runx1 in the pathogenesis of PAH. Finally, we review the results of recent studies from our lab demonstrating the efficacy of preventing and reversing pulmonary hypertension in animal models of PAH by deleting RUNX1 expression in endothelial or myeloid cells or by the use of RUNX1 inhibitors. By investigating PAH through the lens of SOX17 and RUNX1 we hope to shed light on the role of these transcription factors in vascular homeostasis and endothelial dysregulation, their contribution to pulmonary vascular remodeling in PAH, and their potential as novel therapeutic targets for treating this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Simmons Beck
- Division of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Olin D. Liang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - James R. Klinger
- Division of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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Garrison AT, Bignold RE, Wu X, Johnson JR. Pericytes: The lung-forgotten cell type. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1150028. [PMID: 37035669 PMCID: PMC10076600 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1150028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pericytes are a heterogeneous population of mesenchymal cells located on the abluminal surface of microvessels, where they provide structural and biochemical support. Pericytes have been implicated in numerous lung diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and allergic asthma due to their ability to differentiate into scar-forming myofibroblasts, leading to collagen deposition and matrix remodelling and thus driving tissue fibrosis. Pericyte-extracellular matrix interactions as well as other biochemical cues play crucial roles in these processes. In this review, we give an overview of lung pericytes, the key pro-fibrotic mediators they interact with, and detail recent advances in preclinical studies on how pericytes are disrupted and contribute to lung diseases including PAH, allergic asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several recent studies using mouse models of PAH have demonstrated that pericytes contribute to these pathological events; efforts are currently underway to mitigate pericyte dysfunction in PAH by targeting the TGF-β, CXCR7, and CXCR4 signalling pathways. In allergic asthma, the dissociation of pericytes from the endothelium of blood vessels and their migration towards inflamed areas of the airway contribute to the characteristic airway remodelling observed in allergic asthma. Although several factors have been suggested to influence this migration such as TGF-β, IL-4, IL-13, and periostin, recent evidence points to the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway as a potential therapeutic target. Pericytes might also play an essential role in lung dysfunction in response to ageing, as they are responsive to environmental risk factors such as cigarette smoke and air pollutants, which are the main drivers of COPD. However, there is currently no direct evidence delineating the contribution of pericytes to COPD pathology. Although there is a lack of human clinical data, the recent available evidence derived from in vitro and animal-based models shows that pericytes play important roles in the initiation and maintenance of chronic lung diseases and are amenable to pharmacological interventions. Therefore, further studies in this field are required to elucidate if targeting pericytes can treat lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelise T. Garrison
- School of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca E. Bignold
- School of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Xinhui Wu
- School of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jill R. Johnson
- School of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Morris EK, Daignault-Mill S, Stehbens SJ, Genovesi LA, Lagendijk AK. Addressing blood-brain-tumor-barrier heterogeneity in pediatric brain tumors with innovative preclinical models. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1101522. [PMID: 36776301 PMCID: PMC9909546 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1101522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors represent the leading cause of disease-related mortality and morbidity in children, with effective treatments urgently required. One factor limiting the effectiveness of systemic therapy is the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), which limits the brain penetration of many anticancer drugs. BBB integrity is often compromised in tumors, referred to as the blood-brain-tumor-barrier (BBTB), and the impact of a compromised BBTB on the therapeutic sensitivity of brain tumors has been clearly shown for a few selected agents. However, the heterogeneity of barrier alteration observed within a single tumor and across distinct pediatric tumor types represents an additional challenge. Herein, we discuss what is known regarding the heterogeneity of tumor-associated vasculature in pediatric brain tumors. We discuss innovative and complementary preclinical model systems that will facilitate real-time functional analyses of BBTB for all pediatric brain tumor types. We believe a broader use of these preclinical models will enable us to develop a greater understanding of the processes underlying tumor-associated vasculature formation and ultimately more efficacious treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysse K. Morris
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sheena Daignault-Mill
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Samantha J. Stehbens
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Laura A. Genovesi
- The University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia,*Correspondence: Laura A. Genovesi, ; Anne K. Lagendijk,
| | - Anne K. Lagendijk
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia,*Correspondence: Laura A. Genovesi, ; Anne K. Lagendijk,
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Körbelin J, Klein J, Matuszcak C, Runge J, Harbaum L, Klose H, Hennigs JK. Transcription factors in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension-Current knowledge and therapeutic potential. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 9:1036096. [PMID: 36684555 PMCID: PMC9853303 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1036096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary artery pressure. Mortality remains high in severe cases despite significant advances in management and pharmacotherapy. Since currently approved PAH therapies are unable to significantly reverse pathological vessel remodeling, novel disease-modifying, targeted therapeutics are needed. Pathogenetically, PAH is characterized by vessel wall cell dysfunction with consecutive remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature and the right heart. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate the process of transcribing DNA into RNA and, in the pulmonary circulation, control the response of pulmonary vascular cells to macro- and microenvironmental stimuli. Often, TFs form complex protein interaction networks with other TFs or co-factors to allow for fine-tuning of gene expression. Therefore, identification of the underlying molecular mechanisms of TF (dys-)function is essential to develop tailored modulation strategies in PAH. This current review provides a compendium-style overview of TFs and TF complexes associated with PAH pathogenesis and highlights their potential as targets for vasculoregenerative or reverse remodeling therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Körbelin
- ENDomics Lab, Department of Medicine, Center of Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Jakob Körbelin,
| | - Julius Klein
- ENDomics Lab, Department of Medicine, Center of Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Matuszcak
- ENDomics Lab, Department of Medicine, Center of Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Runge
- ENDomics Lab, Department of Medicine, Center of Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Harbaum
- Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans Klose
- Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan K. Hennigs
- ENDomics Lab, Department of Medicine, Center of Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Division of Pneumology and Center for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Jan K. Hennigs,
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Liu X, Su Q, Zhang X, Yang W, Ning J, Jia K, Xin J, Li H, Yu L, Liao Y, Zhang D. Recent Advances of Organ-on-a-Chip in Cancer Modeling Research. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12111045. [PMID: 36421163 PMCID: PMC9688857 DOI: 10.3390/bios12111045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have focused on oncology and therapeutics in cancer, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Due to the unclear molecular mechanism and complex in vivo microenvironment of tumors, it is challenging to reveal the nature of cancer and develop effective therapeutics. Therefore, the development of new methods to explore the role of heterogeneous TME in individual patients' cancer drug response is urgently needed and critical for the effective therapeutic management of cancer. The organ-on-chip (OoC) platform, which integrates the technology of 3D cell culture, tissue engineering, and microfluidics, is emerging as a new method to simulate the critical structures of the in vivo tumor microenvironment and functional characteristics. It overcomes the failure of traditional 2D/3D cell culture models and preclinical animal models to completely replicate the complex TME of human tumors. As a brand-new technology, OoC is of great significance for the realization of personalized treatment and the development of new drugs. This review discusses the recent advances of OoC in cancer biology studies. It focuses on the design principles of OoC devices and associated applications in cancer modeling. The challenges for the future development of this field are also summarized in this review. This review displays the broad applications of OoC technique and has reference value for oncology development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Qiuping Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Wenjian Yang
- Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Junhua Ning
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Kangle Jia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Jinlan Xin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Huanling Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Longfei Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Surfactant, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
| | - Yuheng Liao
- Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Diming Zhang
- Research Center for Intelligent Sensing Systems, Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, China
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