1
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Fan R, Zhao J, Yi L, Yuan J, McCarthy A, Li B, Yang G, John JV, Wan W, Zhang Y, Chen S. Anti-Inflammatory Peptide-Conjugated Silk Fibroin/Cryogel Hybrid Dual Fiber Scaffold with Hierarchical Structure Promotes Healing of Chronic Wounds. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307328. [PMID: 38288789 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Chronic wounds resulting from diabetes, pressure, radiation therapy, and other factors continue to pose significant challenges in wound healing. To address this, this study introduces a novel hybrid fibroin fibrous scaffold (FFS) comprising randomly arranged fibroin fibers and vertically aligned cryogel fibers (CFs). The fibroin scaffold is efficiently degummed at room temperature and simultaneously formed a porous structure. The aligned CFs are produced via directional freeze-drying, achieved by controlling solution concentration and freezing polymerization temperature. The incorporation of aligned CFs into the expanded fibroin fiber scaffold leads to enhanced cell infiltration both in vitro and in vivo, further elevating the hybrid scaffold's tissue compatibility. The anti-inflammatory peptide 1 (AP-1) is also conjugated to the hybrid fibrous scaffold, effectively transforming the inflammatory status of chronic wounds from pro-inflammatory to pro-reparative. Consequently, the FFS-AP1+CF group demonstrates superior granulation tissue formation, angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and re-epithelialization during the proliferative phase compared to the commercial product PELNAC. Moreover, the FFS-AP1+CF group displays epidermis thickness, number of regenerated hair follicles, and collagen density closer to normal skin tissue. These findings highlight the potential of random fibroin fibers/aligned CFs hybrid fibrous scaffold as a promising approach for skin tissue filling and tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyi Fan
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Jiebing Zhao
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China
| | - Lei Yi
- Department of Burn, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jiayi Yuan
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Alec McCarthy
- Department of Surgery-Transplant and Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Ganghua Yang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Johnson V John
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA, 90064, USA
| | - Wenbing Wan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Shixuan Chen
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
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2
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Giubertoni G, Feng L, Klein K, Giannetti G, Rutten L, Choi Y, van der Net A, Castro-Linares G, Caporaletti F, Micha D, Hunger J, Deblais A, Bonn D, Sommerdijk N, Šarić A, Ilie IM, Koenderink GH, Woutersen S. Elucidating the role of water in collagen self-assembly by isotopically modulating collagen hydration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313162121. [PMID: 38451946 PMCID: PMC10945838 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313162121] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Water is known to play an important role in collagen self-assembly, but it is still largely unclear how water-collagen interactions influence the assembly process and determine the fibril network properties. Here, we use the H[Formula: see text]O/D[Formula: see text]O isotope effect on the hydrogen-bond strength in water to investigate the role of hydration in collagen self-assembly. We dissolve collagen in H[Formula: see text]O and D[Formula: see text]O and compare the growth kinetics and the structure of the collagen assemblies formed in these water isotopomers. Surprisingly, collagen assembly occurs ten times faster in D[Formula: see text]O than in H[Formula: see text]O, and collagen in D[Formula: see text]O self-assembles into much thinner fibrils, that form a more inhomogeneous and softer network, with a fourfold reduction in elastic modulus when compared to H[Formula: see text]O. Combining spectroscopic measurements with atomistic simulations, we show that collagen in D[Formula: see text]O is less hydrated than in H[Formula: see text]O. This partial dehydration lowers the enthalpic penalty for water removal and reorganization at the collagen-water interface, increasing the self-assembly rate and the number of nucleation centers, leading to thinner fibrils and a softer network. Coarse-grained simulations show that the acceleration in the initial nucleation rate can be reproduced by the enhancement of electrostatic interactions. These results show that water acts as a mediator between collagen monomers, by modulating their interactions so as to optimize the assembly process and, thus, the final network properties. We believe that isotopically modulating the hydration of proteins can be a valuable method to investigate the role of water in protein structural dynamics and protein self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Giubertoni
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Liru Feng
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin Klein
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Klosterneuburg3400, Austria
- University College London, Division of Physics and Astronomy, LondonWC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Guido Giannetti
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Luco Rutten
- Electron Microscopy Center, Radboud Technology Center Microscopy, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Yeji Choi
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Molecular Spectroscopy Department, Mainz55128, Germany
| | - Anouk van der Net
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft2628 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard Castro-Linares
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft2628 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Federico Caporaletti
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
- Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GL, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitra Micha
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Human Genetics Department, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes Hunger
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Molecular Spectroscopy Department, Mainz55128, Germany
| | - Antoine Deblais
- Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GL, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Bonn
- Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GL, The Netherlands
| | - Nico Sommerdijk
- Electron Microscopy Center, Radboud Technology Center Microscopy, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Andela Šarić
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Klosterneuburg3400, Austria
| | - Ioana M. Ilie
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Gijsje H. Koenderink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft2628 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Sander Woutersen
- Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Department of Molecular Photonics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1090 GD, The Netherlands
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3
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Naylor A, Zheng Y, Jiao Y, Sun B. Micromechanical remodeling of the extracellular matrix by invading tumors: anisotropy and heterogeneity. SOFT MATTER 2022; 19:9-16. [PMID: 36503977 PMCID: PMC9867555 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01100j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Altered tissue mechanics is an important signature of invasive solid tumors. While the phenomena have been extensively studied by measuring the bulk rheology of the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding tumors, micromechanical remodeling at the cellular scale remains poorly understood. By combining holographic optical tweezers and confocal microscopy on in vitro tumor models, we show that the micromechanics of collagen ECM surrounding an invading tumor demonstrate directional anisotropy, spatial heterogeneity and significant variations in time as tumors invade. To test the cellular mechanisms of ECM micromechanical remodeling, we construct a simple computational model and verify its predictions with experiments. We find that collective force generation of a tumor stiffens the ECM and leads to anisotropic local mechanics such that the extension direction is more rigid than the compression direction. ECM degradation by cell-secreted matrix metalloproteinase softens the ECM, and active traction forces from individual disseminated cells re-stiffen the matrix. Together, these results identify plausible biophysical mechanisms responsible for the remodeled ECM micromechanics surrounding an invading tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Naylor
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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4
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Sánchez-Cid P, Jiménez-Rosado M, Rubio-Valle JF, Romero A, Ostos FJ, Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia M, Perez-Puyana V. Biocompatible and Thermoresistant Hydrogels Based on Collagen and Chitosan. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:272. [PMID: 35054678 PMCID: PMC8781623 DOI: 10.3390/polym14020272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are considered good biomaterials for soft tissue regeneration. In this sense, collagen is the most used raw material to develop hydrogels, due to its high biocompatibility. However, its low mechanical resistance, thermal stability and pH instability have generated the need to look for alternatives to its use. In this sense, the combination of collagen with another raw material (i.e., polysaccharides) can improve the final properties of hydrogels. For this reason, the main objective of this work was the development of hydrogels based on collagen and chitosan. The mechanical, thermal and microstructural properties of the hydrogels formed with different ratios of collagen/chitosan (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100) were evaluated after being processed by two variants of a protocol consisting in two stages: a pH change towards pH 7 and a temperature drop towards 4 °C. The main results showed that depending on the protocol, the physicochemical and microstructural properties of the hybrid hydrogels were similar to the unitary system depending on the stage carried out in first place, obtaining FTIR peaks with similar intensity or a more porous structure when chitosan was first gelled, instead of collagen. As a conclusion, the synergy between collagen and chitosan improved the properties of the hydrogels, showing good thermomechanical properties and cell viability to be used as potential biomaterials for Tissue Engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Sánchez-Cid
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (P.S.-C.); (A.R.)
| | - Mercedes Jiménez-Rosado
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (P.S.-C.); (A.R.)
| | - José Fernando Rubio-Valle
- Pro2TecS-Chemical Product and Process Technology Research Centre, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain;
| | - Alberto Romero
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (P.S.-C.); (A.R.)
| | - Francisco J. Ostos
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, CSIC, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain; (F.J.O.); (M.R.-E.-I.B.)
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Mohammed Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia
- Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, CSIC, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain; (F.J.O.); (M.R.-E.-I.B.)
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Victor Perez-Puyana
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain; (P.S.-C.); (A.R.)
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5
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Sun B. The mechanics of fibrillar collagen extracellular matrix. CELL REPORTS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2021; 2:100515. [PMID: 34485951 PMCID: PMC8415638 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2021.100515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
As a major component of the human body, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex biopolymer network. The ECM not only hosts a plethora of biochemical interactions but also defines the physical microenvironment of cells. The physical properties of the ECM, such as its geometry and mechanics, are critical to physiological processes and diseases such as morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer. This review provides a brief introduction to the recent progress in understanding the mechanics of ECM for researchers who are interested in learning about this relatively new subject of biophysics. This review covers the mechanics of a single ECM fiber (nanometer scale), the micromechanics of ECM (micrometer scale), and bulk rheology (greater than millimeter scale). Representative experimental measurements and basic theoretical models are introduced side by side. After discussing the physics of ECM mechanics, the review concludes by commenting on the role of ECM mechanics in healthy and tumorigenic tissues and the open questions that call for future studies at the interface of fundamental physics, engineering, and medical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Correspondence:
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6
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The mechanics and dynamics of cancer cells sensing noisy 3D contact guidance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024780118. [PMID: 33658384 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024780118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Contact guidance is a major physical cue that modulates cancer cell morphology and motility, and is directly linked to the prognosis of cancer patients. Under physiological conditions, particularly in the three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix (ECM), the disordered assembly of fibers presents a complex directional bias to the cells. It is unclear how cancer cells respond to these noncoherent contact guidance cues. Here we combine quantitative experiments, theoretical analysis, and computational modeling to study the morphological and migrational responses of breast cancer cells to 3D collagen ECM with varying degrees of fiber alignment. We quantify the strength of contact guidance using directional coherence of ECM fibers, and find that stronger contact guidance causes cells to polarize more strongly along the principal direction of the fibers. Interestingly, sensitivity to contact guidance is positively correlated with cell aspect ratio, with elongated cells responding more strongly to ECM alignment than rounded cells. Both experiments and simulations show that cell-ECM adhesions and actomyosin contractility modulate cell responses to contact guidance by inducing a population shift between rounded and elongated cells. We also find that cells rapidly change their morphology when navigating the ECM, and that ECM fiber coherence modulates cell transition rates between different morphological phenotypes. Taken together, we find that subcellular processes that integrate conflicting mechanical cues determine cell morphology, which predicts the polarization and migration dynamics of cancer cells in 3D ECM.
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7
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Eichinger JF, Grill MJ, Kermani ID, Aydin RC, Wall WA, Humphrey JD, Cyron CJ. A computational framework for modeling cell-matrix interactions in soft biological tissues. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2021; 20:1851-1870. [PMID: 34173132 PMCID: PMC8450219 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-021-01480-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Living soft tissues appear to promote the development and maintenance of a preferred mechanical state within a defined tolerance around a so-called set point. This phenomenon is often referred to as mechanical homeostasis. In contradiction to the prominent role of mechanical homeostasis in various (patho)physiological processes, its underlying micromechanical mechanisms acting on the level of individual cells and fibers remain poorly understood, especially how these mechanisms on the microscale lead to what we macroscopically call mechanical homeostasis. Here, we present a novel computational framework based on the finite element method that is constructed bottom up, that is, it models key mechanobiological mechanisms such as actin cytoskeleton contraction and molecular clutch behavior of individual cells interacting with a reconstructed three-dimensional extracellular fiber matrix. The framework reproduces many experimental observations regarding mechanical homeostasis on short time scales (hours), in which the deposition and degradation of extracellular matrix can largely be neglected. This model can serve as a systematic tool for future in silico studies of the origin of the numerous still unexplained experimental observations about mechanical homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas F Eichinger
- Institute for Computational Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85748, Germany.,Institute for Continuum and Materials Mechanics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany
| | - Maximilian J Grill
- Institute for Computational Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Iman Davoodi Kermani
- Institute for Computational Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Roland C Aydin
- Institute of Material Systems Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, 21502, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Wall
- Institute for Computational Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85748, Germany
| | - Jay D Humphrey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Christian J Cyron
- Institute for Continuum and Materials Mechanics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany. .,Institute of Material Systems Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, 21502, Germany.
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8
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Fan Q, Zheng Y, Wang X, Xie R, Ding Y, Wang B, Yu X, Lu Y, Liu L, Li Y, Li M, Zhao Y, Jiao Y, Ye F. Dynamically Re‐Organized Collagen Fiber Bundles Transmit Mechanical Signals and Induce Strongly Correlated Cell Migration and Self‐Organization. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202016084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 USA
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Ruipei Xie
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Yu Ding
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Boyi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xiaoyu Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Ying Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory Dongguan Guangdong 523808 China
| | - Liyu Liu
- College of Physics Chongqing University Chongqing 401331 China
| | - Yunliang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
| | - Ming Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory Dongguan Guangdong 523808 China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School Nanjing 210008 China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 USA
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China
- Wenzhou Institute University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Wenzhou Zhejiang 325001 China
- School of Physical Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory Dongguan Guangdong 523808 China
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9
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Fan Q, Zheng Y, Wang X, Xie R, Ding Y, Wang B, Yu X, Lu Y, Liu L, Li Y, Li M, Zhao Y, Jiao Y, Ye F. Dynamically Re-Organized Collagen Fiber Bundles Transmit Mechanical Signals and Induce Strongly Correlated Cell Migration and Self-Organization. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:11858-11867. [PMID: 33533087 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202016084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Correlated cell migration in fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) is important in many biological processes. During migration, cells can remodel the ECM, leading to the formation of mesoscale structures such as fiber bundles. However, how such mesoscale structures regulate correlated single-cells migration remains to be elucidated. Here, using a quasi-3D in vitro model, we investigate how collagen fiber bundles are dynamically re-organized and guide cell migration. By combining laser ablation technique with 3D tracking and active-particle simulations, we definitively show that only the re-organized fiber bundles that carry significant tensile forces can guide strongly correlated cell migration, providing for the first time a direct experimental evidence supporting that matrix-transmitted long-range forces can regulate cell migration and self-organization. This force regulation mechanism can provide new insights for studies on cellular dynamics, fabrication or selection of biomedical materials in tissue repairing, and many other biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihui Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruipei Xie
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Boyi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyu Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ying Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
| | - Liyu Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Yunliang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Ming Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China.,Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.,Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
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10
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Sarrigiannidis S, Rey J, Dobre O, González-García C, Dalby M, Salmeron-Sanchez M. A tough act to follow: collagen hydrogel modifications to improve mechanical and growth factor loading capabilities. Mater Today Bio 2021; 10:100098. [PMID: 33763641 PMCID: PMC7973388 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Collagen hydrogels are among the most well-studied platforms for drug delivery and in situ tissue engineering, thanks to their low cost, low immunogenicity, versatility, biocompatibility, and similarity to the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Despite collagen being largely responsible for the tensile properties of native connective tissues, collagen hydrogels have relatively low mechanical properties in the absence of covalent cross-linking. This is particularly problematic when attempting to regenerate stiffer and stronger native tissues such as bone. Furthermore, in contrast to hydrogels based on ECM proteins such as fibronectin, collagen hydrogels do not have any growth factor (GF)-specific binding sites and often cannot sequester physiological (small) amounts of the protein. GF binding and in situ presentation are properties that can aid significantly in the tissue regeneration process by dictating cell fate without causing adverse effects such as malignant tumorigenic tissue growth. To alleviate these issues, researchers have developed several strategies to increase the mechanical properties of collagen hydrogels using physical or chemical modifications. This can expand the applicability of collagen hydrogels to tissues subject to a continuous load. GF delivery has also been explored, mathematically and experimentally, through the development of direct loading, chemical cross-linking, electrostatic interaction, and other carrier systems. This comprehensive article explores the ways in which these parameters, mechanical properties and GF delivery, have been optimized in collagen hydrogel systems and examines their in vitro or in vivo biological effect. This article can, therefore, be a useful tool to streamline future studies in the field, by pointing researchers into the appropriate direction according to their collagen hydrogel design requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - O. Dobre
- Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - C. González-García
- Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - M.J. Dalby
- Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - M. Salmeron-Sanchez
- Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
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11
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Shahab S, Kasra M, Dolatshahi-Pirouz A. Design and construction of a novel measurement device for mechanical characterization of hydrogels: A case study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247727. [PMID: 33630967 PMCID: PMC7906418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural biopolymer-based hydrogels especially agarose and collagen gels, considering their biocompatibility with cells and their capacity to mimic biological tissues, have widely been used for in-vitro experiments and tissue engineering applications in recent years; nevertheless their mechanical properties are not always optimal for these purposes. Regarding the importance of the mechanical properties of hydrogels, many mechanical characterization studies have been carried out for such biopolymers. In this work, we have focused on understanding the mechanical role of agarose and collagen concentration on the hydrogel strength and elastic behavior. In this direction, Amirkabir Magnetic Bead Rheometry (AMBR) characterization device equipped with an optimized electromagnet, was designed and constructed for the measurement of hydrogel mechanical properties. The operation of AMBR set-up is based on applying a magnetic field to actuate magnetic beads in contact with the gel surface in order to actuate the gel itself. In simple terms the magnetic beads leads give rise to mechanical shear stress on the gel surface when under magnetic influence and together with the associated bead-gel displacement it is possible to calculate the hydrogel shear modulus. Agarose and Collagen gels with respectively 0.2-0.6 wt % and 0.2-0.5 wt % percent concentrations were prepared for mechanical characterization in terms of their shear modulus. The shear modulus values for the different percent concentrations of the agarose gel were obtained in the range 250-650 Pa, indicating the shear modulus increases by increasing in the agar gel concentration. In addition to this, the values of shear modulus for the collagen gel increase as function of concentration in the range 240-520 Pa in accordance with an approximately linear relationship between collagen concentration and gel strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayan Shahab
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Faculty, Amirkabir University of Technology-Tehran Polytechnic, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Kasra
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Faculty, Amirkabir University of Technology-Tehran Polytechnic, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz
- Department of Health Technology, Institute of Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Zheng Y, Fan Q, Eddy CZ, Wang X, Sun B, Ye F, Jiao Y. Modeling multicellular dynamics regulated by extracellular-matrix-mediated mechanical communication via active particles with polarized effective attraction. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:052409. [PMID: 33327171 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.052409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Collective cell migration is crucial to many physiological and pathological processes such as embryo development, wound healing, and cancer invasion. Recent experimental studies have indicated that the active traction forces generated by migrating cells in a fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) can mechanically remodel the ECM, giving rise to bundlelike mesostructures bridging individual cells. Such fiber bundles also enable long-range propagation of cellular forces, leading to correlated migration dynamics regulated by the mechanical communication among the cells. Motivated by these experimental discoveries, we develop an active-particle model with polarized effective attractions (APPA) to investigate emergent multicellular migration dynamics resulting from ECM-mediated mechanical communications. In particular, the APPA model generalizes the classic active-Brownian-particle (ABP) model by imposing a pairwise polarized attractive force between the particles, which depends on the instantaneous dynamic states of the particles and mimics the effective mutual pulling between the cells via the fiber bundle bridge. The APPA system exhibits enhanced aggregation behaviors compared to the classic ABP system, and the contrast is more apparent at lower particle densities and higher rotational diffusivities. Importantly, in contrast to the classic ABP system where the particle velocities are not correlated for all particle densities, the high-density phase of the APPA system exhibits strong dynamic correlations, which are characterized by the slowly decaying velocity correlation functions with a correlation length comparable to the linear size of the high-density phase domain (i.e., the cluster of particles). The strongly correlated multicellular dynamics predicted by the APPA model is subsequently verified in in vitro experiments using MCF-10A cells. Our studies indicate the importance of incorporating ECM-mediated mechanical coupling among the migrating cells for appropriately modeling emergent multicellular dynamics in complex microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Qihui Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Christopher Z Eddy
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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13
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Chen PE, Xu W, Ren Y, Jiao Y. Probing information content of hierarchical n-point polytope functions for quantifying and reconstructing disordered systems. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:013305. [PMID: 32794921 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.013305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Disordered systems are ubiquitous in physical, biological, and material sciences. Examples include liquid and glassy states of condensed matter, colloids, granular materials, porous media, composites, alloys, packings of cells in avian retina, and tumor spheroids, to name but a few. A comprehensive understanding of such disordered systems requires, as the first step, systematic quantification, modeling, and representation of the underlying complex configurations and microstructure, which is generally very challenging to achieve. Recently, we introduced a set of hierarchical statistical microstructural descriptors, i.e., the "n-point polytope functions" P_{n}, which are derived from the standard n-point correlation functions S_{n}, and successively included higher-order n-point statistics of the morphological features of interest in a concise, explainable, and expressive manner. Here we investigate the information content of the P_{n} functions via optimization-based realization rendering. This is achieved by successively incorporating higher-order P_{n} functions up to n=8 and quantitatively assessing the accuracy of the reconstructed systems via unconstrained statistical morphological descriptors (e.g., the lineal-path function). We examine a wide spectrum of representative random systems with distinct geometrical and topological features. We find that, generally, successively incorporating higher-order P_{n} functions and, thus, the higher-order morphological information encoded in these descriptors leads to superior accuracy of the reconstructions. However, incorporating more P_{n} functions into the reconstruction also significantly increases the complexity and roughness of the associated energy landscape for the underlying stochastic optimization, making it difficult to convergence numerically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-En Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Wenxiang Xu
- College of Mechanics and Materials, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Ren
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.,Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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14
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Zheng Y, Nan H, Liu Y, Fan Q, Wang X, Liu R, Liu L, Ye F, Sun B, Jiao Y. Modeling cell migration regulated by cell extracellular-matrix micromechanical coupling. Phys Rev E 2020; 100:043303. [PMID: 31770879 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.043303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cell migration in fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to many physiological and pathological processes such as tissue regeneration, immune response, and cancer progression. During migration, individual cells can generate active pulling forces via actomyosin contraction, which are transmitted to the ECM fibers through focal adhesion complexes, remodel the ECM, and eventually propagate to and can be sensed by other cells in the system. The microstructure and physical properties of the ECM can also significantly influence cell migration, e.g., via durotaxis and contact guidance. Here, we develop a computational model for two-dimensional cell migration regulated by cell-ECM micromechanical coupling. Our model explicitly takes into account a variety of cellular-level processes, including focal adhesion formation and disassembly, active traction force generation and cell locomotion due to actin filament contraction, transmission and propagation of tensile forces in the ECM, as well as the resulting ECM remodeling. We validate our model by accurately reproducing single-cell dynamics of MCF-10A breast cancer cells migrating on collagen gels and show that the durotaxis and contact guidance effects naturally arise as a consequence of the cell-ECM micromechanical interactions considered in the model. Moreover, our model predicts strongly correlated multicellular migration dynamics, which are resulted from the ECM-mediated mechanical coupling among the migrating cell and are subsequently verified in in vitro experiments using MCF-10A cells. Our computational model provides a robust tool to investigate emergent collective dynamics of multicellular systems in complex in vivo microenvironment and can be utilized to design in vitro microenvironments to guide collective behaviors and self-organization of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Hanqing Nan
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Yanping Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Qihui Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruchuan Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Liyu Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matte Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.,Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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15
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Kim J, Zheng Y, Alobaidi AA, Nan H, Tian J, Jiao Y, Sun B. Geometric Dependence of 3D Collective Cancer Invasion. Biophys J 2020; 118:1177-1182. [PMID: 32049055 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis of mesenchymal tumor cells is traditionally considered as a single-cell process. Here, we report an emergent collective phenomenon in which the dissemination rate of mesenchymal breast cancer cells from three-dimensional tumors depends on the tumor geometry. Combining experimental measurements and computational modeling, we demonstrate that the collective dynamics is coordinated by the mechanical feedback between individual cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). We find the tissue-like fibrous ECM supports long-range physical interactions between cells, which turn geometric cues into regulated cell dissemination dynamics. Our results suggest that migrating cells in three-dimensional ECM represent a distinct class of an active particle system in which the collective dynamics is governed by the remodeling of the environment rather than direct particle-particle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihan Kim
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Amani A Alobaidi
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Hanqing Nan
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jianxiang Tian
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Department of Physics, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
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16
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Nan H, Zheng Y, Lin YH, Chen S, Eddy CZ, Tian J, Xu W, Sun B, Jiao Y. Absorbing-active transition in a multi-cellular system regulated by a dynamic force network. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:6938-6945. [PMID: 31432887 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01244c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Collective cell migration in 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to many physiological and pathological processes. Migrating cells can generate active pulling forces via actin filament contraction, which are transmitted to the ECM fibers and lead to a dynamically evolving force network in the system. Here, we elucidate the role of this force network in regulating collective cell behaviors using a minimal active-particle-on-network (APN) model, in which active particles can pull the fibers and hop between neighboring nodes of the network following local durotaxis. Our model reveals a dynamic transition as the particle number density approaches a critical value, from an "absorbing" state containing isolated stationary small particle clusters, to an "active" state containing a single large cluster undergoing constant dynamic reorganization. This reorganization is dominated by a subset of highly dynamic "radical" particles in the cluster, whose number also exhibits a transition at the same critical density. The transition is underlaid by the percolation of "influence spheres" due to the particle pulling forces. Our results suggest a robust mechanism based on ECM-mediated mechanical coupling for collective cell behaviors in 3D ECM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Nan
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Yiheng H Lin
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. and Shenzhen Middle School, Shenzhen 518001, P. R. China
| | - Shaohua Chen
- Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 Bus 2450, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christopher Z Eddy
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Jianxiang Tian
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. and Department of Physics, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, P. R. China
| | - Wenxiang Xu
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. and College of Mechanics and Materials, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, P. R. China.
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Yang Jiao
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. and Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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17
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Feng J, Levine H, Mao X, Sander LM. Cell motility, contact guidance, and durotaxis. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:4856-4864. [PMID: 31161163 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02564a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of the substrate play a vital role in cell motility. In particular, cells have been shown to migrate along aligned fibers in the substrate (contact guidance) and up stiffness gradients (durotaxis). Here we present a simple mechanical model for cell migration coupled to substrate properties, by placing a simulated cell on a lattice mimicking biopolymer gels or hydrogels. In our model cells attach to the substrate via focal adhesions (FAs). As the cells contract, forces are generated at the FAs, determining their maturation and detachment. At the same time, the cell was also allowed to move and rotate to maintain force and torque balance. Our model, in which the cells only have access to information regarding forces acting at the FAs, without a prior knowledge of the substrate stiffness or geometry, is able to reproduce both contact guidance and durotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingchen Feng
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005-1892, USA.
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18
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Fiber alignment drives changes in architectural and mechanical features in collagen matrices. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216537. [PMID: 31091287 PMCID: PMC6519824 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aligned collagen architecture is a characteristic feature of the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) and has been shown to facilitate cancer metastasis using 3D in vitro models. Additional features of the ECM, such as pore size and stiffness, have also been shown to influence cellular behavior and are implicated in cancer progression. While there are several methods to produce aligned matrices to study the effect on cell behavior in vitro, it is unclear how the alignment itself may alter these other important features of the matrix. In this study, we have generated aligned collagen matrices and characterized their pore sizes and mechanical properties at the micro- and macro-scale. Our results indicate that collagen alignment can alter pore-size of matrices depending on the polymerization temperature of the collagen. Furthermore, alignment does not affect the macro-scale stiffness but alters the micro-scale stiffness in a temperature independent manner. Overall, these results describe the manifestation of confounding variables that arise due to alignment and the importance of fully characterizing biomaterials at both micro- and macro-scales.
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19
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van Dongen JA, Getova V, Brouwer LA, Liguori GR, Sharma PK, Stevens HP, van der Lei B, Harmsen MC. Adipose tissue-derived extracellular matrix hydrogels as a release platform for secreted paracrine factors. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2019; 13:973-985. [PMID: 30808068 PMCID: PMC6593768 DOI: 10.1002/term.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fat grafting is an established clinical intervention to promote tissue repair. The role of the fat's extracellular matrix (ECM) in regeneration is largely neglected. We investigated in vitro the use of human adipose tissue‐derived ECM hydrogels as release platform for factors secreted by adipose‐derived stromal cells (ASCs). Lipoaspirates from nondiabetic and diabetic donors were decellularized. Finely powdered acellular ECM was evaluated for cell remainders and DNA content. Acellular ECM was digested, and hydrogels were formed at 37°C and their viscoelastic relaxation properties investigated. Release of ASC‐released factors from hydrogels was immune assessed, and bio‐activity was determined by fibroblast proliferation and migration and endothelial angiogenesis. Acellular ECM contained no detectable cell remainders and negligible DNA contents. Viscoelastic relaxation measurements yielded no data for diabetic‐derived hydrogels due to gel instability. Hydrogels released several ASC‐released factors concurrently in a sustained fashion. Functionally, released factors stimulated fibroblast proliferation and migration as well as angiogenesis. No difference between nondiabetic and diabetic hydrogels in release of factors was measured. Adipose ECM hydrogels incubated with released factors by ASC are a promising new therapeutic modality to promote several important wound healing‐related processes by releasing factors in a controlled way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris A van Dongen
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Vasilena Getova
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Linda A Brouwer
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel R Liguori
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Surgery and Circulation Pathophysiology (LIM-11), Heart Institute (InCor), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Prashant K Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Berend van der Lei
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Bergman Clinics, Heerenveen, Zwolle, and Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin C Harmsen
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Chen S, Xu W, Kim J, Nan H, Zheng Y, Sun B, Jiao Y. Novel inverse finite-element formulation for reconstruction of relative local stiffness in heterogeneous extra-cellular matrix and traction forces on active cells. Phys Biol 2019; 16:036002. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ab0463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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21
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Nan H, Liang L, Chen G, Liu L, Liu R, Jiao Y. Realizations of highly heterogeneous collagen networks via stochastic reconstruction for micromechanical analysis of tumor cell invasion. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:033311. [PMID: 29776156 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.033311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) collective cell migration in a collagen-based extracellular matrix (ECM) is among one of the most significant topics in developmental biology, cancer progression, tissue regeneration, and immune response. Recent studies have suggested that collagen-fiber mediated force transmission in cellularized ECM plays an important role in stress homeostasis and regulation of collective cellular behaviors. Motivated by the recent in vitro observation that oriented collagen can significantly enhance the penetration of migrating breast cancer cells into dense Matrigel which mimics the intravasation process in vivo [Han et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113, 11208 (2016)PNASA60027-842410.1073/pnas.1610347113], we devise a procedure for generating realizations of highly heterogeneous 3D collagen networks with prescribed microstructural statistics via stochastic optimization. Specifically, a collagen network is represented via the graph (node-bond) model and the microstructural statistics considered include the cross-link (node) density, valence distribution, fiber (bond) length distribution, as well as fiber orientation distribution. An optimization problem is formulated in which the objective function is defined as the squared difference between a set of target microstructural statistics and the corresponding statistics for the simulated network. Simulated annealing is employed to solve the optimization problem by evolving an initial network via random perturbations to generate realizations of homogeneous networks with randomly oriented fibers, homogeneous networks with aligned fibers, heterogeneous networks with a continuous variation of fiber orientation along a prescribed direction, as well as a binary system containing a collagen region with aligned fibers and a dense Matrigel region with randomly oriented fibers. The generation and propagation of active forces in the simulated networks due to polarized contraction of an embedded ellipsoidal cell and a small group of cells are analyzed by considering a nonlinear fiber model incorporating strain hardening upon large stretching and buckling upon compression. Our analysis shows that oriented fibers can significantly enhance long-range force transmission in the network. Moreover, in the oriented-collagen-Matrigel system, the forces generated by a polarized cell in collagen can penetrate deeply into the Matrigel region. The stressed Matrigel fibers could provide contact guidance for the migrating cell cells, and thus enhance their penetration into Matrigel. This suggests a possible mechanism for the observed enhanced intravasation by oriented collagen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Nan
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Long Liang
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Guo Chen
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Liyu Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Ruchuan Liu
- College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.,Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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22
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Jansen KA, Licup AJ, Sharma A, Rens R, MacKintosh FC, Koenderink GH. The Role of Network Architecture in Collagen Mechanics. Biophys J 2018; 114:2665-2678. [PMID: 29874616 PMCID: PMC6129505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Collagen forms fibrous networks that reinforce tissues and provide an extracellular matrix for cells. These networks exhibit remarkable strain-stiffening properties that tailor the mechanical functions of tissues and regulate cell behavior. Recent models explain this nonlinear behavior as an intrinsic feature of disordered networks of stiff fibers. Here, we experimentally validate this theoretical framework by measuring the elastic properties of collagen networks over a wide range of self-assembly conditions. We show that the model allows us to quantitatively relate both the linear and nonlinear elastic behavior of collagen networks to their underlying architecture. Specifically, we identify the local coordination number (or connectivity) 〈z〉 as a key architectural parameter that governs the elastic response of collagen. The network elastic response reveals that 〈z〉 decreases from 3.5 to 3 as the polymerization temperature is raised from 26 to 37°C while being weakly dependent on concentration. We furthermore infer a Young's modulus of 1.1 MPa for the collagen fibrils from the linear modulus. Scanning electron microscopy confirms that 〈z〉 is between three and four but is unable to detect the subtle changes in 〈z〉 with polymerization conditions that rheology is sensitive to. Finally, we show that, consistent with the model, the initial stress-stiffening response of collagen networks is controlled by the negative normal stress that builds up under shear. Our work provides a predictive framework to facilitate future studies of the regulatory effect of extracellular matrix molecules on collagen mechanics. Moreover, our findings can aid mechanobiological studies of wound healing, fibrosis, and cancer metastasis, which require collagen matrices with tunable mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin A Jansen
- Biological Soft Matter Group, AMOLF, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Albert J Licup
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Abhinav Sharma
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robbie Rens
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Fred C MacKintosh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas; Center for Theoretical Biophysics, Rice University, Houston, Texas.
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23
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Combined experimental and computational characterization of crosslinked collagen-based hydrogels. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195820. [PMID: 29664953 PMCID: PMC5903660 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Collagen hydrogels are widely used for in-vitro experiments and tissue engineering applications. Their use has been extended due to their biocompatibility with cells and their capacity to mimic biological tissues; nevertheless their mechanical properties are not always optimal for these purposes. Hydrogels are formed by a network of polymer filaments embedded on an aqueous substrate and their mechanical properties are mainly defined by the filament network architecture and the individual filament properties. To increase properties of native collagen, such as stiffness or strain-stiffening, these networks can be modified by adding crosslinking agents that alter the network architecture, increasing the unions between filaments. In this work, we have investigated the effect of one crosslinking agent, transglutaminase, in collagen hydrogels with varying collagen concentration. We have observed a linear dependency of the gel rigidity on the collagen concentration. Moreover, the addition of transglutaminase has induced an earlier strain-stiffening of the collagen gels. In addition, to better understand the mechanical implications of collagen concentration and crosslinkers inclusion, we have adapted an existing computational model, based on the worm-like chain model (WLC), to reproduce the mechanical behavior of the collagen gels. With this model we can estimate the parameters of the biopolymer networks without more sophisticated techniques, such as image processing or network reconstruction, or, inversely, predict the mechanical properties of a defined collagen network.
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24
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Ban E, Zhang S, Zarei V, Barocas VH, Winkelstein BA, Picu CR. Collagen Organization in Facet Capsular Ligaments Varies With Spinal Region and With Ligament Deformation. J Biomech Eng 2018; 139:2606399. [PMID: 28241270 DOI: 10.1115/1.4036019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The spinal facet capsular ligament (FCL) is primarily comprised of heterogeneous arrangements of collagen fibers. This complex fibrous structure and its evolution under loading play a critical role in determining the mechanical behavior of the FCL. A lack of analytical tools to characterize the spatial anisotropy and heterogeneity of the FCL's microstructure has limited the current understanding of its structure-function relationships. Here, the collagen organization was characterized using spatial correlation analysis of the FCL's optically obtained fiber orientation field. FCLs from the cervical and lumbar spinal regions were characterized in terms of their structure, as was the reorganization of collagen in stretched cervical FCLs. Higher degrees of intra- and intersample heterogeneity were found in cervical FCLs than in lumbar specimens. In the cervical FCLs, heterogeneity was manifested in the form of curvy patterns formed by collections of collagen fibers or fiber bundles. Tensile stretch, a common injury mechanism for the cervical FCL, significantly increased the spatial correlation length in the stretch direction, indicating an elongation of the observed structural features. Finally, an affine estimation for the change of correlation length under loading was performed which gave predictions very similar to the actual values. These findings provide structural insights for multiscale mechanical analyses of the FCLs from various spinal regions and also suggest methods for quantitative characterization of complex tissue patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Ban
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 211 LRSM, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 e-mail:
| | - Sijia Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 e-mail:
| | - Vahhab Zarei
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Victor H Barocas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 e-mail:
| | - Beth A Winkelstein
- Departments of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 e-mail:
| | - Catalin R Picu
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2048 Jonsson Engineering Center, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 e-mail:
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25
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Kim J, Feng J, Jones CAR, Mao X, Sander LM, Levine H, Sun B. Stress-induced plasticity of dynamic collagen networks. Nat Commun 2017; 8:842. [PMID: 29018207 PMCID: PMC5635002 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and mechanics of tissues is constantly perturbed by endogenous forces originated from cells, and at the same time regulate many important cellular functions such as migration, differentiation, and growth. Here we show that 3D collagen gels, major components of connective tissues and extracellular matrix (ECM), are significantly and irreversibly remodeled by cellular traction forces, as well as by macroscopic strains. To understand this ECM plasticity, we develop a computational model that takes into account the sliding and merging of ECM fibers. We have confirmed the model predictions with experiment. Our results suggest the profound impacts of cellular traction forces on their host ECM during development and cancer progression, and suggest indirect mechanical channels of cell-cell communications in 3D fibrous matrices.The structure and mechanics of tissues is constantly perturbed by endogenous forces originated from cells. Here the authors show that 3D collagen gels, major components of connective tissues and extracellular matrix, are significantly and irreversibly remodelled by cellular traction forces and by macroscopic strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihan Kim
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, 301 Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-6507, USA
| | - Jingchen Feng
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005-1892, USA
| | - Christopher A R Jones
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, 301 Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-6507, USA
| | - Xiaoming Mao
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1120, USA
| | - Leonard M Sander
- Physics and Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1120, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005-1892, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030-1402, USA.
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, 301 Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331-6507, USA.
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26
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Berger AJ, Linsmeier KM, Kreeger PK, Masters KS. Decoupling the effects of stiffness and fiber density on cellular behaviors via an interpenetrating network of gelatin-methacrylate and collagen. Biomaterials 2017; 141:125-135. [PMID: 28683337 PMCID: PMC5556948 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular microenvironment provides critical cues that guide tissue development, homeostasis, and pathology. Deciphering the individual roles of these cues in tissue function necessitates the development of physically tunable culture platforms, but current approaches to create such materials have produced scaffolds that either exhibit a limited mechanical range or are unable to recapitulate the fibrous nature of in vivo tissues. Here we report a novel interpenetrating network (IPN) of gelatin-methacrylate (gelMA) and collagen I that enables independent tuning of fiber density and scaffold stiffness across a physiologically-relevant range of shear moduli (2-12 kPa), while maintaining constant extracellular matrix content. This biomaterial system was applied to examine how changes in the physical microenvironment affect cell types associated with the tumor microenvironment. By increasing fiber density while maintaining constant stiffness, we found that MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells required the presence of fibers to invade the surrounding matrix, while endothelial cells (ECs) did not. Meanwhile, increasing IPN stiffness independently of fiber content yielded decreased invasion and sprouting for both MDA-MB-231 cells and ECs. These results highlight the importance of decoupling features of the microenvironment to uncover their individual effects on cell behavior, in addition to demonstrating that individual cell types within a tissue may be differentially affected by the same changes in physical features. The mechanical range and fibrous nature of this tunable biomaterial platform enable mimicry of a wide variety of tissues, and may yield more precise identification of targets which may be exploited to develop interventions to control tissue function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Berger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kelsey M Linsmeier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Pamela K Kreeger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
| | - Kristyn S Masters
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
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27
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Liang L, Jones C, Chen S, Sun B, Jiao Y. Heterogeneous force network in 3D cellularized collagen networks. Phys Biol 2016; 13:066001. [PMID: 27779119 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/13/6/066001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Collagen networks play an important role in coordinating and regulating collective cellular dynamics via a number of signaling pathways. Here, we investigate the transmission of forces generated by contractile cells in 3D collagen-I networks. Specifically, the graph (bond-node) representations of collagen networks with collagen concentrations of 1, 2 and 4 mg ml-1 are derived from confocal microscopy data and used to model the network microstructure. Cell contraction is modeled by applying correlated displacements at specific nodes of the network, representing the focal adhesion sites. A nonlinear elastic model is employed to characterize the mechanical behavior of individual fiber bundles including strain hardening during stretching and buckling under compression. A force-based relaxation method is employed to obtain equilibrium network configurations under cell contraction. We find that for all collagen concentrations, the majority of the forces are carried by a small number of heterogeneous force chains emitted from the contracting cells, which is qualitatively consistent with our experimental observations. The force chains consist of fiber segments that either possess a high degree of alignment before cell contraction or are aligned due to fiber reorientation induced by cell contraction. The decay of the forces along the force chains is significantly slower than the decay of radially averaged forces in the system, suggesting that the fibreous nature of biopolymer network structure can support long-range force transmission. The force chains emerge even at very small cell contractions, and the number of force chains increases with increasing cell contraction. At large cell contractions, the fibers close to the cell surface are in the nonlinear regime, and the nonlinear region is localized in a small neighborhood of the cell. In addition, the number of force chains increases with increasing collagen concentration, due to the larger number of focal adhesion sites in collagen networks with high concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Liang
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
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28
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Zhang S, Bassett DS, Winkelstein BA. Stretch-induced network reconfiguration of collagen fibres in the human facet capsular ligament. J R Soc Interface 2016; 13:20150883. [PMID: 26819333 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomaterials can display complex spatial patterns of cellular responses to external forces. Revealing and predicting the role of these patterns in material failure require an understanding of the statistical dependencies between spatially distributed changes in a cell's local biomechanical environment, including altered collagen fibre kinematics in the extracellular matrix. Here, we develop and apply a novel extension of network science methods to investigate how excessive tensile stretch of the human cervical facet capsular ligament (FCL), a common source of chronic neck pain, affects the local reorganization of collagen fibres. We define collagen alignment networks based on similarity in fibre alignment angles measured by quantitative polarized light imaging. We quantify the reorganization of these networks following macroscopic loading by describing the dynamic reconfiguration of network communities, regions of the material that display similar fibre alignment angles. Alterations in community structure occur smoothly over time, indicating coordinated adaptation of fibres to loading. Moreover, flexibility, a measure of network reconfiguration, tracks the loss of FCL's mechanical integrity at the onset of anomalous realignment (AR) and regions of AR display altered community structure. These findings use novel network-based techniques to explain abnormal collagen fibre reorganization, a dynamic and coordinated multivariate process underlying tissue failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Beth A Winkelstein
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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29
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Kim J, Jones CAR, Groves NS, Sun B. Three-Dimensional Reflectance Traction Microscopy. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156797. [PMID: 27304456 PMCID: PMC4909212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells in three-dimensional (3D) environments exhibit very different biochemical and biophysical phenotypes compared to the behavior of cells in two-dimensional (2D) environments. As an important biomechanical measurement, 2D traction force microscopy can not be directly extended into 3D cases. In order to quantitatively characterize the contraction field, we have developed 3D reflectance traction microscopy which combines confocal reflection imaging and partial volume correlation postprocessing. We have measured the deformation field of collagen gel under controlled mechanical stress. We have also characterized the deformation field generated by invasive breast cancer cells of different morphologies in 3D collagen matrix. In contrast to employ dispersed tracing particles or fluorescently-tagged matrix proteins, our methods provide a label-free, computationally effective strategy to study the cell mechanics in native 3D extracellular matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihan Kim
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | | | - Nicholas Scott Groves
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Li Q, Chen J, Chen Y, Cong X, Chen Z. Chronic sciatic nerve compression induces fibrosis in dorsal root ganglia. Mol Med Rep 2016; 13:2393-400. [PMID: 26820076 PMCID: PMC4768999 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.4810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, pathological alterations in neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were investigated in a rat model of chronic sciatic nerve compression. The rat model of chronic sciatic nerve compression was established by placing a 1 cm Silastic tube around the right sciatic nerve. Histological examination was performed via Masson's trichrome staining. DRG injury was assessed using Fluoro Ruby (FR) or Fluoro Gold (FG). The expression levels of target genes were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. At 3 weeks post-compression, collagen fiber accumulation was observed in the ipsilateral area and, at 8 weeks, excessive collagen formation with muscle atrophy was observed. The collagen volume fraction gradually and significantly increased following sciatic nerve compression. In the model rats, the numbers of FR-labeled DRG neurons were significantly higher, relative to the sham-operated group, however, the numbers of FG-labeled neurons were similar. In the ipsilateral DRG neurons of the model group, the levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were elevated and, surrounding the neurons, the levels of collagen type I were increased, compared with those in the contralateral DRG. In the ipsilateral DRG, chronic nerve compression was associated with significantly higher levels of phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and significantly lower levels of p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p-p38, compared with those in the contralateral DRGs. Chronic sciatic nerve compression likely induced DRG pathology by upregulating the expression levels of TGF-β1, CTGF and collagen type I, with involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinwen Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First People's Hospital of Yichang, Yichang, Hubei 443000, P.R. China
| | - Jianghai Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Yanhua Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobin Cong
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Zhenbing Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
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31
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Kurniawan NA, Chaudhuri PK, Lim CT. Mechanobiology of cell migration in the context of dynamic two-way cell-matrix interactions. J Biomech 2015; 49:1355-1368. [PMID: 26747513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Migration of cells is integral in various physiological processes in all facets of life. These range from embryonic development, morphogenesis, and wound healing, to disease pathology such as cancer metastasis. While cell migratory behavior has been traditionally studied using simple assays on culture dishes, in recent years it has been increasingly realized that the physical, mechanical, and chemical aspects of the matrix are key determinants of the migration mechanism. In this paper, we will describe the mechanobiological changes that accompany the dynamic cell-matrix interactions during cell migration. Furthermore, we will review what is to date known about how these changes feed back to the dynamics and biomechanical properties of the cell and the matrix. Elucidating the role of these intimate cell-matrix interactions will provide not only a better multi-scale understanding of cell motility in its physiological context, but also a more holistic perspective for designing approaches to regulate cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Kurniawan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Department of Systems Biophysics, FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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32
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Abstract
Collagen gels are widely used in experiments on cell mechanics because they mimic the extracellular matrix in physiological conditions. Collagen gels are often characterized by their bulk rheology; however, variations in the collagen fiber microstructure and cell adhesion forces cause the mechanical properties to be inhomogeneous at the cellular scale. We study the mechanics of type I collagen on the scale of tens to hundreds of microns by using holographic optical tweezers to apply pN forces to microparticles embedded in the collagen fiber network. We find that in response to optical forces, particle displacements are inhomogeneous, anisotropic, and asymmetric. Gels prepared at 21 °C and 37 °C show qualitative difference in their micromechanical characteristics. We also demonstrate that contracting cells remodel the micromechanics of their surrounding extracellular matrix in a strain- and distance-dependent manner. To further understand the micromechanics of cellularized extracellular matrix, we have constructed a computational model which reproduces the main experiment findings.
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33
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Staicu T, Cîrcu V, Ioniţă G, Ghica C, Popa VT, Micutz M. Analysis of bimodal thermally-induced denaturation of type I collagen extracted from calfskin. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02708j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DSC tracks of collagen in solution revealing a bimodal behaviour during its heat-induced denaturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Staicu
- Department of Physical Chemistry
- University of Bucharest
- Bucharest 030018
- Romania
| | - Viorel Cîrcu
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry
- University of Bucharest
- Bucharest 020464
- Romania
| | - Gabriela Ioniţă
- Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”
- Romanian Academy
- Bucharest 060021
- Romania
| | - Corneliu Ghica
- National Institute of Materials Physics
- Măgurele 077125
- Romania
| | - Vlad T. Popa
- Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”
- Romanian Academy
- Bucharest 060021
- Romania
| | - Marin Micutz
- Department of Physical Chemistry
- University of Bucharest
- Bucharest 030018
- Romania
- Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”
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