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Effects of STAT3 on aging-dependent neovascularization impairment following limb ischemia: from bedside to bench. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:4897-4913. [PMID: 35696641 PMCID: PMC9217700 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor for ischemic hypoxia-related diseases, including peripheral artery diseases (PADs). Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical transcription activator in angiogenesis. Nevertheless, the effect of aging on endothelial cells and their responses to hypoxia are not well studied. Using a hindlimb hypoxic/ischemic model of aged mice, we found that aged mice (80-100-week-old) expressed significantly lower levels of angiogenesis than young mice (10-week-old). In our in vitro study, aged endothelial cells (≥30 passage) showed a significant accumulation of β-galactosidase and a high expression of aging-associated genes, including p16, p21, and hTERT compared with young cells (<10 passage). After 24 hours of hypoxia exposure, proliferation, migration and tube formation were significantly impaired in aged cells compared with young cells. Notably, STAT3 and angiogenesis-associated proteins such as PI3K/AKT were significantly downregulated in aged mouse limb tissues and aged cells. Further, using STAT3 siRNA, we found that suppressing STAT3 expression in endothelial cells impaired proliferation, migration and tube formation under hypoxia. Correspondingly, in patients with limb ischemia we also observed a higher expression of circulating STAT3, associated with a lower rate of major adverse limb events (MALEs). Collectively, STAT3 could be a biomarker reflecting the development of MALE in patients and also a regulator of age-dependent angiogenesis post limb ischemia. Additional studies are required to elucidate the clinical applications of STAT3.
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Puspitasari YM, Ministrini S, Schwarz L, Karch C, Liberale L, Camici GG. Modern Concepts in Cardiovascular Disease: Inflamm-Aging. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:882211. [PMID: 35663390 PMCID: PMC9158480 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.882211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The improvements in healthcare services and quality of life result in a longer life expectancy and a higher number of aged individuals, who are inevitably affected by age-associated cardiovascular (CV) diseases. This challenging demographic shift calls for a greater effort to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying age-related CV diseases to identify new therapeutic targets to cope with the ongoing aging "pandemic". Essential for protection against external pathogens and intrinsic degenerative processes, the inflammatory response becomes dysregulated with aging, leading to a persistent state of low-grade inflammation known as inflamm-aging. Of interest, inflammation has been recently recognized as a key factor in the pathogenesis of CV diseases, suggesting inflamm-aging as a possible driver of age-related CV afflictions and a plausible therapeutic target in this context. This review discusses the molecular pathways underlying inflamm-aging and their involvement in CV disease. Moreover, the potential of several anti-inflammatory approaches in this context is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefano Ministrini
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Internal Medicine, Angiology and Atherosclerosis, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lena Schwarz
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Karch
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Luca Liberale
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- First Clinic of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Genoa—Italian Cardiovascular Network, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni G. Camici
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Research and Education, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Miller B, Sewell-Loftin MK. Mechanoregulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 in Angiogenesis. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 8:804934. [PMID: 35087885 PMCID: PMC8787114 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.804934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The endothelial cells that compose the vascular system in the body display a wide range of mechanotransductive behaviors and responses to biomechanical stimuli, which act in concert to control overall blood vessel structure and function. Such mechanosensitive activities allow blood vessels to constrict, dilate, grow, or remodel as needed during development as well as normal physiological functions, and the same processes can be dysregulated in various disease states. Mechanotransduction represents cellular responses to mechanical forces, translating such factors into chemical or electrical signals which alter the activation of various cell signaling pathways. Understanding how biomechanical forces drive vascular growth in healthy and diseased tissues could create new therapeutic strategies that would either enhance or halt these processes to assist with treatments of different diseases. In the cardiovascular system, new blood vessel formation from preexisting vasculature, in a process known as angiogenesis, is driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) binding to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) which promotes blood vessel development. However, physical forces such as shear stress, matrix stiffness, and interstitial flow are also major drivers and effectors of angiogenesis, and new research suggests that mechanical forces may regulate VEGFR-2 phosphorylation. In fact, VEGFR-2 activation has been linked to known mechanobiological agents including ERK/MAPK, c-Src, Rho/ROCK, and YAP/TAZ. In vascular disease states, endothelial cells can be subjected to altered mechanical stimuli which affect the pathways that control angiogenesis. Both normalizing and arresting angiogenesis associated with tumor growth have been strategies for anti-cancer treatments. In the field of regenerative medicine, harnessing biomechanical regulation of angiogenesis could enhance vascularization strategies for treating a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemia or permit development of novel tissue engineering scaffolds. This review will focus on the impact of VEGFR-2 mechanosignaling in endothelial cells (ECs) and its interaction with other mechanotransductive pathways, as well as presenting a discussion on the relationship between VEGFR-2 activation and biomechanical forces in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that can help treat diseases with dysfunctional vascular growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronte Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.,O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Hernandez MJ, Zelus EI, Spang MT, Braden RL, Christman KL. Dose optimization of decellularized skeletal muscle extracellular matrix hydrogels for improving perfusion and subsequent validation in an aged hindlimb ischemia model. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:3511-3521. [PMID: 32432574 PMCID: PMC7375022 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01963d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects more than 27 million individuals in North America and Europe, and current treatment strategies mainly aim to restore blood perfusion. However, many patients are ineligible for existing procedures, and these therapies are often ineffective. Previous studies have demonstrated success of an injectable decellularized skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel in a young rat hindlimb ischemia model of PAD, but further pre-clinical studies are necessary prior to clinical translation. In this study, varying concentrations of a skeletal muscle ECM hydrogel were investigated for material properties and in vivo effects on restoring blood perfusion. Rheological measurements indicated an increase in viscosity and mechanical strength with the higher concentrations of the ECM hydrogels. When injecting dye-labelled ECM hydrogels into a healthy rat, differences were also observed for the spreading and degradation rate of the various concentrations. The three concentrations for the ECM hydrogel were then further examined in a young rat hindlimb ischemia model. The efficacy of the optimal ECM hydrogel concentration was then further confirmed in an aged mouse hindlimb ischemia model. These results further validate the use of decellularized skeletal muscle ECM hydrogels for improving blood perfusion in small animal models of PAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Hernandez
- Department of Bioengineering, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Fan W, Han D, Sun Z, Ma S, Gao L, Chen J, Li X, Li X, Fan M, Li C, Hu D, Wang Y, Cao F. Endothelial deletion of mTORC1 protects against hindlimb ischemia in diabetic mice via activation of autophagy, attenuation of oxidative stress and alleviation of inflammation. Free Radic Biol Med 2017; 108:725-740. [PMID: 28473248 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) complicated with diabetes mellitus (DM) still remains a thorny issue due to lack of effective strategies. Our previous study has demonstrated that inhibition of mTORC1 protected adipose-derived stromal cells from hindlimb ischemic injury in PAD mice. However, whether inhibition of mTORC1 could protect against PAD in diabetes mellitus and the underlying mechanisms remained elusive. In this study, we employed endothelial-specific raptor (an essential component of the mTORC1 signaling complex) knockout (KO) mice (Tie2-mTORC1ko) to investigate whether and how mTORC1 downregulation could alleviate hindlimb ischemic injury in diabetic mice. Tie2-mTORC1ko mice and their wild-type littermates were intraperitoneally injected with streptozocin to induce type 1 diabetic model, after which the hyperglycemic mice were randomly allocated to sham operation or PAD operation (femoral artery ligation). The restoration of hindlimb blood perfusion and recovery of limb functions were improved in diabetic Tie2-mTORC1ko PAD mice with significant improvements of autophagy, angiogenesis and vascular integrity as well as attenuation of apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress. In vitro, high glucose combining with hypoxia/serum deprivation treatment (HG+H/SD) significantly triggered apoptosis, reactive oxygen species generation and inflammation while inhibited autophagy and tube formation in HUVECs. The effect could be accentuated and attenuated by mTORC1 over-expression (TSC2 siRNA) and mTORC1 silencing (raptor siRNA), respectively. Moreover, autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could simulate the effects of TSC2 siRNA while autophagy inducer rapamycin could mimic the effects of raptor siRNA, suggesting that the beneficial effects of mTORC1 deletion were associated with autophagy induction. In conclusion, our present study demonstrates that endothelial mTORC1 deletion protects against hindlimb ischemic injury in diabetic mice possibly via activation of autophagy, attenuation of oxidative stress and alleviation of inflammation. Therapeutics targeting mTORC1 may therefore represents a promising strategy to rescue limb ischemia in diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wensi Fan
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dong Han
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongchan Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sai Ma
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Jiangwei Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiujuan Li
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Miaomiao Fan
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Congye Li
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dahai Hu
- Department of Burns and Cutaneous Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yabin Wang
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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Liang D, Han D, Fan W, Zhang R, Qiao H, Fan M, Su T, Ma S, Li X, Chen J, Wang Y, Ren J, Cao F. Therapeutic efficacy of apelin on transplanted mesenchymal stem cells in hindlimb ischemic mice via regulation of autophagy. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21914. [PMID: 26902855 PMCID: PMC4763210 DOI: 10.1038/srep21914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapy provides a promising avenue for the management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, engrafted MSCs are subjected to acute cell death in the ischemic microenvironment. Apelin has been shown to protect bone marrow MSCs against apoptosis although the mechanism of action remains elusive. Here we demonstrated that apelin promoted functional survival of AD-MSCs in ischemic hindlimbs and provoked a synergetic effect with AD-MSCs to restore hindlimb blood perfusion and limb functions. Further in vitro studies revealed that a biphasic response in autophagy was induced by apelin in AD-MSCs during hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) stages to exert cytoprotective effects against H/R injury. Mechanistically, apelin increased the viability of AD-MSCs via promoting protective autophagy during hypoxia, which was accompanied with activation of AMPK and inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). To the contrary, apelin suppressed autophagic cell death during reoxygenation, which was accompanied with activation of Akt and inhibition of Beclin1. Our findings indicated that apelin facilitated AD-MSCs-based therapy in PAD, possibly through promoting survival of AD-MSCs by way of autophagy regulation. Our data support the promises of apelin as a novel strategy to improve MSC-based therapy for PAD, possibly through autophagy modulation in MSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liang
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.,Department of Cardiology, Armed Police Corps Hospital of Shaanxi, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Dong Han
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.,Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Weiwei Fan
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.,Department of Cardiology, the 175th Hospital of Chinese PLA, the Affiliated Southeast Hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou, Fujian 363000, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Hongyu Qiao
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Miaomiao Fan
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Tao Su
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Sai Ma
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Xiujuan Li
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Jiangwei Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Yabin Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jun Ren
- Center for Cardiovascular Research and Alternative Medicine, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Feng Cao
- Department of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.,Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
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Wang Y, Li C, Cheng K, Zhang R, Narsinh K, Li S, Li X, Qin X, Zhang R, Li C, Su T, Chen J, Cao F. Activation of liver X receptor improves viability of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells to attenuate myocardial ischemia injury through TLR4/NF-κB and Keap-1/Nrf-2 signaling pathways. Antioxid Redox Signal 2014; 21:2543-57. [PMID: 24915051 PMCID: PMC4245883 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Clinical application of cellular therapy for cardiac regeneration is significantly hampered by the low retention of engrafted cells, mainly attributable to the poor microenvironment dominated by inflammation and oxidative stress in the host's infarcted myocardium. This study aims at investigating whether liver X receptor (LXR) agonist T0901317 will improve survival of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) after transplantation into infarcted hearts. RESULTS Noninvasive in vivo bioluminescence imaging and histological staining showed that LXR agonist T0901317 improved the retention and survival of intramyocardially injected AD-MSCs. Moreover, combined therapy of LXR agonist and AD-MSCs inhibited host cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reduced fibrosis, and improved cardiac function, while it concomitantly decreased inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) and increased growth factor (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor) expression in infarct myocardium. To reveal possible mechanisms, AD-MSCs were subjected to hypoxia/serum deprivation (H/SD) injury to simulate ischemic conditions in vivo. The LXR agonist (10(-7) mM) improved AD-MSC survival under H/SD condition. Western blot revealed that the LXR agonist reduced TLR4, TRAF-6, and MyD88 protein expression, inhibited IκBα phosphorylation and NF-κB-p65 nuclear translocation, which resulted in accelerated Keap-1 protein degradation, enhanced Nrf-2 nuclear translocation, and increased HO-1 protein expression. INNOVATION AND CONCLUSION LXR agonist can enhance the functional survival of transplanted AD-MSCs in infarcted myocardium, at least partially, via modulation of the TLR4/NF-κB and Keap-1/Nrf-2 signaling pathways. Moreover, combined therapy of LXR agonist and AD-MSCs has a synergetic effect on cardiac repair and functional improvement after infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabin Wang
- 1 Department of Cardiology, PLA General Hospital , Beijing, China
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Zachman AL, Wang X, Tucker-Schwartz JM, Fitzpatrick ST, Lee SH, Guelcher SA, Skala MC, Sung HJ. Uncoupling angiogenesis and inflammation in peripheral artery disease with therapeutic peptide-loaded microgels. Biomaterials 2014; 35:9635-48. [PMID: 25154665 PMCID: PMC4164579 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is characterized by vessel occlusion and ischemia in the limbs. Treatment for PAD with surgical interventions has been showing limited success. Moreover, recent clinical trials with treatment of angiogenic growth factors proved ineffective as increased angiogenesis triggered severe inflammation in a proportionally coupled fashion. Hence, the overarching goal of this research was to address this issue by developing a biomaterial system that enables controlled, dual delivery of pro-angiogenic C16 and anti-inflammatory Ac-SDKP peptides in a minimally-invasive way. To achieve the goal, a peptide-loaded injectable microgel system was developed and tested in a mouse model of PAD. When delivered through multiple, low volume injections, the combination of C16 and Ac-SDKP peptides promoted angiogenesis, muscle regeneration, and perfusion recovery, while minimizing detrimental inflammation. Additionally, this peptide combination regulated inflammatory TNF-α pathways independently of MMP-9 mediated pathways of angiogenesis in vitro, suggesting a potential mechanism by which angiogenic and inflammatory responses can be uncoupled in the context of PAD. This study demonstrates a translatable potential of the dual peptide-loaded injectable microgel system for PAD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela L Zachman
- Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Xintong Wang
- Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | | | | | - Sue H Lee
- Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Scott A Guelcher
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Melissa C Skala
- Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Hak-Joon Sung
- Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
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