1
|
Vellayappan MV, Duarte F, Sollogoub C, Dirrenberger J, Guinault A, Frith JE, Parkington HC, Molotnikov A, Cameron NR. Creation of Grooved Tissue Engineering Scaffolds from Architectured Multilayer Polymer Composites by a Tuneable One-Step Degradation Process. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2401902. [PMID: 38949308 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The surface properties of biomaterials interact directly with biological systems, influencing cellular responses, tissue integration, and biocompatibility. Surface topography plays a critical role in cardiac tissue engineering by affecting electrical conductivity, cardiomyocyte alignment, and contractile function. Current methods for controlling surface properties and topography in cardiac tissue engineering scaffolds are limited, expensive, and lack precision. This study introduces a low-cost, one-step degradation process to create scaffolds with well-defined micro-grooves from multilayered 3D printed poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. The approach provides control over erosion rate and surface morphology, allowing easy tuning of scaffold topographical cues for tissue engineering applications. The findings reported in this study provide a library of easily tuneable scaffold topographical cues. A strong dependence of neonatal rat cardiomyocyte (NRCM) contact guidance with the multilayers' dimension and shape in partially degraded polylactic acid (PLA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) samples is observed. NRCMs cultured on samples with a layer thickness of 13 ± 2 µm and depth of 4.7 ± 0.2 µm demonstrate the most regular contractions. Hence, the proposed fabrication scheme can be used to produce a new generation of biomaterials with excellent controllability determined by multilayer thickness, printing parameters, and degradation treatment duration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muthu Vignesh Vellayappan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, 14 Alliance Lane, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Francisco Duarte
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, 14 Alliance Lane, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Cyrille Sollogoub
- PIMM, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, CNRS, Cnam, HESAM University, 151 boulevard de l'Hopital, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Justin Dirrenberger
- PIMM, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, CNRS, Cnam, HESAM University, 151 boulevard de l'Hopital, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Alain Guinault
- PIMM, Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, CNRS, Cnam, HESAM University, 151 boulevard de l'Hopital, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Jessica E Frith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, 14 Alliance Lane, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Helena C Parkington
- Department of Physiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, 26, Innovation Walk, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrey Molotnikov
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, 14 Alliance Lane, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Neil R Cameron
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, 14 Alliance Lane, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Cell and Tissue Engineering Technologies, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pardon G, Vander Roest AS, Chirikian O, Birnbaum F, Lewis H, Castillo EA, Wilson R, Denisin AK, Blair CA, Holbrook C, Koleckar K, Chang ACY, Blau HM, Pruitt BL. Tracking single hiPSC-derived cardiomyocyte contractile function using CONTRAX an efficient pipeline for traction force measurement. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5427. [PMID: 38926342 PMCID: PMC11208611 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49755-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) are powerful in vitro models to study the mechanisms underlying cardiomyopathies and cardiotoxicity. Quantification of the contractile function in single hiPSC-CMs at high-throughput and over time is essential to disentangle how cellular mechanisms affect heart function. Here, we present CONTRAX, an open-access, versatile, and streamlined pipeline for quantitative tracking of the contractile dynamics of single hiPSC-CMs over time. Three software modules enable: parameter-based identification of single hiPSC-CMs; automated video acquisition of >200 cells/hour; and contractility measurements via traction force microscopy. We analyze >4,500 hiPSC-CMs over time in the same cells under orthogonal conditions of culture media and substrate stiffnesses; +/- drug treatment; +/- cardiac mutations. Using undirected clustering, we reveal converging maturation patterns, quantifiable drug response to Mavacamten and significant deficiencies in hiPSC-CMs with disease mutations. CONTRAX empowers researchers with a potent quantitative approach to develop cardiac therapies.
Collapse
Grants
- K99 HL153679 NHLBI NIH HHS
- RM1 GM131981 NIGMS NIH HHS
- 20POST35211011 American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.)
- 17CSA33590101 American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.)
- 18CDA34110411 American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.)
- 1R21HL13099301 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- 18POST34080160 American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.)
- 1F31HL158227 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- F31 HL158227 NHLBI NIH HHS
- 201411MFE-338745-169197 Gouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada)
- P2SKP2_164954 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)
- 13POST14480004 American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.)
- RM1GM131981 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- 82070248 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- P400PM_180825 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- Shanghai Pujiang Program 19PJ1407000 Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning 0900000024 to A.C.Y.C. Innovative Research Team of High-Level Local Universities in Shanghai (A.C.Y.C.)
- the Baxter Foundation, Li Ka Shing Foundation and The Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaspard Pardon
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alison S Vander Roest
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Engineering, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Orlando Chirikian
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Foster Birnbaum
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Henry Lewis
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erica A Castillo
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Robin Wilson
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aleksandra K Denisin
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cheavar A Blair
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Colin Holbrook
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kassie Koleckar
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alex C Y Chang
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine and Department of Cardiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125, China
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Helen M Blau
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Beth L Pruitt
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and of Bioengineering, Stanford University, School of Engineering and School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Palladino S, Schwab A, Copes F, D'Este M, Candiani G, Mantovani D. Development of a hyaluronic acid-collagen bioink for shear-induced fibers and cells alignment. Biomed Mater 2023; 18:065017. [PMID: 37751763 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/acfd77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Human tissues are characterized by complex composition and cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) organization at microscopic level. In most of human tissues, cells and ECM show an anisotropic arrangement, which confers them specific properties.In vitro, the ability to closely mimic this complexity is limited. However, in the last years, extrusion bioprinting showed a certain potential for aligning cells and biomolecules, due to the application of shear stress during the bio-fabrication process. In this work, we propose a strategy to combine collagen (col) with tyramine-modified hyaluronic acid (THA) to obtain a printable col-THA bioink for extrusion bioprinting, solely-based on natural-derived components. Collagen fibers formation within the hybrid hydrogel, as well as collagen distribution and spatial organization before and after printing, were studied. For the validation of the biological outcome, fibroblasts were selected as cellular model and embedded in the col-THA matrix. Cell metabolic activity and cell viability, as well as cell distribution and alignment, were studied in the bioink before and after bioprinting. Results demonstrated successful collagen fibers formation within the bioink, as well as collagen anisotropic alignment along the printing direction. Furthermore, results revealed suitable biological properties, with a slightly reduced metabolic activity at day 1, fully recovered within the first 3 d post-cell embedding. Finally, results showed fibroblasts elongation and alignment along the bioprinting direction. Altogether, results validated the potential to obtain collagen-based bioprinted constructs, with both cellular and ECM anisotropy, without detrimental effects of the fabrication process on the biological outcome. This bioink can be potentially used for a wide range of applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in which anisotropy is required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Palladino
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, CRC-Tier I, Dept Min-Met-Materials Eng and Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
- genT_LΛB, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'G. Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Copes
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, CRC-Tier I, Dept Min-Met-Materials Eng and Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | | | - Gabriele Candiani
- genT_LΛB, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering 'G. Natta', Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Mantovani
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, CRC-Tier I, Dept Min-Met-Materials Eng and Regenerative Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
English EJ, Samolyk BL, Gaudette GR, Pins GD. Micropatterned fibrin scaffolds increase cardiomyocyte alignment and contractility for the fabrication of engineered myocardial tissue. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:1309-1321. [PMID: 36932841 PMCID: PMC11128133 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, which can result in blockage of a coronary artery, triggering a myocardial infarction (MI), scar tissue formation in the myocardium, and ultimately heart failure. Currently, the gold-standard solution for total heart failure is a heart transplantation. An alternative to total-organ transplantation is surgically remodeling the ventricle with the implantation of a cardiac patch. Acellular cardiac patches have previously been investigated using synthetic or decellularized native materials to improve cardiac function. However, a limitation of this strategy is that acellular cardiac patches only reshape the ventricle and do not increase cardiac contractile function. Toward the development of a cardiac patch, our laboratory previously developed a cell-populated composite fibrin scaffold and aligned microthreads to recapitulate the mechanical properties of native myocardium. In this study, we explore micropatterning the surfaces of fibrin gels to mimic anisotropic native tissue architecture and promote cellular alignment of human induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CM), which is crucial for increasing scaffold contractile properties. hiPS-CMs seeded on micropatterned surfaces exhibit cellular elongation, distinct sarcomere alignment, and circumferential connexin-43 staining at 14 days of culture, which are necessary for mature contractile properties. Constructs were also subject to electrical stimulation during culture to promote increased contractile properties. After 7 days of stimulation, contractile strains of micropatterned constructs were significantly higher than unpatterned controls. These results suggest that the use of micropatterned topographic cues on fibrin scaffolds may be a promising strategy for creating engineered cardiac tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J. English
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Tessera Therapeutics, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bryanna L. Samolyk
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Glenn R. Gaudette
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Engineering, Boston College, Newton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - George D. Pins
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
House A, Cornick J, Butt Q, Guvendiren M. Elastomeric platform with surface wrinkling patterns to control cardiac cell alignment. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:1228-1242. [PMID: 36762538 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in creating 2D cardiac tissue models that display native extracellular matrix (ECM) cues of the heart tissue. Cellular alignment alone is known to be a crucial cue for cardiac tissue development by regulating cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions. In this study, we report a simple and robust approach to create lamellar surface wrinkling patterns enabling spatial control of pattern dimensions with a wide range of pattern amplitude (A ≈ 2-55 μm) and wavelength (λ ≈ 35-100 μm). For human cardiomyocytes (hCMs) and human cardiac fibroblasts (hCFs), our results indicate that the degree of cellular alignment and pattern recognition are correlated with pattern A and λ. We also demonstrate fabrication of devices composed of micro-well arrays with user-defined lamellar patterns on the bottom surface of each well for high-throughput screening studies. Results from a screening study indicate that cellular alignment is strongly diminished with increasing seeding density. In another study, we show our ability to vary hCM/hCF seeding ratio for each well to create co-culture systems where seeding ratio is independent of cellular alignment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew House
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jason Cornick
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Quratulain Butt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Murat Guvendiren
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Picchio V, Floris E, Derevyanchuk Y, Cozzolino C, Messina E, Pagano F, Chimenti I, Gaetani R. Multicellular 3D Models for the Study of Cardiac Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911642. [PMID: 36232943 PMCID: PMC9569892 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ex vivo modelling systems for cardiovascular research are becoming increasingly important in reducing lab animal use and boosting personalized medicine approaches. Integrating multiple cell types in complex setups adds a higher level of significance to the models, simulating the intricate intercellular communication of the microenvironment in vivo. Cardiac fibrosis represents a key pathogenetic step in multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic and diabetic cardiomyopathies. Indeed, allowing inter-cellular interactions between cardiac stromal cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and/or immune cells in dedicated systems could make ex vivo models of cardiac fibrosis even more relevant. Moreover, culture systems with 3D architectures further enrich the physiological significance of such in vitro models. In this review, we provide a summary of the multicellular 3D models for the study of cardiac fibrosis described in the literature, such as spontaneous microtissues, bioprinted constructs, engineered tissues, and organs-on-chip, discussing their advantages and limitations. Important discoveries on the physiopathology of cardiac fibrosis, as well as the screening of novel potential therapeutic molecules, have been reported thanks to these systems. Future developments will certainly increase their translational impact for understanding and modulating mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis even further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Picchio
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Erica Floris
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Yuriy Derevyanchuk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cozzolino
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Elisa Messina
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pagano
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Council of Research (IBBC-CNR), 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Isotta Chimenti
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University, 04100 Latina, Italy
- Mediterranea Cardiocentro, 80122 Napoli, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-077-3175-7234
| | - Roberto Gaetani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
An ensemble of in vitro cardiac tissue models has been developed over the past several decades to aid our understanding of complex cardiovascular disorders using a reductionist approach. These approaches often rely on recapitulating single or multiple clinically relevant end points in a dish indicative of the cardiac pathophysiology. The possibility to generate disease-relevant and patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells has further leveraged the utility of the cardiac models as screening tools at a large scale. To elucidate biological mechanisms in the cardiac models, it is critical to integrate physiological cues in form of biochemical, biophysical, and electromechanical stimuli to achieve desired tissue-like maturity for a robust phenotyping. Here, we review the latest advances in the directed stem cell differentiation approaches to derive a wide gamut of cardiovascular cell types, to allow customization in cardiac model systems, and to study diseased states in multiple cell types. We also highlight the recent progress in the development of several cardiovascular models, such as cardiac organoids, microtissues, engineered heart tissues, and microphysiological systems. We further expand our discussion on defining the context of use for the selection of currently available cardiac tissue models. Last, we discuss the limitations and challenges with the current state-of-the-art cardiac models and highlight future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dilip Thomas
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.)
| | - Suji Choi
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA (S.C., K.K.P.)
| | - Christina Alamana
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.)
| | - Kevin Kit Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA (S.C., K.K.P.).,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA (K.K.P.)
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (D.T., C.A., J.C.W.).,Greenstone Biosciences, Palo Alto, CA (J.C.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Batalov I, Jallerat Q, Kim S, Bliley J, Feinberg AW. Engineering aligned human cardiac muscle using developmentally inspired fibronectin micropatterns. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11502. [PMID: 34075068 PMCID: PMC8169656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac two-dimensional tissues were engineered using biomimetic micropatterns based on the fibronectin-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) of the embryonic heart. The goal of this developmentally-inspired, in vitro approach was to identify cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions in the microenvironment of the early 4-chambered vertebrate heart that drive cardiomyocyte organization and alignment. To test this, biomimetic micropatterns based on confocal imaging of fibronectin in embryonic chick myocardium were created and compared to control micropatterns designed with 2 or 20 µm wide fibronectin lines. Results show that embryonic chick cardiomyocytes have a unique density-dependent alignment on the biomimetic micropattern that is mediated in part by N-cadherin, suggesting that both cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions play an important role in the formation of aligned myocardium. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes also showed density-dependent alignment on the biomimetic micropattern but were overall less well organized. Interestingly, the addition of human adult cardiac fibroblasts and conditioning with T3 hormone were both shown to increase human cardiomyocyte alignment. In total, these results show that cardiomyocyte maturation state, cardiomyocyte-cardiomyocyte and cardiomyocyte-fibroblast interactions, and cardiomyocyte-ECM interactions can all play a role when engineering anisotropic cardiac tissues in vitro and provides insight as to how these factors may influence cardiogenesis in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Batalov
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Quentin Jallerat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Sean Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Jacqueline Bliley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA
| | - Adam W Feinberg
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rafatian N, Vizely K, Al Asafen H, Korolj A, Radisic M. Drawing Inspiration from Developmental Biology for Cardiac Tissue Engineers. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000190. [PMID: 34008910 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A sound understanding of developmental biology is part of the foundation of effective stem cell-derived tissue engineering. Here, the key concepts of cardiac development that are successfully applied in a bioinspired approach to growing engineered cardiac tissues, are reviewed. The native cardiac milieu is studied extensively from embryonic to adult phenotypes, as it provides a resource of factors, mechanisms, and protocols to consider when working toward establishing living tissues in vitro. It begins with the various cell types that constitute the cardiac tissue. It is discussed how myocytes interact with other cell types and their microenvironment and how they change over time from the embryonic to the adult states, with a view on how such changes affect the tissue function and may be used in engineered tissue models. Key embryonic signaling pathways that have been leveraged in the design of culture media and differentiation protocols are presented. The cellular microenvironment, from extracellular matrix chemical and physical properties, to the dynamic mechanical and electrical forces that are exerted on tissues is explored. It is shown that how such microenvironmental factors can inform the design of biomaterials, scaffolds, stimulation bioreactors, and maturation readouts, and suggest considerations for ongoing biomimetic advancement of engineered cardiac tissues and regeneration strategies for the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naimeh Rafatian
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Katrina Vizely
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Hadel Al Asafen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Anastasia Korolj
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Santos ARMP, Jang Y, Son I, Kim J, Park Y. Recapitulating Cardiac Structure and Function In Vitro from Simple to Complex Engineering. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12040386. [PMID: 33916254 PMCID: PMC8067203 DOI: 10.3390/mi12040386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac tissue engineering aims to generate in vivo-like functional tissue for the study of cardiac development, homeostasis, and regeneration. Since the heart is composed of various types of cells and extracellular matrix with a specific microenvironment, the fabrication of cardiac tissue in vitro requires integrating technologies of cardiac cells, biomaterials, fabrication, and computational modeling to model the complexity of heart tissue. Here, we review the recent progress of engineering techniques from simple to complex for fabricating matured cardiac tissue in vitro. Advancements in cardiomyocytes, extracellular matrix, geometry, and computational modeling will be discussed based on a technology perspective and their use for preparation of functional cardiac tissue. Since the heart is a very complex system at multiscale levels, an understanding of each technique and their interactions would be highly beneficial to the development of a fully functional heart in cardiac tissue engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jongseong Kim
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (Y.P.); Tel.: +82-10-8858-7260 (J.K.); +82-10-4260-6460 (Y.P.)
| | - Yongdoo Park
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (Y.P.); Tel.: +82-10-8858-7260 (J.K.); +82-10-4260-6460 (Y.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Petersen AP, Cho N, Lyra-Leite DM, Santoso JW, Gupta D, Ariyasinghe NR, McCain ML. Regulation of calcium dynamics and propagation velocity by tissue microstructure in engineered strands of cardiac tissue. Integr Biol (Camb) 2021; 12:34-46. [PMID: 32118279 DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Disruptions to cardiac tissue microstructure are common in diseased or injured myocardium and are known substrates for arrhythmias. However, we have a relatively coarse understanding of the relationships between myocardial tissue microstructure, propagation velocity and calcium cycling, due largely to the limitations of conventional experimental tools. To address this, we used microcontact printing to engineer strands of cardiac tissue with eight different widths, quantified several structural and functional parameters and established correlation coefficients. As strand width increased, actin alignment, nuclei density, sarcomere index and cell aspect ratio decreased with unique trends. The propagation velocity of calcium waves decreased and the rise time of calcium transients increased with increasing strand width. The decay time constant of calcium transients decreased and then slightly increased with increasing strand width. Based on correlation coefficients, actin alignment was the strongest predictor of propagation velocity and calcium transient rise time. Sarcomere index and cell aspect ratio were also strongly correlated with propagation velocity. Actin alignment, sarcomere index and cell aspect ratio were all weak predictors of the calcium transient decay time constant. We also measured the expression of several genes relevant to propagation and calcium cycling and found higher expression of the genes that encode for connexin 43 (Cx43) and a subunit of L-type calcium channels in thin strands compared to isotropic tissues. Together, these results suggest that thinner strands have higher values of propagation velocity and calcium transient rise time due to a combination of favorable tissue microstructure and enhanced expression of genes for Cx43 and L-type calcium channels. These data are important for defining how microstructural features regulate intercellular and intracellular calcium handling, which is needed to understand mechanisms of propagation in physiological situations and arrhythmogenesis in pathological situations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Petersen
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Cho
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Davi M Lyra-Leite
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Santoso
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Divya Gupta
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nethika R Ariyasinghe
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Megan L McCain
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lyra-Leite DM, Petersen AP, Ariyasinghe NR, Cho N, McCain ML. Mitochondrial architecture in cardiac myocytes depends on cell shape and matrix rigidity. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 150:32-43. [PMID: 33038389 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Contraction of cardiac myocytes depends on energy generated by the mitochondria. During cardiac development and disease, the structure and function of the mitochondrial network in cardiac myocytes is known to remodel in concert with many other factors, including changes in nutrient availability, hemodynamic load, extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity, cell shape, and maturation of other intracellular structures. However, the independent role of each of these factors on mitochondrial network architecture is poorly understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that cell aspect ratio (AR) and ECM rigidity regulate the architecture of the mitochondrial network in cardiac myocytes. To do this, we spin-coated glass coverslips with a soft, moderate, or stiff polymer. Next, we microcontact printed cell-sized rectangles of fibronectin with AR matching cardiac myocytes at various developmental or disease states onto the polymer surface. We then cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes on the patterned surfaces and used confocal microscopy and image processing techniques to quantify sarcomeric α-actinin volume, nucleus volume, and mitochondrial volume, surface area, and size distribution. On some substrates, α-actinin volume increased with cell AR but was not affected by ECM rigidity. Nucleus volume was mostly uniform across all conditions. In contrast, mitochondrial volume increased with cell AR on all substrates. Furthermore, mitochondrial surface area to volume ratio decreased as AR increased on all substrates. Large mitochondria were also more prevalent in cardiac myocytes with higher AR. For select AR, mitochondria were also smaller as ECM rigidity increased. Collectively, these results suggest that mitochondrial architecture in cardiac myocytes is strongly influenced by cell shape and moderately influenced by ECM rigidity. These data have important implications for understanding the factors that impact metabolic performance during heart development and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davi M Lyra-Leite
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States of America; Center for Pharmacogenomics, Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America
| | - Andrew P Petersen
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Nethika R Ariyasinghe
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States of America; Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States of America
| | - Nathan Cho
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Megan L McCain
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States of America; Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sherman WF, Grosberg A. Exploring cardiac form and function: A length-scale computational biology approach. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 12:e1470. [PMID: 31793215 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body is the result of tightly regulated feedback mechanisms that exist across many spatial scales in the heart. Diseases which impede the function at any one of the spatial scales can cause detrimental cardiac remodeling and eventual heart failure. An overarching goal of cardiac research is to use engineered heart tissue in vitro to study the physiology of diseased heart tissue, develop cell replacement therapies, and explore drug testing applications. A commonality within the field is to manipulate the flow of mechanical signals across the various spatial scales to direct self-organization and build functional tissue. Doing so requires an understanding of how chemical, electrical, and mechanical cues can be used to alter the cellular microenvironment. We discuss how mathematical models have been used in conjunction with experimental techniques to explore various structure-function relations that exist across numerous spatial scales. We highlight how a systems biology approach can be employed to recapitulate in vivo characteristics in vitro at the tissue, cell, and subcellular scales. Specific focus is placed on the interplay between experimental and theoretical approaches. Various modeling methods are showcased to demonstrate the breadth and power afforded to the systems biology approach. An overview of modeling methodologies exemplifies how the strengths of different scientific disciplines can be used to supplement and/or inspire new avenues of experimental exploration. This article is categorized under: Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Cellular Models Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Organ, Tissue, and Physiological Models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William F Sherman
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.,Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Anna Grosberg
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.,Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.,NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Portillo-Lara R, Spencer AR, Walker BW, Shirzaei Sani E, Annabi N. Biomimetic cardiovascular platforms for in vitro disease modeling and therapeutic validation. Biomaterials 2019; 198:78-94. [PMID: 30201502 PMCID: PMC11044891 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bioengineered tissues have become increasingly more sophisticated owing to recent advancements in the fields of biomaterials, microfabrication, microfluidics, genetic engineering, and stem cell and developmental biology. In the coming years, the ability to engineer artificial constructs that accurately mimic the compositional, architectural, and functional properties of human tissues, will profoundly impact the therapeutic and diagnostic aspects of the healthcare industry. In this regard, bioengineered cardiac tissues are of particular importance due to the extremely limited ability of the myocardium to self-regenerate, as well as the remarkably high mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases worldwide. As novel microphysiological systems make the transition from bench to bedside, their implementation in high throughput drug screening, personalized diagnostics, disease modeling, and targeted therapy validation will bring forth a paradigm shift in the clinical management of cardiovascular diseases. Here, we will review the current state of the art in experimental in vitro platforms for next generation diagnostics and therapy validation. We will describe recent advancements in the development of smart biomaterials, biofabrication techniques, and stem cell engineering, aimed at recapitulating cardiovascular function at the tissue- and organ levels. In addition, integrative and multidisciplinary approaches to engineer biomimetic cardiovascular constructs with unprecedented human and clinical relevance will be discussed. We will comment on the implementation of these platforms in high throughput drug screening, in vitro disease modeling and therapy validation. Lastly, future perspectives will be provided on how these biomimetic platforms will aid in the transition towards patient centered diagnostics, and the development of personalized targeted therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Portillo-Lara
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, USA; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Zapopan, JAL, Mexico
| | - Andrew R Spencer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
| | - Brian W Walker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California- Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ehsan Shirzaei Sani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California- Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nasim Annabi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California- Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Minimally Invasive Therapeutics (C-MIT), University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rodriguez ML, Beussman KM, Chun KS, Walzer MS, Yang X, Murry CE, Sniadecki NJ. Substrate Stiffness, Cell Anisotropy, and Cell-Cell Contact Contribute to Enhanced Structural and Calcium Handling Properties of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:3876-3888. [PMID: 33438427 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) can be utilized to understand the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of heart disease, as well as to develop better interventions and treatments for this disease. However, these cells are structurally and functionally immature, which undermines some of their adequacy in modeling adult heart tissue. Previous studies with immature cardiomyocytes have shown that altering substrate stiffness, cell anisotropy, and/or cell-cell contact can enhance the contractile and structural maturation of hPSC-CMs. In this study, the structural and calcium handling properties of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) were enhanced by exposure to a downselected combination of these three maturation stimuli. First, hESC-CMs were seeded onto substrates composed of two commercial formulations of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Sylgard 184 and Sylgard 527, whose stiffness ranged from 5 kPa to 101 kPa. Upon analyzing the morphological and calcium transient properties of these cells, it was concluded that a 21 kPa substrate yielded cells with the highest degree of maturation. Next, these PDMS substrates were microcontact-printed with laminin to force the cultured cells into rod-shaped geometries using line patterns that were 12, 18, or 24 μm in width. We found that cells on the 18 and 24 μm pattern widths had structural and functional properties that were superior to those on the 12 μm pattern. The hESC-CMs were then seeded onto these line-stamped surfaces at a density of 500 000 cells per 25-mm-diameter substrate, to enable the formation of cell-cell contacts at their distal ends. We discovered that this combination of culture conditions resulted in cells that were more structurally and functionally mature than those that were only exposed to one or two stimuli. Our results suggest that downselecting a combination of mechanobiological stimuli could prove to be an effective means of maturing hPSC-CMs in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marita L Rodriguez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Kevin M Beussman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Katherine S Chun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Melissa S Walzer
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Xiulan Yang
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Charles E Murry
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Medicine/Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Nathan J Sniadecki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
McCracken JM, Rauzan BM, Kjellman JCE, Kandel ME, Liu YH, Badea A, Miller LA, Rogers SA, Popescu G, Nuzzo RG. 3D-Printed Hydrogel Composites for Predictive Temporal (4D) Cellular Organizations and Patterned Biogenic Mineralization. Adv Healthc Mater 2019; 8:e1800788. [PMID: 30565889 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201800788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Materials chemistries for hydrogel scaffolds that are capable of programming temporal (4D) attributes of cellular decision-making in supported 3D microcultures are described. The scaffolds are fabricated using direct-ink writing (DIW)-a 3D-printing technique using extrusion to pattern scaffolds at biologically relevant diameters (≤ 100 µm). Herein, DIW is exploited to variously incorporate a rheological nanoclay, Laponite XLG (LAP), into 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-based hydrogels-printing the LAP-HEMA (LH) composites as functional modifiers within otherwise unmodified 2D and 3D HEMA microstructures. The nanoclay-modified domains, when tested as thin films, require no activating (e.g., protein) treatments to promote robust growth compliances that direct the spatial attachment of fibroblast (3T3) and preosteoblast (E1) cells, fostering for the latter a capacity to direct long-term osteodifferentiation. Cell-to-gel interfacial morphologies and cellular motility are analyzed with spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM). Through combination of HEMA and LH gels, high-resolution DIW of a nanocomposite ink (UniH) that translates organizationally dynamic attributes seen with 2D gels into dentition-mimetic 3D scaffolds is demonstrated. These analyses confirm that the underlying materials chemistry and geometry of hydrogel nanocomposites are capable of directing cellular attachment and temporal development within 3D microcultures-a useful material system for the 4D patterning of hydrogel scaffolds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joselle M. McCracken
- Department of Chemistry University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews, Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Brittany M. Rauzan
- Department of Chemistry University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews, Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Jacob C. E. Kjellman
- Department of Chemistry University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews, Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Mikhail E. Kandel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering 4055 Beckman Institute MC 251, 405 N. Mathews Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Yu Hao Liu
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Adina Badea
- Department of Chemistry University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews, Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Lou Ann Miller
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Simon A. Rogers
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Gabriel Popescu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering 4055 Beckman Institute MC 251, 405 N. Mathews Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Ralph G. Nuzzo
- Department of Chemistry University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign 600 S. Matthews, Avenue Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Surface and Corrosion Science School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry Biotechnology and Health KTH Royal Institute of Technology Drottning Kristinasväg 51 100 44 Stockholm Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ariyasinghe NR, Lyra-Leite DM, McCain ML. Engineering cardiac microphysiological systems to model pathological extracellular matrix remodeling. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2018; 315:H771-H789. [PMID: 29906229 PMCID: PMC6230901 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00110.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Many cardiovascular diseases are associated with pathological remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the myocardium. ECM remodeling is a complex, multifactorial process that often contributes to declines in myocardial function and progression toward heart failure. However, the direct effects of the many forms of ECM remodeling on myocardial cell and tissue function remain elusive, in part because conventional model systems used to investigate these relationships lack robust experimental control over the ECM. To address these shortcomings, microphysiological systems are now being developed and implemented to establish direct relationships between distinct features in the ECM and myocardial function with unprecedented control and resolution in vitro. In this review, we will first highlight the most prominent characteristics of ECM remodeling in cardiovascular disease and describe how these features can be mimicked with synthetic and natural biomaterials that offer independent control over multiple ECM-related parameters, such as rigidity and composition. We will then detail innovative microfabrication techniques that enable precise regulation of cellular architecture in two and three dimensions. We will also describe new approaches for quantifying multiple aspects of myocardial function in vitro, such as contractility, action potential propagation, and metabolism. Together, these collective technologies implemented as cardiac microphysiological systems will continue to uncover important relationships between pathological ECM remodeling and myocardial cell and tissue function, leading to new fundamental insights into cardiovascular disease, improved human disease models, and novel therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nethika R Ariyasinghe
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California
| | - Davi M Lyra-Leite
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California
| | - Megan L McCain
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yesil-Celiktas O, Hassan S, Miri AK, Maharjan S, Al-kharboosh R, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Zhang YS. Mimicking Human Pathophysiology in Organ-on-Chip Devices. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas
- Division of Engineering in Medicine; Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
- Department of Bioengineering; Faculty of Engineering; Ege University; Bornova-Izmir 35100 Turkey
| | - Shabir Hassan
- Division of Engineering in Medicine; Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Amir K. Miri
- Division of Engineering in Medicine; Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Rowan University; 401 North Campus Drive Glassboro NJ 08028 USA
| | - Sushila Maharjan
- Division of Engineering in Medicine; Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
- Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology; Nakkhu-4 Lalitpur 44600 Nepal
| | - Rawan Al-kharboosh
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; Mayo Clinic Graduate School; Neuroscience, NBD Track Rochester MN 55905 USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Neuroscience; Mayo Clinic; Jacksonville FL 32224 USA
| | | | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine; Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Effect of patterned polyacrylamide hydrogel on morphology and orientation of cultured NRVMs. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11991. [PMID: 30097609 PMCID: PMC6086831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30360-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently demonstrated that patterned Parylene C films could be effectively used as a mask for directly copolymerizing proteins on polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAm). In this work, we have proved the applicability of this technique for studying the effect such platforms render on neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Firstly, we have characterised topographically and mechanically the scaffolds in liquid at the nano-scale level. We thus establish that such platforms have physical properties that closely mimics the in vivo extracellular environment of cells. We have then studied the cell morphology and physiology by comparing cultures on flat uniformly-covered and collagen-patterned scaffolds. We show that micro-patterns promote the elongation of cells along the principal axis of the ridges coated with collagen. In several cases, cells also tend to create bridges across the grooves. We have finally studied cell contraction, monitoring Ca2+ cycling at a certain stimulation. Cells seeded on patterned scaffolds present significant responses in comparison to the isotropic ones.
Collapse
|
20
|
Vozzi F, Logrand F, Cabiati M, Cicione C, Boffito M, Carmagnola I, Vitale N, Gori M, Brancaccio M, Del Ry S, Gastaldi D, Cattarinuzzi E, Vena P, Rainer A, Domenici C, Ciardelli G, Sartori S. Biomimetic engineering of the cardiac tissue through processing, functionalization, and biological characterization of polyester urethanes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 13:055006. [PMID: 29869614 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/aaca5b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) tissue models offer new tools in the study of diseases. In the case of the engineering of cardiac muscle, a realistic goal would be the design of a scaffold able to replicate the tissue-specific architecture, mechanical properties, and chemical composition, so that it recapitulates the main functions of the tissue. This work is focused on the design and preliminary biological validation of an innovative polyester urethane (PUR) scaffold mimicking cardiac tissue properties. The porous scaffold was fabricated by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) from poly(ε-caprolactone) diol, 1,4-butanediisocyanate, and l-lysine ethyl ester. Morphological and mechanical scaffolds characterization was accomplished by confocal microscopy, and micro-tensile and compression techniques. Scaffolds were then functionalized with fibronectin by plasma treatment, and the surface treatment was studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra, and contact angle measurements. Primary rat neonatal cardiomyocytes were seeded on scaffolds, and their colonization, survival, and beating activity were analyzed for 14 days. Signal transduction pathways and apoptosis involved in cells, the structural development of the heart, and its metabolism were analyzed. PUR scaffolds showed a porous-aligned structure and mechanical properties consistent with that of the myocardial tissue. Cardiomyocytes plated on the scaffolds showed a high survival rate and a stable beating activity. Serine/threonine kinase (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) phosphorylation was higher in cardiomyocytes cultured on the PUR scaffold compared to those on tissue culture plates. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed a significant modulation at 14 days of cardiac muscle (MYH7, prepro-ET-1), hypertrophy-specific (CTGF), and metabolism-related (SLC2a1, PFKL) genes in PUR scaffolds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Vozzi
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, IFC-CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Duverger JE, Jacquemet V, Vinet A, Comtois P. In silico study of multicellular automaticity of heterogeneous cardiac cell monolayers: Effects of automaticity strength and structural linear anisotropy. PLoS Comput Biol 2018. [PMID: 29529023 PMCID: PMC5877903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological pacemaker approach is an alternative to cardiac electronic pacemakers. Its main objective is to create pacemaking activity from added or modified distribution of spontaneous cells in the myocardium. This paper aims to assess how automaticity strength of pacemaker cells (i.e. their ability to maintain robust spontaneous activity with fast rate and to drive neighboring quiescent cells) and structural linear anisotropy, combined with density and spatial distribution of pacemaker cells, may affect the macroscopic behavior of the biological pacemaker. A stochastic algorithm was used to randomly distribute pacemaker cells, with various densities and spatial distributions, in a semi-continuous mathematical model. Simulations of the model showed that stronger automaticity allows onset of spontaneous activity for lower densities and more homogeneous spatial distributions, displayed more central foci, less variability in cycle lengths and synchronization of electrical activation for similar spatial patterns, but more variability in those same variables for dissimilar spatial patterns. Compared to their isotropic counterparts, in silico anisotropic monolayers had less central foci and displayed more variability in cycle lengths and synchronization of electrical activation for both similar and dissimilar spatial patterns. The present study established a link between microscopic structure and macroscopic behavior of the biological pacemaker, and may provide crucial information for optimized biological pacemaker therapies. Implantation of electronic pacemakers is a standard treatment to pathologically slow heart rhythm. Despite improving quality of life, those devices display many shortcomings. Bioengineered tissue pacemakers may be a therapeutic alternative, but associated design methods usually lack control of the way cells with spontaneous activity are scattered throughout the tissue. Our study is the first to use a mathematical model to rigorously define and thoroughly characterize how pacemaker cells scattering at the microscopic level may affect macroscopic behaviors of the bioengineered tissue pacemaker. Automaticity strength (ability of pacemaker cell to drive its non-pacemaker neighbors) and anisotropy (preferential orientation of cell shape) are also implemented and give unparalleled insights on how effects of uncontrollable scattered pacemaker cells may be modulated by available experimental techniques. Our model is a powerful tool to aid in optimized bioengineered pacemaker therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Elber Duverger
- Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology / Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vincent Jacquemet
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology / Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Centre, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Vinet
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology / Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Centre, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Comtois
- Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology / Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sheehy SP, Grosberg A, Qin P, Behm DJ, Ferrier JP, Eagleson MA, Nesmith AP, Krull D, Falls JG, Campbell PH, McCain ML, Willette RN, Hu E, Parker KK. Toward improved myocardial maturity in an organ-on-chip platform with immature cardiac myocytes. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2017; 242:1643-1656. [PMID: 28343439 PMCID: PMC5786366 DOI: 10.1177/1535370217701006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro studies of cardiac physiology and drug response have traditionally been performed on individual isolated cardiomyocytes or isotropic monolayers of cells that may not mimic desired physiological traits of the laminar adult myocardium. Recent studies have reported a number of advances to Heart-on-a-Chip platforms for the fabrication of more sophisticated engineered myocardium, but cardiomyocyte immaturity remains a challenge. In the anisotropic musculature of the heart, interactions between cardiac myocytes, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and neighboring cells give rise to changes in cell shape and tissue architecture that have been implicated in both development and disease. We hypothesized that engineered myocardium fabricated from cardiac myocytes cultured in vitro could mimic the physiological characteristics and gene expression profile of adult heart muscle. To test this hypothesis, we fabricated engineered myocardium comprised of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes with laminar architectures reminiscent of that observed in the mature heart and compared their sarcomere organization, contractile performance characteristics, and cardiac gene expression profile to that of isolated adult rat ventricular muscle strips. We found that anisotropic engineered myocardium demonstrated a similar degree of global sarcomere alignment, contractile stress output, and inotropic concentration-response to the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Moreover, the anisotropic engineered myocardium exhibited comparable myofibril related gene expression to muscle strips isolated from adult rat ventricular tissue. These results suggest that tissue architecture serves an important developmental cue for building in vitro model systems of the myocardium that could potentially recapitulate the physiological characteristics of the adult heart. Impact statement With the recent focus on developing in vitro Organ-on-Chip platforms that recapitulate tissue and organ-level physiology using immature cells derived from stem cell sources, there is a strong need to assess the ability of these engineered tissues to adopt a mature phenotype. In the present study, we compared and contrasted engineered tissues fabricated from neonatal rat ventricular myocytes in a Heart-on-a-Chip platform to ventricular muscle strips isolated from adult rats. The results of this study support the notion that engineered tissues fabricated from immature cells have the potential to mimic mature tissues in an Organ-on-Chip platform.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Sheehy
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anna Grosberg
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Pu Qin
- Heart Failure Discovery Performance Unit, Metabolic Pathways and Cardiovascular Therapy Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - David J Behm
- Heart Failure Discovery Performance Unit, Metabolic Pathways and Cardiovascular Therapy Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - John P Ferrier
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mackenzie A Eagleson
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Alexander P Nesmith
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David Krull
- Safety Assessment Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - James G Falls
- Safety Assessment Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - Patrick H Campbell
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Megan L McCain
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Robert N Willette
- Heart Failure Discovery Performance Unit, Metabolic Pathways and Cardiovascular Therapy Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - Erding Hu
- Heart Failure Discovery Performance Unit, Metabolic Pathways and Cardiovascular Therapy Area Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
| | - Kevin K Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gong X, Zhao X, Li B, Sun Y, Liu M, Huang Y, Jia X, Ji J, Fan Y. Quantitative Studies of Endothelial Cell Fibronectin and Filamentous Actin (F-Actin) Coalignment in Response to Shear Stress. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2017; 23:1013-1023. [PMID: 28893340 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927617012454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Both fibronectin (FN) and filamentous actin (F-actin) fibers play a critical role for endothelial cells (ECs) in responding to shear stress and modulating cell alignment and functions. FN is dynamically coupled to the F-actin cytoskeleton via focal adhesions. However, it is unclear how ECs cooperatively remodel their subcellular FN matrix and intracellular F-actin cytoskeleton in response to shear stress. Current studies are hampered by the lack of a reliable and sensitive quantification method of FN orientation. In this study, we developed a MATLAB-based feature enhancement method to quantify FN and F-actin orientation. The role of F-actin in FN remodeling was also studied by treating ECs with cytochalasin D. We have demonstrated that FN and F-actin codistributed and coaligned parallel to the flow direction, and that F-actin alignment played an essential role in regulating FN alignment in response to shear stress. Our findings offer insight into how ECs cooperatively remodel their subcellular ECM and intracellular F-actin cytoskeleton in response to mechanical stimuli, and are valuable for vascular tissue engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xianghui Gong
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Xixi Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Sun
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Meili Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Huang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoling Jia
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Ji
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
- National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing 100176, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Caddeo S, Boffito M, Sartori S. Tissue Engineering Approaches in the Design of Healthy and Pathological In Vitro Tissue Models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2017; 5:40. [PMID: 28798911 PMCID: PMC5526851 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2017.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the tissue engineering (TE) paradigm, engineering and life sciences tools are combined to develop bioartificial substitutes for organs and tissues, which can in turn be applied in regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and basic research to elucidate fundamental aspects of cell functions in vivo or to identify mechanisms involved in aging processes and disease onset and progression. The complex three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment in which cells are organized in vivo allows the interaction between different cell types and between cells and the extracellular matrix, the composition of which varies as a function of the tissue, the degree of maturation, and health conditions. In this context, 3D in vitro models can more realistically reproduce a tissue or organ than two-dimensional (2D) models. Moreover, they can overcome the limitations of animal models and reduce the need for in vivo tests, according to the "3Rs" guiding principles for a more ethical research. The design of 3D engineered tissue models is currently in its development stage, showing high potential in overcoming the limitations of already available models. However, many issues are still opened, concerning the identification of the optimal scaffold-forming materials, cell source and biofabrication technology, and the best cell culture conditions (biochemical and physical cues) to finely replicate the native tissue and the surrounding environment. In the near future, 3D tissue-engineered models are expected to become useful tools in the preliminary testing and screening of drugs and therapies and in the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underpinning disease onset and progression. In this review, the application of TE principles to the design of in vitro 3D models will be surveyed, with a focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this emerging approach. In addition, a brief overview on the development of in vitro models of healthy and pathological bone, heart, pancreas, and liver will be presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Caddeo
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
- Department of Oral Cell Biology, Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Monica Boffito
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Susanna Sartori
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lu HF, Leong MF, Lim TC, Chua YP, Lim JK, Du C, Wan ACA. Engineering a functional three-dimensional human cardiac tissue model for drug toxicity screening. Biofabrication 2017; 9:025011. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aa6c3a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
26
|
Maturation of human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes is improved in cardiovascular construct. Cytotechnology 2017; 69:785-800. [PMID: 28397099 PMCID: PMC5595750 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-017-0088-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to translate preclinical data into the clinical studies, relevant in vitro models with structure and key functional properties similar to native human tissue should be used. In vitro cardiac models with vascular structures mimic the highly vascularized myocardium and provide interactions between endothelial cells, stromal cells and cardiomyocytes. Currently, human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have been shown to present immature morphology and fetal-like electrophysiological properties that may limit their use as physiological test platform. The aim of this study was to develop multicellular in vitro cardiovascular construct modeling human heart tissue. In the cardiovascular construct, hPSC-CMs were cultured with a vascular-like network formed by human foreskin fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells that served as a platform in the construct. Cardiomyocyte orientation, maturation, electrophysiological properties and drug responses of the cardiovascular construct were characterized and compared to CM monoculture. hPSC-CMs in cardiovascular construct showed elongated morphology and aligned with the vascular-like network. Electrophysiological properties and calcium metabolism of hPSC-CMs as well as response to E-4031 and adrenaline demonstrated normal physiological behavior. Increased expression of cardiac structural proteins and ion channels in cardiovascular construct compared to CM monoculture were detected. In conclusion, vascular-like network supports the structural and functional maturation of hPSC-CMs. Our results suggest that cardiovascular construct presents more mature in vitro cardiac model compared to CM monoculture and could therefore serve as an advanced test system for cardiac safety and efficacy assessment as well as a model system for biomedical research.
Collapse
|
27
|
Kofron CM, Mende U. In vitro models of the cardiac microenvironment to study myocyte and non-myocyte crosstalk: bioinspired approaches beyond the polystyrene dish. J Physiol 2017; 595:3891-3905. [PMID: 28116799 DOI: 10.1113/jp273100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is a complex pluricellular organ composed of cardiomyocytes and non-myocytes including fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells. Myocytes are responsible for electrical conduction and contractile force generation, while the other cell types are responsible for matrix deposition, vascularization, and injury response. Myocytes and non-myocytes are known to communicate and exert mutual regulatory effects. In concert, they determine the structural, electrical and mechanical characteristics in the healthy and remodelled myocardium. Dynamic crosstalk between myocytes and non-myocytes plays a crucial role in stress/injury-induced hypertrophy and fibrosis development that can ultimately lead to heart failure and arrhythmias. Investigations of heterocellular communication in the myocardium are hampered by the intricate interspersion of the different cell types and the complexity of the tissue architecture. In vitro models have facilitated investigations of cardiac cells in a direct and controllable manner and have provided important functional and mechanistic insights. However, these cultures often lack regulatory input from the other cell types as well as additional topographical, electrical, mechanical and biochemical cues from the cardiac microenvironment that all contribute to modulating cell differentiation, maturation, alignment, function and survival. Advancements in the development of more complex pluricellular physiological platforms that incorporate diverse cues from the myocardial microenvironment are expected to lead to more physiologically relevant cardiac tissue-like in vitro models for mechanistic biological research, disease modelling, therapeutic target identification, drug testing and regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celinda M Kofron
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ulrike Mende
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Jang J, Cho DW. Recapitulation of microtissue models connected with real-time readout systems via 3D printing technology. J Thorac Dis 2017; 9:233-236. [PMID: 28275467 PMCID: PMC5334106 DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.02.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinah Jang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Korea
| | - Dong-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Chrobak MO, Hansen KJ, Gershlak JR, Vratsanos M, Kanellias M, Gaudette GR, Pins GD. Design of a Fibrin Microthread-Based Composite Layer for Use in a Cardiac Patch. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 3:1394-1403. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan O. Chrobak
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Katrina J. Hansen
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Joshua R. Gershlak
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Maria Vratsanos
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900
Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Marianne Kanellias
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - Glenn R. Gaudette
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| | - George D. Pins
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Papadopoulos L, Puckett JG, Daniels KE, Bassett DS. Evolution of network architecture in a granular material under compression. Phys Rev E 2016; 94:032908. [PMID: 27739788 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.94.032908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
As a granular material is compressed, the particles and forces within the system arrange to form complex and heterogeneous collective structures. Force chains are a prime example of such structures, and are thought to constrain bulk properties such as mechanical stability and acoustic transmission. However, capturing and characterizing the evolving nature of the intrinsic inhomogeneity and mesoscale architecture of granular systems can be challenging. A growing body of work has shown that graph theoretic approaches may provide a useful foundation for tackling these problems. Here, we extend the current approaches by utilizing multilayer networks as a framework for directly quantifying the progression of mesoscale architecture in a compressed granular system. We examine a quasi-two-dimensional aggregate of photoelastic disks, subject to biaxial compressions through a series of small, quasistatic steps. Treating particles as network nodes and interparticle forces as network edges, we construct a multilayer network for the system by linking together the series of static force networks that exist at each strain step. We then extract the inherent mesoscale structure from the system by using a generalization of community detection methods to multilayer networks, and we define quantitative measures to characterize the changes in this structure throughout the compression process. We separately consider the network of normal and tangential forces, and find that they display a different progression throughout compression. To test the sensitivity of the network model to particle properties, we examine whether the method can distinguish a subsystem of low-friction particles within a bath of higher-friction particles. We find that this can be achieved by considering the network of tangential forces, and that the community structure is better able to separate the subsystem than a purely local measure of interparticle forces alone. The results discussed throughout this study suggest that these network science techniques may provide a direct way to compare and classify data from systems under different external conditions or with different physical makeup.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lia Papadopoulos
- Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - James G Puckett
- Department of Physics, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325, USA
| | - Karen E Daniels
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Giusti C, Papadopoulos L, Owens ET, Daniels KE, Bassett DS. Topological and geometric measurements of force-chain structure. Phys Rev E 2016; 94:032909. [PMID: 27739731 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.94.032909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Developing quantitative methods for characterizing structural properties of force chains in densely packed granular media is an important step toward understanding or predicting large-scale physical properties of a packing. A promising framework in which to develop such methods is network science, which can be used to translate particle locations and force contacts into a graph in which particles are represented by nodes and forces between particles are represented by weighted edges. Recent work applying network-based community-detection techniques to extract force chains opens the door to developing statistics of force-chain structure, with the goal of identifying geometric and topological differences across packings, and providing a foundation on which to build predictions of bulk material properties from mesoscale network features. Here we discuss a trio of related but fundamentally distinct measurements of the mesoscale structure of force chains in two-dimensional (2D) packings, including a statistic derived using tools from algebraic topology, which together provide a tool set for the analysis of force chain architecture. We demonstrate the utility of this tool set by detecting variations in force-chain architecture with pressure. Collectively, these techniques can be generalized to 3D packings, and to the assessment of continuous deformations of packings under stress or strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad Giusti
- Warren Center for Network and Data Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lia Papadopoulos
- Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eli T Owens
- Department of Physics, Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina, USA
| | - Karen E Daniels
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Departments of Bioengineering and Electrical & Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Anisotropic engineered heart tissue made from laser-cut decellularized myocardium. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32068. [PMID: 27572147 PMCID: PMC5004193 DOI: 10.1038/srep32068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed an engineered heart tissue (EHT) system that uses laser-cut sheets of decellularized myocardium as scaffolds. This material enables formation of thin muscle strips whose biomechanical characteristics are easily measured and manipulated. To create EHTs, sections of porcine myocardium were laser-cut into ribbon-like shapes, decellularized, and mounted in specialized clips for seeding and culture. Scaffolds were first tested by seeding with neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. EHTs beat synchronously by day five and exhibited robust length-dependent activation by day 21. Fiber orientation within the scaffold affected peak twitch stress, demonstrating its ability to guide cells toward physiologic contractile anisotropy. Scaffold anisotropy also made it possible to probe cellular responses to stretch as a function of fiber angle. Stretch that was aligned with the fiber direction increased expression of brain natriuretic peptide, but off-axis stretches (causing fiber shear) did not. The method also produced robust EHTs from cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). hiPSC-EHTs achieved maximum peak stress of 6.5 mN/mm2 and twitch kinetics approaching reported values from adult human trabeculae. We conclude that laser-cut EHTs are a viable platform for novel mechanotransduction experiments and characterizing the biomechanical function of patient-derived cardiomyoctyes.
Collapse
|
33
|
Palankar R, Glaubitz M, Martens U, Medvedev N, von der Ehe M, Felix SB, Münzenberg M, Delcea M. 3D Micropillars Guide the Mechanobiology of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Adv Healthc Mater 2016; 5:335-41. [PMID: 26676091 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201500740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
3D micropillars generated by photolithography are used as a platform to probe by atomic force microscopy the mechanodynamics of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. 3D micropillars guide subcellular cytoskeletal modifications of cardiomyocytes and lead to biochemical changes altering beating rate, stiffness, and calcium dynamics of the cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raghavendra Palankar
- ZIK HIKE - Centre for Innovation Competence (Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases); Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Michael Glaubitz
- ZIK HIKE - Centre for Innovation Competence (Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases); Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Ulrike Martens
- Institute for Physics; University of Greifswald; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Nikolay Medvedev
- ZIK HIKE - Centre for Innovation Competence (Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases); Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Marvin von der Ehe
- Institute for Physics; University of Greifswald; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Stephan B. Felix
- Clinic for Internal Medicine B (Cardiology); University of Greifswald Sauebruchstrasse; 17475 Greifswald Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) partner site; Greifswald Germany
| | - Markus Münzenberg
- Institute for Physics; University of Greifswald; 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Mihaela Delcea
- ZIK HIKE - Centre for Innovation Competence (Humoral Immune Reactions in Cardiovascular Diseases); Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University; 17489 Greifswald Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) partner site; Greifswald Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
In vitro cardiac tissue models: Current status and future prospects. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 96:203-13. [PMID: 26428618 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Achieving the next phase of potential treatment strategies and better prognostic tools will require a concerted effort from interdisciplinary fields. Biomaterials-based cardiac tissue models are revolutionizing the area of preclinical research and translational applications. The goal of in vitro cardiac tissue modeling is to create physiological functional models of the human myocardium, which is a difficult task due to the complex structure and function of the human heart. This review describes the advances made in area of in vitro cardiac models using biomaterials and bioinspired platforms. The field has progressed extensively in the past decade, and we envision its applications in the areas of drug screening, disease modeling, and precision medicine.
Collapse
|
35
|
Jastrzebska E, Tomecka E, Jesion I. Heart-on-a-chip based on stem cell biology. Biosens Bioelectron 2015; 75:67-81. [PMID: 26298640 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Heart diseases are one of the main causes of death around the world. The great challenge for scientists is to develop new therapeutic methods for these types of ailments. Stem cells (SCs) therapy could be one of a promising technique used for renewal of cardiac cells and treatment of heart diseases. Conventional in vitro techniques utilized for investigation of heart regeneration do not mimic natural cardiac physiology. Lab-on-a-chip systems may be the solution which could allow the creation of a heart muscle model, enabling the growth of cardiac cells in conditions similar to in vivo conditions. Microsystems can be also used for differentiation of stem cells into heart cells, successfully. It will help better understand of proliferation and regeneration ability of these cells. In this review, we present Heart-on-a-chip systems based on cardiac cell culture and stem cell biology. This review begins with the description of the physiological environment and the functions of the heart. Next, we shortly described conventional techniques of stem cells differentiation into the cardiac cells. This review is mostly focused on describing Lab-on-a-chip systems for cardiac tissue engineering. Therefore, in the next part of this article, the microsystems for both cardiac cell culture and SCs differentiation into cardiac cells are described. The section about SCs differentiation into the heart cells is divided in sections describing biochemical, physical and mechanical stimulations. Finally, we outline present challenges and future research concerning Heart-on-a-chip based on stem cell biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Jastrzebska
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Microbioanalytics, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ewelina Tomecka
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Microbioanalytics, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Jesion
- Department of Animal Environment Biology, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Science, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Benam KH, Dauth S, Hassell B, Herland A, Jain A, Jang KJ, Karalis K, Kim HJ, MacQueen L, Mahmoodian R, Musah S, Torisawa YS, van der Meer AD, Villenave R, Yadid M, Parker KK, Ingber DE. Engineered in vitro disease models. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2015; 10:195-262. [PMID: 25621660 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-012414-040418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ultimate goal of most biomedical research is to gain greater insight into mechanisms of human disease or to develop new and improved therapies or diagnostics. Although great advances have been made in terms of developing disease models in animals, such as transgenic mice, many of these models fail to faithfully recapitulate the human condition. In addition, it is difficult to identify critical cellular and molecular contributors to disease or to vary them independently in whole-animal models. This challenge has attracted the interest of engineers, who have begun to collaborate with biologists to leverage recent advances in tissue engineering and microfabrication to develop novel in vitro models of disease. As these models are synthetic systems, specific molecular factors and individual cell types, including parenchymal cells, vascular cells, and immune cells, can be varied independently while simultaneously measuring system-level responses in real time. In this article, we provide some examples of these efforts, including engineered models of diseases of the heart, lung, intestine, liver, kidney, cartilage, skin and vascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems, as well as models of infectious diseases and cancer. We also describe how engineered in vitro models can be combined with human inducible pluripotent stem cells to enable new insights into a broad variety of disease mechanisms, as well as provide a test bed for screening new therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kambez H Benam
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115;
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Veerman CC, Kosmidis G, Mummery CL, Casini S, Verkerk AO, Bellin M. Immaturity of Human Stem-Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in Culture: Fatal Flaw or Soluble Problem? Stem Cells Dev 2015; 24:1035-52. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2014.0533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan C. Veerman
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Georgios Kosmidis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L. Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Simona Casini
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arie O. Verkerk
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Metrics for assessing cytoskeletal orientational correlations and consistency. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004190. [PMID: 25849553 PMCID: PMC4388480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In biology, organization at multiple scales potentiates biological function. Current advances in staining and imaging of biological tissues provide a wealth of data, but there are few metrics to quantitatively describe these findings. In particular there is a need for a metric that would characterize the correlation and consistency of orientation of different biological constructs within a tissue. We aimed to create such a metric and to demonstrate its use with images of cardiac tissues. The co-orientational order parameter (COOP) was based on the mathematical framework of a classical parameter, the orientational order parameter (OOP). Theorems were proven to illustrate the properties and boundaries of the COOP, which was then applied to both synthetic and experimental data. We showed the COOP to be useful for quantifying the correlation of orientation of constructs such as actin filaments and sarcomeric Z-lines. As expected, cardiac tissues showed perfect correlation between actin filaments and Z-lines. We also demonstrated the use of COOP to quantify the consistency of construct orientation within cells of the same shape. The COOP provides a quantitative tool to characterize tissues beyond co-localization or single construct orientation distribution. In the future, this new parameter could be used to represent the quantitative changes during maturation of cardiac tissue, pathological malformation, and other processes. Biological tissues are highly organized on multiple length scales. In tissue engineering, recreating the in vivo architecture is an important aspect of in vitro experiments. An ability to quantify organization of cellular constructs, specifically the correlation in their orientations, would greatly enhance both our understanding of the function of each construct and provide a tool to evaluate engineered tissues. In this work, we have developed a parameter to evaluate the correlation and consistency of construct orientation. We have extensively characterized this co-orientational order parameter analytically, validated it using synthetic data, and demonstrated its use with experimental data of Z-lines and actin fibrils architectures in engineered cardiac tissues. As long as the orientation angles and location of constructs are known, the parameter can quantify both orientational correlation and consistency. Thus, the co-orientational order parameter has a wide scope of application both in biology and potentially outside of it.
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
Biological mechano-transduction and force-dependent changes scale from protein conformation (â„« to nm) to cell organization and multi-cell function (mm to cm) to affect cell organization, fate, and homeostasis. External forces play complex roles in cell organization, fate, and homeostasis. Changes in these forces, or how cells respond to them, can result in abnormal embryonic development and diseases in adults. How cells sense and respond to these mechanical stimuli requires an understanding of the biophysical principles that underlie changes in protein conformation and result in alterations in the organization and function of cells and tissues. Here, we discuss mechano-transduction as it applies to protein conformation, cellular organization, and multi-cell (tissue) function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beth L. Pruitt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLP); (ARD); (WIW); (WJN)
| | - Alexander R. Dunn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLP); (ARD); (WIW); (WJN)
| | - William I. Weis
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLP); (ARD); (WIW); (WJN)
| | - W. James Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLP); (ARD); (WIW); (WJN)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Bian W, Jackman CP, Bursac N. Controlling the structural and functional anisotropy of engineered cardiac tissues. Biofabrication 2014; 6:024109-24109. [PMID: 24717534 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5082/6/2/024109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The ability to control the degree of structural and functional anisotropy in 3D engineered cardiac tissues would have high utility for both in vitro studies of cardiac muscle physiology and pathology as well as potential tissue engineering therapies for myocardial infarction. Here, we applied a high aspect ratio soft lithography technique to generate network-like tissue patches seeded with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Fabricating longer elliptical pores within the patch networks increased the overall cardiomyocyte and extracellular matrix alignment within the patch. Improved uniformity of cell and matrix alignment yielded an increase in anisotropy of action potential propagation and faster longitudinal conduction velocity (LCV). Cardiac tissue patches with a higher degree of cardiomyocyte alignment and electrical anisotropy also demonstrated greater isometric twitch forces. After two weeks of culture, specific measures of electrical and contractile function (LCV = 26.8 ± 0.8 cm s(-1), specific twitch force = 8.9 ± 1.1 mN mm(-2) for the longest pores studied) were comparable to those of neonatal rat myocardium. We have thus described methodology for engineering of highly functional 3D engineered cardiac tissues with controllable degree of anisotropy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bian
- Department of Anesthesia and Medicine and Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - C P Jackman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - N Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Emmert MY, Hitchcock RW, Hoerstrup SP. Cell therapy, 3D culture systems and tissue engineering for cardiac regeneration. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2014; 69-70:254-69. [PMID: 24378579 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) still represents the "Number One Killer" worldwide accounting for the death of numerous patients. However the capacity for self-regeneration of the adult heart is very limited and the loss of cardiomyocytes in the infarcted heart leads to continuous adverse cardiac-remodeling which often leads to heart-failure (HF). The concept of regenerative medicine comprising cell-based therapies, bio-engineering technologies and hybrid solutions has been proposed as a promising next-generation approach to address IHD and HF. Numerous strategies are under investigation evaluating the potential of regenerative medicine on the failing myocardium including classical cell-therapy concepts, three-dimensional culture techniques and tissue-engineering approaches. While most of these regenerative strategies have shown great potential in experimental studies, the translation into a clinical setting has either been limited or too rapid leaving many key questions unanswered. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art, important challenges and future research directions as to regenerative approaches addressing IHD and resulting HF.
Collapse
|
42
|
Trantidou T, Rao C, Barrett H, Camelliti P, Pinto K, Yacoub MH, Athanasiou T, Toumazou C, Terracciano CM, Prodromakis T. Selective hydrophilic modification of Parylene C films: a new approach to cell micro-patterning for synthetic biology applications. Biofabrication 2014; 6:025004. [PMID: 24658120 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5082/6/2/025004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a simple, accurate and versatile method to manipulate Parylene C, a material widely known for its high biocompatibility, and transform it to a substrate that can effectively control the cellular microenvironment and consequently affect the morphology and function of the cells in vitro. The Parylene C scaffolds are fabricated by selectively increasing the material's surface water affinity through lithography and oxygen plasma treatment, providing free bonds for attachment of hydrophilic biomolecules. The micro-engineered constructs were tested as culture scaffolds for rat ventricular fibroblasts and neonatal myocytes (NRVM), toward modeling the unique anisotropic architecture of native cardiac tissue. The scaffolds induced the patterning of extracellular matrix compounds and therefore of the cells, which demonstrated substantial alignment compared to typical unstructured cultures. Ca(2+) cycling properties of the NRVM measured at rates of stimulation 0.5-2 Hz were significantly modified with a shorter time to peak and time to 90% decay, and a larger fluorescence amplitude (p < 0.001). The proposed technique is compatible with standard cell culturing protocols and exhibits long-term pattern durability. Moreover, it allows the integration of monitoring modalities into the micro-engineered substrates for a comprehensive interrogation of physiological parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Trantidou
- Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2BT, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
van Spreeuwel ACC, Bax NAM, Bastiaens AJ, Foolen J, Loerakker S, Borochin M, van der Schaft DWJ, Chen CS, Baaijens FPT, Bouten CVC. The influence of matrix (an)isotropy on cardiomyocyte contraction in engineered cardiac microtissues. Integr Biol (Camb) 2014; 6:422-9. [PMID: 24549279 DOI: 10.1039/c3ib40219c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In the cardiac microenvironment, cardiomyocytes (CMs) are embedded in an aligned and structured extracellular matrix (ECM) to maintain the coordinated contractile function of the heart. The cardiac fibroblast (cFB) is the main cell type responsible for producing and remodeling this matrix. In cardiac diseases, however, adverse remodeling and CM death may lead to deterioration of the aligned myocardial structure. Here, we present an in vitro cardiac model system with uniaxial and biaxial constraints to induce (an)isotropy in 3D microtissues, thereby mimicking 'healthy' aligned and 'diseased' disorganized cardiac matrices. A mixture of neonatal mouse CMs and cFBs was resuspended in a collagen-matrigel hydrogel and seeded to form microtissues to recapitulate the in vivo cellular composition. Matrix disarray led to a stellate cell shape and a disorganized sarcomere organization, while CMs in aligned matrices were more elongated and had aligned sarcomeres. Although matrix disarray has no detrimental effect on the force generated by the CMs, it did have a negative effect on the homogeneity of contraction force distribution. Furthermore, proliferation of the cFBs affected microtissue contraction as indicated by the negative correlation between the percentage of cFBs in the microtissues and their beating frequency. These results suggest that in regeneration of the diseased heart, reorganization of the disorganized matrix will contribute to recover the coordinated contraction but restoring the ratio in cellular composition (CMs and cFBs) is also a prerequisite to completely regain tissue function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A C C van Spreeuwel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Feinberg A, Ripplinger C, van der Meer P, Sheehy S, Domian I, Chien K, Parker K. Functional differences in engineered myocardium from embryonic stem cell-derived versus neonatal cardiomyocytes. Stem Cell Reports 2013; 1:387-96. [PMID: 24286027 PMCID: PMC3841251 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2013] [Revised: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes represent unique tools for cell- and tissue-based regenerative therapies, drug discovery and safety, and studies of fundamental heart-failure mechanisms. However, the degree to which stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes compare to mature cardiomyocytes is often debated. We reasoned that physiological metrics of engineered cardiac tissues offer a means of comparison. We built laminar myocardium engineered from cardiomyocytes that were differentiated from mouse embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac progenitors or harvested directly from neonatal mouse ventricles, and compared their anatomy and physiology in vitro. Tissues assembled from progenitor-derived myocytes and neonate myocytes demonstrated similar cytoskeletal architectures but different gap junction organization and electromechanical properties. Progenitor-derived myocardium had significantly less contractile stress and slower longitudinal conduction velocity than neonate-derived myocardium, indicating that the developmental state of the cardiomyocytes affects the electromechanical function of the resultant engineered tissue. These data suggest a need to establish performance metrics for future stem cell applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam W. Feinberg
- Disease Biophysics Group, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Crystal M. Ripplinger
- Disease Biophysics Group, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter van der Meer
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sean P. Sheehy
- Disease Biophysics Group, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ibrahim Domian
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kenneth R. Chien
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kevin Kit Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Recapitulating maladaptive, multiscale remodeling of failing myocardium on a chip. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:9770-5. [PMID: 23716679 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1304913110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of a robust pipeline of medical therapeutic agents for the treatment of heart disease may be partially attributed to the lack of in vitro models that recapitulate the essential structure-function relationships of healthy and diseased myocardium. We designed and built a system to mimic mechanical overload in vitro by applying cyclic stretch to engineered laminar ventricular tissue on a stretchable chip. To test our model, we quantified changes in gene expression, myocyte architecture, calcium handling, and contractile function and compared our results vs. several decades of animal studies and clinical observations. Cyclic stretch activated gene expression profiles characteristic of pathological remodeling, including decreased α- to β-myosin heavy chain ratios, and induced maladaptive changes to myocyte shape and sarcomere alignment. In stretched tissues, calcium transients resembled those reported in failing myocytes and peak systolic stress was significantly reduced. Our results suggest that failing myocardium, as defined genetically, structurally, and functionally, can be replicated in an in vitro microsystem by faithfully recapitulating the structural and mechanical microenvironment of the diseased heart.
Collapse
|
46
|
Rao C, Prodromakis T, Kolker L, Chaudhry UA, Trantidou T, Sridhar A, Weekes C, Camelliti P, Harding SE, Darzi A, Yacoub MH, Athanasiou T, Terracciano CM. The effect of microgrooved culture substrates on calcium cycling of cardiac myocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Biomaterials 2013; 34:2399-411. [PMID: 23261219 PMCID: PMC3605579 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.11.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM) have been widely proposed as in vitro models of myocardial physiology and disease. A significant obstacle, however, is their immature phenotype. We hypothesised that Ca(2+) cycling of iPSC-CM is influenced by culture conditions and can be manipulated to obtain a more mature cellular behaviour. To test this hypothesis we seeded iPSC-CM onto fibronectin coated microgrooved polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) scaffolds fabricated using photolithography, or onto unstructured PDMS membrane. After two weeks in culture, the structure and function of iPSC-CM were studied. PDMS microgrooved culture substrates brought about cellular alignment (p < 0.0001) and more organised sarcomere. The Ca(2+) cycling properties of iPSC-CM cultured on these substrates were significantly altered with a shorter time to peak amplitude (p = 0.0002 at 1 Hz), and more organised sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release in response to caffeine (p < 0.0001), suggesting improved SR Ca(2+) cycling. These changes were not associated with modifications in gene expression. Whilst structured tissue culture may make iPSC-CM more representative of adult myocardium, further construct development and characterisation is required to optimise iPSC-CM as a model of adult myocardium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Rao
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Themistoklis Prodromakis
- Centre for Bio-Inspired Technologies, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Ljudmila Kolker
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Umar A.R. Chaudhry
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana Trantidou
- Centre for Bio-Inspired Technologies, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Arun Sridhar
- David Jack Centre for Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Ware, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Weekes
- David Jack Centre for Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Ware, United Kingdom
| | - Patrizia Camelliti
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Sian E. Harding
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Ara Darzi
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Magdi H. Yacoub
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Thanos Athanasiou
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
|
48
|
Simmons CS, Petzold BC, Pruitt BL. Microsystems for biomimetic stimulation of cardiac cells. LAB ON A CHIP 2012; 12:3235-48. [PMID: 22782590 DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40308k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The heart is a complex integrated system that leverages mechanoelectrical signals to synchronize cardiomyocyte contraction and push blood throughout the body. The correct magnitude, timing, and distribution of these signals is critical for proper functioning of the heart; aberrant signals can lead to acute incidents, long-term pathologies, and even death. Due to the heart's limited regenerative capacity and the wide variety of pathologies, heart disease is often studied in vitro. However, it is difficult to accurately replicate the cardiac environment outside of the body. Studying the biophysiology of the heart in vitro typically consists of studying single cells in a tightly controlled static environment or whole tissues in a complex dynamic environment. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) allow us to bridge these two extremes by providing increasing complexity for cell culture without having to use a whole tissue. Here, we carefully describe the electromechanical environment of the heart and discuss MEMS specifically designed to replicate these stimulation modes. Strengths, limitations and future directions of various designs are discussed for a variety of applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsey S Simmons
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Dabiri BE, Lee H, Parker KK. A potential role for integrin signaling in mechanoelectrical feedback. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 110:196-203. [PMID: 22819851 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 07/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Certain forms of heart disease involve gross morphological changes to the myocardium that alter its hemodynamic loading conditions. These changes can ultimately lead to the increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, such as collagen and fibronectin, which together work to pathologically alter the myocardium's bulk tissue mechanics. In addition to changing the mechanical properties of the heart, this maladaptive remodeling gives rise to changes in myocardium electrical conductivity and synchrony since the tissue's mechanical properties are intimately tied to its electrical characteristics. This phenomenon, called mechanoelectrical coupling (MEC), can render individuals affected by heart disease arrhythmogenic and susceptible to Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). The underlying mechanisms of MEC have been attributed to various processes, including the action of stretch activated channels and changes in troponin C-Ca(2+) binding affinity. However, changes in the heart post infarction or due to congenital myopathies are also accompanied by shifts in the expression of various molecular components of cardiomyocytes, including the mechanosensitive family of integrin proteins. As transmembrane proteins, integrins mechanically couple the ECM with the intracellular cytoskeleton and have been implicated in mediating ion homeostasis in various cell types, including neurons and smooth muscle. Given evidence of altered integrin expression in the setting of heart disease coupled with the associated increased risk for arrhythmia, we argue in this review that integrin signaling contributes to MEC. In light of the significant mortality associated with arrhythmia and SCD, close examination of all culpable mechanisms, including integrin-mediated MEC, is necessary.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Borna E Dabiri
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford St, Pierce Hall 321, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Amanfu RK, Muller JB, Saucerman JJ. Automated image analysis of cardiac myocyte Ca2+ dynamics. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2012; 2011:4661-4. [PMID: 22255377 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2011.6091154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics act as a key link between the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. Here we present a method for high-throughput measurement, automated cell segmentation and signal analysis of Ca(2+) transients in isolated adult ventricular myocytes. In addition to increasing experimental throughput ~10-fold compared to conventional approaches, this approach allows the study of individual cell-cell variability and relationships between Ca(2+) signaling and cell morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Amanfu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800759, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|