1
|
Ros E, Encina M, González F, Contreras R, Luz-Crawford P, Khoury M, Acevedo JP. Single cell migration profiling on a microenvironmentally tunable hydrogel microstructure device that enables stem cell potency evaluation. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:958-972. [PMID: 31990283 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00988d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cell migration is a key function in a myriad of physiological events and disease conditions. Efficient, quick and descriptive profiling of migration behaviour in response to different treatments or conditions is highly desirable in a series of applications, ranging from fundamental studies of the migration mechanism to drug discovery and cell therapy. This investigation applied the use of methacrylamide gelatin (GelMA) to microfabricate migration lanes based on GelMA hydrogel with encapsulated migration stimuli and structural stability under culture medium conditions, providing the possibility of tailoring the microenvironment during cell-based assays. The actual device provides 3D topography, cell localization and a few step protocol, allowing the quick evaluation and quantification of individual migrated distances of a cell sample by an ImageJ plugin for automated microscopy processing. The detailed profiling of migration behaviour given by the new device has demonstrated a broader assay sensitivity compared to other migration assays and higher versatility to study cell migration in different settings of applications. In this study, parametric information extracted from the migration profiling was successfully used to develop predictive models of immunosuppressive cell function that could be applied as a potency test for mesenchymal stem cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Ros
- Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile and Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Encina
- Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile and Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabián González
- Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile and Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rafael Contreras
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia Luz-Crawford
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Maroun Khoury
- Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile and Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile and Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Juan Pablo Acevedo
- Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile and Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile and Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hooshmand MJ, Nguyen HX, Piltti KM, Benavente F, Hong S, Flanagan L, Uchida N, Cummings BJ, Anderson AJ. Neutrophils Induce Astroglial Differentiation and Migration of Human Neural Stem Cells via C1q and C3a Synthesis. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:1069-1085. [PMID: 28687659 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory processes play a key role in pathophysiology of many neurologic diseases/trauma, but the effect of immune cells and factors on neurotransplantation strategies remains unclear. We hypothesized that cellular and humoral components of innate immunity alter fate and migration of human neural stem cells (hNSC). In these experiments, conditioned media collected from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) selectively increased hNSC astrogliogenesis and promoted cell migration in vitro. PMN were shown to generate C1q and C3a; exposure of hNSC to PMN-synthesized concentrations of these complement proteins promoted astrogliogenesis and cell migration. Furthermore, in vitro, Abs directed against C1q and C3a reversed the fate and migration effects observed. In a proof-of-concept in vivo experiment, blockade of C1q and C3a transiently altered hNSC migration and reversed astroglial fate after spinal cord injury. Collectively, these data suggest that modulation of the innate/humoral inflammatory microenvironment may impact the potential of cell-based therapies for recovery and repair following CNS pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitra J Hooshmand
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697; .,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Hal X Nguyen
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Katja M Piltti
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Francisca Benavente
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Samuel Hong
- Bridges to Stem Cell Research Program, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92834; and
| | - Lisa Flanagan
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | | | - Brian J Cummings
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Aileen J Anderson
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shang W, Tsao CY, Luo X, Teodoro M, McKay R, Quan DN, Wu HC, Payne GF, Bentley WE. A simple and reusable bilayer membrane-based microfluidic device for the study of gradient-mediated bacterial behaviors. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:044114. [PMID: 28868107 PMCID: PMC5566557 DOI: 10.1063/1.4993438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a user-friendly microfluidic device for the study of gradient-mediated bacterial behaviors, including chemotaxis. This device rapidly establishes linear concentration gradients by exploiting solute diffusion through porous membranes in the absence of convective flows. As such, the gradients are created rapidly and can be sustained for long time periods (e.g., hours), sufficient to evaluate cell phenotype. The device exploits a unique simple bilayer configuration that enables rapid setup and quick reproducible introduction of cells. Its reusability represents an additional advantage in that it need not be limited to settings with microfluidics expertise. We have successfully demonstrated the applicability of this tool in studying the chemotactic response of Escherichia coli to glucose. When coupled with our recent Python program, quantified metrics such as speed, ratio of tumble to run, and effective diffusivity can be obtained from slow frame rate videos. Moreover, we introduce a chemotaxis partition coefficient that conveniently scores swimming behavior on the single-cell level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaolong Luo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Catholic University of America, Washington, 20064, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hsuan-Chen Wu
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang C, Barrios MP, Alani RM, Cabodi M, Wong JY. A microfluidic Transwell to study chemotaxis. Exp Cell Res 2016; 342:159-65. [PMID: 26988422 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Chemotaxis is typically studied in vitro using commercially available products such as the Transwell® in which cells migrate through a porous membrane in response to one or more clearly defined chemotactic stimuli. Despite its widespread use, the Transwell assay suffers from being largely an endpoint assay, with built-in errors due to inconsistent pore size and human sampling. In this study, we report a microfluidic chemotactic chip that provides real-time monitoring, consistent paths for cell migration, and easy on-chip staining for quantifying migration. To compare its performance with that of a traditional Transwell chamber, we investigate the chemotactic response of MDA-MB-231 1833 metastatic breast cancer cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF). The results show that while both platforms were able to detect a chemotactic response, we observed a dose-dependent response of breast cancer cells towards EGF with low non-specific migration using the microfluidic platform, whereas we observed a dose-independent response of breast cancer cells towards EGF with high levels of non-specific migration using the commercially available Transwell.The microfluidic platform also allowed EGF-dependent chemotactic responses to be observed 24h, a substantially longer window than seen with the Transwell. Thus the performance of our microfluidic platform revealed phenomena that were not detected in the Transwell under the conditions tested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chentian Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA 02215, USA
| | - Maria P Barrios
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA 02215, USA
| | - Rhoda M Alani
- Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118, USA
| | - Mario Cabodi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA 02215, USA; Center for Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Joyce Y Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA 02215, USA; Center for Nanoscience and Nanobiotechnology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Division of Materials Science & Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Chemokine receptors are involved in various pathologies such as inflammatory diseases, cancer, and HIV infection. Small molecule and antibody-based antagonists have been developed to inhibit chemokine-induced receptor activity. Currently two small molecule inhibitors targeting CXCR4 and CCR5 are on the market for stem cell mobilization and the treatment of HIV infection, respectively. Antibody fragments (e.g., nanobodies) targeting chemokine receptors are primarily orthosteric ligands, competing for the chemokine binding site. This is opposed by most small molecules, which act as allosteric modulators and bind to the receptor at a topographically distinct site as compared to chemokines. Allosteric modulators can be distinguished from orthosteric ligands by unique features, such as a saturable effect and probe dependency. For successful drug development, it is essential to determine pharmacological parameters (i.e., affinity, potency, and efficacy) and the mode of action of potential drugs during early stages of research in order to predict the biological effect of chemokine receptor targeting drugs in the clinic. This chapter explains how the pharmacological profile of chemokine receptor targeting ligands can be determined and quantified using binding and functional experiments.
Collapse
|
6
|
Yildiz-Ozturk E, Yesil-Celiktas O. Diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules in microfluidic devices. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:052606. [PMID: 26180576 PMCID: PMC4491013 DOI: 10.1063/1.4923263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Biomicrofluidics is an emerging field at the cross roads of microfluidics and life sciences which requires intensive research efforts in terms of introducing appropriate designs, production techniques, and analysis. The ultimate goal is to deliver innovative and cost-effective microfluidic devices to biotech, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, creating an in-depth understanding of the transport phenomena of cells and biomolecules becomes vital and concurrently poses significant challenges. The present article outlines the recent advancements in diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules by highlighting transport principles from an engineering perspective, cell responses in microfluidic devices with emphases on diffusion- and flow-based microfluidic gradient platforms, macroscopic and microscopic approaches for investigating the diffusion phenomena of biomolecules, microfluidic platforms for the delivery of these molecules, as well as the state of the art in biological applications of mammalian cell responses and diffusion of biomolecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ece Yildiz-Ozturk
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University , 35100 Bornova-Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University , 35100 Bornova-Izmir, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ferreira MM, Dewi RE, Heilshorn SC. Microfluidic analysis of extracellular matrix-bFGF crosstalk on primary human myoblast chemoproliferation, chemokinesis, and chemotaxis. Integr Biol (Camb) 2015; 7:569-79. [PMID: 25909157 PMCID: PMC4528978 DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00060b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Exposing myoblasts to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which is released after muscle injury, results in receptor phosphorylation, faster migration, and increased proliferation. These effects occur on time scales that extend across three orders of magnitude (10(0)-10(3) minutes). Finite element modeling of Transwell assays, which are traditionally used to assess chemotaxis, revealed that the bFGF gradient formed across the membrane pore is short-lived and diminishes 45% within the first minute. Thus, to evaluate bFGF-induced migration over 10(2) minutes, we employed a microfluidic assay capable of producing a stable, linear concentration gradient to perform single-cell analyses of chemokinesis and chemotaxis. We hypothesized that the composition of the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) may affect the behavioral response of myoblasts to soluble bFGF, as previous work with other cell types has suggested crosstalk between integrin and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors. Consistent with this notion, we found that bFGF significantly reduced the doubling time of myoblasts cultured on laminin but not fibronectin or collagen. Laminin also promoted significantly faster migration speeds (13.4 μm h(-1)) than either fibronectin (10.6 μm h(-1)) or collagen (7.6 μm h(-1)) without bFGF stimulation. Chemokinesis driven by bFGF further increased migration speed in a strictly additive manner, resulting in an average increase of 2.3 μm h(-1) across all ECMs tested. We observed relatively mild chemoattraction (∼67% of myoblast population) in response to bFGF gradients of 3.2 ng mL(-1) mm(-1) regardless of ECM identity. Thus, while ECM-bFGF crosstalk did impact chemoproliferation, it did not have a significant effect on chemokinesis or chemotaxis. These data suggest that the main physiological effect of bFGF on myoblast migration is chemokinesis and that changes in the surrounding ECM, resulting from aging and/or disease may impact muscle regeneration by altering myoblast migration and proliferation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruby E. Dewi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xu H, Ferreira MM, Heilshorn SC. Small-molecule axon-polarization studies enabled by a shear-free microfluidic gradient generator. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:2047-56. [PMID: 24781157 PMCID: PMC4528973 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00162a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A deep understanding of the mechanisms behind neurite polarization and axon path-finding is important for interpreting how the human body guides neurite growth during development and response to injury. Further, it is of great clinical importance to identify diffusible chemical cues that promote neurite regeneration for nervous tissue repair. Despite the fast development of various types of concentration gradient generators, it has been challenging to fabricate neuron-friendly (i.e. shear-free and biocompatible for neuron growth and maturation) devices to create stable gradients, particularly for fast diffusing small molecules, which typically require high flow and shear rates. Here we present a finite element analysis for a polydimethylsiloxane/polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PDMS/PEG-DA) based gradient generator, describe the microfabrication process, and validate its use for neuronal axon polarization studies. This device provides a totally shear-free, biocompatible microenvironment with a linear and stable concentration gradient of small molecules such as forskolin. The gradient profile in this device can be customized by changing the composition or width of the PEG-DA barriers during direct UV photo-patterning within a permanently bonded PDMS device. Primary rat cortical neurons (embryonic E18) exposed to soluble forskolin gradients for 72 h exhibited statistically significant polarization and guidance of their axons. This device provides a useful platform for both chemotaxis and directional guidance studies, particularly for shear sensitive and non-adhesive cell cultures, while allowing fast new device design prototyping at a low cost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 476 Lomita Mall, McCullough Building, Stanford, CA 94305-4045, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|