1
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Lichtenberg J, Leonard CE, Sterling HR, Santos Agreda V, Hwang PY. Using Microfluidics to Align Matrix Architecture and Generate Chemokine Gradients Promotes Directional Branching in a Model of Epithelial Morphogenesis. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:4865-4877. [PMID: 39007451 PMCID: PMC11322918 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00245] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical cue of fiber alignment plays a key role in the development of various tissues in the body. The ability to study the effect of these stimuli in vitro has been limited previously. Here, we present a microfluidic device capable of intrinsically generating aligned fibers using the microchannel geometry. The device also features tunable interstitial fluid flow and the ability to form a morphogen gradient. These aspects allow for the modeling of complex tissues and to differentiate cell response to different stimuli. To demonstrate the abilities of our device, we incorporated luminal epithelial cysts into our device and induced growth factor stimulation. We found the mechanical cue of fiber alignment to play a dominant role in cell elongation and the ability to form protrusions was dependent on cadherin-3. Together, this work serves as a springboard for future potential with these devices to answer questions in developmental biology and complex diseases such as cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessanne
Y. Lichtenberg
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
| | - Corinne E. Leonard
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
| | - Hazel R. Sterling
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
| | - Valentina Santos Agreda
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
| | - Priscilla Y. Hwang
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
- Massey
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth
University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
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2
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Skirzynska A, Xue C, Shoichet MS. Engineering Biomaterials to Model Immune-Tumor Interactions In Vitro. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2310637. [PMID: 38349174 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310637] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Engineered biomaterial scaffolds are becoming more prominent in research laboratories to study drug efficacy for oncological applications in vitro, but do they have a place in pharmaceutical drug screening pipelines? The low efficacy of cancer drugs in phase II/III clinical trials suggests that there are critical mechanisms not properly accounted for in the pre-clinical evaluation of drug candidates. Immune cells associated with the tumor may account for some of these failures given recent successes with cancer immunotherapies; however, there are few representative platforms to study immune cells in the context of cancer as traditional 2D culture is typically monocultures and humanized animal models have a weakened immune composition. Biomaterials that replicate tumor microenvironmental cues may provide a more relevant model with greater in vitro complexity. In this review, the authors explore the pertinent microenvironmental cues that drive tumor progression in the context of the immune system, discuss how these cues can be incorporated into hydrogel design to culture immune cells, and describe progress toward precision oncological drug screening with engineered tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Skirzynska
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Chang Xue
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Molly S Shoichet
- Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E5, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H4, Canada
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3
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Joshi IM, Mansouri M, Ahmed A, De Silva D, Simon RA, Esmaili P, Desa DE, Elias TM, Brown EB, Abhyankar VV. Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2024; 34:2308071. [PMID: 38706986 PMCID: PMC11067715 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202308071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Collagen fibers in the 3D tumor microenvironment (TME) exhibit complex alignment landscapes that are critical in directing cell migration through a process called contact guidance. Previous in vitro work studying this phenomenon has focused on quantifying cell responses in uniformly aligned environments. However, the TME also features short-range gradients in fiber alignment that result from cell-induced traction forces. Although the influence of graded biophysical taxis cues is well established, cell responses to physiological alignment gradients remain largely unexplored. In this work, fiber alignment gradients in biopsy samples are characterized and recreated using a new microfluidic biofabrication technique to achieve tunable sub-millimeter to millimeter scale gradients. This study represents the first successful engineering of continuous alignment gradients in soft, natural biomaterials. Migration experiments on graded alignment show that HUVECs exhibit increased directionality, persistence, and speed compared to uniform and unaligned fiber architectures. Similarly, patterned MDA-MB-231 aggregates exhibit biased migration toward increasing fiber alignment, suggesting a role for alignment gradients as a taxis cue. This user-friendly approach, requiring no specialized equipment, is anticipated to offer new insights into the biophysical cues that cells interpret as they traverse the extracellular matrix, with broad applicability in healthy and diseased tissue environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Dinindu De Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Richard A. Simon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Poorya Esmaili
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Danielle E. Desa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Tresa M. Elias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Edward B. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
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4
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Mansouri M, Hughes AR, Audi LA, Carter AE, Vidas JA, McGrath JL, Abhyankar VV. Transforming Static Barrier Tissue Models into Dynamic Microphysiological Systems. J Vis Exp 2024:10.3791/66090. [PMID: 38436378 PMCID: PMC11096840 DOI: 10.3791/66090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Microphysiological systems are miniaturized cell culture platforms used to mimic the structure and function of human tissues in a laboratory setting. However, these platforms have not gained widespread adoption in bioscience laboratories where open-well, membrane-based approaches serve as the gold standard for mimicking tissue barriers, despite lacking fluid flow capabilities. This issue can be primarily attributed to the incompatibility of existing microphysiological systems with standard protocols and tools developed for open-well systems. Here, we present a protocol for creating a reconfigurable membrane-based platform with an open-well structure, flow enhancement capability, and compatibility with conventional protocols. This system utilizes a magnetic assembly approach that enables reversible switching between open-well and microfluidic modes. With this approach, users have the flexibility to begin an experiment in the open-well format using standard protocols and add or remove flow capabilities as needed. To demonstrate the practical usage of this system and its compatibility with standard techniques, an endothelial cell monolayer was established in an open-well format. The system was reconfigured to introduce fluid flow and then switched to the open-well format to conduct immunostaining and RNA extraction. Due to its compatibility with conventional open-well protocols and flow enhancement capability, this reconfigurable design is expected to be adopted by both engineering and bioscience laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
| | - Aidan R Hughes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
| | - Lauren A Audi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
| | - Anna E Carter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
| | - Justin A Vidas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
| | - James L McGrath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
| | - Vinay V Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology;
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5
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Juste-Lanas Y, Hervas-Raluy S, García-Aznar JM, González-Loyola A. Fluid flow to mimic organ function in 3D in vitro models. APL Bioeng 2023; 7:031501. [PMID: 37547671 PMCID: PMC10404142 DOI: 10.1063/5.0146000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many different strategies can be found in the literature to model organ physiology, tissue functionality, and disease in vitro; however, most of these models lack the physiological fluid dynamics present in vivo. Here, we highlight the importance of fluid flow for tissue homeostasis, specifically in vessels, other lumen structures, and interstitium, to point out the need of perfusion in current 3D in vitro models. Importantly, the advantages and limitations of the different current experimental fluid-flow setups are discussed. Finally, we shed light on current challenges and future focus of fluid flow models applied to the newest bioengineering state-of-the-art platforms, such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip, as the most sophisticated and physiological preclinical platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Hervas-Raluy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Research Institute of Aragón (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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6
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Joshi IM, Mansouri M, Ahmed A, Simon RA, Bambizi PE, Desa DE, Elias TM, Brown EB, Abhyankar VV. Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.09.548253. [PMID: 37502844 PMCID: PMC10369918 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.09.548253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In the tumor microenvironment (TME), collagen fibers facilitate tumor cell migration through the extracellular matrix. Previous studies have focused on studying the responses of cells on uniformly aligned or randomly aligned collagen fibers. However, the in vivo environment also features spatial gradients in alignment, which arise from the local reorganization of the matrix architecture due to cell-induced traction forces. Although there has been extensive research on how cells respond to graded biophysical cues, such as stiffness, porosity, and ligand density, the cellular responses to physiological fiber alignment gradients have been largely unexplored. This is due, in part, to a lack of robust experimental techniques to create controlled alignment gradients in natural materials. In this study, we image tumor biopsy samples and characterize the alignment gradients present in the TME. To replicate physiological gradients, we introduce a first-of-its-kind biofabrication technique that utilizes a microfluidic channel with constricting and expanding geometry to engineer 3D collagen hydrogels with tunable fiber alignment gradients that range from sub-millimeter to millimeter length scales. Our modular approach allows easy access to the microengineered gradient gels, and we demonstrate that HUVECs migrate in response to the fiber architecture. We provide preliminary evidence suggesting that MDA-MB-231 cell aggregates, patterned onto a specific location on the alignment gradient, exhibit preferential migration towards increasing alignment. This finding suggests that alignment gradients could serve as an additional taxis cue in the ECM. Importantly, our study represents the first successful engineering of continuous gradients of fiber alignment in soft, natural materials. We anticipate that our user-friendly platform, which needs no specialized equipment, will offer new experimental capabilities to study the impact of fiber-based contact guidance on directed cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Richard A. Simon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | | | - Danielle E. Desa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Tresa M. Elias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Edward B. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
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7
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Lomeli-Martin A, Ahamed N, Abhyankar VV, Lapizco-Encinas BH. Electropatterning-Contemporary developments for selective particle arrangements employing electrokinetics. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:884-909. [PMID: 37002779 PMCID: PMC10330388 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202200286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
The selective positioning and arrangement of distinct types of multiscale particles can be used in numerous applications in microfluidics, including integrated circuits, sensors and biochips. Electrokinetic (EK) techniques offer an extensive range of options for label-free manipulation and patterning of colloidal particles by exploiting the intrinsic electrical properties of the target of interest. EK-based techniques have been widely implemented in many recent studies, and various methodologies and microfluidic device designs have been developed to achieve patterning two- and three-dimensional (3D) patterned structures. This review provides an overview of the progress in electropatterning research during the last 5 years in the microfluidics arena. This article discusses the advances in the electropatterning of colloids, droplets, synthetic particles, cells, and gels. Each subsection analyzes the manipulation of the particles of interest via EK techniques such as electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis. The conclusions summarize recent advances and provide an outlook on the future of electropatterning in various fields of application, especially those with 3D arrangements as their end goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Lomeli-Martin
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Nuzhet Ahamed
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Biological Microsystems Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA
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8
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Nguyen RY, Cabral AT, Rossello-Martinez A, Zulli A, Gong X, Zhang Q, Yan J, Mak M. Tunable Mesoscopic Collagen Island Architectures Modulate Stem Cell Behavior. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2207882. [PMID: 36895051 PMCID: PMC10166061 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix is the biophysical environment that scaffolds mammalian cells in the body. The main constituent is collagen. In physiological tissues, collagen network topology is diverse with complex mesoscopic features. While studies have explored the roles of collagen density and stiffness, the impact of complex architectures remains not well-understood. Developing in vitro systems that recapitulate these diverse collagen architectures is critical for understanding physiologically relevant cell behaviors. Here, methods are developed to induce the formation of heterogeneous mesoscopic architectures, referred to as collagen islands, in collagen hydrogels. These island-containing gels have highly tunable inclusions and mechanical properties. Although these gels are globally soft, there is regional enrichment in the collagen concentration at the cell-scale. Collagen-island architectures are utilized to study mesenchymal stem cell behavior, and it is demonstrated that cell migration and osteogenic differentiation are altered. Finally, induced pluripotent stem cells are cultured in island-containing gels, and it is shown that the architecture is sufficient to induce mesodermal differentiation. Overall, this work highlights complex mesoscopic tissue architectures as bioactive cues in regulating cell behavior and presents a novel collagen-based hydrogel that captures these features for tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y. Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Aidan T. Cabral
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Alessandro Zulli
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiangyu Gong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Qiuting Zhang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael Mak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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9
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Mansouri M, Ahmed A, Ahmad SD, McCloskey MC, Joshi IM, Gaborski TR, Waugh RE, McGrath JL, Day SW, Abhyankar VV. The Modular µSiM Reconfigured: Integration of Microfluidic Capabilities to Study In Vitro Barrier Tissue Models under Flow. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2200802. [PMID: 35953453 PMCID: PMC9798530 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202200802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic tissue barrier models have emerged to address the lack of physiological fluid flow in conventional "open-well" Transwell-like devices. However, microfluidic techniques have not achieved widespread usage in bioscience laboratories because they are not fully compatible with traditional experimental protocols. To advance barrier tissue research, there is a need for a platform that combines the key advantages of both conventional open-well and microfluidic systems. Here, a plug-and-play flow module is developed to introduce on-demand microfluidic flow capabilities to an open-well device that features a nanoporous membrane and live-cell imaging capabilities. The magnetic latching assembly of this design enables bi-directional reconfiguration and allows users to conduct an experiment in an open-well format with established protocols and then add or remove microfluidic capabilities as desired. This work also provides an experimentally-validated flow model to select flow conditions based on the experimental needs. As a proof-of-concept, flow-induced alignment of endothelial cells and the expression of shear-sensitive gene targets are demonstrated, and the different phases of neutrophil transmigration across a chemically stimulated endothelial monolayer under flow conditions are visualized. With these experimental capabilities, it is anticipated that both engineering and bioscience laboratories will adopt this reconfigurable design due to the compatibility with standard open-well protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - S. Danial Ahmad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Molly C. McCloskey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Thomas R. Gaborski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Richard E. Waugh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - James L. McGrath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Steven W. Day
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
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