Two Methods for Decellularization of Plant Tissues for Tissue Engineering Applications

The autologous, synthetic, and animal-derived grafts currently used as scaffolds for tissue replacement have limitations due to low availability, poor biocompatibility, and cost. Plant tissues have favorable characteristics that make them uniquely suited for use as scaffolds, such as high surface area, excellent water transport and retention, interconnected porosity, preexisting vascular networks, and a wide range of mechanical properties. Two successful methods of plant decellularization for tissue engineering applications are described here. The first method is based on detergent baths to remove cellular matter, which is similar to previously established methods used to clear mammalian tissues. The second is a detergent-free method adapted from a protocol that isolates leaf vasculature and involves the use of a heated bleach and salt bath to clear the leaves and stems. Both methods yield scaffolds with comparable mechanical properties and low cellular metabolic impact, thus allowing the user to select the protocol which better suits their intended application.

Optical Method to Quantify Mechanical Contraction and Calcium Transients of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes (hPS-CMs) holds promise for myocardial regeneration therapies, drug discovery, and models of cardiac disease. Potential cardiotoxicities may affect hPS-CM mechanical contraction independent of calcium signaling. Herein, a method using an image capture system is described to measure hPS-CM contractility and intracellular calcium concurrently, with high spatial and temporal resolution. The image capture system rapidly alternates between brightfield and epifluorescent illumination of contracting cells. Mechanical contraction is quantified by a speckle tracking algorithm applied to brightfield image pairs, whereas calcium transients are measured by a fluorescent calcium reporter. This technique captured changes in contractile strain, calcium transients, and beat frequency of hPS-CMs over 21 days in culture, as well as acute responses to isoproterenol and Cytochalasin D. The technique described above can be applied without the need to alter the culture platform, allowing for determination of hPS-CM behavior over weeks in culture for drug discovery and myocardial regeneration applications.

Creation of a Bioengineered Skin Flap Scaffold with a Perfusable Vascular Pedicle

Full-thickness skin loss is a challenging problem due to limited reconstructive options, demanding 75 million surgical procedures annually in the United States. Autologous skin grafting is the gold standard treatment, but results in donor-site morbidity and poor aesthetics. Numerous skin substitutes are available on the market to date, however, none truly functions as full-thickness skin due to lack of a vascular network. The creation of an autologous full-thickness skin analogue with a vascular pedicle would result in a paradigm shift in the management of wounds and in reconstruction of full-thickness skin defects. To create a clinically relevant foundation, we generated an acellular skin flap scaffold (SFS) with a perfusable vascular pedicle of clinically relevant size by perfusion decellularization of porcine fasciocutaneous flaps. We then analyzed the yielded SFS for mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and regenerative potential in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we assessed the immunological response using an in vivo model. Finally, we recellularized the vascular compartment of an SFS and reconnected it to a recipient's blood supply to test for perfusability. Perfusion decellularization removed all cellular components with preservation of native extracellular matrix composition and architecture. Biaxial testing revealed preserved mechanical properties. Immunologic response and biocompatibility assessed via implantation and compared with native xenogenic skin and commercially available dermal substitutes revealed rapid neovascularization and complete tissue integration. Composition of infiltrating immune cells showed no evidence of allorejection and resembled the inflammatory phase of wound healing. Implantation into full-thickness skin defects demonstrated good tissue integration and skin regeneration without cicatrization. We have developed a protocol for the generation of an SFS of clinically relevant size, containing a vascular pedicle, which can be utilized for perfusion decellularization and, ultimately, anastomosis to the recipient vascular system after precellularization. The observed favorable immunological response and good tissue integration indicate the substantial regenerative potential of this platform.

Crossing kingdoms: Using decellularized plants as perfusable tissue engineering scaffolds

Despite significant advances in the fabrication of bioengineered scaffolds for tissue engineering, delivery of nutrients in complex engineered human tissues remains a challenge. By taking advantage of the similarities in the vascular structure of plant and animal tissues, we developed decellularized plant tissue as a prevascularized scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Perfusion-based decellularization was modified for different plant species, providing different geometries of scaffolding. After decellularization, plant scaffolds remained patent and able to transport microparticles. Plant scaffolds were recellularized with human endothelial cells that colonized the inner surfaces of plant vasculature. Human mesenchymal stem cells and human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes adhered to the outer surfaces of plant scaffolds. Cardiomyocytes demonstrated contractile function and calcium handling capabilities over the course of 21 days. These data demonstrate the potential of decellularized plants as scaffolds for tissue engineering, which could ultimately provide a cost-efficient, "green" technology for regenerating large volume vascularized tissue mass.

Bioengineering Human Myocardium on Native Extracellular Matrix

RATIONALE

More than 25 million individuals have heart failure worldwide, with ≈4000 patients currently awaiting heart transplantation in the United States. Donor organ shortage and allograft rejection remain major limitations with only ≈2500 hearts transplanted each year. As a theoretical alternative to allotransplantation, patient-derived bioartificial myocardium could provide functional support and ultimately impact the treatment of heart failure.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to translate previous work to human scale and clinically relevant cells for the bioengineering of functional myocardial tissue based on the combination of human cardiac matrix and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To provide a clinically relevant tissue scaffold, we translated perfusion-decellularization to human scale and obtained biocompatible human acellular cardiac scaffolds with preserved extracellular matrix composition, architecture, and perfusable coronary vasculature. We then repopulated this native human cardiac matrix with cardiomyocytes derived from nontransgenic human induced pluripotent stem cells and generated tissues of increasing 3-dimensional complexity. We maintained such cardiac tissue constructs in culture for 120 days to demonstrate definitive sarcomeric structure, cell and matrix deformation, contractile force, and electrical conduction. To show that functional myocardial tissue of human scale can be built on this platform, we then partially recellularized human whole-heart scaffolds with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Under biomimetic culture, the seeded constructs developed force-generating human myocardial tissue and showed electrical conductivity, left ventricular pressure development, and metabolic function.

CONCLUSIONS

Native cardiac extracellular matrix scaffolds maintain matrix components and structure to support the seeding and engraftment of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and enable the bioengineering of functional human myocardial-like tissue of multiple complexities.

Mesenchymal stem cells ability to generate traction stress in response to substrate stiffness is modulated by the changing extracellular matrix composition of the heart during development

In this study we present a novel method for studying cellular traction force generation and mechanotransduction in the context of cardiac development. Rat hearts from three distinct stage of development (fetal, neonatal and adult) were isolated, decellularized and characterized via mechanical testing and protein compositional analysis. Stiffness increased ~2-fold between fetal and neonatal time points but not between neonatal and adult. Composition of structural extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was significantly different between all three developmental ages. ECM that was solubilized via pepsin digestion was cross-linked into polyacrylamide gels of varying stiffness and traction force microscopy was used to assess the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to generate traction stress against the substrates. The response to increasing stiffness was significantly different depending on the developmental age of the ECM. An investigation into early cardiac differentiation of MSCs demonstrated a dependence of the level of expression of early cardiac transcription factors on the composition of the complex ECM. In summary, this study found that complex ECM composition plays an important role in modulating a cell's ability to generate traction stress against a substrate, which is a significant component of mechanotransductive signaling.