Adipose-derived cells: building blocks of three-dimensional microphysiological systems

Microphysiological systems (MPS) created with human-derived cells and biomaterial scaffolds offer a potential in vitro alternative to in vivo animal models. The adoption of three-dimensional MPS models has economic, ethical, regulatory, and scientific implications for the fields of regenerative medicine, metabolism/obesity, oncology, and pharmaceutical drug discovery. Key opinion leaders acknowledge that MPS tools are uniquely positioned to aid in the objective to reduce, refine, and eventually replace animal experimentation while improving the accuracy of the finding's clinical translation. Adipose tissue has proven to be an accessible and available source of human-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, a heterogeneous population available at point of care, and adipose-derived stromal/stem cells, a relatively homogeneous population requiring plastic adherence and culture expansion of the SVF cells. The adipose-derived stromal/stem cells or SVF cells, in combination with human tissue or synthetic biomaterial scaffolds, can be maintained for extended culture periods as three-dimensional MPS models under angiogenic, stromal, adipogenic, or osteogenic conditions. This review highlights recent literature relating to the versatile use of adipose-derived cells as fundamental components of three-dimensional MPS models for discovery research and development. In this context, it compares the merits and limitations of the adipose-derived stromal/stem cells relative to SVF cell models and considers the likely directions that this emerging field of scientific discovery will take in the near future.

Breast Cancer Reconstruction: Design Criteria for a Humanized Microphysiological System

International regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration have mandated that the scientific community develop humanized microphysiological systems (MPS) as an in vitro alternative to animal models in the near future. While the breast cancer research community has long appreciated the importance of three-dimensional growth dynamics in their experimental models, there are remaining obstacles preventing a full conversion to humanized MPS for drug discovery and pathophysiological studies. This perspective evaluates the current status of human tissue-derived cells and scaffolds as building blocks for an "idealized" breast cancer MPS based on bioengineering design principles. It considers the utility of adipose tissue as a potential source of endothelial, lymphohematopoietic, and stromal cells for the support of breast cancer epithelial cells. The relative merits of potential MPS scaffolds derived from adipose tissue, blood components, and synthetic biomaterials is evaluated relative to the current "gold standard" material, Matrigel, a murine chondrosarcoma-derived basement membrane-enriched hydrogel. The advantages and limitations of a humanized breast cancer MPS are discussed in the context of in-process and destructive read-out assays. Impact statement Regulatory authorities have highlighted microphysiological systems as an emerging tool in breast cancer research. This has been led by calls for more predictive human models and reduced animal experimentation. This perspective describes how human-derived cells, extracellular matrices, and hydrogels will provide the building blocks to create breast cancer models that accurately reflect diversity at multiple levels, that is, patient ethnicity, pathophysiology, and metabolic status.

Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory and neuropharmacological effects of Atropa belladonna

The present study was carried out to investigate, in vivo, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuro-pharmacological activities of the methanolic extract of Atropa belladonna. The analgesic activity was measured by acetic acid induced writhing inhibition test. The neuro-pharmacological activities were evaluated by open field, rearing test, cage cross, swim test, head dip and traction tests. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by formalin induce inflammation on hind paw. The extract showed highly significant (p<0.001) analgesic activity with % inhibitions of writhing response at doses 100 and 300mg/kg body weight were 28.5% and 57.1%, respectively. The extract at both doses showed significant (p<0.05) sedative effect in-cage cross test and highly significance value (p<0.001) in high dose. In-open field test, the extract showed significant (P<0.05) anxiolytic activity at higher dose whereas in rearing test activity shows significant p-value at both doses. The extract also showed significant value for anti-inflammatory activity. The findings of the study clearly indicated the presence of significant analgesic, neuro-pharmacological and anti-inflammatory properties of the plant, which demands further investigation including, compounds isolation.