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Xu Z, Chen Y, Wang Y, Han W, Xu W, Liao X, Zhang T, Wang G. Matrix stiffness, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:7027-7041. [PMID: 37382775 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08502-5] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) is the leading cause of the human cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Endothelial dysfunction promotes the monocytes infiltration and inflammation that participate fundamentally in atherogenesis. Endothelial cells (EC) have been recognized as mechanosensitive cells and have different responses to distinct mechanical stimuli. Emerging evidence shows matrix stiffness-mediated EC dysfunction plays a vital role in vascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms are not yet completely understood. This article aims to summarize the effect of matrix stiffness on the pro-atherosclerotic characteristics of EC including morphology, rigidity, biological behavior and function as well as the related mechanical signal. The review also discusses and compares the contribution of matrix stiffness-mediated phagocytosis of macrophages and EC to AS progression. These advances in our understanding of the relationship between matrix stiffness and EC dysfunction open the avenues to improve the prevention and treatment of now-ubiquitous atherosclerotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichen Xu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Wenbo Han
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Wenfeng Xu
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Xiaoling Liao
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Chongqing Engineering Laboratory of Nano/Micro Biomedical Detection, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Composite Material and Device, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Guixue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.
- Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, NO.174, Shazheng Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400030, PR China.
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2
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Kutluk H, Bastounis EE, Constantinou I. Integration of Extracellular Matrices into Organ-on-Chip Systems. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2203256. [PMID: 37018430 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202203256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex, dynamic network present within all tissues and organs that not only acts as a mechanical support and anchorage point but can also direct fundamental cell behavior, function, and characteristics. Although the importance of the ECM is well established, the integration of well-controlled ECMs into Organ-on-Chip (OoC) platforms remains challenging and the methods to modulate and assess ECM properties on OoCs remain underdeveloped. In this review, current state-of-the-art design and assessment of in vitro ECM environments is discussed with a focus on their integration into OoCs. Among other things, synthetic and natural hydrogels, as well as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used as substrates, coatings, or cell culture membranes are reviewed in terms of their ability to mimic the native ECM and their accessibility for characterization. The intricate interplay among materials, OoC architecture, and ECM characterization is critically discussed as it significantly complicates the design of ECM-related studies, comparability between works, and reproducibility that can be achieved across research laboratories. Improving the biomimetic nature of OoCs by integrating properly considered ECMs would contribute to their further adoption as replacements for animal models, and precisely tailored ECM properties would promote the use of OoCs in mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazal Kutluk
- Institute of Microtechnology (IMT), Technical University of Braunschweig, Alte Salzdahlumer Str. 203, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
- Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technical University of Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Str. 35a, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Effie E Bastounis
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, E8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" EXC 2124, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Iordania Constantinou
- Institute of Microtechnology (IMT), Technical University of Braunschweig, Alte Salzdahlumer Str. 203, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
- Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technical University of Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Str. 35a, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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3
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Dow LP, Parmar T, Marchetti MC, Pruitt BL. Engineering tools for quantifying and manipulating forces in epithelia. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021303. [PMID: 38510344 PMCID: PMC10903508 DOI: 10.1063/5.0142537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The integrity of epithelia is maintained within dynamic mechanical environments during tissue development and homeostasis. Understanding how epithelial cells mechanosignal and respond collectively or individually is critical to providing insight into developmental and (patho)physiological processes. Yet, inferring or mimicking mechanical forces and downstream mechanical signaling as they occur in epithelia presents unique challenges. A variety of in vitro approaches have been used to dissect the role of mechanics in regulating epithelia organization. Here, we review approaches and results from research into how epithelial cells communicate through mechanical cues to maintain tissue organization and integrity. We summarize the unique advantages and disadvantages of various reduced-order model systems to guide researchers in choosing appropriate experimental systems. These model systems include 3D, 2D, and 1D micromanipulation methods, single cell studies, and noninvasive force inference and measurement techniques. We also highlight a number of in silico biophysical models that are informed by in vitro and in vivo observations. Together, a combination of theoretical and experimental models will aid future experiment designs and provide predictive insight into mechanically driven behaviors of epithelial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshi Parmar
- Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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4
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Shi H, Wang C, Gao BZ, Henderson JH, Ma Z. Cooperation between myofibril growth and costamere maturation in human cardiomyocytes. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1049523. [PMID: 36394013 PMCID: PMC9663467 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1049523] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Costameres, as striated muscle-specific cell adhesions, anchor both M-lines and Z-lines of the sarcomeres to the extracellular matrix. Previous studies have demonstrated that costameres intimately participate in the initial assembly of myofibrils. However, how costamere maturation cooperates with myofibril growth is still underexplored. In this work, we analyzed zyxin (costameres), α-actinin (Z-lines) and myomesin (M-lines) to track the behaviors of costameres and myofibrils within the cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs). We quantified the assembly and maturation of costameres associated with the process of myofibril growth within the hiPSC-CMs in a time-dependent manner. We found that asynchrony existed not only between the maturation of myofibrils and costameres, but also between the formation of Z-costameres and M-costameres that associated with different structural components of the sarcomeres. This study helps us gain more understanding of how costameres assemble and incorporate into the cardiomyocyte sarcomeres, which sheds a light on cardiomyocyte mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaiyu Shi
- Department of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,BioInspired Institute for Materials and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Chenyan Wang
- Department of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,BioInspired Institute for Materials and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Bruce Z. Gao
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - James H. Henderson
- Department of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,BioInspired Institute for Materials and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Zhen Ma
- Department of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,BioInspired Institute for Materials and Living Systems, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Zhen Ma,
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5
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Rothermel TM, Cook BL, Alford PW. Cellular Microbiaxial Stretching Assay for Measurement and Characterization of the Anisotropic Mechanical Properties of Micropatterned Cells. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e370. [PMID: 35195953 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Characterizing the mechanical properties of single cells is important for developing descriptive models of tissue mechanics and improving the understanding of mechanically driven cell processes. Standard methods for measuring single-cell mechanical properties typically provide isotropic mechanical descriptions. However, many cells exhibit specialized geometries in vivo, with anisotropic cytoskeletal architectures reflective of their function, and are exposed to dynamic multiaxial loads, raising the need for more complete descriptions of their anisotropic mechanical properties under complex deformations. Here, we describe the cellular microbiaxial stretching (CμBS) assay in which controlled deformations are applied to micropatterned cells while simultaneously measuring cell stress. CμBS utilizes a set of linear actuators to apply tensile or compressive, short- or long-term deformations to cells micropatterned on a fluorescent bead-doped polyacrylamide gel. Using traction force microscopy principles and the known geometry of the cell and the mechanical properties of the underlying gel, we calculate the stress within the cell to formulate stress-strain curves that can be further used to create mechanical descriptions of the cells, such as strain energy density functions. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Assembly of CμBS stretching constructs Basic Protocol 2: Polymerization of micropatterned, bead-doped polyacrylamide gel on an elastomer membrane Support Protocol: Cell culture and seeding onto CμBS constructs Basic Protocol 3: Implementing CμBS stretching protocols and traction force microscopy Basic Protocol 4: Data analysis and cell stress measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor M Rothermel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Bernard L Cook
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Patrick W Alford
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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6
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Wang A, Cao S, Stowe JC, Valdez-Jasso D. Substrate Stiffness and Stretch Regulate Profibrotic Mechanosignaling in Pulmonary Arterial Adventitial Fibroblasts. Cells 2021; 10:1000. [PMID: 33922850 PMCID: PMC8146344 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial adventitial fibroblasts (PAAFs) are important regulators of fibrotic vascular remodeling during the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a disease that currently has no effective anti-fibrotic treatments. We conducted in-vitro experiments in PAAFs cultured on hydrogels attached to custom-made equibiaxial stretchers at 10% stretch and substrate stiffnesses representing the mechanical conditions of mild and severe stages of PAH. The expression of collagens α(1)I and α(1)III and elastin messenger RNAs (Col1a1, Col3a1, Eln) were upregulated by increased stretch and substrate stiffness, while lysyl oxidase-like 1 and α-smooth muscle actin messenger RNAs (Loxl1, Acta2) were only significantly upregulated when the cells were grown on matrices with an elevated stiffness representative of mild PAH but not on a stiffness representative of severe PAH. Fibronectin messenger RNA (Fn1) levels were significantly induced by increased substrate stiffness and transiently upregulated by stretch at 4 h, but was not significantly altered by stretch at 24 h. We modified our published computational network model of the signaling pathways that regulate profibrotic gene expression in PAAFs to allow for differential regulation of mechanically-sensitive nodes by stretch and stiffness. When the model was modified so that stiffness activated integrin β3, the Macrophage Stimulating 1 or 2 (MST1\2) kinases, angiotensin II (Ang II), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and syndecan-4, and stretch-regulated integrin β3, MST1\2, Ang II, and the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, the model correctly predicted the upregulation of all six genes by increased stiffness and the observed responses to stretch in five out of six genes, although it could not replicate the non-monotonic effects of stiffness on Loxl1 and Acta2 expression. Blocking Ang II Receptor Type 1 (AT1R) with losartan in-vitro uncovered an interaction between the effects of stretch and stiffness and angiotensin-independent activation of Fn1 expression by stretch in PAAFs grown on 3-kPa matrices. This novel combination of in-vitro and in-silico models of PAAF profibrotic cell signaling in response to altered mechanical conditions may help identify regulators of vascular adventitial remodeling due to changes in stretch and matrix stiffness that occur during the progression of PAH in-vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniela Valdez-Jasso
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA; (A.W.); (S.C.); (J.C.S.)
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7
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Bovone G, Dudaryeva OY, Marco-Dufort B, Tibbitt MW. Engineering Hydrogel Adhesion for Biomedical Applications via Chemical Design of the Junction. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:4048-4076. [PMID: 33792286 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogel adhesion inherently relies on engineering the contact surface at soft and hydrated interfaces. Upon contact, adhesion normally occurs through the formation of chemical or physical interactions between the disparate surfaces. The ability to form these adhesion junctions is challenging for hydrogels as the interfaces are wet and deformable and often contain low densities of functional groups. In this Review, we link the design of the binding chemistries or adhesion junctions, whether covalent, dynamic covalent, supramolecular, or physical, to the emergent adhesive properties of soft and hydrated interfaces. Wet adhesion is useful for bonding to or between tissues and implants for a range of biomedical applications. We highlight several recent and emerging adhesive hydrogels for use in biomedicine in the context of efficient junction design. The main focus is on engineering hydrogel adhesion through molecular design of the junctions to tailor the adhesion strength, reversibility, stability, and response to environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bovone
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oksana Y Dudaryeva
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Marco-Dufort
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mark W Tibbitt
- Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Sakthivel K, Kumar H, Mohamed MGA, Talebjedi B, Shim J, Najjaran H, Hoorfar M, Kim K. High Throughput Screening of Cell Mechanical Response Using a Stretchable 3D Cellular Microarray Platform. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2000941. [PMID: 32588966 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202000941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cells in vivo are constantly subjected to multiple microenvironmental mechanical stimuli that regulate cell function. Although 2D cell responses to the mechanical stimulation have been established, these methods lack relevance as physiological cell microenvironments are in 3D. Moreover, the existing platforms developed for studying the cell responses to mechanical cues in 3D either offer low-throughput, involve complex fabrication, or do not allow combinatorial analysis of multiple cues. Considering this, a stretchable high-throughput (HT) 3D cell microarray platform is presented that can apply dynamic mechanical strain to cells encapsulated in arrayed 3D microgels. The platform uses inkjet-bioprinting technique for printing cell-laden gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) microgel array on an elastic composite substrate that is periodically stretched. The developed platform is highly biocompatible and transfers the applied strain from the stretched substrate to the cells. The HT analysis is conducted to analyze cell mechano-responses throughout the printed microgel array. Also, the combinatorial analysis of distinct cell behaviors is conducted for different GelMA microenvironmental stiffnesses in addition to the dynamic stretch. Considering its throughput and flexibility, the developed platform can readily be scaled up to introduce a wide range of microenvironmental cues and to screen the cell responses in a HT way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kabilan Sakthivel
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Hitendra Kumar
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mohamed G A Mohamed
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Bahram Talebjedi
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Justin Shim
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Homayoun Najjaran
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mina Hoorfar
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Keekyoung Kim
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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9
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James BD, Montoya N, Allen J. MechanoBioTester: A Decoupled Multistimulus Cell Culture Device for Studying Complex Microenvironments In Vitro. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:3673-3689. [PMID: 32704528 PMCID: PMC7377433 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly being recognized is the role of the complex microenvironment to regulate cell phenotype; however, the cell culture systems used to study these effects in vitro are lagging. The complex microenvironment is host to a combination of biological interactions, chemical factors, and mechanical stimuli. Many devices have been designed to probe the effects of one mechanical stimulus, but few are capable of systematically interrogating all combinations of mechanical stimuli with independent control. To address this gap, we have developed the MechanoBioTester platform, a decoupled, multi-stimulus cell culture model for studying the cellular response to complex microenvironments in vitro. The system uses an engineered elastomeric chamber with a specially defined region for incorporating different target materials to act as the cell culture substrate. We have tested the system with several target materials including: polydimethylsiloxane elastomer, polyacrylamide gel, poly(1,8-octanediol citrate) elastomer, and type I collagen gel for both 2D and 3D co-culture. Additionally, when the chamber is connected to a flow circuit and our stretching device, stimuli in the form of fluid flow, cyclic stretch, and hydrostatic pressure are able to be imparted with independent control. We validated the device using experimental and computational methods to define a range of capabilities relevant to physiological microenvironments. The MechanoBioTester platform promises to function as a model system for mechanobiology, biomaterial design, and drug discovery applications that focus on probing the impact of a complex microenvironment in an in vitro setting. The protocol described within provides the details characterizing the MechanoBioTester system, the steps for fabricating the MechanoBioTester chamber, and the procedure for operating the MechanoBioTester system to stimulate cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D. James
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Florida, 100 Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
- Institute for Computational Engineering, University of Florida, 300 Weil Hall, PO Box 116550, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Nicolas Montoya
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Florida, 216 Larsen Hall, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Josephine Allen
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Florida, 100 Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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10
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Molecular dynamics simulations of the conformation and diffusion of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide in highly saline solutions. Chem Eng Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2019.115366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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11
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Tsuchiya T, Doi R, Obata T, Hatachi G, Nagayasu T. Lung Microvascular Niche, Repair, and Engineering. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:105. [PMID: 32154234 PMCID: PMC7047880 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials have been used for a long time in the field of medicine. Since the success of "tissue engineering" pioneered by Langer and Vacanti in 1993, tissue engineering studies have advanced from simple tissue generation to whole organ generation with three-dimensional reconstruction. Decellularized scaffolds have been widely used in the field of reconstructive surgery because the tissues used to generate decellularized scaffolds can be easily harvested from animals or humans. When a patient's own cells can be seeded onto decellularized biomaterials, theoretically this will create immunocompatible organs generated from allo- or xeno-organs. The most important aspect of lung tissue engineering is that the delicate three-dimensional structure of the organ is maintained during the tissue engineering process. Therefore, organ decellularization has special advantages for lung tissue engineering where it is essential to maintain the extremely thin basement membrane in the alveoli. Since 2010, there have been many methodological developments in the decellularization and recellularization of lung scaffolds, which includes improvements in the decellularization protocols and the selection and preparation of seeding cells. However, early transplanted engineered lungs terminated in organ failure in a short period. Immature vasculature reconstruction is considered to be the main cause of engineered organ failure. Immature vasculature causes thrombus formation in the engineered lung. Successful reconstruction of a mature vasculature network would be a major breakthrough in achieving success in lung engineering. In order to regenerate the mature vasculature network, we need to remodel the vascular niche, especially the microvasculature, in the organ scaffold. This review highlights the reconstruction of the vascular niche in a decellularized lung scaffold. Because the vascular niche consists of endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes, extracellular matrix (ECM), and the epithelial-endothelial interface, all of which might affect the vascular tight junction (TJ), we discuss ECM composition and reconstruction, the contribution of ECs and perivascular cells, the air-blood barrier (ABB) function, and the effects of physiological factors during the lung microvasculature repair and engineering process. The goal of the present review is to confirm the possibility of success in lung microvascular engineering in whole organ engineering and explore the future direction of the current methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoshi Tsuchiya
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Division of Nucleic Acid Drug Development, Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryoichiro Doi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Obata
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Go Hatachi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nagayasu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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12
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Chandrasekaran A, Kouthouridis S, Lee W, Lin N, Ma Z, Turner MJ, Hanrahan JW, Moraes C. Magnetic microboats for floating, stiffness tunable, air-liquid interface epithelial cultures. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:2786-2798. [PMID: 31332423 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00267g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To study respiratory diseases, in vitro airway epithelial models are commonly implemented by culturing airway cells on a porous surface at an air-liquid interface (ALI). However, these surfaces are often supraphysiologically stiff, which is known to affect the organization, maturation, and responses of cells to potential therapies in other biological culture models. While it is possible to culture cells on soft hydrogel substrates at an air-liquid interface, these techniques are challenging to implement particularly in high-throughput applications which require robust and repetitive material handling procedures. To address these two limitations and characterize epithelial cultures on substrates of varying stiffness at the ALI, we developed a novel "lung-on-a-boat", in which stiffness-tuneable hydrogels are integrated into the bottoms of polymeric microstructures, which normally float at the air-liquid interface. An embedded magnetic material can be used to sink the boat on demand when a magnetic field is applied, enabling reliable transition between submerged and ALI culture. In this work, we prototype a functional ALI microboat platform, with integrated stiffness-tunable polyacrylamide hydrogel surfaces, and validate the use of this technology with a model epithelial cell line. We verify sufficient transport through the hydrogel base to maintain cell viability and stimulate cultures, using a model nanoparticle with known toxicity. We then demonstrate significant morphological and functional effects on epithelial barrier formation, suggesting that substrate stiffness is an important parameter to consider in the design of in vitro epithelial ALI models for drug discovery and fundamental research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonya Kouthouridis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Wontae Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Nicholas Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Zhenwei Ma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Mark J Turner
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - John W Hanrahan
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada and Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Christopher Moraes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. and Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada and Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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13
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Rubiano A, Galitz C, Simmons CS. Mechanical Characterization by Mesoscale Indentation: Advantages and Pitfalls for Tissue and Scaffolds. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2019; 25:619-629. [PMID: 30848168 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2018.0372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are hindered by the lack of consistent measurements and standards for the mechanical characterization of tissue and scaffolds. Indentation methods for soft matter are favored because of their compatibility with small, arbitrarily shaped samples, but contact mechanics models required to interpret data are often inappropriate for soft, viscous materials. In this study, we demonstrate indentation experiments on a variety of human biopsies, animal tissue, and engineered scaffolds, and we explore the complexities of fitting analytical models to these data. Although objections exist to using Hertz contact models for soft, viscoelastic biological materials since soft matter violates their original assumptions, we demonstrate the experimental conditions that enable consistency and comparability (regardless of arguable misappropriation). Appropriate experimental conditions involving sample hydration, the indentation depth, and the ratio of the probe size to sample thickness enable repeatable metrics that are valuable when comparing synthetic scaffolds and host tissue, and bounds on these parameters are carefully described and discussed. We have also identified a reliable quasistatic parameter that can be derived from indentation data to help researchers compare results across materials and experiments. Although Hertz contact mechanics and linear viscoelastic models may constitute oversimplification for biological materials, the reporting of such simple metrics alongside more complex models is expected to support researchers in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by providing consistency across efforts to characterize soft matter. Impact Statement To engineer replacement tissue requires a deep understanding of its biomechanical properties. Mesoscale indentation (between micron and millimeter length scales) is well-suited to characterize tissue and engineered replacements as it accommodates small, oddly shaped samples. However, it is easy to run afoul of the assumptions for common contact models when working with biological materials. In this study, we describe experimental procedures and modeling approaches that allow researchers to take advantage of indentation for biomechanical characterization while minimizing its weaknesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Rubiano
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Carly Galitz
- Department of Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Chelsey S Simmons
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Gainesville, Florida.,J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Gainesville, Florida.,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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14
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Stewart DC, Serrano PN, Rubiano A, Yokosawa R, Sandler J, Mukhtar M, Brant JO, Maden M, Simmons CS. Unique behavior of dermal cells from regenerative mammal, the African Spiny Mouse, in response to substrate stiffness. J Biomech 2018; 81:149-154. [PMID: 30361050 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The African Spiny Mouse (Acomys spp.) is a unique outbred mammal capable of full, scar-free skin regeneration. In vivo, we have observed rapid reepithelialization and deposition of normal dermis in Acomys after wounding. Acomys skin also has a lower modulus and lower elastic energy storage than normal lab mice, Mus musculus. To see if the different in vivo mechanical microenvironments retained an effect on dermal cells and contributed to regenerative behavior, we examined isolated keratinocytes in response to physical wounding and fibroblasts in response to varying substrate stiffness. Classic mechanobiology paradigms suggest stiffer substrates will promote myofibroblast activation, but we do not see this in Acomys dermal fibroblasts (DFs). Though Mus DFs increase organization of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive stress fibers as substrate stiffness increases, Acomys DFs assemble very few αSMA-positive stress fibers upon changes in substrate stiffness. Acomys DFs generate lower traction forces than Mus DFs on pliable surfaces, and Acomys DFs produce and modify matrix proteins differently than Mus in 2D and 3D culture systems. In contrast to Acomys DFs "relaxed" behavior, we found that freshly isolated Acomys keratinocytes retain the ability to close wounds faster than Mus in an in vitro scratch assay. Taken together, these preliminary observations suggest that Acomys dermal cells retain unique biophysical properties in vitro that may reflect their altered in vivo mechanical microenvironment and may promote scar-free wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Stewart
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116131, Gainesville, FL 32611-6131, USA
| | - P Nicole Serrano
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Andrés Rubiano
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611-6250, USA
| | - Ryosuke Yokosawa
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611-6250, USA
| | - Justin Sandler
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611-6250, USA
| | - Marah Mukhtar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611-6250, USA
| | - Jason O Brant
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Malcolm Maden
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Chelsey S Simmons
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116131, Gainesville, FL 32611-6131, USA; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, PO Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611-6250, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, USA.
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15
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Debbi L, Drori S, Tzlil S. The Influence of the Timing of Cyclic Load Application on Cardiac Cell Contraction. Front Physiol 2018; 9:917. [PMID: 30072912 PMCID: PMC6058596 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac cells are subjected to mechanical load during each heart-beat. Normal heart load is essential for physiological development and cardiac function. At the same time, excessive load can induce pathologies such as cardiac hypertrophy. While the forces working on the heart as an organ are well-understood, information regarding stretch response at the cellular level is limited. Since cardiac stretch-response depends on the amplitude and pattern of the applied load as well as its timing during the beating cycle, the directionality of load application and its phase relative to action potential generation must be controlled precisely. Here, we design a new experimental setup, which enables high-resolution fluorescence imaging of cultured cardiac cells under cyclic uniaxial mechanical load and electrical stimulation. Cyclic stretch was applied in different phases relative to the electrical stimulus and the effect on cardiac cell beating was monitored. The results show a clear phase-dependent response and provide insight into cardiac response to excessive loading conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Debbi
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Stavit Drori
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shelly Tzlil
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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16
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Win Z, Buksa JM, Steucke KE, Gant Luxton GW, Barocas VH, Alford PW. Cellular Microbiaxial Stretching to Measure a Single-Cell Strain Energy Density Function. J Biomech Eng 2018; 139:2618751. [PMID: 28397957 DOI: 10.1115/1.4036440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The stress in a cell due to extracellular mechanical stimulus is determined by its mechanical properties, and the structural organization of many adherent cells suggests that their properties are anisotropic. This anisotropy may significantly influence the cells' mechanotransductive response to complex loads, and has important implications for development of accurate models of tissue biomechanics. Standard methods for measuring cellular mechanics report linear moduli that cannot capture large-deformation anisotropic properties, which in a continuum mechanics framework are best described by a strain energy density function (SED). In tissues, the SED is most robustly measured using biaxial testing. Here, we describe a cellular microbiaxial stretching (CμBS) method that modifies this tissue-scale approach to measure the anisotropic elastic behavior of individual vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with nativelike cytoarchitecture. Using CμBS, we reveal that VSMCs are highly anisotropic under large deformations. We then characterize a Holzapfel-Gasser-Ogden type SED for individual VSMCs and find that architecture-dependent properties of the cells can be robustly described using a formulation solely based on the organization of their actin cytoskeleton. These results suggest that cellular anisotropy should be considered when developing biomechanical models, and could play an important role in cellular mechano-adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaw Win
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Justin M Buksa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Kerianne E Steucke
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - G W Gant Luxton
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 420 Washington Avenue SE MCB 4-128, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Victor H Barocas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Patrick W Alford
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
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17
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Unravelling the effects of mechanical physiological conditioning on cardiac adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells in vitro and in silico. Sci Rep 2018; 8:499. [PMID: 29323152 PMCID: PMC5764962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18799-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical conditioning is incompletely characterized for stimulating therapeutic cells within the physiological range. We sought to unravel the mechanism of action underlying mechanical conditioning of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells (ATDPCs), both in vitro and in silico. Cardiac ATDPCs, grown on 3 different patterned surfaces, were mechanically stretched for 7 days at 1 Hz. A custom-designed, magnet-based, mechanical stimulator device was developed to apply ~10% mechanical stretching to monolayer cell cultures. Gene and protein analyses were performed for each cell type and condition. Cell supernatants were also collected to analyze secreted proteins and construct an artificial neural network. Gene and protein modulations were different for each surface pattern. After mechanostimulation, cardiac ATDPCs increased the expression of structural genes and there was a rising trend on cardiac transcription factors. Finally, secretome analyses revealed upregulation of proteins associated with both myocardial infarction and cardiac regeneration, such as regulators of the immune response, angiogenesis or cell adhesion. To conclude, mechanical conditioning of cardiac ATDPCs enhanced the expression of early and late cardiac genes in vitro. Additionally, in silico analyses of secreted proteins showed that mechanical stimulation of cardiac ATDPCs was highly associated with myocardial infarction and repair.
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18
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Sinha R, Verdonschot N, Koopman B, Rouwkema J. Tuning Cell and Tissue Development by Combining Multiple Mechanical Signals. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART B-REVIEWS 2017; 23:494-504. [DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2016.0500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Sinha
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Nico Verdonschot
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Orthopaedic Research Lab, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Koopman
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Rouwkema
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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19
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Abdel-Sayed P, Yamauchi KA, Gerver RE, Herr AE. Fabrication of an Open Microfluidic Device for Immunoblotting. Anal Chem 2017; 89:9643-9648. [PMID: 28825964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Given the wide adoption of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the rapid fabrication of microfluidic networks and the utility of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), we develop a technique for fabrication of PAGE molecular sieving gels in PDMS microchannel networks. In developing the fabrication protocol, we trade-off constraints on materials properties of these two polymer materials: PDMS is permeable to O2 and the presence of O2 inhibits the polymerization of polyacrylamide. We present a fabrication method compatible with performing PAGE protein separations in a composite PDMS-glass microdevice, that toggles from an "enclosed" microchannel for PAGE and blotting to an "open" PA gel lane for immunoprobing and readout. To overcome the inhibitory effects of O2, we coat the PDMS channel with a 10% benzophenone solution, which quenches the inhibiting effect of O2 when exposed to UV, resulting in a PAGE-in-PDMS device. We then characterize the PAGE separation performance. Using a ladder of small-to-mid mass proteins (Trypsin Inhibitor (TI); Ovalbumin (OVA); Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)), we observe resolution of the markers in <60 s, with separation resolution exceeding 1.0 and CVs of 8.4% for BSA-OVA and 2.4% for OVA-TI, with comparable reproducibility to glass microdevice PAGE. We show that benzophenone groups incorporated into the gel through methacrylamide can be UV-activated multiple times to photocapture protein. PDMS microchannel network is reversibly bonded to a glass slide allowing direct access to separated proteins and subsequent in situ diffusion-driven immunoprobing and total protein Sypro red staining. We see this PAGE-in-PDMS fabrication technique as expanding the application and use of microfluidic PAGE without the need for a glass microfabrication infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Abdel-Sayed
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Kevin A Yamauchi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Rachel E Gerver
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Amy E Herr
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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20
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Steucke KE, Win Z, Stemler TR, Walsh EE, Hall JL, Alford PW. Empirically Determined Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Mechano-Adaptation Law. J Biomech Eng 2017; 139:2619314. [PMID: 28418526 PMCID: PMC5467037 DOI: 10.1115/1.4036454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease can alter the mechanical environment of the vascular system, leading to mechano-adaptive growth and remodeling. Predictive models of arterial mechano-adaptation could improve patient treatments and outcomes in cardiovascular disease. Vessel-scale mechano-adaptation includes remodeling of both the cells and extracellular matrix. Here, we aimed to experimentally measure and characterize a phenomenological mechano-adaptation law for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within an artery. To do this, we developed a highly controlled and reproducible system for applying a chronic step-change in strain to individual VSMCs with in vivo like architecture and tracked the temporal cellular stress evolution. We found that a simple linear growth law was able to capture the dynamic stress evolution of VSMCs in response to this mechanical perturbation. These results provide an initial framework for development of clinically relevant models of vascular remodeling that include VSMC adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne E Steucke
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Zaw Win
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Taylor R Stemler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Emily E Walsh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Jennifer L Hall
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2231 6th Street SE CCRB, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Patrick W Alford
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 312 Church Street SE NHH 7-105, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
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21
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Abstract
In vivo, cells of the vascular system are subjected to various mechanical stimuli and have demonstrated the ability to adapt their behavior via mechanotransduction. Recent advances in microfluidic and "on-chip" techniques have provided the technology to study these alterations in cell behavior. Contrary to traditional in vitro assays such as transwell plates and parallel plate flow chambers, these microfluidic devices (MFDs) provide the opportunity to integrate multiple mechanical cues (e.g. shear stress, confinement, substrate stiffness, vessel geometry and topography) with in situ quantification capabilities. As such, MFDs can be used to recapitulate the in vivo mechanical setting and systematically vary microenvironmental conditions for improved mechanobiological studies of the endothelium. Additionally, adequate modelling provides for enhanced understanding of disease progression, design of cell separation and drug delivery systems, and the development of biomaterials for tissue engineering applications. Here, we will discuss the advances in knowledge about endothelial cell mechanosensing resulting from the design and application of biomimetic on-chip and microfluidic platforms.
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22
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Herum KM, Choppe J, Kumar A, Engler AJ, McCulloch AD. Mechanical regulation of cardiac fibroblast profibrotic phenotypes. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28:1871-1882. [PMID: 28468977 PMCID: PMC5541838 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-01-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts are essential for beneficial myocardial healing but also cause detrimental adverse remodeling following myocardial infarction. The mechanical properties of the infarcted myocardium and border regions display temporal and spatial characteristics that regulate different aspects of the profibrotic cardiac fibroblast phenotypes. Cardiac fibrosis is a serious condition currently lacking effective treatments. It occurs as a result of cardiac fibroblast (CFB) activation and differentiation into myofibroblasts, characterized by proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) production and stiffening, and contraction due to the expression of smooth muscle α-actin. The mechanical properties of myocardium change regionally and over time after myocardial infarction (MI). Although mechanical cues are known to activate CFBs, it is unclear which specific mechanical stimuli regulate which specific phenotypic trait; thus we investigated these relationships using three in vitro models of CFB mechanical activation and found that 1) paracrine signaling from stretched cardiomyocytes induces CFB proliferation under mechanical conditions similar to those of the infarct border region; 2) direct stretch of CFBs mimicking the mechanical environment of the infarct region induces a synthetic phenotype with elevated ECM production; and 3) progressive matrix stiffening, modeling the mechanical effects of infarct scar maturation, causes smooth muscle α-actin fiber formation, up-regulation of collagen I, and down-regulation of collagen III. These findings suggest that myocyte stretch, fibroblast stretch, and matrix stiffening following MI may separately regulate different profibrotic traits of activated CFBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Herum
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 .,Institute for Experimental Medical Research, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jonas Choppe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Aditya Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Adam J Engler
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Andrew D McCulloch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
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23
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Yuk H, Zhang T, Parada GA, Liu X, Zhao X. Skin-inspired hydrogel-elastomer hybrids with robust interfaces and functional microstructures. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12028. [PMID: 27345380 PMCID: PMC4931236 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Inspired by mammalian skins, soft hybrids integrating the merits of elastomers and hydrogels have potential applications in diverse areas including stretchable and bio-integrated electronics, microfluidics, tissue engineering, soft robotics and biomedical devices. However, existing hydrogel-elastomer hybrids have limitations such as weak interfacial bonding, low robustness and difficulties in patterning microstructures. Here, we report a simple yet versatile method to assemble hydrogels and elastomers into hybrids with extremely robust interfaces (interfacial toughness over 1,000 Jm(-2)) and functional microstructures such as microfluidic channels and electrical circuits. The proposed method is generally applicable to various types of tough hydrogels and diverse commonly used elastomers including polydimethylsiloxane Sylgard 184, polyurethane, latex, VHB and Ecoflex. We further demonstrate applications enabled by the robust and microstructured hydrogel-elastomer hybrids including anti-dehydration hydrogel-elastomer hybrids, stretchable and reactive hydrogel-elastomer microfluidics, and stretchable hydrogel circuit boards patterned on elastomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Yuk
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Active Materials Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Teng Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
| | - German Alberto Parada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Active Materials Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Xinyue Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Active Materials Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Xuanhe Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Soft Active Materials Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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24
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Dynamic Imaging Reveals Coordinate Effects of Cyclic Stretch and Substrate Stiffness on Endothelial Integrity. Ann Biomed Eng 2016; 44:3655-3667. [PMID: 27317301 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-016-1677-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We describe an equibiaxial cell stretcher and hybrid, elastic membrane platform designed for dynamic imaging of cells on substrates with physiological stiffness undergoing cyclic stretch. Studies enabled by this device revealed that both substrate stiffness and cyclic stretch coordinately protect pulmonary endothelial monolayers against thrombin-induced disruption. The fluorescence imaging possible with the designed hybrid membranes further revealed similarities and differences in actin and cell dynamics during monolayer recovery. The improved live-cell imaging capabilities of this platform, when used in conjunction with fluorescent probes, will have broad applications for investigations of the impact of biochemical stimuli and mechanotransduction mechanisms on mechanically perturbed tissues.
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25
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Liu H, Usprech J, Sun Y, Simmons CA. A microfabricated platform with hydrogel arrays for 3D mechanical stimulation of cells. Acta Biomater 2016; 34:113-124. [PMID: 26646540 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.11.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cellular microenvironments present cells with multiple stimuli, including not only soluble biochemical and insoluble matrix cues but also mechanical factors. Biomaterial array platforms have been used to combinatorially and efficiently probe and define two-dimensional (2D) and 3D microenvironmental cues to guide cell functions for tissue engineering applications. However, there are few examples of array platforms that include dynamic mechanical forces, particularly to enable stretching of 3D cell-seeded biomaterials, which is relevant to engineering connective and cardiovascular tissues. Here we present a deformable membrane platform that enables 3D dynamic mechanical stretch of arrayed biomaterial constructs. Cell-seeded polyethylene glycol norbornene (PEG-NB) hydrogels were bound to miniaturized deformable membranes via a thiol-ene reaction with off-stoichiometry thiol-ene based polydimethylsiloxane (OSTE-PDMS) as the membrane material. Bonding to OSTE-PDMS enabled the 3D hydrogel microconstructs to be cyclically deformed and stretched by the membrane. As a first demonstration, human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) embedded in PEG-NB were stretched for several days. They were found to be viable, spread in the 3D hydrogels, and exhibited a contractile myofibroblast phenotype when exposed to dynamic 3D mechanical deformation. This platform, which is readily scalable to larger arrays, enables systematic interrogation of the relationships between combinations of 3D mechanobiological cues and cellular responses, and thus has the potential to identify strategies to predictably control the construction of functional engineered tissues. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Current high-throughput biomaterial screening approaches fail to consider the effects of dynamic mechanical stimulation, despite its importance in a wide variety of regenerative medicine applications. To meet this need, we developed a deformable membrane platform that enables 3D dynamic stretch of arrayed biomaterial constructs. Our approach combines microtechnologies fabricated with off-stoichiometry thiol-ene based polydimethylsiloxane membranes that can covalently bond cell-seeded polyethylene glycol norbornene 3D hydrogels, a model biomaterial with tunable adhesive, elastic and degradation characteristics. As a first demonstration, we show that human mesenchymal stromal cells embedded in hydrogels and subjected to dynamic mechanical stimulation undergo myofibroblast differentiation. This system is readily scaled up to larger arrays, and will enable systematic and efficient screening of combinations of 3D mechanobiological and biomaterial cues on cell fate and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijiao Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Jenna Usprech
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G9, Canada.
| | - Craig A Simmons
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G9, Canada.
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26
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Ribeiro AJS, Denisin AK, Wilson RE, Pruitt BL. For whom the cells pull: Hydrogel and micropost devices for measuring traction forces. Methods 2016; 94:51-64. [PMID: 26265073 PMCID: PMC4746112 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
While performing several functions, adherent cells deform their surrounding substrate via stable adhesions that connect the intracellular cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. The traction forces that deform the substrate are studied in mechanotrasduction because they are affected by the mechanics of the extracellular milieu. We review the development and application of two methods widely used to measure traction forces generated by cells on 2D substrates: (i) traction force microscopy with polyacrylamide hydrogels and (ii) calculation of traction forces with arrays of deformable microposts. Measuring forces with these methods relies on measuring substrate displacements and converting them into forces. We describe approaches to determine force from displacements and elaborate on the necessary experimental conditions for this type of analysis. We emphasize device fabrication, mechanical calibration of substrates and covalent attachment of extracellular matrix proteins to substrates as key features in the design of experiments to measure cell traction forces with polyacrylamide hydrogels or microposts. We also report the challenges and achievements in integrating these methods with platforms for the mechanical stimulation of adherent cells. The approaches described here will enable new studies to understand cell mechanical outputs as a function of mechanical inputs and advance the understanding of mechanotransduction mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre J S Ribeiro
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Aleksandra K Denisin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Stanford Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Robin E Wilson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Beth L Pruitt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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Biel NM, Santostefano KE, DiVita BB, El Rouby N, Carrasquilla SD, Simmons C, Nakanishi M, Cooper-DeHoff RM, Johnson JA, Terada N. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Hypertensive Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Advance Hypertension Pharmacogenomics. Stem Cells Transl Med 2015; 4:1380-90. [PMID: 26494780 PMCID: PMC4675511 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Studies in hypertension (HTN) pharmacogenomics seek to identify genetic sources of variable antihypertensive drug response. Genetic association studies have detected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that link to drug responses; however, to understand mechanisms underlying how genetic traits alter drug responses, a biological interface is needed. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide a potential source for studying otherwise inaccessible tissues that may be important to antihypertensive drug response. The present study established multiple iPSC lines from an HTN pharmacogenomics cohort. We demonstrated that established HTN iPSCs can robustly and reproducibly differentiate into functional vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), a cell type most relevant to vasculature tone control. Moreover, a sensitive traction force microscopy assay demonstrated that iPSC-derived VSMCs show a quantitative contractile response on physiological stimulus of endothelin-1. Furthermore, the inflammatory chemokine tumor necrosis factor α induced a typical VSMC response in iPSC-derived VSMCs. These studies pave the way for a large research initiative to decode biological significance of identified SNPs in hypertension pharmacogenomics. SIGNIFICANCE Treatment of hypertension remains suboptimal, and a pharmacogenomics approach seeks to identify genetic biomarkers that could be used to guide treatment decisions; however, it is important to understand the biological underpinnings of genetic associations. Mouse models do not accurately recapitulate individual patient responses based on their genetics, and hypertension-relevant cells are difficult to obtain from patients. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides a great interface to bring patient cells with their genomic data into the laboratory and to study hypertensive responses. As an initial step, the present study established an iPSC bank from patients with primary hypertension and demonstrated an effective and reproducible method of generating functional vascular smooth muscle cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolett M. Biel
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Cellular Reprogramming, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Katherine E. Santostefano
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Cellular Reprogramming, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Bayli B. DiVita
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Cellular Reprogramming, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nihal El Rouby
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, College of Pharmacy and Center for Pharmacogenomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Santiago D. Carrasquilla
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Chelsey Simmons
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mahito Nakanishi
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Rhonda M. Cooper-DeHoff
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, College of Pharmacy and Center for Pharmacogenomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Julie A. Johnson
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, College of Pharmacy and Center for Pharmacogenomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Naohiro Terada
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Cellular Reprogramming, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Casares L, Vincent R, Zalvidea D, Campillo N, Navajas D, Arroyo M, Trepat X. Hydraulic fracture during epithelial stretching. NATURE MATERIALS 2015; 14:343-51. [PMID: 25664452 PMCID: PMC4374166 DOI: 10.1038/nmat4206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The origin of fracture in epithelial cell sheets subject to stretch is commonly attributed to excess tension in the cells' cytoskeleton, in the plasma membrane, or in cell-cell contacts. Here, we demonstrate that for a variety of synthetic and physiological hydrogel substrates the formation of epithelial cracks is caused by tissue stretching independently of epithelial tension. We show that the origin of the cracks is hydraulic; they result from a transient pressure build-up in the substrate during stretch and compression manoeuvres. After pressure equilibration, cracks heal readily through actomyosin-dependent mechanisms. The observed phenomenology is captured by the theory of poroelasticity, which predicts the size and healing dynamics of epithelial cracks as a function of the stiffness, geometry and composition of the hydrogel substrate. Our findings demonstrate that epithelial integrity is determined in a tension-independent manner by the coupling between tissue stretching and matrix hydraulics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Casares
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Noelia Campillo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, and CIBERES, Spain
| | - Daniel Navajas
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, and CIBERES, Spain
| | - Marino Arroyo
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Spain
- Corresponding authors: Marino Arroyo, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Carrer Jordi Girona 1, 08034, Barcelona, Spain, (+34) 934 011 805, ; Xavier Trepat, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Ed. Hèlix, Baldiri i Reixac, 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain, (+34) 934 020 265,
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, and CIBERES, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Corresponding authors: Marino Arroyo, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Carrer Jordi Girona 1, 08034, Barcelona, Spain, (+34) 934 011 805, ; Xavier Trepat, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Ed. Hèlix, Baldiri i Reixac, 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain, (+34) 934 020 265,
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Kojima T, Moraes C, Cavnar SP, Luker GD, Takayama S. Surface-templated hydrogel patterns prompt matrix-dependent migration of breast cancer cells towards chemokine-secreting cells. Acta Biomater 2015; 13:68-77. [PMID: 25463502 PMCID: PMC4293228 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes a novel technique for fabricating spatially defined cell-laden collagen hydrogels, using patterned, non-adhesive polyacrylamide-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces as a template. Precisely patterned embedded co-cultures of breast cancer cells and chemokine-producing cells generated with this technique revealed matrix-dependent and chemokine isoform-dependent migration of cancer cells. CXCL12 chemokine-secreting cells induce significantly more chemotaxis of cancer cells when the 3-D extracellular matrix (ECM) includes components that bind the secreted CXCL12 chemokines. Experimental observations using cells that secrete CXCL12 isoforms with different matrix affinities together with computational simulations show that stronger ligand-matrix interactions sharpen chemoattractant gradients, leading to increased chemotaxis of the CXCL12 gradient-sensing CXCR4 receptor-expressing (CXCR4+) cells patterned in the hydrogel. These results extend our recent report on CXCL12 isoform-dependent chemotaxis studies from 2-D to 3-D environments and additionally reveal the important role of ECM composition. The developed technology is simple, versatile and robust; and as chemoattractant-matrix interactions are common, the methods described here should be broadly applicable for study of physiological migration of many different cell types in response to a variety of chemoattractants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisuke Kojima
- Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Christopher Moraes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stephen P Cavnar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Shuichi Takayama
- Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Moraes C, Likhitpanichkul M, Lam CJ, Beca BM, Sun Y, Simmons CA. Microdevice array-based identification of distinct mechanobiological response profiles in layer-specific valve interstitial cells. Integr Biol (Camb) 2013; 5:673-80. [PMID: 23403640 DOI: 10.1039/c3ib20254b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Aortic valve homeostasis is mediated by valvular interstitial cells (VICs) found in spatially distinct and mechanically dynamic layers of the valve leaflet. Disease progression is associated with the pathological differentiation of VICs to myofibroblasts, but the mechanobiological response profiles of cells specific to different layers in the leaflet remains undefined. Conventional mechanically dynamic macroscale culture technologies require a large number of cells per set of environmental conditions. However, large scale expansion of primary VICs in vitro does not maintain in vivo phenotypes, and hence conventional macroscale techniques are not well-suited to systematically probe response of these cell types to combinatorially manipulated mechanobiological cues. To address this issue, we developed a microfabricated composite material screening array to determine the combined effects of dynamic substrate stretch, soluble cues and matrix proteins on small populations of primary cells. We applied this system to study VICs isolated from distinct layers of the valve leaflet and determined that (1) mechanical stability and cellular adhesion to the engineered composite materials were significantly improved as compared to conventional stretching technologies; (2) VICs demonstrate layer-specific mechanobiological profiles; and (3) mechanical stimulation, matrix proteins and soluble cues produce integrated and distinct responses in layer-specific VIC populations. Strikingly, myofibroblast differentiation was most significantly influenced by cell origin, despite the presence of potent mechanobiological cues such as applied strain and TGF-β1. These results demonstrate that spatially-distinct VIC subpopulations respond differentially to microenvironmental cues, with implications for valve tissue engineering and pathobiology. The developed platform enables rapid identification of biological phenomena arising from systematically manipulating the cellular microenvironment, and may be of utility in screening mechanosensitive cell cultures with applications in drug screening, tissue engineering and fundamental cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Moraes
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
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