1
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van Dalen M, Karperien M, Claessens MM, Post JN. Choice of Protein, Not Its Amyloid-Fold, Determines the Success of Amyloid-Based Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Regeneration. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:24198-24209. [PMID: 37457450 PMCID: PMC10339334 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The formation of fibrocartilage during articular cartilage regeneration remains a clinical problem affecting adequate restoration of articular cartilage in joints. To stimulate chondrocytes to form articular cartilage, we investigated the use of amyloid fibril-based scaffolds. The proteins α-synuclein, β-lactoglobulin, and lysozyme were induced to self-assemble into amyloid fibrils and, during dialysis, formed micrometer scale amyloid networks that resemble the cartilage extracellular matrix. Our results show that lysozyme amyloid micronetworks supported chondrocyte viability and extracellular matrix deposition, while α-synuclein and β-lactoglobulin maintained cell viability. With this study, we not only confirm the possible use of amyloid materials for tissue regeneration but also demonstrate that the choice of protein, rather than its amyloid-fold per se, affects the cellular response and tissue formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice
C.E. van Dalen
- Developmental
BioEngineering, TechMed Centre, University
of Twente, Enschede, Overijssel 7500 AE, The Netherlands
- Nanobiophysics,
Mesa+, University of Twente, Enschede 7500AE, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Karperien
- Developmental
BioEngineering, TechMed Centre, University
of Twente, Enschede, Overijssel 7500 AE, The Netherlands
| | | | - Janine N. Post
- Developmental
BioEngineering, TechMed Centre, University
of Twente, Enschede, Overijssel 7500 AE, The Netherlands
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2
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Vermeulen S, Van Puyvelde B, Bengtsson del Barrio L, Almey R, van der Veer BK, Deforce D, Dhaenens M, de Boer J. Micro-Topographies Induce Epigenetic Reprogramming and Quiescence in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 10:e2203880. [PMID: 36414384 PMCID: PMC9811462 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202203880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Biomaterials can control cell and nuclear morphology. Since the shape of the nucleus influences chromatin architecture, gene expression and cell identity, surface topography can control cell phenotype. This study provides fundamental insights into how surface topography influences nuclear morphology, histone modifications, and expression of histone-associated proteins through advanced histone mass spectrometry and microarray analysis. The authors find that nuclear confinement is associated with a loss of histone acetylation and nucleoli abundance, while pathway analysis reveals a substantial reduction in gene expression associated with chromosome organization. In light of previous observations where the authors found a decrease in proliferation and metabolism induced by micro-topographies, they connect these findings with a quiescent phenotype in mesenchymal stem cells, as further shown by a reduction of ribosomal proteins and the maintenance of multipotency on micro-topographies after long-term culture conditions. Also, this influence of micro-topographies on nuclear morphology and proliferation is reversible, as shown by a return of proliferation when re-cultured on a flat surface. The findings provide novel insights into how biophysical signaling influences the epigenetic landscape and subsequent cellular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Vermeulen
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN InstituteUniversity of MaastrichtMaastricht6229 ERThe Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular SystemsEindhoven University of TechnologyEindhoven5600 MBThe Netherlands
| | - Bart Van Puyvelde
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of PharmaceuticsGhent UniversityGhent9000Belgium
| | - Laura Bengtsson del Barrio
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN InstituteUniversity of MaastrichtMaastricht6229 ERThe Netherlands
| | - Ruben Almey
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of PharmaceuticsGhent UniversityGhent9000Belgium
| | - Bernard K. van der Veer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell and Developmental EpigeneticsDepartment of Development and RegenerationKU LeuvenLeuven3000Belgium
| | - Dieter Deforce
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of PharmaceuticsGhent UniversityGhent9000Belgium
| | - Maarten Dhaenens
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of PharmaceuticsGhent UniversityGhent9000Belgium
| | - Jan de Boer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular SystemsEindhoven University of TechnologyEindhoven5600 MBThe Netherlands
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3
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Dede Eren A, Lucassen AWA, Tuvshindorj U, Truckenmüller R, Giselbrecht S, Eren ED, Tas MO, Sudarsanam P, de Boer J. Cells Dynamically Adapt to Surface Geometry by Remodeling Their Focal Adhesions and Actin Cytoskeleton. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:863721. [PMID: 35721512 PMCID: PMC9203963 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.863721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells probe their environment and adapt their shape accordingly via the organization of focal adhesions and the actin cytoskeleton. In an earlier publication, we described the relationship between cell shape and physiology, for example, shape-induced differentiation, metabolism, and proliferation in mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes. In this study, we investigated how these cells organize their adhesive machinery over time when exposed to microfabricated surfaces of different topographies and adhesive island geometries. We further examined the reciprocal interaction between stress fiber and focal adhesion formation by pharmacological perturbations. Our results confirm the current literature that spatial organization of adhesive sites determines the ability to form focal adhesions and stress fibers. Therefore, cells on roughened surfaces have smaller focal adhesion and fewer stress fibers. Our results further highlight the importance of integrin-mediated adhesion in the adaptive properties of cells and provide clear links to the development of bioactive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysegul Dede Eren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Amy W. A. Lucassen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Urandelger Tuvshindorj
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Roman Truckenmüller
- MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Stefan Giselbrecht
- MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - E. Deniz Eren
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Mehmet Orhan Tas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Phanikrishna Sudarsanam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Jan de Boer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Jan de Boer,
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4
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Nabizadeh Z, Nasrollahzadeh M, Daemi H, Baghaban Eslaminejad M, Shabani AA, Dadashpour M, Mirmohammadkhani M, Nasrabadi D. Micro- and nanotechnology in biomedical engineering for cartilage tissue regeneration in osteoarthritis. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 13:363-389. [PMID: 35529803 PMCID: PMC9039523 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.13.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis, which typically arises from aging, traumatic injury, or obesity, is the most common form of arthritis, which usually leads to malfunction of the joints and requires medical interventions due to the poor self-healing capacity of articular cartilage. However, currently used medical treatment modalities have reported, at least in part, disappointing and frustrating results for patients with osteoarthritis. Recent progress in the design and fabrication of tissue-engineered microscale/nanoscale platforms, which arises from the convergence of stem cell research and nanotechnology methods, has shown promising results in the administration of new and efficient options for treating osteochondral lesions. This paper presents an overview of the recent advances in osteochondral tissue engineering resulting from the application of micro- and nanotechnology approaches in the structure of biomaterials, including biological and microscale/nanoscale topographical cues, microspheres, nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanotubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Nabizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | | | - Hamed Daemi
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad
- Department of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Dadashpour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Majid Mirmohammadkhani
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Davood Nasrabadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Biotechnology Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
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5
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Vermeulen S, Honig F, Vasilevich A, Roumans N, Romero M, Dede Eren A, Tuvshindorj U, Alexander M, Carlier A, Williams P, Uquillas J, de Boer J. Expanding Biomaterial Surface Topographical Design Space through Natural Surface Reproduction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2102084. [PMID: 34165820 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202102084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Surface topography is a tool to endow biomaterials with bioactive properties. However, the large number of possible designs makes it challenging to find the optimal surface structure to induce a specific cell response. The TopoChip platform is currently the largest collection of topographies with 2176 in silico designed microtopographies. Still, it is exploring only a small part of the design space due to design algorithm limitations and the surface engineering strategy. Inspired by the diversity of natural surfaces, it is assessed as to what extent the topographical design space and consequently the resulting cellular responses can be expanded using natural surfaces. To this end, 26 plant and insect surfaces are replicated in polystyrene and their surface properties are quantified using white light interferometry. Through machine-learning algorithms, it is demonstrated that natural surfaces extend the design space of the TopoChip, which coincides with distinct morphological and focal adhesion profiles in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. Furthermore, differentiation experiments reveal the strong potential of the holy lotus to improve osteogenesis in MSCs. In the future, the design algorithms will be trained with the results obtained by natural surface imprint experiments to explore the bioactive properties of novel surface topographies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Vermeulen
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Floris Honig
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Aliaksei Vasilevich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Nadia Roumans
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel Romero
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Aysegul Dede Eren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Urnaa Tuvshindorj
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Morgan Alexander
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies, The School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Aurélie Carlier
- MERLN Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Williams
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre, Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Jorge Uquillas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Jan de Boer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB, The Netherlands
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6
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Soheilmoghaddam F, Rumble M, Cooper-White J. High-Throughput Routes to Biomaterials Discovery. Chem Rev 2021; 121:10792-10864. [PMID: 34213880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Many existing clinical treatments are limited in their ability to completely restore decreased or lost tissue and organ function, an unenviable situation only further exacerbated by a globally aging population. As a result, the demand for new medical interventions has increased substantially over the past 20 years, with the burgeoning fields of gene therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine showing promise to offer solutions for full repair or replacement of damaged or aging tissues. Success in these fields, however, inherently relies on biomaterials that are engendered with the ability to provide the necessary biological cues mimicking native extracellular matrixes that support cell fate. Accelerating the development of such "directive" biomaterials requires a shift in current design practices toward those that enable rapid synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials and the coupling of these processes with techniques that enable similarly rapid quantification and optimization of the interactions between these new material systems and target cells and tissues. This manuscript reviews recent advances in combinatorial and high-throughput (HT) technologies applied to polymeric biomaterial synthesis, fabrication, and chemical, physical, and biological screening with targeted end-point applications in the fields of gene therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Limitations of, and future opportunities for, the further application of these research tools and methodologies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhad Soheilmoghaddam
- Tissue Engineering and Microfluidics Laboratory (TEaM), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072.,School of Chemical Engineering, University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Madeleine Rumble
- Tissue Engineering and Microfluidics Laboratory (TEaM), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072.,School of Chemical Engineering, University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072
| | - Justin Cooper-White
- Tissue Engineering and Microfluidics Laboratory (TEaM), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072.,School of Chemical Engineering, University Of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia 4072
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7
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Vassey MJ, Figueredo GP, Scurr DJ, Vasilevich AS, Vermeulen S, Carlier A, Luckett J, Beijer NRM, Williams P, Winkler DA, de Boer J, Ghaemmaghami AM, Alexander MR. Immune Modulation by Design: Using Topography to Control Human Monocyte Attachment and Macrophage Differentiation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:1903392. [PMID: 32537404 PMCID: PMC7284204 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201903392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Macrophages play a central role in orchestrating immune responses to foreign materials, which are often responsible for the failure of implanted medical devices. Material topography is known to influence macrophage attachment and phenotype, providing opportunities for the rational design of "immune-instructive" topographies to modulate macrophage function and thus foreign body responses to biomaterials. However, no generalizable understanding of the inter-relationship between topography and cell response exists. A high throughput screening approach is therefore utilized to investigate the relationship between topography and human monocyte-derived macrophage attachment and phenotype, using a diverse library of 2176 micropatterns generated by an algorithm. This reveals that micropillars 5-10 µm in diameter play a dominant role in driving macrophage attachment compared to the many other topographies screened, an observation that aligns with studies of the interaction of macrophages with particles. Combining the pillar size with the micropillar density is found to be key in modulation of cell phenotype from pro to anti-inflammatory states. Machine learning is used to successfully build a model that correlates cell attachment and phenotype with a selection of descriptors, illustrating that materials can potentially be designed to modulate inflammatory responses for future applications in the fight against foreign body rejection of medical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David J. Scurr
- School of PharmacyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Aliaksei S. Vasilevich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular SystemsEindhoven University of Technology5600 EBEindhovenThe Netherlands
| | - Steven Vermeulen
- Department of Cell Biology Inspired Tissue EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht University6229 ETMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Aurélie Carlier
- Department of Cell Biology Inspired Tissue EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht University6229 ETMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Jeni Luckett
- University of Nottingham Biosdiscovery Institute and School of MedicineUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2UHUK
| | - Nick R. M. Beijer
- Department of Cell Biology Inspired Tissue EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht University6229 ETMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Paul Williams
- University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - David A. Winkler
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular ScienceLa Trobe UniversityBundoora3042Australia
- School of PharmacyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityParkville3052Australia
- CSIRO Data61Parkville4069Australia
| | - Jan de Boer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular SystemsEindhoven University of Technology5600 EBEindhovenThe Netherlands
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8
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Kavand H, Rahaie M, Koohsorkhi J, Haghighipour N, Bonakdar S. A conductive cell-imprinted substrate based on CNT-PDMS composite. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2019; 66:445-453. [PMID: 30817028 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cell function regulation is influenced by continuous biochemical and biophysical signal exchange within the body. Substrates with nano/micro-scaled topographies that mimic the physiological niche are widely applied for tissue engineering applications. As the cartilage niche is composed of several stimulating factors, a multifunctional substrate providing topographical features while having the capability of electrical stimulation is presented. Herein, we demonstrate a biocompatible and conductive chondrocyte cell-imprinted substrate using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as conductive fillers. Unlike the conventional silicon wafers or structural photoresist masters used for molding, cell surface topographical replication is challenging as biological cells showed extremely sensitive to chemical solvent residues during molding. The composite showed no significant difference compared with PDMS with regard to cytotoxicity, whereas an enhanced cell adhesion was observed on the conductive composite's surface. Integration of nanomaterials into the cell seeding scaffolds can make tissue regeneration process more efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanie Kavand
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Rahaie
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Koohsorkhi
- Advanced Micro and Nano Devices Lab, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Shahin Bonakdar
- National Cell Bank of Iran, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Vermeulen S, Vasilevich A, Tsiapalis D, Roumans N, Vroemen P, Beijer NRM, Dede Eren A, Zeugolis D, de Boer J. Identification of topographical architectures supporting the phenotype of rat tenocytes. Acta Biomater 2019; 83:277-290. [PMID: 30394345 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Tenocytes, the main cell type of the tendon, require mechanical stimuli for their proper function. When the tenocyte environment changes due to tissue damage or by transferring tenocytes from their native environment into cell culture, the signals from the tenocyte niche are lost, leading towards a decline of phenotypic markers. It is known that micro-topographies can influence cell fate by the physical cues they provide. To identify the optimal topography-induced biomechanical niche in vitro, we seeded tenocytes on the TopoChip, a micro-topographical screening platform, and measured expression of the tendon transcription factor Scleraxis. Through machine learning algorithms, we associated elevated Scleraxis levels with topological design parameters. Fabricating micro-topographies with optimal surface characteristics on larger surfaces allowed finding an improved expression of multiple tenogenic markers. However, long-term confluent culture conditions coincided with osteogenic marker expression and the loss of morphological characteristics. In contrast, passaging tenocytes which migrated from the tendon directly on the topography resulted in prolonged elongated morphology and elevated Scleraxis levels. This research provides new insights into how micro-topographies influence tenocyte cell fate, and supports the notion that micro-topographical design can be implemented in a new generation of tissue culture platforms for supporting the phenotype of tenocytes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The challenge in controlling in vitro cell behavior lies in controlling the complex culture environment. Here, we present for the first time the use of micro-topographies as a biomechanical niche to support the phenotype of tenocytes. For this, we applied the TopoChip platform, a screening tool with 2176 unique micro-topographies for identifying feature characteristics associated with elevated Scleraxis expression, a tendon related marker. Large area fabrication of micro-topographies with favorable characteristics allowed us to find a beneficial influence on other tenogenic markers as well. Furthermore, passaging cells is more beneficial for Scleraxis marker expression and tenocyte morphology compared to confluent conditions. This study presents important insights for the understanding of tenocyte behavior in vitro, a necessary step towards tendon engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Vermeulen
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aliaksei Vasilevich
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitrios Tsiapalis
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Science Foundation Ireland, Centre for Research in Medical Device, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Nadia Roumans
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Vroemen
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; University Eye Clinic Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Nick R M Beijer
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aysegul Dede Eren
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitrios Zeugolis
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland; Science Foundation Ireland, Centre for Research in Medical Device, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jan de Boer
- Laboratory for Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering, MERLN Institute, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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10
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Vasilevich A, de Boer J. Robot-scientists will lead tomorrow's biomaterials discovery. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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