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Mitropoulou G, Brandenberg N, Hoehnel S, Ceroni C, Balmpouzis Z, Blanchon S, Dorta G, Sauty A, Koutsokera A. Rectal organoid-guided CFTR modulator therapy restores lung function in a cystic fibrosis patient with the rare 1677delTA/R334W genotype. Eur Respir J 2022; 60:2201341. [PMID: 36423906 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01341-2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Mitropoulou
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR-related disorders Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lung Transplant Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Brandenberg
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Ceroni
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zisis Balmpouzis
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR-related disorders Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lung Transplant Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Blanchon
- Paediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Unit, Division of Paediatrics, Dept Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gian Dorta
- Division of Gastro-enterology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alain Sauty
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR-related disorders Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Neuchâtel Hospital Network, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Angela Koutsokera
- Adult Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR-related disorders Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lung Transplant Center, Division of Pulmonology, Dept of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- These authors contributed equally
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Giger S, Hofer M, Miljkovic-Licina M, Hoehnel S, Brandenberg N, Guiet R, Ehrbar M, Kleiner E, Gegenschatz-Schmid K, Matthes T, Lutolf MP. Microarrayed human bone marrow organoids for modeling blood stem cell dynamics. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:036101. [PMID: 35818479 PMCID: PMC9270995 DOI: 10.1063/5.0092860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In many leukemia patients, a poor prognosis is attributed either to the development of chemotherapy resistance by leukemic stem cells (LSCs) or to the inefficient engraftment of transplanted hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) into the bone marrow (BM). Here, we build a 3D in vitro model system of bone marrow organoids (BMOs) that recapitulate several structural and cellular components of native BM. These organoids are formed in a high-throughput manner from the aggregation of endothelial and mesenchymal cells within hydrogel microwells. Accordingly, the mesenchymal compartment shows partial maintenance of its self-renewal and multilineage potential, while endothelial cells self-organize into an interconnected vessel-like network. Intriguingly, such an endothelial compartment enhances the recruitment of HSPCs in a chemokine ligand/receptor-dependent manner, reminiscent of HSPC homing behavior in vivo. Additionally, we also model LSC migration and nesting in BMOs, thus highlighting the potential of this system as a well accessible and scalable preclinical model for candidate drug screening and patient-specific assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Giger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Hofer
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Sylke Hoehnel
- SUN Bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Romain Guiet
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Ehrbar
- Ehrbar Lab, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Esther Kleiner
- Ehrbar Lab, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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3
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Simonneau C, Duschmalé M, Gavrilov A, Brandenberg N, Hoehnel S, Ceroni C, Lassalle E, Kassianidou E, Knoetgen H, Niewoehner J, Villaseñor R. Investigating receptor-mediated antibody transcytosis using blood-brain barrier organoid arrays. Fluids Barriers CNS 2021; 18:43. [PMID: 34544422 PMCID: PMC8454074 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-021-00276-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathways that control protein transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remain poorly characterized. Despite great advances in recapitulating the human BBB in vitro, current models are not suitable for systematic analysis of the molecular mechanisms of antibody transport. The gaps in our mechanistic understanding of antibody transcytosis hinder new therapeutic delivery strategy development. METHODS We applied a novel bioengineering approach to generate human BBB organoids by the self-assembly of astrocytes, pericytes and brain endothelial cells with unprecedented throughput and reproducibility using micro patterned hydrogels. We designed a semi-automated and scalable imaging assay to measure receptor-mediated transcytosis of antibodies. Finally, we developed a workflow to use CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in BBB organoid arrays to knock out regulators of endocytosis specifically in brain endothelial cells in order to dissect the molecular mechanisms of receptor-mediated transcytosis. RESULTS BBB organoid arrays allowed the simultaneous growth of more than 3000 homogenous organoids per individual experiment in a highly reproducible manner. BBB organoid arrays showed low permeability to macromolecules and prevented transport of human non-targeting antibodies. In contrast, a monovalent antibody targeting the human transferrin receptor underwent dose- and time-dependent transcytosis in organoids. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in BBB organoid arrays, we showed that clathrin, but not caveolin, is required for transferrin receptor-dependent transcytosis. CONCLUSIONS Human BBB organoid arrays are a robust high-throughput platform that can be used to discover new mechanisms of receptor-mediated antibody transcytosis. The implementation of this platform during early stages of drug discovery can accelerate the development of new brain delivery technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Simonneau
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martina Duschmalé
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alina Gavrilov
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sylke Hoehnel
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Ceroni
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evodie Lassalle
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elena Kassianidou
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Knoetgen
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Niewoehner
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Roberto Villaseñor
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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4
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Girgin MU, Broguiere N, Hoehnel S, Brandenberg N, Mercier B, Arias AM, Lutolf MP. Bioengineered embryoids mimic post-implantation development in vitro. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5140. [PMID: 34446708 PMCID: PMC8390504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25237-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The difficulty of studying post-implantation development in mammals has sparked a flurry of activity to develop in vitro models, termed embryoids, based on self-organizing pluripotent stem cells. Previous approaches to derive embryoids either lack the physiological morphology and signaling interactions, or are unconducive to model post-gastrulation development. Here, we report a bioengineering-inspired approach aimed at addressing this gap. We employ a high-throughput cell aggregation approach to simultaneously coax mouse embryonic stem cells into hundreds of uniform epiblast-like aggregates in a solid matrix-free manner. When co-cultured with mouse trophoblast stem cell aggregates, the resulting hybrid structures initiate gastrulation-like events and undergo axial morphogenesis to yield structures, termed EpiTS embryoids, with a pronounced anterior development, including brain-like regions. We identify the presence of an epithelium in EPI aggregates as the major determinant for the axial morphogenesis and anterior development seen in EpiTS embryoids. Our results demonstrate the potential of EpiTS embryoids to study peri-gastrulation development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet U Girgin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Broguiere
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- SUN bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Bastien Mercier
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB), Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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5
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Fernandez Elviro C, Blanchon S, Hoehnel S, Schumacher U, Sauty A, Brandenberg N, Regamey N. Diagnostic tools and CFTR functional assays in cystic fibrosis: utility and availability in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly 2021; 151:w20496. [PMID: 33934316 DOI: 10.4414/smw.2021.20496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by a bi-allelic mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. When the diagnosis cannot be confirmed by a positive sweat test or/and the identification of two CF-causing variants, international guidelines recommend the use of CFTR functional assays. These tests assess whether CFTR activity is normal or diminished/absent through measurement of CFTR-mediated chloride secretion/absorption. CFTR functional assays are not only useful for diagnostic purposes but can also serve as a surrogate outcome for clinical trials of CFTR modulators, which are emerging therapeutic agents designed to correct the malfunctioning protein. In the near future they could also be used as precision-medicine techniques, to help guidance and optimisation of treatment. Until now, sweat testing has been the only CFTR functional assay available in Switzerland. Since 2020, the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) at Lausanne and the Lucerne Children’s Hospital perform nasal potential difference measurement. Moreover, The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) established a reliable procedure to generate adult intestinal organoids, i.e., stem cell-derived in-vitro grown mini tissues, extracted from rectal biopsies, which can be used to assess CFTR function in vitro. This narrative review describes the most popular CFTR functional assays, as well as their indications, limitations and availability in Switzerland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Fernandez Elviro
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Service of Paediatrics, Paediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Unit, University Hospital of Lausanne and Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Blanchon
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Service of Paediatrics, Paediatric Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis Unit, University Hospital of Lausanne and Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Urs Schumacher
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Alain Sauty
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Brandenberg
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Regamey
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Lucerne, Switzerland
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6
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Lienemann PS, Vallmajo‐Martin Q, Papageorgiou P, Blache U, Metzger S, Kiveliö A, Milleret V, Sala A, Hoehnel S, Roch A, Reuten R, Koch M, Naveiras O, Weber FE, Weber W, Lutolf MP, Ehrbar M. Smart Hydrogels for the Augmentation of Bone Regeneration by Endogenous Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Recruitment. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2020; 7:1903395. [PMID: 32274319 PMCID: PMC7141038 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201903395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of bone defects with recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) requires high doses precluding broad clinical application. Here, a bioengineering approach is presented that strongly improves low-dose BMP-2-based bone regeneration by mobilizing healing-associated mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs). Smart synthetic hydrogels are used to trap and study endogenous MPCs trafficking to bone defects. Hydrogel-trapped and prospectively isolated MPCs differentiate into multiple lineages in vitro and form bone in vivo. In vitro screenings reveal that platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) strongly recruits prospective MPCs making it a promising candidate for the engineering of hydrogels that enrich endogenous MPCs in vivo. However, PDGF-BB inhibits BMP-2-mediated osteogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, smart two-way dynamic release hydrogels with fast-release of PDGF-BB and sustained delivery of BMP-2 beneficially promote the healing of bone defects. Collectively, it is shown that modulating the dynamics of endogenous progenitor cells in vivo by smart synthetic hydrogels significantly improves bone healing and holds great potential for other advanced applications in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp S. Lienemann
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Queralt Vallmajo‐Martin
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Panagiota Papageorgiou
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
| | - Ulrich Blache
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Metzger
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Anna‐Sofia Kiveliö
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Vincent Milleret
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
| | - Ana Sala
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Aline Roch
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Raphael Reuten
- Institute for Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal BiologyCenter for BiochemistryUniversity of CologneCologne50931Germany
| | - Manuel Koch
- Institute for Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal BiologyCenter for BiochemistryUniversity of CologneCologne50931Germany
| | - Olaia Naveiras
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Franz E. Weber
- Department of Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryOral Biotechnology and BioengineeringUniversity Hospital ZurichFrauenklinikstrasse 24Zurich8091Switzerland
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology and BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling StudiesUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestr. 18Freiburg79104Germany
| | - Matthias P. Lutolf
- Institute of BioengineeringSchool of Life Sciences and School of EngineeringEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 15Lausanne1015Switzerland
| | - Martin Ehrbar
- Department of ObstetricsUniversity Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichSchmelzbergstr. 12Zurich8091Switzerland
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7
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Tavakol DN, Tratwal J, Bonini F, Genta M, Campos V, Burch P, Hoehnel S, Béduer A, Alessandrini M, Naveiras O, Braschler T. Injectable, scalable 3D tissue-engineered model of marrow hematopoiesis. Biomaterials 2019; 232:119665. [PMID: 31881380 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Modeling the interaction between the supportive stroma and the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) is of high interest in the regeneration of the bone marrow niche in blood disorders. In this work, we present an injectable co-culture system to study this interaction in a coherent in vitro culture and in vivo transplantation model. We assemble a 3D hematopoietic niche in vitro by co-culture of supportive OP9 mesenchymal cells and HSPCs in porous, chemically defined collagen-coated carboxymethylcellulose microscaffolds (CCMs). Flow cytometry and hematopoietic colony forming assays demonstrate the stromal supportive capacity for in vitro hematopoiesis in the absence of exogenous cytokines. After in vitro culture, we recover a paste-like living injectable niche biomaterial from CCM co-cultures by controlled, partial dehydration. Cell viability and the association between stroma and HSPCs are maintained in this process. After subcutaneous injection of this living artificial niche in vivo, we find maintenance of stromal and hematopoietic populations over 12 weeks in immunodeficient mice. Indeed, vascularization is enhanced in the presence of HSPCs. Our approach provides a minimalistic, scalable, biomimetic in vitro model of hematopoiesis in a microcarrier format that preserves the HSPC progenitor function, while being injectable in vivo without disrupting the cell-cell interactions established in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Naveed Tavakol
- Laboratory of Regenerative Hematopoiesis, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research & Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Josefine Tratwal
- Laboratory of Regenerative Hematopoiesis, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research & Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabien Bonini
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Martina Genta
- Laboratory of Microsystems Engineering 4, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vasco Campos
- Laboratory of Regenerative Hematopoiesis, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research & Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Burch
- Volumina-Medical SA, Route de la Corniche 5, CH-1066, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Sylke Hoehnel
- Sun Bioscience, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amélie Béduer
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Volumina-Medical SA, Route de la Corniche 5, CH-1066, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Marco Alessandrini
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaia Naveiras
- Laboratory of Regenerative Hematopoiesis, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research & Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Hematology Service, Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; Hematology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Braschler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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8
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Abstract
Juxtacrine or contact-dependent signaling is a major form of cell communication in multicellular organisms. The involved cell-cell and cell-extracellular-matrix (ECM) interactions are crucial for the organization and maintenance of tissue architecture and function. However, because cell-cell contacts are relatively weak, it is difficult to isolate interacting cells in their native state to study, for example, how specific cell types interact with others (e.g., stem cells with niche cells) or where they locate within tissues to execute specific tasks. To achieve this, we propose artificial in situ cell-to-cell linking systems that are based on SNAP-tag and CLIP-tag, engineered mutants of the human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase. Here we demonstrate that SNAP-tag can be utilized to efficiently and covalently tether cells to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel surfaces that have been functionalized with the SNAP-tag substrate benzylguanine (BG). Furthermore, using PEG-based spherical microgels as an artificial cell model, we provide proof-of-principle for inducing clustering that mimics cell-cell pairing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hoehnel
- †Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering and §Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M P Lutolf
- †Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering and §Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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9
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Gobaa S, Hoehnel S, Lutolf MP. Substrate elasticity modulates the responsiveness of mesenchymal stem cells to commitment cues. Integr Biol (Camb) 2015; 7:1135-42. [PMID: 25749492 DOI: 10.1039/c4ib00176a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fate choices of stem cells are regulated in response to a complex array of biochemical and physical signals from their microenvironmental niche. Whereas the molecular composition and the role of mechanical niche cues have been extensively studied, relatively little is known about how both effectors act in concert to modulate stem cell fate. Here we utilized a recently developed artificial niche microarray platform to investigate whether the stiffness of a cell culture substrate influences how niche signaling factors exert their role on adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). We found that substrate stiffness imposes a strictly non-overlapping range of differentiation, highlighting the dominance of physical over the biochemical factors. At a given stiffness, a significant protein-dependent effect on adipogenic differentiation was observed. Furthermore, we show that synergistic interactions between proteins can also be driven by the substrate stiffness. Our results thus highlight the importance of considering the mechanical properties of a target tissue when investigating biochemical niche signals in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gobaa
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering (LSCB), Institute of Bioengineering (IBI), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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