Covalently immobilized biosignal molecule materials for tissue engineering

Combinatorial strategy for engineering cartilage and bone microtissues using microfluidic cell-laden microgels

Osteochondral defects (OCD) refer to localized injuries affecting both the avascular cartilage and subchondral bone. Current treatments, such as transplantation or microfracture surgery, are hindered by limitations like donor availability and the formation of small, rigid fibrocartilage. Tissue engineering presents a promising alternative, yet challenges arise from limited oxygen and nutrient supply when fabricating human-scale tissue constructs. To address this, we propose assembling engineered micro-scale tissue constructs as building blocks for human-scale constructs. In this study, we aimed to develop bone and cartilage microtissues as building blocks for osteochondral tissue engineering. We fabricated placental stem cell (PSC)-laden microgels, inducing differentiation into osteogenic and chondrogenic microtissues. Utilizing a microfluidics chip platform, these microgels comprised a cell-laden core containing bone-specific and cartilage-specific growth factor-mimetic peptides, respectively, along with an acellular hydrogel shell. Additionally, we investigated the effect of culture conditions on microtissue formation, testing dynamic and static conditions. Results revealed over 85% cell viability within the microgels over 7 d of continuous growth. Under static conditions, approximately 60% of cells migrated from the core to the periphery, while dynamic conditions exhibited evenly distributed cells. Within 4 weeks of differentiation, growth factor-mimetic peptides accelerated PSC differentiation into bone and cartilage microtissues. These findings suggest the potential clinical applicability of our approach in treating OCD.

The application of aptamers in the repair of bone, nerve, and vascular tissues

Aptamers represent a distinct category of short nucleotide sequences or peptide molecules characterized by their ability to bind to specific targets with high precision. These molecules are predominantly synthesized through SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) technology. Recent findings indicate that aptamers may have significant applications in regenerative medicine, particularly in the domain of tissue repair. In comparison to other bioactive agents, aptamers exhibit superior specificity and affinity, are more readily accessible, and can be chemically modified, thereby presenting a promising avenue for the functionalization of tissue engineering materials in tissue repair applications. This review delineates the properties of aptamers and examines the methodologies and advancements related to aptamer-functionalized hydrogels, nanoparticles, and electrospun materials. It categorizes the four primary functions of aptamers in tissue repair, namely regeneration, delivery systems, anti-inflammatory actions, and pro-coagulation effects. Furthermore, the review explores the utilization of aptamer-functionalized tissue engineering materials in the repair of bone, nerve, and vascular tissues, highlighting the mechanisms by which aptamers facilitate tissue growth and repair through regenerative properties and their role in transporting substances that promote repair. Lastly, the review addresses the future prospects and challenges associated with the application of aptamers in tissue repair, offering novel insights and directions for further research and application in this domain.

Macrophage proteomic analysis of covalent immobilization of hyaluronic acid and graphene oxide on CoCr alloy in a tribocorrosive environment

In this work, a sequential covalent immobilization of graphene oxide (GO) and hyaluronic acid (HA) is performed to obtain a biocompatible wear-resistant nanocoating on the surface of the biomedical grade cobalt-chrome (CoCr) alloy. Nanocoated CoCr surfaces were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3 g/L HA electrolyte. Tribocorrosion tests of the nanocoated CoCr surfaces were carried out in a pin on flat tribometer. The biological response of covalently HA/GO biofunctionalized CoCr surfaces with and without wear-corrosion processes was studied through the analysis of the proteome of macrophages. Raman spectra revealed characteristic bands of GO and HA on the functionalized CoCr surfaces. The electrochemical response by EIS showed a stable and protective behavior over 23 days in the simulated biological environment. HA/GO covalently immobilized on CoCr alloy is able to protect the surface and reduce the wear volume released under tribocorrosion tests. Unsupervised classification analysis of the macrophage proteome via hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the covalent functionalization on CoCr enhances the macrophage biocompatibility in vitro. On the other hand, disruption of the HA/GO nanocoating by tribocorrosion processes induced a macrophage proteome which was differently clustered and was distantly located in the PCA space. In addition, tribocorrosion induced an increase in the percentage of upregulated and downregulated proteins in the macrophage proteome, revealing that disruption of the covalent nanocoating impacts the macrophage proteome. Although macrophage inflammation induced by tribocorrosion of HA/GO/CoCr surfaces is observed, it is ameliorated by the covalently grafting of HA, which provides immunomodulation by eliciting downregulations in characteristic pro-inflammatory signaling involved in inflammation and aseptic loosening of CoCr joint arthroplasties. Covalent HA/GO nanocoating on CoCr provides potential applications for in vivo joint prostheses led a reduced metal-induced inflammation and degradation by wear-corrosion.

An Advanced Bioconjugation Strategy for Covalent Tethering of TGFβ3 with Silk Fibroin Matrices and its Implications in the Chondrogenesis Profile of Human BMSCs and Human Chondrocytes: A Paradigm Shift in Cartilage Tissue Engineering

The transforming growth factor-β class of cytokines plays a significant role in articular cartilage formation from mesenchymal condensation to chondrogenic differentiation. However, their exogenous addition to the chondrogenic media makes the protocol expensive. It reduces the bioavailability of the cytokine to the cells owing to their burst release. The present study demonstrates an advanced bioconjugation strategy to conjugate transforming growth factor-β3 (TGFβ3) with silk fibroin matrix covalently via a cyanuric chloride coupling reaction. The tethering and change in secondary conformation are confirmed using various spectroscopic analyses. To assess the functionality of the chemically modified silk matrix, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and chondrocytes are cultured for 28 days in a chondrogenic differentiation medium. Gene expression and histological analysis reveal enhanced expression of chondrogenic markers with intense Safranin-O and Alcian Blue staining in TGFβ3 conjugated silk matrices than where TGFβ3 is exogenously added to the media for both hBMSCs and chondrocytes. Therefore, this study successfully recapitulates the native niche of TGFβ3 and the role of the silk as a growth factor stabilizer. When cultured over TGFβ3 conjugated silk matrices, hBMSCs display increased proteoglycan secretion and maximum chondrogenic trait with attenuation of chondrocyte hypertrophy over human chondrocytes.

Injectable hydrogels: An emerging therapeutic strategy for cartilage regeneration

The impairment of articular cartilage due to traumatic incidents or osteoarthritis has posed significant challenges for healthcare practitioners, researchers, and individuals suffering from these conditions. Due to the absence of an approved treatment strategy for the complete restoration of cartilage defects to their native state, the tissue condition often deteriorates over time, leading to osteoarthritic (OA). However, recent advancements in the field of regenerative medicine have unveiled promising prospects through the utilization of injectable hydrogels. This versatile class of biomaterials, characterized by their ability to emulate the characteristics of native articular cartilage, offers the distinct advantage of minimally invasive administration directly to the site of damage. These hydrogels can also serve as ideal delivery vehicles for a diverse range of bioactive agents, including growth factors, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and cells. The controlled release of such biologically active molecules from hydrogel scaffolds can accelerate cartilage healing, stimulate chondrogenesis, and modulate the inflammatory microenvironment to halt osteoarthritic progression. The present review aims to describe the methods used to design injectable hydrogels, expound upon their applications as delivery vehicles of biologically active molecules, and provide an update on recent advances in leveraging these delivery systems to foster articular cartilage regeneration.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) delivery approaches in regenerative medicine

The utilization of growth factors in the process of tissue regeneration has garnered significant interest and has been the subject of extensive research. However, despite the fervent efforts invested in recent clinical trials, a considerable number of these studies have produced outcomes that are deemed unsatisfactory. It is noteworthy that the trials that have yielded the most satisfactory outcomes have exhibited a shared characteristic, namely, the existence of a mechanism for the regulated administration of growth factors. Despite the extensive exploration of drug delivery vehicles and their efficacy in delivering certain growth factors, the development of a reliable predictive approach for the delivery of delicate growth factors like Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) remains elusive. VEGF plays a crucial role in promoting angiogenesis; however, the administration of VEGF demands a meticulous approach as it necessitates precise localization and transportation to a specific target tissue. This process requires prolonged and sustained exposure to a low concentration of VEGF. Inaccurate administration of drugs, either through off-target effects or inadequate delivery, may heighten the risk of adverse reactions and potentially result in tumorigenesis. At present, there is a scarcity of technologies available for the accurate encapsulation of VEGF and its subsequent sustained and controlled release. The objective of this review is to present and assess diverse categories of VEGF administration mechanisms. This paper examines various systems, including polymeric, liposomal, hydrogel, inorganic, polyplexes, and microfluidic, and evaluates the appropriate dosage of VEGF for multiple applications.

Photo-reactive polymers for the immobilisation of epidermal growth factors

Photo-reactive polymers are important for biomaterials, including devices with a 3D-structure. Here, different types of photo-reactive polymers were prepared and utilised for immobilisation of growth factors. They were synthesised by conjugation of gelatin with the azidophenyl group or by copolymerisation of the azidophenyl group-coupled methacrylate with poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate. The azidophenyl content and the zeta potential of the prepared polymers were measured. After spin coating of polymers, the thickness and the water contact angle of coated layers were measured. The amount of the immobilised epidermal growth factor (EGF) was determined using fluorescence labelling. Cell adhesion responded to the nature of photo-reactive polymers but did not depend on the immobilised EGF. However, cell growth was dependent on the amount of immobilised EGF and was significantly affected by the nature of photo-reactive polymers. The study shows that the properties of the photo-immobilisation matrix significantly influence the biological activity.

Modified Industrial Three-Dimensional Polylactic Acid Scaffold Cell Chip Promotes the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells

In this study, we fabricated a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold using industrial polylactic acid (PLA), which promoted the proliferation and differentiation of human neural stem cells. An industrial PLA 3D scaffold (IPTS) cell chip with a square-shaped pattern was fabricated via computer-aided design and printed using a fused deposition modeling technique. To improve cell adhesion and cell differentiation, we coated the IPTS cell chip with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), nerve growth factor (NGF) protein, an NGF peptide fragment, and sonic hedgehog (SHH) protein. The proliferation of F3.Olig2 neural stem cells was increased in the IPTS cell chips coated with Au-NPs and NGF peptide fragments when compared with that of the cells cultured on non-coated IPTS cell chips. Cells cultured on the IPTS-SHH cell chip also showed high expression of motor neuron cell-specific markers, such as HB9 and TUJ-1. Therefore, we suggest that the newly engineered industrial PLA scaffold is an innovative tool for cell proliferation and motor neuron differentiation.

Probing cell metabolism on insulin like growth factor(IGF)-1/tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and chargeable polymers co-immobilized conjugates

Cell culturing on different synthetic biomaterials would reprogram cell metabolism for adaption to their living conditions because such alterations in cell metabolism were necessary for cellular functions on them. Here we used metabolomics to uncover metabolic changes when liver cells were cultured on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and chargeable polymers co-modified biomaterials with the aim to explain their modulating effects on cell metabolism. The results showed that cell metabolism on IGF-1/TNF-α co-immobilized conjugates was significantly regulated according to their scatterings on the score plot of principal component analysis. Specifically, cell metabolisms were reprogrammed to the higher level of pyrimidine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and the lower level of methionine salvage pathway in order to promote cell growth on IGF/TNF-α co-modified surface. Furthermore, cell senescence on PSt-PAAm-IGF/TNF-α surface was delayed through the regulation of branch amino acid metabolism and AMPK signal pathway. The research showed that metabolomics had great potential to uncover the molecular interaction between biomaterials and seeded cells, and provide the insights about cell metabolic reprogramming on IGF/TNF-α co-modified conjugates for cell growth.

The Effects of Stably Tethered BMP-2 on MC3T3-E1 Preosteoblasts Encapsulated in a PEG Hydrogel

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is a clinically used osteoinductive growth factor. With a short half-life and side effects, alternative delivery approaches are needed. This work examines thiolation of BMP-2 for chemical attachment to a poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel using thiol-norbornene click chemistry. BMP-2 retained bioactivity post-thiolation and was successfully tethered into the hydrogel. To assess tethered BMP-2 on osteogenesis, MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were encapsulated in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-sensitive hydrogels containing RGD and either no BMP-2, soluble BMP-2 (5 nM), or tethered BMP-2 (40-200 nM) and cultured in a chemically defined medium containing dexamethasone for 7 days. The hydrogel culture supported MC3T3-E1 osteogenesis regardless of BMP-2 presentation, but tethered BMP-2 augmented the osteogenic response, leading to significant increases in osteomarkers, Bglap and Ibsp. The ratio, Ibsp-to-Dmp1, highlighted differences in the extent of differentiation, revealing that without BMP-2, MC3T3-E1 cells showed a higher expression of Dmp1 (low ratio), but an equivalent expression with tethered BMP-2 and more abundant bone sialoprotein. In addition, this work identified that dexamethasone contributed to Ibsp expression but not Bglap or Dmp1 and confirmed that tethered BMP-2 induced the BMP canonical signaling pathway. This work presents an effective method for the modification and incorporation of BMP-2 into hydrogels to enhance osteogenesis.

Multiphoton microfabrication and micropatterning (MMM) - An all-in-one platform for engineering biomimetic soluble cell niches

Engineered biomimetic cell niches represent a valuable in vitro tool for investigating physiological and pathological cellular activities, while developing an all-in-one technology to engineer cell niches, particularly soluble cell niche factors, with retained bioactivities, remains challenging. Here, we report a mask-free, non-contact and biocompatible multiphoton microfabrication and micropatterning (MMM) technology in engineering a spatially and quantitatively controllable bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) soluble niche, by immobilizing optimally biotinylated BMP-2 (bBMP-2) on micro-printed neutravidin (NA) micropatterns. Notably, the micropatterned NA bound-bBMP-2 niche elicited a more sustained and a higher level of the downstream Smad signaling than that by free BMP-2, in C2C12 cells, suggesting the advantages of immobilizing soluble niche factors on engineered micropatterns or scaffold materials. This work reports a universal all-in-one cell niche engineering platform and contributes to reconstituting heterogeneous native soluble cell niches for signal transduction modeling and drug screening studies.

Peptide decorated demineralized dentin matrix with enhanced bioactivity, osteogenic differentiation via carboxymethyl chitosan

OBJECTIVES

To improve the biocompatibility and osteogenic activity of demineralized dentin matrix (DDM) by grafting peptides on its surface.

METHODS

DDM was obtained by pulverizing extracted human teeth that had been systematically demineralized and dried. Four groups of materials were evaluated: DDM, DDM/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), DDM/CMC/bone forming peptide-1 (BFP-1), and blank. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and fluorescence localization were used to characterize the surface of the DDM materials. Cell viability was assessed using a CCK8 assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in vitro osteogenesis was analyzed using real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and Alizarin red and alkaline phosphatase staining. Three different materials were implanted into mandibular bone defects in rats. After 8 weeks, bone regeneration was assessed by histomorphometry of HE-stained slides.

RESULTS

FT-IR, XPS, and fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the DDM surfaces were successfully modified with BFP-1. The CCK8 assay indicated that the proliferation of cells is higher on the DDM/CMC/BFP-1 material than on DDM or DDM/CMC (P < 0.05). Cells were more likely to adhere to DDM/CMC/BFP-1, as observed by SEM. Greater in vitro osteogenesis was observed in the DDM/CMC/BFP-1 group which displayed stronger alkaline phosphatase activity, more alizarin red-stained nodules, and higher target gene expression, as detected by RT-qPCR (P＜0.05). HE staining of in vivo explants indicated that greater quantities of new bone had formed in the DDM/CMC/BFP-1 group.

SIGNIFICANCE

Compared with DDM, DDM/CMC/BFP-1 exhibited superior biocompatibility and osteogenesis, using a method of surface modification that has great potential for future clinical use.

Alkali treatment facilitates functional nano-hydroxyapatite coating of 3D printed polylactic acid scaffolds

Autografting is currently the gold standard for treatment of bone defects, but has shown disadvantages in the limited volume of and donor site morbidity associated with harvested bone. Customized bone scaffolds that mimic the mechanical and biological properties of native bone are needed to augment the currently limited bone regeneration strategies. To achieve this goal, a repeated cross-hatch structure with uniform cubic pores was designed and 3D printed using polylactic acid (PLA) via fused deposition modeling (FDM). PLA surfaces were modified by wet chemical (alkali) treatment for either 1 h (1hAT) or 6 h (6hAT), followed by coating with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA). Our hypotheses were that: (i) 6-hour (but not 1-hour) alkali treatment would enhance nHA coating, (ii) the nHA coating on the 6-hour alkali-treated surface would increase hydrophilicity and cell attachment/proliferation, and (iii) stiffness, but not effective Young's modulus, would be reduced by 6-hour alkali treatment. The effects of AT and nHA coating on scaffold morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and quantified using a custom MATLAB script. Chemical composition and hydrophilicity were evaluated via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water contact angle analyses, respectively. Mechanical testing and in vitro cell culture were further employed to analyze compressive properties, and cell attachment and proliferation, respectively. As expected, 6hAT led to reduced strut width and stiffness, while improving the nHA coating and hydrophilicity. Interestingly, PLA/6hAT but not PLA/6hAT/nHA demonstrated a reduction in effective modulus compared to PLA and PLA/nHA scaffolds. From in vitro experiments, the combined PLA/6hAT/nHA modification resulted in the greatest extent of cell attachment but not proliferation. These results collectively demonstrate that the PLA/6hAT/nHA scaffold exhibits properties that may prove beneficial for cancellous bone regeneration.

Biomaterial Based Strategies for Engineering New Lymphatic Vasculature

The lymphatic system is essential for tissue regeneration and repair due to its pivotal role in resolving inflammation, immune cell surveillance, lipid transport, and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Loss of functional lymphatic vasculature is directly implicated in a variety of diseases, including lymphedema, obesity, and the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Strategies that stimulate the formation of new lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis) could provide an appealing new approach to reverse the progression of these diseases. However, lymphangiogenesis is relatively understudied and stimulating therapeutic lymphangiogenesis faces challenges in precise control of lymphatic vessel formation. Biomaterial delivery systems could be used to unleash the therapeutic potential of lymphangiogenesis for a variety of tissue regenerative applications due to their ability to achieve precise spatial and temporal control of multiple therapeutics, direct tissue regeneration, and improve the survival of delivered cells. In this review, the authors begin by introducing therapeutic lymphangiogenesis as a target for tissue regeneration, then an overview of lymphatic vasculature will be presented followed by a description of the mechanisms responsible for promoting new lymphatic vessels. Importantly, this work will review and discuss current biomaterial applications for stimulating lymphangiogenesis. Finally, challenges and future directions for utilizing biomaterials for lymphangiogenic based treatments are considered.

Engineering a collagen matrix for cell-instructive regenerative angiogenesis

Engineering an angiogenic material for regenerative medicine requires knowledge of native extracellular matrix remodeling by cellular processes in angiogenesis. Vascularization remains a key challenge in the field of tissue engineering, one that can be mitigated by developing platforms conducive to guiding dynamic cell-matrix interactions required for new vessel formation. In this review, we highlight nuanced processes of angiogenesis and demonstrate how materials engineering is being used to interface with dynamic type I collagen remodeling, Notch and VEGF signaling, cell migration, and tissue morphogenesis. Because α1(I)-collagen is secreted by endothelial tip cells during sprouting angiogenesis and required for migration, collagen is a very useful natural biomaterial and its angiogenic modifications are described. The balance between collagen types I and IV via secretion and degradation is tightly controlled by proteinases and other cell types that are capable of internalizing collagen to maintain tissue integrity. Thus, we provide examples in skin and cardiac tissue engineering of collagen tailoring in diverse cellular microenvironments for tissue regeneration. As our understanding of how to drive collagen remodeling and cellular phenotype through angiogenic pathways grows, our capabilities to model and manipulate material systems must continue to expand to develop novel applications for wound healing, angiogenic therapy, and regenerative medicine.

Azido-Functionalized Polyurethane Designed for Making Tunable Elastomers by Click Chemistry

Polyurethane is an important biomaterial with wide applications in biomedical engineering. Here, we report a new method to make an azido-functionalized polyurethane prepolymer with no need of postmodification. This prepolymer can easily form stable porous elastomers through click chemistry for cross-linking, instead of using a toxic polyisocyanate. The mechanical properties can be modulated by simply adjusting either the prepolymer concentrations or azido/alkyne ratios for cross-linking. Young's modulus therefore varies from 0.52 to 2.02 MPa for the porous elastomers. When the azido-functionalized polyurethane elastomer is made with a compact structure, Young's modulus increases up to 28.8 MPa at 0-15% strain. The strain at break reaches 150% that is comparable to the commercially resourced Nylon-12. Both the porous and compact elastomers could undergo reversible elastic deformations for at least 200 and 1000 cycles, respectively, within 20% strain without failure. The material showed a considerable stability against erosion in a basic solution. In vivo biocompatibility study demonstrated no degradation by subcutaneous implantation in mice over 2 months. The implant induced only a mild inflammatory response and fibrotic capsule. This material might be useful to make elastomeric components of biomedical devices.

Enhanced selective cellular proliferation by multi-biofunctionalization of medical implant surfaces with heterodimeric BMP-2/6, fibronectin, and FGF-2

Increasing cell adhesion on implant surfaces is an issue of high biomedical importance. Early colonization with endogenous cells reduces the risk of bacterial contamination and enhances the integration of an implant into the diverse cellular tissues surrounding it. In vivo integration of implants is controlled by a complex spatial and temporal interplay of cytokines and adhesive molecules. The concept of a multi-biofunctionalized TiO₂ surface for stimulating bone and soft tissue growth is presented here. All supramolecular architectures were built with a biotin-streptavidin coupling system. Biofunctionalization of TiO₂ with immobilized FGF-2 and heparin could be shown to selectively increase the proliferation of fibroblasts while immobilized BMP-2 only stimulated the growth of osteoblasts. Furthermore, TiO₂ surfaces biofunctionalized with either the BMP-2 or BMP-2/6 growth factor and the cell adhesion-enhancing protein fibronectin showed higher osteoblast adhesion than a TiO₂ surface functionalized with only one of these proteins. In conclusion, the presented immobilization strategy is applicable in vivo for a selective surface coating of implants in both hard and connective tissue. The combined immobilization of different extracellular proteins on implants has the potential to further influence cell-specific reactions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2910-2922, 2018.

Mimicking growth factors: role of small molecule scaffold additives in promoting tissue regeneration and repair

The primary aim of tissue engineering scaffolds is to mimic the in vivo environment and promote tissue growth. In this quest, a number of strategies have been developed such as enhancing cell-material interactions through modulation of scaffold physico-chemical parameters. However, more is required for scaffolds to relate to the cell natural environment. Growth factors (GFs) secreted by cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) are involved in both normal repair and abnormal remodeling. The direct use of GFs on their own or when incorporated within scaffolds represent a number of challenges such as release rate, stability and shelf-life. Small molecules have been proposed as promising alternatives to GFs as they are able to minimize or overcome many shortcomings of GFs, in particular immune response and instability. Despite the promise of small molecules in various TE applications, their direct use is limited by nonspecific adverse effects on non-target tissues and organs. Hence, they have been incorporated within scaffolds to localize their actions and control their release to target sites. However, scanty rationale is available which links the chemical structure of these molecules with their mode of action. We herewith review various small molecules either when used on their own or when incorporated within polymeric carriers/scaffolds for bone, cartilage, neural, adipose and skin tissue regeneration.

Engineered delivery strategies for enhanced control of growth factor activities in wound healing

Growth factors (GFs) are versatile signalling molecules that orchestrate the dynamic, multi-stage process of wound healing. Delivery of exogenous GFs to the wound milieu to mediate healing in an active, physiologically-relevant manner has shown great promise in laboratories; however, the inherent instability of GFs, accompanied with numerous safety, efficacy and cost concerns, has hindered the clinical success of GF delivery. In this article, we highlight that the key to overcoming these challenges is to enhance the control of the activities of GFs throughout the delivering process. We summarise the recent strategies based on biomaterials matrices and molecular engineering, which aim to improve the conditions of GFs for delivery (at the 'supply' end of the delivery), increase the stability and functions of GFs in extracellular matrix (in transportation to target cells), as well as enhance the GFs/receptor interaction on the cell membrane (at the 'destination' end of the delivery). Many of these investigations have led to encouraging outcomes in various in vitro and in vivo regenerative models with considerable translational potential.

Epidermal growth factor-nanoparticle conjugates change the activity from anti-apoptotic to pro-apoptotic at membrane rafts

The proliferation epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to acquire contradictory apoptotic activities upon conjugation with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) through hitherto unknown mechanisms. Here, we identified an essential role of membrane rafts in the drastic activity switching of EGF-GNPs through the following intracellular signaling. (1) In contrast to the rapid diffusion of activated EGF receptor after the soluble EGF stimulation, the receptor is confined within membrane rafts upon binding to the EGF-GNPs. (2) This initial receptor confinements switch its endocytosis process from normal clathrin-mediated endocytosis to caveolin-mediated one, changing the phosphorylation dynamics of essential downstream kinases, i.e., extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT. Importantly, the destruction of membrane rafts by β-cyclodextrin reversed this trafficking and signaling, restoring EGF-GNPs to lost anti-apoptotic property. These results reveal the importance of GNP-mediated signal condensation at membrane rafts in conferring the unique apoptotic activity on EGF-nanoparticle conjugates. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a small secretory protein that induces cell proliferation upon binding to its receptor existed on cellular plasma membranes. One interesting feature of the protein in the nanobiology field is, its acquisition of apoptosis-inducing (cellular suicide) activity rather than proliferative one upon conjugation to gold nanoparticles through hitherto unknown mechanisms. Here, we identified the involvement of membrane rafts, plasma membrane nanodomains enriched with cholesterol, in the apoptosis processes by changing the receptor trafficking and downstream signal transduction pathways. Moreover, the destruction of lipid rafts restored the EGF-nanoparticle conjugates with lost anti-apoptotic activity. These finding highlight potential applications of EGF-nanoparticle conjugates to cancer therapy, as the EGF receptor are highly expressed in cancer cells.

Cell migration and growth induced by photo-immobilised vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms

VEGF isoforms immobilised by photo-reactive gelatin (AzPhe-gelatin) enhance cell migration and proliferation.

Design of binary polymer brushes with tuneable functionality

Using coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations, we study how functionalized binary brushes may be used to create surfaces whose functionality can be tuned. Our model brushes consist of a mixture of nonresponsive polymers with functionalized responsive polymers. The functional groups switch from an exposed to a hidden state when the conformations of the responsive polymers change from extended to collapsed. We investigate quantitatively which sets of brush parameters result in optimal switching in functionality, by analyzing to which extent the brush conformation allows an external object to interact with the functional groups. It is demonstrated that brushes with species of comparable polymer lengths, or with longer responsive polymers than nonresponsive polymers, can show significant differences in their functionality. In the latter case, either the fraction of responsive polymers or the total grafting density has to be reduced. Among these possibilities, a reduction of the fraction of responsive polymers is shown to be most effective.

Stabilization of Immobilized Enzymes via the Chaperone-Like Activity of Mixed Lipid Bilayers

Biomimetic lipid bilayers represent intriguing materials for enzyme immobilization, which is critical for many biotechnological applications. Here, through the creation of mixed lipid bilayers, the retention of immobilized enzyme structures and catalytic activity are dramatically enhanced. The enhancement in the retention of enzyme structures, which correlated with an increase in enzyme activity, is observed using dynamic single-molecule (SM) fluorescence methods. The results of SM analysis specifically show that lipid bilayers composed of mixtures of 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'- rac-glycerol) (DOPG) stabilize the folded state of nitroreductase (NfsB), increasing the rate of refolding relative to unfolding of enzyme molecules on the bilayer surface. Remarkably, for optimal compositions with 15-50% DOPG, over 95% of NfsB remains folded while the activity of the enzyme is increased as much as 2 times over that in solution. Within this range of DOPG, the strength of the interaction of folded and unfolded NfsB with the bilayer surface was also significantly altered, which was evident by the change in the diffusion of folded and unfolded NfsB in the bilayer. Ultimately, these findings provide direct evidence for the chaperone-like activity of mixed DOPG/DOPC lipid bilayers, which can be controlled by tuning the fraction of DOPG in the bilayer.

A Contact-Based Method for Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells into an Endothelial Cell-Phenotype

Adult stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are known to possess the ability to augment neovascularization processes and are thus widely popular as an autologous source of progenitor cells. However there is a huge gap in our current knowledge of mechanisms involved in differentiating MSC into endothelial cells (EC), essential for lining engineered blood vessels. To fill up this gap, we attempted to differentiate human MSC into EC, by culturing the former onto chemically fixed layers of EC or its ECM, respectively. We expected direct contact of MSC when cultured atop fixed EC or its ECM, would coax the former to differentiate into EC. Results showed that human MSC cultured atop chemically fixed EC or its ECM using EC-medium showed enhanced expression of CD31, a marker for EC, compared to other cases. Further in all human MSC cultured using EC-medium, typically characteristic cobble stone shaped morphologies were noted in comparison to cells cultured using MSC medium, implying that the differentiated cells were sensitive to soluble VEGF supplementation present in the EC-medium. Results will enhance and affect therapies utilizing autologous MSC as a cell source for generating vascular cells to be used in a variety of tissue engineering applications.

Instructive microenvironments in skin wound healing: Biomaterials as signal releasing platforms

Skin wound healing aims to repair and restore tissue through a multistage process that involves different cells and signalling molecules that regulate the cellular response and the dynamic remodelling of the extracellular matrix. Nowadays, several therapies that combine biomolecule signals (growth factors and cytokines) and cells are being proposed. However, a lack of reliable evidence of their efficacy, together with associated issues such as high costs, a lack of standardization, no scalable processes, and storage and regulatory issues, are hampering their application. In situ tissue regeneration appears to be a feasible strategy that uses the body's own capacity for regeneration by mobilizing host endogenous stem cells or tissue-specific progenitor cells to the wound site to promote repair and regeneration. The aim is to engineer instructive systems to regulate the spatio-temporal delivery of proper signalling based on the biological mechanisms of the different events that occur in the host microenvironment. This review describes the current state of the different signal cues used in wound healing and skin regeneration, and their combination with biomaterial supports to create instructive microenvironments for wound healing.

Growth Factor Delivery Systems for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Growth factors (GFs) are often a key component in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches. In order to fully exploit the therapeutic potential of GFs, GF delivery vehicles have to meet a number of key design criteria such as providing localized delivery and mimicking the dynamic native GF expression levels and patterns. The use of biomaterials as delivery systems is the most successful strategy for controlled delivery and has been translated into different commercially available systems. However, the risk of side effects remains an issue, which is mainly attributed to insufficient control over the release profile. This book chapter reviews the current strategies, chemistries, materials and delivery vehicles employed to overcome the current limitations associated with GF therapies.

Examining lysozyme structures on polyzwitterionic brush surfaces

Conformational structures of lysozyme at the interfaces of hydrophilic polymer poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide] (PMEDSAH), are examined to understand the role of protein-polymer interactions on the stability of lysozyme. This work underpins the effect of hydration layer on the structures of physically adsorbed lysozyme on PMEDSAH brushes. Hydrophilic nature and strength of hydration layers around brushes are controlled by varying the brush thickness and temperature. We measured that lysozyme is structurally less stable on 15nm thick hydrophilic PMEDSAH brushes at 75°C than at room temperature. To the contrary, 5-8nm thick brushes stretch in hydrated state by heating, hence yield higher structural stability of lysozyme. These results suggest that short polyzwitterionic brushes can facilitate improved biomaterial interactions that are essential for biosensors performing at elevated temperatures.

Injectable Mussel-Inspired Immobilization of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Microspheres Bridging Adipose Micro-Tissues to Improve Autologous Fat Transplantation by Controlling Release of PDGF and VEGF, Angiogenesis, Stem Cell Migration

Platelets-rich plasma (PRP) can produce growth factors (GFs) to improve angiogenesis. However, direct injection of PRP does not lead to highly localized GFs. The current study employs a mussel-inspired polydopamine to immobilize PRP on gelatin microspheres (GMs) with the purpose of bridging adipose micro-tissues to help implanted fat survive (GM-pDA-PRP). Enhanced PRP adhesion leads to a prolonged and localized production of GFs, which is verified by platelet counting and by ELISA of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and of platelet derived growth factors (PDGFs). The GM-pDA-PRP "hatches" a microenvironment for the proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells. After the adipose micro-tissue has bridged with GM-pDA-PRP after 16 weeks, triple-fluorescence staining reveals that the mature adipocytes, blood vessels, and capillaries are arranged like in normal adipose tissue. The survival fat increases significantly compared to that in control, PRP, and GM-PRP groups (84.8 ± 11.4% versus 47.8 ± 8.9%, 56.9 ± 9.7%, and 60.2 ± 10.5%, respectively). Both histological assessments and CD31 immunofluorescence indicate that the improvement of angiogenesis in GM-pDA-PRP is higher than in the fat graft group (6.4-fold in quantitative CD31 positive cells). The CD34 positive cells in the GM-pDA-PRP group are around 3.5-fold the amount in the fat graft group, which suggests that more stem cells migrate to the implant area. Cell proliferation staining shows that the number of Ki67 positive cells is around five times as high as that in the fat graft group.

Description of D-glucosamine immobilization kinetics onto poly(lactic acid) surface via a multistep physicochemical approach for preparation of novel active biomaterials

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has shown much success in the preparation of tissue engineering scaffolds as it can be fabricated with a tailored architecture. However, the PLA surface has drawbacks including the lack of biofunctional motifs which are essential for high affinity to biological cells. Therefore, this study describes a multistep physicochemical approach for the immobilization of d-glucosamine (GlcN), a naturally occurring monosaccharide having many biological functions, on the PLA surface aiming at enhancing the cell proliferation activity. In this approach, poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) spacer arms are first introduced into the PLA surface via plasma post-irradiation grafting technique. Then, covalent coupling or physical adsorption of GlcN with/on the PAAc spacer is carried out. Factors affecting the grafting yield are controlled to produce a suitable spacer for bioimmobilization. X-ray photon spectroscopic (XPS) analyses confirm the immobilization of GlcN on the PLA surface. The XPS results reveal also that increasing the yield of grafted PAAc spacer on the PLA surface increases the amount of covalently immobilized GlcN, but actually inhibits the immobilization process using the physical adsorption method. Contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) show a substantial increase of surface energy and roughness of PLA surface, respectively, upon the multistep modification procedure. The cytocompatibility of the modified surfaces is assessed using a mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell line. Observation from the cell culture basically demonstrates the potential of GlcN immobilization in improving the cytocompatibility of the PLA surface. Moreover, the covalent immobilization of GlcN seems to produce more cytocompatible surfaces if compared with the physical adsorption method. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3176-3188, 2017.

Effect of hydrogel elasticity and ephrinB2-immobilized manner on Runx2 expression of human mesenchymal stem cells

The objective of this study is to design the manner of ephrinB2 immobilized onto polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels with varied elasticity and evaluate the effect of hydrogels elasticity and the immobilized manner of ephrinB2 on the Runx2 expression of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). The PAAm hydrogels were prepared by the radical polymerization of acrylamide (AAm), and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS). By changing the BIS concentration, the elasticity of PAAm hydrogels changed from 1 to 70kPa. For the bio-specific immobilization of ephrinB2, a chimeric protein of ephrinB2 and Fc domain was immobilized onto protein A-conjugated PAAm hydrogels by making use of the bio-specific interaction between the Fc domain and protein A. When hMSC were cultured on the ephrinB2-immobilized PAAm hydrogels with varied elasticity, the morphology of hMSC was of cuboidal shape on the PAAm hydrogels immobilized with ephrinB2 compared with non-conjugated ones, irrespective of the hydrogels elasticity. The bio-specific immobilization of ephrinB2 enhanced the level of Runx2 expression. The expression level was significantly high for the hydrogels of 3.6 and 5.9kPa elasticity with bio-specific immobilization of ephrinB2 compared with other hydrogels with the same elasticity. The hydrogels showed a significantly down-regulated RhoA activity. It is concluded that the Runx2 expression of hMSC is synergistically influenced by the hydrogels elasticity and their immobilized manner of ephrinB2 immobilized.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Differentiation fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) is modified by biochemical and biophysical factors, such as elasticity and signal proteins. However, there are few experiments about combinations of them. In this study, to evaluate the synergistic effect of them on cell properties of MSC, we established to design the manner of Eph signal ligand, ephrinB2, immobilized onto polyacrylamide hydrogels with varied elasticity. The gene expression level of an osteogenic maker, Runx2, was enhanced by the immobilized manner, and significantly enhanced for the hydrogels of around 4kPa elasticity with bio-specific immobilization of ephrinB2. This is the novel report describing to demonstrate that the Runx2 expression of MSC is synergistically influenced by the hydrogels elasticity and their manner of ephrinB2 immobilized.

Mechanotransduction and Growth Factor Signalling to Engineer Cellular Microenvironments

Engineering cellular microenvironments involves biochemical factors, the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the interaction with neighbouring cells. This progress report provides a critical overview of key studies that incorporate growth factor (GF) signalling and mechanotransduction into the design of advanced microenvironments. Materials systems have been developed for surface-bound presentation of GFs, either covalently tethered or sequestered through physico-chemical affinity to the matrix, as an alternative to soluble GFs. Furthermore, some materials contain both GF and integrin binding regions and thereby enable synergistic signalling between the two. Mechanotransduction refers to the ability of the cells to sense physical properties of the ECM and to transduce them into biochemical signals. Various aspects of the physics of the ECM, i.e. stiffness, geometry and ligand spacing, as well as time-dependent properties, such as matrix stiffening, degradability, viscoelasticity, surface mobility as well as spatial patterns and gradients of physical cues are discussed. To conclude, various examples illustrate the potential for cooperative signalling of growth factors and the physical properties of the microenvironment for potential applications in regenerative medicine, cancer research and drug testing.

Tethering Growth Factors to Collagen Surfaces Using Copper-Free Click Chemistry: Surface Characterization and in Vitro Biological Response

Surface modifications with tethered growth factors have mainly been applied to synthetic polymeric biomaterials in well-controlled, acellular settings, followed by seeding with cells. The known bio-orthogonality of copper-free click chemistry provides an opportunity to not only use it in vitro to create scaffolds or pro-migratory tracks in the presence of living cells, but also potentially apply it to living tissues directly as a coupling modality in situ. In this study, we studied the chemical coupling of growth factors to collagen using biocompatible copper-free click chemistry and its effect on the enhancement of growth factor activity in vitro. We verified the characteristics of modified epidermal growth factor (EGF) using mass spectrometry and an EGF/EGF receptor binding assay, and evaluated the chemical immobilization of EGF on collagen by copper-free click chemistry using surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that the anchoring was noncytotoxic, biocompatible, and rapid. Moreover, the surface-immobilized EGF had significant effects on epithelial cell attachment and proliferation. Our results demonstrate the possibility of copper-free click chemistry as a tool for covalent bonding of growth factors to collagen in the presence of living cells. This approach is a novel and potentially clinically useful application of copper-free click chemistry as a way of anchoring growth factors to collagen and foster epithelial wound healing.

Simple Inkjet Process To Fabricate Microstructures of Chitinous Nanocrystals for Cell Patterning

Structural polysaccharide nanocrystals (NCs) including cellulose nanocrystal have attracted attention. In order to broaden the range of application of the NCs, we can take advantage of their original characteristics by establishing simple and reasonable processing methods. We here demonstrate a micropatterning of animal cellular adhesion by inkjet printing of aqueous dispersions of cytocompatible chitinous NCs onto cellophane films. We display how to regulate the deposition form and two-dimensional shape of the chitinous NC micromoldings using a research inkjet printer. Adhesive capability of mouse fibroblasts onto the chitinous substrates was greatly improved by alkali deacetylation. The deacetylated products remained rod-like nanostructures, but the original chitin crystal form changed to that of chitosan by an intensive deacetylation. The adhered cells could be recovered glycolytically. The chitinous micropatterning substrates can be utilized for biomedical applications such as controlling of cellular shapes, precise monitoring molecular events in biochemistry, and drug screening.

Bioavailability of immobilized epidermal growth factor: Covalent versus noncovalent grafting

In an effort to rationalize and optimize an antiapoptotic coating combining chondroitin sulfate (CS) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) for vascular applications, the authors here report the comparison of two grafting strategies aiming to display EGF in an oriented fashion on CS. For that purpose, the authors produced, purified, and characterized a chimeric protein corresponding to EGF that was N-terminally fused to a cysteine and a coil peptide. The chimera was covalently immobilized via its free thiol group or captured via coiled-coil interactions at the surface of a biosensor or on a chondroitin sulfate coating in multiwell plates, mimicking the coating that was previously developed by them for stent-graft surfaces. The interactions of grafted EGF with the soluble domain of its receptor or the impact of grafted EGF upon vascular smooth muscle survival in proapoptotic conditions indicated that the coiled-coil based tethering was the best approach to display EGF. These results, combined to direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements, indicated that the coiled-coil tethering approach allowed increasing the amount of bioavailable EGF when compared to covalent coupling, rather than the total amount of grafted EGF, while using much lower concentrations of tagged EGF during incubation.

A highly versatile adaptor protein for the tethering of growth factors to gelatin-based biomaterials

In the field of tissue engineering, the tethering of growth factors to tissue scaffolds in an oriented manner can enhance their activity and increase their half-life. We chose to investigate the capture of the basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) and the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) on a gelatin layer, as a model for the functionalization of collagen-based biomaterials. Our strategy relies on the use of two high affinity interactions, that is, the one between two distinct coil peptides as well as the one occurring between a collagen-binding domain (CBD) and gelatin. We expressed a chimeric protein to be used as an adaptor that comprises one of the coil peptides and a CBD derived from the human fibronectin. We proved that it has the ability to bind simultaneously to a gelatin substrate and to form a heterodimeric coiled-coil domain with recombinant growth factors being tagged with the complementary coil peptide. The tethering of the growth factors was characterized by ELISA and surface plasmon resonance-based biosensing. The bioactivity of the immobilized bFGF and EGF was evaluated by a human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation assay and a vascular smooth muscle cell survival assay. We found that the tethering of EGF preserved its mitogenic and anti-apoptotic activity. In the case of bFGF, when captured via our adaptor protein, changes in its natural mode of interaction with gelatin were observed.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

In an effort to functionalize collagen/gelatin-based biomaterials with growth factors, we have designed an adaptor protein corresponding to a collagen-binding domain fused to a coil peptide. In our strategy, this adaptor protein captures growth factors being tagged with the partner coil peptide in a specific, stable and oriented manner. We have found that the tethering of the Epidermal Growth Factor preserved its mitogenic and anti-apoptotic activity. In the case of the basic Fibroblast Growth Factor, the captured growth factor remained bioactive although its tethering via this adaptor protein modified its natural mode of interaction with gelatin. Altogether this strategy is easily adaptable to the simultaneous tethering of various growth factors.

Confinement effect on the structure and elasticity of proteins interfacing polymers

The ordered nanostructured surfaces provide confined environments that allow functionalization of proteins. Here, we used the nanopores of poly(methyl methacrylate) films to attach fibrinogen and lysozyme, and discussed the changes in proteins' structures and elasticity upon confinement. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of protein secondary structures reveals that fibrinogen undergoes less structural change and behaves less stiff when the pore size is close to the protein size. Lysozyme, on the other hand, retains its native-like structure, however, it exhibits the highest modulus in 15 nm pores due to the lower macromolecular crowding effect the protein faces compared to lysozyme within larger pores. These findings manifest the effect of confinement and crowding on the conformation and elasticity of different shaped proteins tethered on surfaces.

Serum-free culturing of human mesenchymal stem cells with immobilized growth factors

Growth factors were immobilized with photo-reactive gelatin and used for serum-free human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) culturing.

Estradiol-tethered micropatterned surfaces for the study of estrogenic non-genomic pathways

Besides its well-known hormonal effects initiated in the nucleus, estradiol (E2) also activates non-nuclear pathways through interactions with receptors located on the cell plasma membrane. Micropatterned substrates consisting of gold dots bearing tethered E2 distributed on a cell-adhesive substrate were prepared and shown to trigger specifically E2 non-genomic effects in cells grown on the substrates.

A Bioorthogonal Approach for the Preparation of a Titanium-Binding Insulin-like Growth-Factor-1 Derivative by Using Tyrosinase

The generation of metal surfaces with biological properties, such as cell-growth-enhancing and differentiation-inducing abilities, could be potentially exciting for the development of functional materials for use in humans, including artificial dental implants and joint replacements. However, currently the immobilization of proteins on the surfaces of the metals are limited. In this study, we have used a mussel-inspired bioorthogonal approach to design a 3,4-hydroxyphenalyalanine-containing recombinant insulin-like growth-factor-1 using a combination of recombinant DNA technology and tyrosinase treatment for the surface modification of titanium. The modified growth factor prepared in this study exhibited strong binding affinity to titanium, and significantly enhanced the growth of NIH3T3 cells on the surface of titanium.