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Nakamura F. The Role of Mechanotransduction in Contact Inhibition of Locomotion and Proliferation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2135. [PMID: 38396812 PMCID: PMC10889191 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042135] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Contact inhibition (CI) represents a crucial tumor-suppressive mechanism responsible for controlling the unbridled growth of cells, thus preventing the formation of cancerous tissues. CI can be further categorized into two distinct yet interrelated components: CI of locomotion (CIL) and CI of proliferation (CIP). These two components of CI have historically been viewed as separate processes, but emerging research suggests that they may be regulated by both distinct and shared pathways. Specifically, recent studies have indicated that both CIP and CIL utilize mechanotransduction pathways, a process that involves cells sensing and responding to mechanical forces. This review article describes the role of mechanotransduction in CI, shedding light on how mechanical forces regulate CIL and CIP. Emphasis is placed on filamin A (FLNA)-mediated mechanotransduction, elucidating how FLNA senses mechanical forces and translates them into crucial biochemical signals that regulate cell locomotion and proliferation. In addition to FLNA, trans-acting factors (TAFs), which are proteins or regulatory RNAs capable of directly or indirectly binding to specific DNA sequences in distant genes to regulate gene expression, emerge as sensitive players in both the mechanotransduction and signaling pathways of CI. This article presents methods for identifying these TAF proteins and profiling the associated changes in chromatin structure, offering valuable insights into CI and other biological functions mediated by mechanotransduction. Finally, it addresses unanswered research questions in these fields and delineates their possible future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiko Nakamura
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
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2
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Cho Y, Choi Y, Seong H. Nanoscale surface coatings and topographies for neural interfaces. Acta Biomater 2024; 175:55-75. [PMID: 38141934 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
With the lack of minimally invasive tools for probing neuronal systems across spatiotemporal scales, understanding the working mechanism of the nervous system and limited assessments available are imperative to prevent or treat neurological disorders. In particular, nanoengineered neural interfaces can provide a solution to this technological barrier. This review covers recent surface engineering approaches, including nanoscale surface coatings, and a range of topographies from the microscale to the nanoscale, primarily focusing on neural-interfaced biosystems. Specifically, the immobilization of bioactive molecules to fertilize the neural cell lineage, topographical engineering to induce mechanotransduction in neural cells, and enhanced cell-chip coupling using three-dimensional structured surfaces are highlighted. Advances in neural interface design will help us understand the nervous system, thereby achieving the effective treatments for neurological disorders. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: • This review focuses on designing bioactive neural interface with a nanoscale chemical modification and topographical engineering at multiscale perspective. • Versatile nanoscale surface coatings and topographies for neural interface are summarized. • Recent advances in bioactive materials applicable for neural cell culture, electrophysiological sensing, and neural implants are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younghak Cho
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunyoung Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejeong Seong
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Renkler NZ, Scialla S, Russo T, D’Amora U, Cruz-Maya I, De Santis R, Guarino V. Micro- and Nanostructured Fibrous Composites via Electro-Fluid Dynamics: Design and Applications for Brain. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:134. [PMID: 38276504 PMCID: PMC10819193 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain consists of an interconnected network of neurons tightly packed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) to form complex and heterogeneous composite tissue. According to recent biomimicry approaches that consider biological features as active components of biomaterials, designing a highly reproducible microenvironment for brain cells can represent a key tool for tissue repair and regeneration. Indeed, this is crucial to support cell growth, mitigate inflammation phenomena and provide adequate structural properties needed to support the damaged tissue, corroborating the activity of the vascular network and ultimately the functionality of neurons. In this context, electro-fluid dynamic techniques (EFDTs), i.e., electrospinning, electrospraying and related techniques, offer the opportunity to engineer a wide variety of composite substrates by integrating fibers, particles, and hydrogels at different scales-from several hundred microns down to tens of nanometers-for the generation of countless patterns of physical and biochemical cues suitable for influencing the in vitro response of coexistent brain cell populations mediated by the surrounding microenvironment. In this review, an overview of the different technological approaches-based on EFDTs-for engineering fibrous and/or particle-loaded composite substrates will be proposed. The second section of this review will primarily focus on describing current and future approaches to the use of composites for brain applications, ranging from therapeutic to diagnostic/theranostic use and from repair to regeneration, with the ultimate goal of providing insightful information to guide future research efforts toward the development of more efficient and reliable solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nergis Zeynep Renkler
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Scialla
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
| | - Teresa Russo
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
| | - Ugo D’Amora
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
| | - Iriczalli Cruz-Maya
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
| | - Roberto De Santis
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
| | - Vincenzo Guarino
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy, Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, Viale J.F. Kennedy 54, 80125 Naples, Italy (S.S.); (I.C.-M.)
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Carvalho ED, Morais MRG, Pêgo AP, Barrias CC, Araújo M. The interplay between chemical conjugation and biologic performance in the development of alginate-based 3D matrices to mimic neural microenvironments. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 323:121412. [PMID: 37940293 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121412] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Biofunctionalization of polysaccharides is a widely used strategy for obtaining extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking biomaterials. Still, commonly employed chemistries present low reaction yields and the selection of the most adequate bioconjugation route can be challenging. Herein, we compared the performance of carbodiimide and reductive amination chemistries for the synthesis of tailored peptide-alginate hybrid hydrogels as neural tissue mimics. Reductive amination dramatically improved the peptide grafting efficiency, with yields of 50 % vs. 20 %, allowing 1.5 to 3-fold higher incorporation of cell-adhesive and matrix-metalloproteinases (MMP)-sensitive peptides, respectively. The conjugation of dual-end reactive MMP-sensitive peptides promoted a partial crosslinking, allowing adjusting gelation, stiffness, and degradability of hydrogels. Such parameters depended on the glycosidic position where the bioactive peptide binds, determined by the adopted chemical strategy, and this significantly impacted the biological response. Reductive amination provided softer (50-210 Pa) and fully degradable (60-100 % weight loss) hydrogels, depending on the amount of peptide in formulation, contrasting with the stiffer (400 Pa) and less degradable (40 % weight loss) carbodiimide-based hydrogels. Due to their opened polymer chain and increased peptide availability to cells, such hydrogels better supported the 3D culture of primary astrocytes, which present high complexity and process branching, allowing the development of improved brain ECM-mimicking systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva D Carvalho
- i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; FEUP - Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel R G Morais
- i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana P Pêgo
- i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cristina C Barrias
- i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Marco Araújo
- i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Wilkinson CM, Kalisvaart AC, Kung TF, Abrahart AH, Khiabani E, Colbourne F. Tissue Compliance and Intracranial Pressure Responses to Large Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Young and Aged Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Hypertension 2024; 81:151-161. [PMID: 37909235 PMCID: PMC10734784 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.123.21628] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND After a large intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the hematoma and swelling cause intracranial pressure (ICP) to increase, sometimes causing brain herniation and death. This is partly countered by widespread tissue compliance, an acute decrease in tissue volume distal to the stroke, at least in young healthy animals. Intracranial compensation dynamics seem to vary with age, but there is no data on old animals or those with hypertension, major factors influencing ICH risk and outcome. METHODS We assessed hematoma volume, edema, ICP, and functional deficits in young and aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and young normotensive control strains after collagenase-induced ICH. Macroscopic and microscopic brain volume fractions, such as contralateral hemisphere volume, cortical thickness, and neuronal morphology, were assessed via histological and stereological techniques. RESULTS Hematoma volume was 52% larger in young versus aged SHRs; surprisingly, aged SHRs still experienced proportionally worse outcomes following ICH, with 2× greater elevations in edema and ICP relative to bleed volume and 3× the degree of tissue compliance. Aged SHRs also experienced equivalent neurological deficits following ICH compared with their younger counterparts, despite the lack of significant age-related behavioral effects. Importantly, tissue compliance occurred across strains and age groups and was not impaired by hypertension or old age. CONCLUSIONS Aged SHRs show considerable capacity for tissue compliance following ICH and seem to rely on such mechanisms more heavily in settings of elevated ICP. Therefore, the ICP compensation response to ICH mass effect varies across the lifespan according to risk factors such as chronic hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M. Wilkinson
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Anna C.J. Kalisvaart
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Tiffany F.C. Kung
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Ashley H. Abrahart
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Elmira Khiabani
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Frederick Colbourne
- Department of Psychology (C.M.W., A.C.J.K., T.F.C.K., A.H.A., E.K., F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (F.C.), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Raha A, Wu Y, Zhong L, Raveenthiran J, Hong M, Taiyab A, Wang L, Wang B, Geng F. Exploring Piezo1, Piezo2, and TMEM150C in human brain tissues and their correlation with brain biomechanical characteristics. Mol Brain 2023; 16:83. [PMID: 38124148 PMCID: PMC10731887 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01071-5] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Unraveling the intricate relationship between mechanical factors and brain activity is a pivotal endeavor, yet the underlying mechanistic model of signaling pathways in brain mechanotransduction remains enigmatic. To bridge this gap, we introduced an in situ multi-scale platform, through which we delineate comprehensive brain biomechanical traits in white matter (WM), grey-white matter junctions (GW junction), and the pons across human brain tissue from four distinct donors. We investigate the three-dimensional expression patterns of Piezo1, Piezo2, and TMEM150C, while also examining their associated histological features and mechanotransduction signaling networks, particularly focusing on the YAP/β-catenin axis. Our results showed that the biomechanical characteristics (including stiffness, spring term, and equilibrium stress) associated with Piezo1 vary depending on the specific region. Moving beyond Piezo1, our result demonstrated the significant positive correlations between Piezo2 expression and stiffness in the WM. Meanwhile, the expression of Piezo2 and TMEM150C was shown to be correlated to viscoelastic properties in the pons and WM. Given the heterogeneity of brain tissue, we investigated the three-dimensional expression of Piezo1, Piezo2, and TMEM150C. Our results suggested that three mechanosensitive proteins remained consistent across different vertical planes within the tissue sections. Our findings not only establish Piezo1, Piezo2, and TMEM150C as pivotal mechanosensors that regulate the region-specific mechanotransduction activities but also unveil the paradigm connecting brain mechanical properties and mechanotransduction activities and the variations between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Raha
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Yuning Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lily Zhong
- Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jatheeshan Raveenthiran
- Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Minji Hong
- Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Aftab Taiyab
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Bill Wang
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Fei Geng
- W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Wang D, Shang Q, Mao J, Gao C, Wang J, Wang D, Wang H, Jia H, Peng P, Du M, Luo Z, Yang L. Phosphorylation of KRT8 (keratin 8) by excessive mechanical load-activated PKN (protein kinase N) impairs autophagosome initiation and contributes to disc degeneration. Autophagy 2023; 19:2485-2503. [PMID: 36897022 PMCID: PMC10392755 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2186099] [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: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive mechanical load (overloading) is a well-documented pathogenetic factor for many mechano stress-induced pathologies, i.e. intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Under overloading, the balance between anabolism and catabolism within nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are badly thrown off, and NP cells undergo apoptosis. However, little is known about how the overloading is transduced to the NP cells and contributes to disc degeneration. The current study shows that conditional knockout of Krt8 (keratin 8) within NP aggravates load-induced IDD in vivo, and overexpression of Krt8 endows NP cells greater resistance to overloading-induced apoptosis and degeneration in vitro. Discovery-driven experiments shows that phosphorylation of KRT8 on Ser43 by overloading activated RHOA-PKN (protein kinase N) impedes trafficking of Golgi resident small GTPase RAB33B, suppresses the autophagosome initiation and contributes to IDD. Overexpression of Krt8 and knockdown of Pkn1 and Pkn2, at an early stage of IDD, ameliorates disc degeneration; yet only knockdown of Pkn1 and Pkn2, when treated at late stage of IDD, shows a therapeutic effect. This study validates a protective role of Krt8 during overloading-induced IDD and demonstrates that targeting overloading activation of PKNs could be a novel and effective approach to mechano stress-induced pathologies with a wider window of therapeutic opportunity.Abbreviations: AAV: adeno-associated virus; AF: anulus fibrosus; ANOVA: analysis of variance; ATG: autophagy related; BSA: bovine serum albumin; cDNA: complementary deoxyribonucleic acid; CEP: cartilaginous endplates; CHX: cycloheximide; cKO: conditional knockout; Cor: coronal plane; CT: computed tomography; Cy: coccygeal vertebra; D: aspartic acid; DEG: differentially expressed gene; DHI: disc height index; DIBA: dot immunobinding assay; dUTP: 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate; ECM: extracellular matrix; EDTA: ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; FBS: fetal bovine serum; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GPS: group-based prediction system; GSEA: gene set enrichment analysis; GTP: guanosine triphosphate; HE: hematoxylin-eosin; HRP: horseradish peroxidase; IDD: intervertebral disc degeneration; IF: immunofluorescence staining; IL1: interleukin 1; IVD: intervertebral disc; KEGG: Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes; KRT8: keratin 8; KD: knockdown; KO: knockout; L: lumbar vertebra; LBP: low back pain; LC/MS: liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer; LSI: mouse lumbar instability model; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MMP3: matrix metallopeptidase 3; MRI: nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; NC: negative control; NP: nucleus pulposus; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PE: p-phycoerythrin; PFA: paraformaldehyde; PI: propidium iodide; PKN: protein kinase N; OE: overexpression; PTM: post translational modification; PVDF: polyvinylidene fluoride; qPCR: quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; RHOA: ras homolog family member A; RIPA: radio immunoprecipitation assay; RNA: ribonucleic acid; ROS: reactive oxygen species; RT: room temperature; TCM: rat tail compression-induced IDD model; TCS: mouse tail suturing compressive model; S: serine; Sag: sagittal plane; SD rats: Sprague-Dawley rats; shRNA: short hairpin RNA; siRNA: small interfering RNA; SOFG: safranin O-fast green; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling; VG/ml: viral genomes per milliliter; WCL: whole cell lysate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiliang Shang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianxin Mao
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chu Gao
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
- Medical Research Institute, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Wang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dong Wang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Han Wang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haoruo Jia
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pandi Peng
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
- Medical Research Institute, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mu Du
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhuojing Luo
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
- Medical Research Institute, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liu Yang
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
- Medical Research Institute, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
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Rocha DN, Carvalho ED, Pires LR, Gardin C, Zanolla I, Szewczyk PK, Machado C, Fernandes R, Stachewicz U, Zavan B, Relvas JB, Pêgo AP. It takes two to remyelinate: A bioengineered platform to study astrocyte-oligodendrocyte crosstalk and potential therapeutic targets in remyelination. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 151:213429. [PMID: 37148597 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The loss of the myelin sheath insulating axons is the hallmark of demyelinating diseases. These pathologies often lead to irreversible neurological impairment and patient disability. No effective therapies are currently available to promote remyelination. Several elements contribute to the inadequacy of remyelination, thus understanding the intricacies of the cellular and signaling microenvironment of the remyelination niche might help us to devise better strategies to enhance remyelination. Here, using a new in vitro rapid myelinating artificial axon system based on engineered microfibres, we investigated how reactive astrocytes influence oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation and myelination ability. This artificial axon culture system enables the effective uncoupling of molecular cues from the biophysical properties of the axons, allowing the detailed study of the astrocyte-OL crosstalk. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) were cultured on poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-ε-caprolactone) copolymer electrospun microfibres that served as surrogate axons. This platform was then combined with a previously established tissue engineered glial scar model of astrocytes embedded in 1 % (w/v) alginate matrices, in which astrocyte reactive phenotype was acquired using meningeal fibroblast conditioned medium. OPCs were shown to adhere to uncoated engineered microfibres and differentiate into myelinating OL. Reactive astrocytes were found to significantly impair OL differentiation ability, after six and eight days in a co-culture system. Differentiation impairment was seen to be correlated with astrocytic miRNA release through exosomes. We found significantly reduction on the expression of pro-myelinating miRNAs (miR-219 and miR-338) and an increase in anti-myelinating miRNA (miR-125a-3p) content between reactive and quiescent astrocytes. Additionally, we show that OPC differentiation inhibition could be reverted by rescuing the activated astrocytic phenotype with ibuprofen, a chemical inhibitor of the small rhoGTPase RhoA. Overall, these findings show that modulating astrocytic function might be an interesting therapeutic avenue for demyelinating diseases. The use of these engineered microfibres as an artificial axon culture system will enable the screening for potential therapeutic agents that promote OL differentiation and myelination while providing valuable insight on the myelination/remyelination processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela N Rocha
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Eva D Carvalho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana R Pires
- Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Chiara Gardin
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Cotignola, 48033 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zanolla
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Piotr K Szewczyk
- Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Cláudia Machado
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Fernandes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Urszula Stachewicz
- Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Barbara Zavan
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - João B Relvas
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana P Pêgo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica (INEB), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, 4050-343 Porto, Portugal.
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Castillo Ransanz L, Van Altena PFJ, Heine VM, Accardo A. Engineered cell culture microenvironments for mechanobiology studies of brain neural cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1096054. [PMID: 36588937 PMCID: PMC9794772 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1096054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The biomechanical properties of the brain microenvironment, which is composed of different neural cell types, the extracellular matrix, and blood vessels, are critical for normal brain development and neural functioning. Stiffness, viscoelasticity and spatial organization of brain tissue modulate proliferation, migration, differentiation, and cell function. However, the mechanical aspects of the neural microenvironment are largely ignored in current cell culture systems. Considering the high promises of human induced pluripotent stem cell- (iPSC-) based models for disease modelling and new treatment development, and in light of the physiological relevance of neuromechanobiological features, applications of in vitro engineered neuronal microenvironments should be explored thoroughly to develop more representative in vitro brain models. In this context, recently developed biomaterials in combination with micro- and nanofabrication techniques 1) allow investigating how mechanical properties affect neural cell development and functioning; 2) enable optimal cell microenvironment engineering strategies to advance neural cell models; and 3) provide a quantitative tool to assess changes in the neuromechanobiological properties of the brain microenvironment induced by pathology. In this review, we discuss the biological and engineering aspects involved in studying neuromechanobiology within scaffold-free and scaffold-based 2D and 3D iPSC-based brain models and approaches employing primary lineages (neural/glial), cell lines and other stem cells. Finally, we discuss future experimental directions of engineered microenvironments in neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Castillo Ransanz
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pieter F. J. Van Altena
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Vivi M. Heine
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Vivi M. Heine, ; Angelo Accardo,
| | - Angelo Accardo
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Vivi M. Heine, ; Angelo Accardo,
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