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Major G, Ahn M, Cho WW, Santos M, Wise J, Phillips E, Wise SG, Jang J, Rnjak-Kovacina J, Woodfield T, Lim KS. Programming temporal stiffness cues within extracellular matrix hydrogels for modelling cancer niches. Mater Today Bio 2024; 25:101004. [PMID: 38420142 PMCID: PMC10900776 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101004] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening is a common occurrence during the progression of many diseases, such as breast cancer. To accurately mimic the pathophysiological context of disease within 3D in vitro models, there is high demand for smart biomaterials which replicate the dynamic and temporal mechanical cues of diseased states. This study describes a preclinical disease model, using breast cancer as an example, which replicates the dynamic plasticity of the tumour microenvironment by incorporating temporal (3-week progression) biomechanical cues within a tissue-specific hydrogel microenvironment. The composite hydrogel formulation, integrating adipose-derived decellularised ECM (AdECM) and silk fibroin, was initially crosslinked using a visible light-mediated system, and then progressively stiffened through spontaneous secondary structure interactions inherent between the polymer chains (∼10-15 kPa increase, with a final stiffness of 25 kPa). When encapsulated and cultured in vitro, MCF-7 breast cancer cells initially formed numerous, large spheroids (>1000 μm2 in area), however, with progressive temporal stiffening, cells demonstrated growth arrest and underwent phenotypic changes resulting in intratumoral heterogeneity. Unlike widely-investigated static mechanical models, this stiffening hydrogel allowed for progressive phenotypic changes to be observed, and fostered the development of mature organoid-like spheroids, which mimicked both the organisation and acinar-structures of mature breast epithelium. The spheroids contained a central population of cells which expressed aggressive cellular programs, evidenced by increased fibronectin expression and reduction of E-cadherin. The phenotypic heterogeneity observed using this model is more reflective of physiological tumours, demonstrating the importance of establishing temporal cues within preclinical models in future work. Overall, the developed model demonstrated a novel strategy to uncouple ECM biomechanical properties from the cellular complexities of the disease microenvironment and offers the potential for wide applicability in other 3D in vitro disease models through addition of tissue-specific dECM materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretel Major
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Minjun Ahn
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea
| | - Won-Woo Cho
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea
| | - Miguel Santos
- Applied Materials Group, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jessika Wise
- Mackenzie Cancer Research Group, Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Elisabeth Phillips
- Mackenzie Cancer Research Group, Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Steven G Wise
- Applied Materials Group, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jinah Jang
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea
| | - Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Tyree Institute of Health Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Tim Woodfield
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Khoon S Lim
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Light-Activated Materials Group, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia
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Ahn M, Cho WW, Lee H, Park W, Lee SH, Back JW, Gao Q, Gao G, Cho DW, Kim BS. Engineering of Uniform Epidermal Layers via Sacrificial Gelatin Bioink-Assisted 3D Extrusion Bioprinting of Skin. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2301015. [PMID: 37537366 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
To reconstruct an ideal full-thickness skin model, basal keratinocytes must be distributed as a confluent monolayer on the dermis. However, the currently available extrusion bioprinting method for the skin is limited when producing an air-exposed cellular monolayer because the cells are encapsulated within a bioink. This is the first study to use sacrificial gelatin-assisted extrusion bioprinting to reproduce a uniform and stratified epidermal layer. Experimental analyses of the rheological properties, printability, cell viability, and initial keratinocyte adhesion shows that the optimal gelatin bioink concentration is 4 wt.%. The appropriate thickness of the bioprinted gelatin structure for achieving a confluent keratinocyte layer is determined to be 400 µm. The suggested strategy generates a uniform keratinocyte monolayer with tight junctions throughout the central and peripheral regions, whereas manual seeding generates non-uniform cellular aggregates and vacancies. These results influence gene expression, exhibiting a propensity for epidermal differentiation. Finally, the gelatin-assisted keratinocytes are bioprinted onto a dermis composed of gelatin methacryloyl and dermis-derived decellularized extracellular matrix to establish a full-thickness skin model. Thus, this strategy leads to significant improvements in epidermal differentiation/stratification. The findings demonstrate that the gelatin-assisted approach is advantageous for recreating reliable full-thickness skin models with significant consistency for mass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjun Ahn
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hanju Lee
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonbin Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Hyeon Lee
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Woo Back
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
| | - Qiqi Gao
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ge Gao
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dong-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Soo Kim
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Republic of Korea
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Ahn M, Cho WW, Park W, Lee JS, Choi MJ, Gao Q, Gao G, Cho DW, Kim BS. 3D biofabrication of diseased human skin models in vitro. Biomater Res 2023; 27:80. [PMID: 37608402 PMCID: PMC10464270 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-023-00415-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human skin is an organ located in the outermost part of the body; thus, it frequently exhibits visible signs of physiological health. Ethical concerns and genetic differences in conventional animal studies have increased the need for alternative in vitro platforms that mimic the structural and functional hallmarks of natural skin. Despite significant advances in in vitro skin modeling over the past few decades, different reproducible biofabrication strategies are required to reproduce the pathological features of diseased human skin compared to those used for healthy-skin models. To explain human skin modeling with pathological hallmarks, we first summarize the structural and functional characteristics of healthy human skin. We then provide an extensive overview of how to recreate diseased human skin models in vitro, including models for wounded, diabetic, skin-cancer, atopic, and other pathological skin types. We conclude with an outlook on diseased-skin modeling and its technical perspective for the further development of skin engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjun Ahn
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Kyungnam, Korea
| | - Won-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonbin Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ju Choi
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Qiqi Gao
- School of Medical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ge Gao
- School of Medical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Dong-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea.
| | - Byoung Soo Kim
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626841, Kyungnam, Korea.
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
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Gao G, Ahn M, Cho WW, Kim BS, Cho DW. 3D Printing of Pharmaceutical Application: Drug Screening and Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1373. [PMID: 34575448 PMCID: PMC8465948 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13091373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques and the development of tailored biomaterials have facilitated the precise fabrication of biological components and complex 3D geometrics over the past few decades. Moreover, the notable growth of 3D printing has facilitated pharmaceutical applications, enabling the development of customized drug screening and drug delivery systems for individual patients, breaking away from conventional approaches that primarily rely on transgenic animal experiments and mass production. This review provides an extensive overview of 3D printing research applied to drug screening and drug delivery systems that represent pharmaceutical applications. We classify several elements required by each application for advanced pharmaceutical techniques and briefly describe state-of-the-art 3D printing technology consisting of cells, bioinks, and printing strategies that satisfy requirements. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of traditional approaches by providing concrete examples of drug screening (organoid, organ-on-a-chip, and tissue/organ equivalent) and drug delivery systems (oral/vaginal/rectal and transdermal/surgical drug delivery), followed by the introduction of recent pharmaceutical investigations using 3D printing-based strategies to overcome these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Gao
- Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5, South Street, Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Minjun Ahn
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang 37673, Kyungbuk, Korea; (M.A.); (W.-W.C.)
| | - Won-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang 37673, Kyungbuk, Korea; (M.A.); (W.-W.C.)
| | - Byoung-Soo Kim
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, 49 Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, Kyungbuk, Korea
| | - Dong-Woo Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang 37673, Kyungbuk, Korea; (M.A.); (W.-W.C.)
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Kim BS, Cho WW, Gao G, Ahn M, Kim J, Cho DW. Construction of Tissue-Level Cancer-Vascular Model with High-Precision Position Control via In Situ 3D Cell Printing. Small Methods 2021; 5:e2100072. [PMID: 34928000 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202100072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During tumor progression, the size and location of the tumor are important factors closely associated with the metastatic potential of the cancer as they largely govern tumor hypoxia and angiogenesis. However, despite the achievements of previous studies, these critical factors are poorly studied, mainly due to the lack of a flexible technique that can readily control 3D tumor mimicking constructs and their spatial relations with vasculature. Here, a novel tissue-level platform consisting of a metastatic cancer unit (MCU) and a perfusable vascular endothelium system (VES) is presented using in situ 3D cell printing. Size-tunable and position-controllable 3D cancer spheroids (500-1000 µm) are directly printed within the established bath bioink with a self-driven perfusable vascular channel. The cancer-vascular interactions are generated through controlling the distance between MCU and VES to investigate metastasis-associated changes at adjacent and distal regions. The result shows that MCU in 600 µm diameter includes hypoxia, invasion, and angiogenetic signaling. The further observations demonstrate that the proximity of MCU to VES augments the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in MCU and vascular dysfunction/inflammation in VES, corroborating the positional significance in tumor metastasis. The platform with the precise-positioning control enables the recapitulation of patient's detailed metastatic progression, opening the chance for precision cancer medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byoung Soo Kim
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, 49 Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan, Kyungbuk, 50612, Republic of Korea
- POSTECH-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Woo Cho
- POSTECH-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Ge Gao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Minjun Ahn
- POSTECH-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongmin Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Woo Cho
- POSTECH-Catholic Biomedical Engineering Institute, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
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Lee SG, Cho WW, Lee SH, Park KW, Choi K, Kang HD. Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on In Vitro Germination and Organ Formation of Wild Angelica gigas N. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.7732/kjpr.2012.25.4.456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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