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Couvrette LJ, Walker KLA, Bui TV, Pelling AE. Plant Cellulose as a Substrate for 3D Neural Stem Cell Culture. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1309. [PMID: 38002433 PMCID: PMC10669287 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10111309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural stem cell (NSC)-based therapies are at the forefront of regenerative medicine strategies for various neural defects and injuries such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. For several clinical applications, NSC therapies require biocompatible scaffolds to support cell survival and to direct differentiation. Here, we investigate decellularized plant tissue as a novel scaffold for three-dimensional (3D), in vitro culture of NSCs. Plant cellulose scaffolds were shown to support the attachment and proliferation of adult rat hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs). Further, NSCs differentiated on the cellulose scaffold had significant increases in their expression of neuron-specific beta-III tubulin and glial fibrillary acidic protein compared to 2D culture on a polystyrene plate, indicating that the scaffold may enhance the differentiation of NSCs towards astrocytic and neuronal lineages. Our findings suggest that plant-derived cellulose scaffolds have the potential to be used in neural tissue engineering and can be harnessed to direct the differentiation of NSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Couvrette
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 5N5, Canada
| | - Krystal L. A. Walker
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, STEM Complex, 150 Louis Pasteur Pvt., Ottawa, ON K1N 5N5, Canada
| | - Tuan V. Bui
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 5N5, Canada
| | - Andrew E. Pelling
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON K1N 5N5, Canada
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, STEM Complex, 150 Louis Pasteur Pvt., Ottawa, ON K1N 5N5, Canada
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Ishihara K, Kaneyasu M, Fukazawa K, Zhang R, Teramura Y. Induction of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation by co-culturing with mature cells in double-layered 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine polymer hydrogel matrices. J Mater Chem B 2021; 10:2561-2569. [PMID: 34878485 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb01817e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The effects of differentiated cells on stem cell differentiation were analyzed via co-culturing using a cell-encapsulated double-layered hydrogel system. As a polymer hydrogel matrix, a water-soluble zwitterionic polymer having both a 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine unit and a p-vinylphenylboronic acid unit (PMBV), was complexed spontaneously with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) under mild cell culture conditions. The creep modulus of the hydrogel was controlled by changing the composition of the polymer in the solution. Mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), C3H10T1/2 cells, were encapsulated into PMBV/PVA hydrogels and cultured. In the PMBV/PVA hydrogel with a lower creep modulus (0.40 kPa), proliferation of C3H10T1/2 cells occurred, and the formation of cell aggregates was observed. On the other hand, a higher creep modulus (1.7 kPa) of the hydrogel matrix prevented cell proliferation. Culturing C3H10T1/2 cells encapsulated in the PMBV/PVA hydrogel in the presence of bone morphogenetic protein-2 increased the activity of intracellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This indicated that C3H10T1/2 cells differentiated into mature osteoblasts. When the C3H10T1/2 cells encapsulated in the PMBV/PVA hydrogel were cultured in combination with the mature osteoblasts in the hydrogel by a close contacting double-layered hydrogel structure, higher ALP activity was observed compared with the cells cultured separately. It was considered that the differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells in the hydrogel layer was induced by cytokines diffused from mature osteoblasts encapsulated in another hydrogel layer. It could be concluded that the PMBV/PVA hydrogel system provides a good way to observe the effects of the surrounding cells on cell function in three-dimensional culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Ishihara
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. .,Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Miu Kaneyasu
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Kyoko Fukazawa
- Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Ren Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yuji Teramura
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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3
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Jauković A, Abadjieva D, Trivanović D, Stoyanova E, Kostadinova M, Pashova S, Kestendjieva S, Kukolj T, Jeseta M, Kistanova E, Mourdjeva M. Specificity of 3D MSC Spheroids Microenvironment: Impact on MSC Behavior and Properties. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 16:853-875. [PMID: 32681232 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-020-10006-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been considered the promising candidates for the regenerative and personalized medicine due to their self-renewal potential, multilineage differentiation and immunomodulatory capacity. Although these properties have encouraged profound MSC studies in recent years, the majority of research has been based on standard 2D culture utilization. The opportunity to resemble in vivo characteristics of cells native niche has been provided by implementation of 3D culturing models such as MSC spheroid formation assesed through cells self-assembling. In this review, we address the current literature on physical and biochemical features of 3D MSC spheroid microenvironment and their impact on MSC properties and behaviors. Starting with the reduction in the cells' dimensions and volume due to the changes in adhesion molecules expression and cytoskeletal proteins rearrangement resembling native conditions, through the microenvironment shifts in oxygen, nutrients and metabolites gradients and demands, we focus on distinctive and beneficial features of MSC in spheroids compared to cells cultured in 2D conditions. By summarizing the data for 3D MSC spheroids regarding cell survival, pluripotency, differentiation, immunomodulatory activities and potential to affect tumor cells growth we highlighted advantages and perspectives of MSC spheroids use in regenerative medicine. Further detailed analyses are needed to deepen our understanding of mechanisms responsible for modified MSC behavior in spheroids and to set future directions for MSC clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Jauković
- Laboratory for Experimental Hematology and Stem Cells, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, PO BOX 102, Belgrade, 11129, Serbia
| | - Desislava Abadjieva
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Drenka Trivanović
- Laboratory for Experimental Hematology and Stem Cells, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, PO BOX 102, Belgrade, 11129, Serbia.,IZKF Group Tissue Regeneration in Musculoskeletal Diseases, University Clinics, Röntgenring 11, D-97070, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Bernhard-Heine-Center for Locomotion Research, University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Elena Stoyanova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Milena Kostadinova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Shina Pashova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Snejana Kestendjieva
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Tamara Kukolj
- Laboratory for Experimental Hematology and Stem Cells, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotića 4, PO BOX 102, Belgrade, 11129, Serbia
| | - Michal Jeseta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Masaryk University, Obilní trh 11, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Suchdol, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Elena Kistanova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Milena Mourdjeva
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 73 Tzarigradsko shoes, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Li YCE, Wang JH, Wang YH, Shao HJ, Young LC, Young TH. PCL-Blended Chitosan Substrates for Patterning the Heterotypic Cell Distribution in an Epithelial and Mesenchymal Coculture System. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:4225-4235. [PMID: 33463335 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions in coculture systems are very important to the context of biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Understanding the cellular interactions and distribution of epithelial-mesenchymal microtissues on the controllable biomaterial surfaces is useful to study the organoid applications. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-blended biomaterials on the distribution and spheroid formation of HaCaT and Hs68 cells in a coculture system. In this study, we demonstrated that the cocultured cells gradually changed their pattern from core/shell spheroid to monolayered morphology as the PCL content increased in the blended substrates. This indicates that the chitosan/PCL-blended substrates are able to regulate cell-substrate and cell-cell interactions to modify the distribution of HaCaT and Hs68 cells similar to various mesenchymal-epithelial organizations in biological tissues. Moreover, we also developed a two-dimension lattice model to elaborate the dependence of cell spheroid development on complex cell-cell interactions. This information may be helpful to develop appropriate biomaterials with appropriate properties to the applications of engineered epithelial-mesenchymal organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chen Ethan Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Feng Chia University, No. 100 Wenhwa Road, Seatwen District, Taichung 407, Taiwan
| | - Jyh-Horng Wang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No.7, Chung Shan S. Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsin Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jen Shao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Lu-Chieh Young
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Horng Young
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 100, Taiwan
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5
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Tsui TY, Logan M, Moussa HI, Aucoin MG. What's Happening on the Other Side? Revealing Nano-Meter Scale Features of Mammalian Cells on Engineered Textured Tantalum Surfaces. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2018; 12:E114. [PMID: 30602684 PMCID: PMC6337376 DOI: 10.3390/ma12010114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advanced engineered surfaces can be used to direct cell behavior. These behaviors are typically characterized using either optical, atomic force, confocal, or electron microscopy; however, most microscopic techniques are generally restricted to observing what's happening on the "top" side or even the interior of the cell. Our group has focused on engineered surfaces typically reserved for microelectronics as potential surfaces to control cell behavior. These devices allow the exploration of novel substrates including titanium, tungsten, and tantalum intermixed with silicon oxide. Furthermore, these devices allow the exploration of the intricate patterning of surface materials and surface geometries i.e., trenches. Here we present two important advancements in our research: (1) the ability to split a fixed cell through the nucleus using an inexpensive three-point bend micro-cleaving technique and image 3D nanometer scale cellular components using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy; and (2) the observation of nanometer projections from the underbelly of a cell as it sits on top of patterned trenches on our devices. This application of a 3-point cleaving technique to visualize the underbelly of the cell is allowing a new understanding of how cells descend into surface cavities and is providing a new insight on cell migration mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Y Tsui
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Megan Logan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Hassan I Moussa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Marc G Aucoin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
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6
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Moussa HI, Logan M, Chan WY, Wong K, Rao Z, Aucoin MG, Tsui TY. Pattern-Dependent Mammalian Cell (Vero) Morphology on Tantalum/Silicon Oxide 3D Nanocomposites. MATERIALS 2018; 11:ma11081306. [PMID: 30060574 PMCID: PMC6117680 DOI: 10.3390/ma11081306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The primary goal of this work was to investigate the resulting morphology of a mammalian cell deposited on three-dimensional nanocomposites constructed of tantalum and silicon oxide. Vero cells were used as a model. The nanocomposite materials contained comb structures with equal-width trenches and lines. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy were used to image the alignment and elongation of cells. Cells were sensitive to the trench widths, and their observed behavior could be separated into three different regimes corresponding to different spreading mechanism. Cells on fine structures (trench widths of 0.21 to 0.5 μm) formed bridges across trench openings. On larger trenches (from 1 to 10 μm), cells formed a conformal layer matching the surface topographical features. When the trenches were larger than 10 μm, the majority of cells spread like those on blanket tantalum films; however, a significant proportion adhered to the trench sidewalls or bottom corner junctions. Pseudopodia extending from the bulk of the cell were readily observed in this work and a minimum effective diameter of ~50 nm was determined for stable adhesion to a tantalum surface. This sized structure is consistent with the ability of pseudopodia to accommodate ~4–6 integrin molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan I Moussa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Megan Logan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Wing Y Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Kingsley Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Zheng Rao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Marc G Aucoin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Ting Y Tsui
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada.
- Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Pennacchio FA, Fedele C, De Martino S, Cavalli S, Vecchione R, Netti PA. Three-Dimensional Microstructured Azobenzene-Containing Gelatin as a Photoactuable Cell Confining System. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:91-97. [PMID: 29260543 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In materials science, there is a considerable interest in the fabrication of highly engineered biomaterials that can interact with cells and control their shape. In particular, from the literature, the role played by physical cell confinement in cellular structural organization and thus in the regulation of its functions has been well-established. In this context, the addition of a dynamic feature to physically confining platforms aiming at reproducing in vitro the well-known dynamic interaction between the cells and their microenvironment would be highly desirable. To this aim, we have developed an advanced gelatin-based hydrogel that can be finely micropatterned by two-photon polymerization and stimulated in a controlled way by light irradiation thanks to the presence of an azobenzene cross-linker. Light-triggered expansion of gelatin microstructures induced an in-plane nuclear deformation of physically confined NIH-3T3 cells. The microfabricated photoactuable gelatin shown in this work paves the way to new "dynamic" caging culture systems that can find applications, for example, as "engineered stem cell niches".
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio A Pennacchio
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, DICMAPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Piazzale Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Chiara Fedele
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, DICMAPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Piazzale Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Selene De Martino
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, DICMAPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Piazzale Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Cavalli
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Raffaele Vecchione
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, DICMAPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Piazzale Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Paolo A Netti
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, IIT@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, DICMAPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Piazzale Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
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Design of a nanocomposite substrate inducing adult stem cell assembly and progression toward an Epiblast-like or Primitive Endoderm-like phenotype via mechanotransduction. Biomaterials 2017; 144:211-229. [PMID: 28841465 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This work shows that the active interaction between human umbilical cord matrix stem cells and Poly (l-lactide)acid (PLLA) and PLLA/Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite films results in the stem cell assembly as a spheroid conformation and affects the stem cell fate transition. We demonstrated that spheroids directly respond to a tunable surface and the bulk properties (electric, dielectric and thermal) of plain and nanocomposite PLLA films by triggering a mechanotransduction axis. This stepwise process starts from tethering of the cells' focal adhesion proteins to the surface, together with the adherens junctions between cells. Both complexes transmit traction forces to F-Actin stress fibres that link Filamin-A and Myosin-IIA proteins, generating a biological scaffold, with increased stiffening conformation from PLLA to PLLA/MWCNTs, and enable the nucleoskeleton proteins to boost chromatin reprogramming processes. Herein, the opposite expression of NANOG and GATA6 transcription factors, together with other lineage specification related proteins, steer spheroids toward an Epiblast-like or Primitive Endoderm-like lineage commitment, depending on the absence or presence of 1 wt% MWCNTs, respectively. This work represents a pioneering effort to create a stem cell/material interface that can model the stem cell fate transition under growth culture conditions.
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