Incorporation of Smooth Muscle Cells Derived from Human Adipose Stem Cells on Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid) Scaffold for the Reconstruction of Subtotally Resected Urinary Bladder in Athymic Rats

Research progress of biomaterials and innovative technologies in urinary tissue engineering

Substantial interests have been attracted to multiple bioactive and biomimetic biomaterials in recent decades because of their ability in presenting a structural and functional reconstruction of urinary tissues. Some innovative technologies have also been surging in urinary tissue engineering and urological regeneration by providing insights into the physiological behavior of the urinary system. As such, the hierarchical structure and tissue function of the bladder, urethra, and ureter can be reproduced similarly to the native urinary tissues. This review aims to summarize recent advances in functional biomaterials and biomimetic technologies toward urological reconstruction. Various nanofirous biomaterials derived from decellularized natural tissues, synthetic biopolymers, and hybrid scaffolds were developed with desired microstructure, surface chemistry, and mechanical properties. Some growth factors, drugs, as well as inorganic nanomaterials were also utilized to enhance the biological activity and functionality of scaffolds. Notably, it is emphasized that advanced approaches, such as 3D (bio) printing and organoids, have also been developed to facilitate structural and functional regeneration of the urological system. So in this review, we discussed the fabrication strategies, physiochemical properties, and biofunctional modification of regenerative biomaterials and their potential clinical application of fast-evolving technologies. In addition, future prospective and commercial products are further proposed and discussed.

Tissue-engineered repair material for pelvic floor dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a highly prevalent urogynecology disorder affecting many women worldwide, with symptoms including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), stress urinary incontinence (SUI), fecal incontinence, and overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). At present, the clinical treatments of PFD are still conservative and symptom-based, including non-surgical treatment and surgery. Surgical repair is an effective and durable treatment for PFD, and synthetic and biological materials can be used to enforce or reinforce the diseased tissue. However, synthetic materials such as polypropylene patches caused a series of complications such as mesh erosion, exposure, pain, and inflammation. The poor mechanical properties and high degradation speed of the biomaterial meshes resulted in poor anatomical reduction effect and limitation to clinical application. Therefore, the current treatment options are suboptimal. Recently, tissue-engineered repair material (TERM) has been applied to repair PFD and could markedly improve the prognosis of POP and SUI repair surgery in animal models. We review the directions and progression of TERM in POP and SUI repair. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs) appear to be suitable cell types for scaffold seeding and clinical implantation. The multidisciplinary therapy approach to tissue engineering is a promising direction for tissue repair. More and longer follow-up studies are needed before determining cell types and materials for PFD repair.

Emerging Bioactive Agent Delivery-Based Regenerative Therapies for Lower Genitourinary Tissues

Injury to lower genitourinary (GU) tissues, which may result in either infertility and/or organ dysfunctions, threatens the overall health of humans. Bioactive agent-based regenerative therapy is a promising therapeutic method. However, strategies for spatiotemporal delivery of bioactive agents with optimal stability, activity, and tunable delivery for effective sustained disease management are still in need and present challenges. In this review, we present the advancements of the pivotal components in delivery systems, including biomedical innovations, system fabrication methods, and loading strategies, which may improve the performance of delivery systems for better regenerative effects. We also review the most recent developments in the application of these technologies, and the potential for delivery-based regenerative therapies to treat lower GU injuries. Recent progress suggests that the use of advanced strategies have not only made it possible to develop better and more diverse functionalities, but also more precise, and smarter bioactive agent delivery systems for regenerative therapy. Their application in lower GU injury treatment has achieved certain effects in both patients with lower genitourinary injuries and/or in model animals. The continuous evolution of biomaterials and therapeutic agents, advances in three-dimensional printing, as well as emerging techniques all show a promising future for the treatment of lower GU-related disorders and dysfunctions.

Construction of Tissue-Engineered Bladder Scaffolds with Composite Biomaterials

Various congenital and acquired urinary system abnormalities can cause structural damage to patients’ bladders. This study aimed to construct and evaluate a novel surgical patch encapsulated with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) for bladder tissue regeneration. The surgical patch consists of multiple biomaterials, including bladder acellular matrix (BAM), collagen type I from rat tail, microparticle emulsion cross-linking polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)-chitosan (CS) with PLGA-sodium alginate (SA), and growth factors. ADSCs were seeded on the surgical patch. Approximately 50% of the bladder was excised and replaced with a surgical patch. Histological, immunohistochemical and urodynamic analyses were performed at the 2nd, 4th, and 8th weeks after surgery, respectively. The PLGA-CS, PLGA-SA or surgical patch showed no cytotoxicity to ADSCs. PLGA-CS cross-linked with PLGA-SA at a ratio of 5:5 exhibited a loose microporous structure and was chosen as the candidate for ADSC seeding. We conducted bladder repair surgery in rats using the patch, successfully presenting urothelium layers, muscle bundles, and vessel regeneration and replacing 50% of the rat’s natural bladder in vivo. Experiments through qualitative and quantitative evaluation demonstrate the application potential of the composite biomaterials in promoting the repair and reconstruction of bladder tissue.

Sources, Characteristics, and Therapeutic Applications of Mesenchymal Cells in Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering (TE) is a therapeutic option within regenerative medicine that allows to mimic the original cell environment and functional organization of the cell types necessary for the recovery or regeneration of damaged tissue using cell sources, scaffolds, and bioreactors. Among the cell sources, the utilization of mesenchymal cells (MSCs) has gained great interest because these multipotent cells are capable of differentiating into diverse tissues, in addition to their self-renewal capacity to maintain their cell population, thus representing a therapeutic alternative for those diseases that can only be controlled with palliative treatments. This review aimed to summarize the state of the art of the main sources of MSCs as well as particular characteristics of each subtype and applications of MSCs in TE in seven different areas (neural, osseous, epithelial, cartilage, osteochondral, muscle, and cardiac) with a systemic revision of advances made in the last 10 years. It was observed that bone marrow-derived MSCs are the principal type of MSCs used in TE, and the most commonly employed techniques for MSCs characterization are immunodetection techniques. Moreover, the utilization of natural biomaterials is higher (41.96%) than that of synthetic biomaterials (18.75%) for the construction of the scaffolds in which cells are seeded. Further, this review shows alternatives of MSCs derived from other tissues and diverse strategies that can improve this area of regenerative medicine.

Application of biomaterials and tissue engineering in bladder regeneration

The primary functions of the bladder are storing urine under low and stable pressure and micturition. Various forms of trauma, tumors, and iatrogenic injuries can cause the loss of or reduce bladder function or capacity. If such damage is not treated in time, it will eventually lead to kidney damage and can even be life-threatening in severe cases. The emergence of tissue engineering technology has led to the development of more possibilities for bladder repair and reconstruction, in which the selection of scaffolds is crucial. In recent years, a growing number of tissue-engineered bladder scaffolds have been constructed. Therefore, this paper will discuss the development of tissue-engineered bladder scaffolds and will further analyze the limitations of and challenges encountered in bladder reconstruction.

Advanced PLGA hybrid scaffold with a bioactive PDRN/BMP2 nanocomplex for angiogenesis and bone regeneration using human fetal MSCs

Biodegradable polymers have been used with various systems for tissue engineering. Among them, poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) has been widely used as a biomaterial for bone regeneration because of its great biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. However, there remain substantial cruxes that the by-products of PLGA result in an acidic environment at the implanting site, and the polymer has a weak mechanical property. In our previous study, magnesium hydroxide (MH) and bone extracellular matrix are combined with a PLGA scaffold (PME) to improve anti-inflammation and mechanical properties and osteoconductivity. In the present study, the development of a bioactive nanocomplex (NC) formed along with polydeoxyribonucleotide and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) provides synergistic abilities in angiogenesis and bone regeneration. This PME hybrid scaffold immobilized with NC (PME/NC) achieves outstanding performance in anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, and osteogenesis. Such an advanced PME/NC scaffold suggests an integrated bone graft substitute for bone regeneration.

Nano-sized graphene oxide coated nanopillars on microgroove polymer arrays that enhance skeletal muscle cell differentiation

The degeneration or loss of skeletal muscles, which can be caused by traumatic injury or disease, impacts most aspects of human activity. Among various techniques reported to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue, controlling the external cellular environment has been proven effective in guiding muscle differentiation. In this study, we report a nano-sized graphene oxide (sGO)-modified nanopillars on microgroove hybrid polymer array (NMPA) that effectively controls skeletal muscle cell differentiation. sGO-coated NMPA (sG-NMPA) were first fabricated by sequential laser interference lithography and microcontact printing methods. To compensate for the low adhesion property of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used in this study, graphene oxide (GO), a proven cytophilic nanomaterial, was further modified. Among various sizes of GO, sGO (< 10 nm) was found to be the most effective not only for coating the surface of the NM structure but also for enhancing the cell adhesion and spreading on the fabricated substrates. Remarkably, owing to the micro-sized line patterns that guide cellular morphology to an elongated shape and because of the presence of sGO-modified nanostructures, mouse myoblast cells (C2C12) were efficiently differentiated into skeletal muscle cells on the hybrid patterns, based on the myosin heavy chain expression levels. Therefore, the developed sGO coated polymeric hybrid pattern arrays can serve as a potential platform for rapid and highly efficient in vitro muscle cell generation.

Considerations for the clinical use of stem cells in genitourinary regenerative medicine

The genitourinary tract can be affected by several pathologies which require repair or replacement to recover biological functions. Current therapeutic strategies are challenged by a growing shortage of adequate tissues. Therefore, new options must be considered for the treatment of patients, with the use of stem cells (SCs) being attractive. Two different strategies can be derived from stem cell use: Cell therapy and tissue therapy, mainly through tissue engineering. The recent advances using these approaches are described in this review, with a focus on stromal/mesenchymal cells found in adipose tissue. Indeed, the accessibility, high yield at harvest as well as anti-fibrotic, immunomodulatory and proangiogenic properties make adipose-derived stromal/SCs promising alternatives to the therapies currently offered to patients. Finally, an innovative technique allowing tissue reconstruction without exogenous material, the self-assembly approach, will be presented. Despite advances, more studies are needed to translate such approaches from the bench to clinics in urology. For the 21^st century, cell and tissue therapies based on SCs are certainly the future of genitourinary regenerative medicine.

Prevention of chemotherapy-induced premature ovarian insufficiency in mice by scaffold-based local delivery of human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells

BACKGROUND

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the most serious side effects of chemotherapy in young cancer survivors. It may not only reduce fecundity but also affect lifelong health. There is no standard therapy for preserving ovarian health after chemotherapy. Recently, administration of embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells (ESC-MPCs) has been considered a new therapeutic option for preventing POI. However, the previous method of directly injecting cells into the veins of patients exhibits low efficacy and safety. This study aimed to develop safe and effective local delivery methods for the prevention of POI using two types of bioinspired scaffolds.

METHODS

Female mice received intraperitoneal cisplatin for 10 days. On day 11, human ESC-MPCs were delivered through systemic administration using intravenous injection or local administration using intradermal injection and intradermal transplantation with a PLGA/MH sponge or hyaluronic acid (HA) gel (GEL) type of scaffold. PBS was injected intravenously as a negative control. Ovarian function and fertility were evaluated 4 weeks after transplantation. Follicle development was observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The plasma levels of sex hormones were measured using ELISA. Expression levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and ki-67 were detected using immunostaining, and the quality of oocytes and embryos was evaluated after in vitro fertilization. The estrous cycles were observed at 2 months after transplantation.

RESULTS

The local administration of human ESC-MPCs using the bioinspired scaffold to the backs of mice effectively prolonged the cell survival rate in vivo. The HA GEL group exhibited the best recovered ovarian functions, including a significantly increased number of ovarian reserves, estrogen levels, and AMH levels and decreased apoptotic levels. Furthermore, the HA GEL group showed improved quality of oocytes and embryos and estrous cycle regularity.

CONCLUSIONS

HA GEL scaffolds can be used as new delivery platforms for ESC-MPC therapy, and this method may provide a novel option for the clinical treatment of chemotherapy-induced POI.

Injectable in situ forming hydrogel gene depot to improve the therapeutic effect of STAT3 shRNA

Down-regulation of the signal transducer and activity of transcription 3 (Stat3) plays a crucial role in suppression of many solid tumors. Intratumoral injection of a gene carrier applying Stat3-small hairpin RNA (St3-shRNA) is a potential therapeutic strategy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the intratumoral injection of St3-shRNA using a gene carrier. We herein designed biodegradable (methoxy)polyethylene glycol-b-(polycaprolactone-ran-polylactide) copolymer (MP) derivatized with a spermine group with cationic properties at the pendant position of the MP chain (MP-NH2). The designed MP-NH2 can act as a gene carrier of St3-shRNA by forming an electrostatic complex with cationic spermine. This can increase the stability of the complexes because of protection of PEG in biologic environments and can exhibit a sol-gel phase transition around body temperature for the formation of intratumorally injected MP-NH2 hydrogel depot for St3-shRNA. MP-NH2 was observed to completely condense with St3-shRNA to form St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complexes. These complexes were protected for a relatively long time (≥72 h) from external biologic molecules of the serum, DNase, and heparin. St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complexes in in vitro tumor cell experiments can enhance transfection of St3-shRNA, correspondingly enhance Stat3 knockdown efficiency, and inhibit tumor cell growth. St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complexes and St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complex-loaded hydrogel were intratumorally injected into the tumor as new efficient delivery carriers and depots of St3-shRNA. The intratumoral injection of St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complexes and St3-shRNA/MP-NH2 complex-loaded hydrogel showed effective anti-tumor effect for an extended period of time due to the effect of Stat3 knockdown. Collectively, the development of MP-NH2 as a carrier and depot of St3-shRNA provides a new strategy for St3-shRNA therapy through intratumoral injection with high efficacy and minimal adverse effects.

Fabrication of Adipose-Derived Stem Cell-Based Self-Assembled Scaffold under Hypoxia and Mechanical Stimulation for Urethral Tissue Engineering

Long urethral strictures are often treated with autologous genital skin and buccal mucosa grafts; however, risk of hair ingrowth and donor site morbidity, restrict their application. To overcome this, we introduced a tissue-engineered human urethra comprising adipose-derived stem cell (ASC)-based self-assembled scaffold, human urothelial cells (UCs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). ASCs were cultured with ascorbic acid to stimulate extracellular matrix (ECM) production. The scaffold (ECM) was stained with collagen type-I antibody and the thickness was measured under a confocal microscope. Results showed that the thickest scaffold (28.06 ± 0.59 μm) was achieved with 3 × 10⁴ cells/cm² seeding density, 100 μg/mL ascorbic acid concentration under hypoxic and dynamic culture condition. The biocompatibility assessment showed that UCs and SMCs seeded on the scaffold could proliferate and maintain the expression of their markers (CK7, CK20, UPIa, and UPII) and (α-SMA, MHC and Smootheline), respectively, after 14 days of in vitro culture. ECM gene expression analysis showed that the ASC and dermal fibroblast-based scaffolds (control) were comparable. The ASC-based scaffold can be handled and removed from the plate. This suggests that multiple layers of scaffold can be stacked to form the urothelium (seeded with UCs), submucosal layer (ASCs only), and smooth muscle layer (seeded with SMCs) and has the potential to be developed into a fully functional human urethra for urethral reconstructive surgeries.

Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Capsule (PEMC)-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering (TE) is a highly multidisciplinary field that focuses on novel regenerative treatments and seeks to tackle problems relating to tissue growth both in vitro and in vivo. These issues currently involve the replacement and regeneration of defective tissues, as well as drug testing and other related bioapplications. The key approach in TE is to employ artificial structures (scaffolds) to support tissue development; these constructs should be capable of hosting, protecting and releasing bioactives that guide cellular behaviour. A straightforward approach to integrating bioactives into the scaffolds is discussed utilising polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules (PEMCs). Herein, this review illustrates the recent progress in the use of CaCO3 vaterite-templated PEMCs for the fabrication of functional scaffolds for TE applications, including bone TE as one of the main targets of PEMCs. Approaches for PEMC integration into scaffolds is addressed, taking into account the formulation, advantages, and disadvantages of such PEMCs, together with future perspectives of such architectures.