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Rojek KO, Wrzos A, Żukowski S, Bogdan M, Lisicki M, Szymczak P, Guzowski J. Long-term day-by-day tracking of microvascular networks sprouting in fibrin gels: From detailed morphological analyses to general growth rules. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:016106. [PMID: 38327714 PMCID: PMC10849774 DOI: 10.1063/5.0180703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding and controlling of the evolution of sprouting vascular networks remains one of the basic challenges in tissue engineering. Previous studies on the vascularization dynamics have typically focused only on the phase of intense growth and often lacked spatial control over the initial cell arrangement. Here, we perform long-term day-by-day analysis of tens of isolated microvasculatures sprouting from endothelial cell-coated spherical beads embedded in an external fibrin gel. We systematically study the topological evolution of the sprouting networks over their whole lifespan, i.e., for at least 14 days. We develop a custom image analysis toolkit and quantify (i) the overall length and area of the sprouts, (ii) the distributions of segment lengths and branching angles, and (iii) the average number of branch generations-a measure of network complexity. We show that higher concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) lead to earlier sprouting and more branched networks, yet without significantly affecting the speed of growth of individual sprouts. We find that the mean branching angle is weakly dependent on VEGF and typically in the range of 60°-75°, suggesting that, by comparison with the available diffusion-limited growth models, the bifurcating tips tend to follow local VEGF gradients. At high VEGF concentrations, we observe exponential distributions of segment lengths, which signify purely stochastic branching. Our results-due to their high statistical relevance-may serve as a benchmark for predictive models, while our new image analysis toolkit, offering unique features and high speed of operation, could be exploited in future angiogenic drug tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna O. Rojek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Antoni Wrzos
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Michał Bogdan
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Lisicki
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Szymczak
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Guzowski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Chen CL, Wei SY, Chen WL, Hsu TL, Chen YC. Reconstructing vascular networks promotes the repair of skeletal muscle following volumetric muscle loss by pre-vascularized tissue constructs. J Tissue Eng 2023; 14:20417314231201231. [PMID: 37744322 PMCID: PMC10517612 DOI: 10.1177/20417314231201231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Current treatment for complex and large-scale volumetric muscle loss (VML) injuries remains a limited success and have substantial disadvantages, due to the irreversible loss of muscle mass, slow muscle regeneration, and rapid formation of non-functional fibrosis scars. These VML injuries are accompanied by denervation and the destruction of native vasculature which increases difficulties in the functional restoration of muscle. Here, reconstruction of the vascular network at the injury site was offered as a possible solution for improving the repair of muscle defects through the timely supply of nutrients and oxygen to surrounding cells. A hydrogel-based tissue construct containing various densities of the vascular network was successfully created in the subcutaneous space of mice by manipulating hydrogel properties, and then implanted into the VML injury site. One month after implantation, the mouse treated with the highly vascularized tissue had extensive muscle repair at the injury site and only spent a shorter time completing the inclined plane tests. These findings suggest that the reconstruction of the functional vascular network at the VML injury site accelerated muscle fiber repair through a timely supply of sufficient blood and avoided invasion by host fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Long Chen
- Department of Dentistry, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei
- School of Dental Technology, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei
| | - Shih-Yen Wei
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu
| | - Wei-Lin Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu
| | - Ting-Lun Hsu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu
| | - Ying-Chieh Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu
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Li Q, Ma L, Gao Z, Yin J, Liu P, Yang H, Shen L, Zhou H. Regulable Supporting Baths for Embedded Printing of Soft Biomaterials with Variable Stiffness. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:41695-41711. [PMID: 36070996 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) embedded printing is emerging as a potential solution for the fabrication of complex biological structures and with ultrasoft biomaterials. For the supporting medium, bulk gels can support a wide range of bioinks with higher printing resolution as well as better finishing surfaces than granular microgel baths. However, the difficulties of regulating the physical properties of existing bulk gel supporting baths limit the further development of this method. This work has developed a bulk gel supporting bath with easily regulable physical properties to facilitate soft-material fabrication. The proposed bath is composed based on the hydrophobic association between a hydrophobically modified hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (H-HPMC) and Pluronic F-127 (PF-127). Its rheological properties can be easily regulated; in the preprinting stage by varying the relative concentration of components, during printing by changing the temperature, and postprinting by adding additives with strong hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity. This has made the supporting bath not only available for various bioinks with a range of printing windows but also easy to be removed. Also, the removal strategy is independent of printing conditions like temperature and ions, which empowers the bath to hold great potential for the embedded printing of commonly used biomaterials. The adjustable rheological properties of the bath were leveraged to characterize the embedded printing quantitatively, involving the disturbance during the printing, filament cross-sectional shape, printing resolution, continuity, and the coalescence between adjacent filaments. The match between the bioink and the bath was also explored. Furthermore, low-viscosity bioinks (with 0.008-2.4 Pa s viscosity) were patterned into various 3D complex delicate soft structures (with a 0.5-5 kPa compressive modulus). It is believed that such an easily regulable assembled bath could serve as an available tool to support the complex biological structure fabrication and open unique prospects for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziqi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Huayong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Luqi Shen
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongzhao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
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Wei SY, Chen TH, Kao FS, Hsu YJ, Chen YC. Strategy for improving cell-mediated vascularized soft tissue formation in a hydrogen peroxide-triggered chemically-crosslinked hydrogel. J Tissue Eng 2022; 13:20417314221084096. [PMID: 35296029 PMCID: PMC8918759 DOI: 10.1177/20417314221084096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The physically-crosslinked collagen hydrogels can provide suitable microenvironments for cell-based functional vascular network formation due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and good diffusion properties. However, encapsulation of cells into collagen hydrogels results in extensive contraction and rapid degradation of hydrogels, an effect known from their utilization as a pre-vascularized graft in vivo. Various types of chemically-crosslinked collagen-based hydrogels have been successfully synthesized to decrease volume contraction, retard the degradation rate, and increase mechanical tunability. However, these hydrogels failed to form vascularized tissues with uniformly distributed microvessels in vivo. Here, the enzymatically chemically-crosslinked collagen-Phenolic hydrogel was used as a model to determine and overcome the difficulties in engineering vascular networks. Results showed that a longer duration of inflammation and excessive levels of hydrogen peroxide limited the capability for blood vessel forming cells-mediated vasculature formation in vivo. Lowering the unreacted amount of crosslinkers reduced the densities of infiltrating host myeloid cells by half on days 2–4 after implantation, but blood vessels remained at low density and were mainly located on the edge of the implanted constructs. Co-implantation of a designed spacer with cell-laden hydrogel maintained the structural integrity of the hydrogel and increased the degree of hypoxia in embedded cells. These effects resulted in a two-fold increase in the density of perfused blood vessels in the hydrogel. Results agreed with computer-based simulations. Collectively, our findings suggest that simultaneous reduction of the crosslinker-induced host immune response and increase in hypoxia in hydrogen peroxide-triggered chemically-crosslinked hydrogels can effectively improve the formation of cell-mediated functional vascular networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Yen Wei
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Sheng Kao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jung Hsu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chieh Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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