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Masuda A, Kurashina Y, Tani H, Soma Y, Muramatsu J, Itai S, Tohyama S, Onoe H. Maturation of Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Microfiber with Electrical Stimulation Device. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2303477. [PMID: 38768494 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Here an electrical stimulation system is described for maturing microfiber-shaped cardiac tissue (cardiac microfibers, CMFs). The system enables stable culturing of CMFs with electrical stimulation by placing the tissue between electrodes. The electrical stimulation device provides an electric field covering whole CMFs within the stimulation area and can control the beating of the cardiac microfibers. In addition, CMFs under electrical stimulation with different frequencies are examined to evaluate the maturation levels by their sarcomere lengths, electrophysiological characteristics, and gene expression. Sarcomere elongation (14% increase compared to control) is observed at day 10, and a significant upregulation of electrodynamic properties such as gap junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1) and potassium inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J member 2 (KCNJ2) (maximum fourfold increase compared to control) is observed at day 30. These results suggest that electrically stimulated cultures can accelerate the maturation of microfiber-shaped cardiac tissues compared to those without electrical stimulation. This model will contribute to the pathological research of unexplained cardiac diseases and pharmacologic testing by stably constructing matured CMFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akari Masuda
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Yuta Kurashina
- Division of Advanced Mechanical Systems Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Hidenori Tani
- Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Department of Clinical Regenerative Medicine, Fujita Medical Innovation Center, Fujita Health University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 144-0041, Japan
| | - Yusuke Soma
- Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Department of Clinical Regenerative Medicine, Fujita Medical Innovation Center, Fujita Health University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 144-0041, Japan
| | - Jumpei Muramatsu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Shun Itai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
- Division of Medical Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Shugo Tohyama
- Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Department of Clinical Regenerative Medicine, Fujita Medical Innovation Center, Fujita Health University, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 144-0041, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Onoe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
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2
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Butler D, Reyes DR. Heart-on-a-chip systems: disease modeling and drug screening applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1494-1528. [PMID: 38318723 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00829k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, casting a substantial economic footprint and burdening the global healthcare system. Historically, pre-clinical CVD modeling and therapeutic screening have been performed using animal models. Unfortunately, animal models oftentimes fail to adequately mimic human physiology, leading to a poor translation of therapeutics from pre-clinical trials to consumers. Even those that make it to market can be removed due to unforeseen side effects. As such, there exists a clinical, technological, and economical need for systems that faithfully capture human (patho)physiology for modeling CVD, assessing cardiotoxicity, and evaluating drug efficacy. Heart-on-a-chip (HoC) systems are a part of the broader organ-on-a-chip paradigm that leverages microfluidics, tissue engineering, microfabrication, electronics, and gene editing to create human-relevant models for studying disease, drug-induced side effects, and therapeutic efficacy. These compact systems can be capable of real-time measurements and on-demand characterization of tissue behavior and could revolutionize the drug development process. In this review, we highlight the key components that comprise a HoC system followed by a review of contemporary reports of their use in disease modeling, drug toxicity and efficacy assessment, and as part of multi-organ-on-a-chip platforms. We also discuss future perspectives and challenges facing the field, including a discussion on the role that standardization is expected to play in accelerating the widespread adoption of these platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick Butler
- Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
| | - Darwin R Reyes
- Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
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3
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Leng Y, Li X, Zheng F, Liu H, Wang C, Wang X, Liao Y, Liu J, Meng K, Yu J, Zhang J, Wang B, Tan Y, Liu M, Jia X, Li D, Li Y, Gu Z, Fan Y. Advances in In Vitro Models of Neuromuscular Junction: Focusing on Organ-on-a-Chip, Organoids, and Biohybrid Robotics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2211059. [PMID: 36934404 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a peripheral synaptic connection between presynaptic motor neurons and postsynaptic skeletal muscle fibers that enables muscle contraction and voluntary motor movement. Many traumatic, neurodegenerative, and neuroimmunological diseases are classically believed to mainly affect either the neuronal or the muscle side of the NMJ, and treatment options are lacking. Recent advances in novel techniques have helped develop in vitro physiological and pathophysiological models of the NMJ as well as enable precise control and evaluation of its functions. This paper reviews the recent developments in in vitro NMJ models with 2D or 3D cultures, from organ-on-a-chip and organoids to biohybrid robotics. Related derivative techniques are introduced for functional analysis of the NMJ, such as the patch-clamp technique, microelectrode arrays, calcium imaging, and stimulus methods, particularly optogenetic-mediated light stimulation, microelectrode-mediated electrical stimulation, and biochemical stimulation. Finally, the applications of the in vitro NMJ models as disease models or for drug screening related to suitable neuromuscular diseases are summarized and their future development trends and challenges are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Leng
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaorui Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Fuyin Zheng
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yulong Liao
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jiangyue Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Kaiqi Meng
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jiaheng Yu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Binyu Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yingjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Meili Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaoling Jia
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Deyu Li
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yinghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Zhongze Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, and with the School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
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4
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Di Gravina GM, Loi G, Auricchio F, Conti M. Computer-aided engineering and additive manufacturing for bioreactors in tissue engineering: State of the art and perspectives. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031303. [PMID: 38510707 PMCID: PMC10903388 DOI: 10.1063/5.0156704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Two main challenges are currently present in the healthcare world, i.e., the limitations given by transplantation and the need to have available 3D in vitro models. In this context, bioreactors are devices that have been introduced in tissue engineering as a support for facing the mentioned challenges by mimicking the cellular native microenvironment through the application of physical stimuli. Bioreactors can be divided into two groups based on their final application: macro- and micro-bioreactors, which address the first and second challenge, respectively. The bioreactor design is a crucial step as it determines the way in which physical stimuli are provided to cells. It strongly depends on the manufacturing techniques chosen for the realization. In particular, in bioreactor prototyping, additive manufacturing techniques are widely used nowadays as they allow the fabrication of customized shapes, guaranteeing more degrees of freedom. To support the bioreactor design, a powerful tool is represented by computational simulations that allow to avoid useless approaches of trial-and-error. In the present review, we aim to discuss the general workflow that must be carried out to develop an optimal macro- and micro-bioreactor. Accordingly, we organize the discussion by addressing the following topics: general and stimulus-specific (i.e., perfusion, mechanical, and electrical) requirements that must be considered during the design phase based on the tissue target; computational models as support in designing bioreactors based on the provided stimulus; manufacturing techniques, with a special focus on additive manufacturing techniques; and finally, current applications and new trends in which bioreactors are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giada Loi
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Auricchio
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Michele Conti
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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5
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House A, Cornick J, Butt Q, Guvendiren M. Elastomeric platform with surface wrinkling patterns to control cardiac cell alignment. J Biomed Mater Res A 2023; 111:1228-1242. [PMID: 36762538 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in creating 2D cardiac tissue models that display native extracellular matrix (ECM) cues of the heart tissue. Cellular alignment alone is known to be a crucial cue for cardiac tissue development by regulating cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions. In this study, we report a simple and robust approach to create lamellar surface wrinkling patterns enabling spatial control of pattern dimensions with a wide range of pattern amplitude (A ≈ 2-55 μm) and wavelength (λ ≈ 35-100 μm). For human cardiomyocytes (hCMs) and human cardiac fibroblasts (hCFs), our results indicate that the degree of cellular alignment and pattern recognition are correlated with pattern A and λ. We also demonstrate fabrication of devices composed of micro-well arrays with user-defined lamellar patterns on the bottom surface of each well for high-throughput screening studies. Results from a screening study indicate that cellular alignment is strongly diminished with increasing seeding density. In another study, we show our ability to vary hCM/hCF seeding ratio for each well to create co-culture systems where seeding ratio is independent of cellular alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew House
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jason Cornick
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Quratulain Butt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Murat Guvendiren
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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6
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Liu L, Xu F, Jin H, Qiu B, Yang J, Zhang W, Gao Q, Lin B, Chen S, Sun D. Integrated Manufacturing of Suspended and Aligned Nanofibrous Scaffold for Structural Maturation and Synchronous Contraction of HiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:702. [PMID: 37370633 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10060702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrospun nanofiber constructs represent a promising alternative for mimicking the natural extracellular matrix in vitro and have significant potential for cardiac patch applications. While the effect of fiber orientation on the morphological structure of cardiomyocytes has been investigated, fibers only provide contact guidance without accounting for substrate stiffness due to their deposition on rigid substrates (e.g., glass or polystyrene). This paper introduces an in situ fabrication method for suspended and well aligned nanofibrous scaffolds via roller electrospinning, providing an anisotropic microenvironment with reduced stiffness for cardiac tissue engineering. A fiber surface modification strategy, utilizing oxygen plasma treatment combined with sodium dodecyl sulfate solution, was proposed to maintain the hydrophilicity of polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers, promoting cellular adhesion. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs), cultured on aligned fibers, exhibited an elongated morphology with extension along the fiber axis. In comparison to Petri dishes and suspended random fiber scaffolds, hiPSC-CMs on suspended aligned fiber scaffolds demonstrated enhanced sarcomere organization, spontaneous synchronous contraction, and gene expression indicative of maturation. This work demonstrates the suspended and aligned nano-fibrous scaffold provides a more realistic biomimetic environment for hiPSC-CMs, which promoted further research on the inducing effect of fiber scaffolds on hiPSC-CMs microstructure and gene-level expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Liu
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hang Jin
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Bin Qiu
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jianhui Yang
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wangzihan Zhang
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Bin Lin
- Guangdong Beating Origin Regenerative Medicine Co., Ltd., Foshan 528231, China
| | - Songyue Chen
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Daoheng Sun
- Sabondong Micron Nano Science and Technology Research Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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Ferre-Torres J, Noguera-Monteagudo A, Lopez-Canosa A, Romero-Arias JR, Barrio R, Castaño O, Hernandez-Machado A. Modelling of chemotactic sprouting endothelial cells through an extracellular matrix. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1145550. [PMID: 37362221 PMCID: PMC10285466 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1145550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sprouting angiogenesis is a core biological process critical to vascular development. Its accurate simulation, relevant to multiple facets of human health, is of broad, interdisciplinary appeal. This study presents an in-silico model replicating a microfluidic assay where endothelial cells sprout into a biomimetic extracellular matrix, specifically, a large-pore, low-concentration fibrin-based porous hydrogel, influenced by chemotactic factors. We introduce a novel approach by incorporating the extracellular matrix and chemotactic factor effects into a unified term using a single parameter, primarily focusing on modelling sprouting dynamics and morphology. This continuous model naturally describes chemotactic-induced sprouting with no need for additional rules. In addition, we extended our base model to account for matrix sensing and degradation, crucial aspects of angiogenesis. We validate our model via a hybrid in-silico experimental method, comparing the model predictions with experimental results derived from the microfluidic setup. Our results underscore the intricate relationship between the extracellular matrix structure and angiogenic sprouting, proposing a promising method for predicting the influence of the extracellular matrix on angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep Ferre-Torres
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Adrian Lopez-Canosa
- Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Spain
| | - J. Roberto Romero-Arias
- Institute for Research in Applied Mathematics and Systems, National Autonomous University of Mexico , Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rafael Barrio
- Institute of Physics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oscar Castaño
- Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurora Hernandez-Machado
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Palma-Florez S, López-Canosa A, Moralez-Zavala F, Castaño O, Kogan MJ, Samitier J, Lagunas A, Mir M. BBB-on-a-chip with integrated micro-TEER for permeability evaluation of multi-functionalized gold nanorods against Alzheimer's disease. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:115. [PMID: 36978078 PMCID: PMC10053726 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01798-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lack of predictive models that mimic the blood-brain barrier (BBB) hinders the development of effective drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Animal models behave differently from humans, are expensive and have ethical constraints. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms offer several advantages to resembling physiological and pathological conditions in a versatile, reproducible, and animal-free manner. In addition, OoC give us the possibility to incorporate sensors to determine cell culture features such as trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). Here, we developed a BBB-on-a-chip (BBB-oC) platform with a TEER measurement system in close distance to the barrier used for the first time for the evaluation of the permeability performance of targeted gold nanorods for theranostics of Alzheimer's disease. GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 is a therapeutic nanosystem previously developed by us consisting of gold nanorods (GNR) functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG), angiopep-2 peptide (Ang2) to overcome the BBB and the D1 peptide as beta amyloid fibrillation inhibitor, finally obtaining GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 which showed to be useful for disaggregation of the amyloid in in vitro and in vivo models. In this work, we evaluated its cytotoxicity, permeability, and some indications of its impact on the brain endothelium by employing an animal-free device based on neurovascular human cells. RESULTS In this work, we fabricated a BBB-oC with human astrocytes, pericytes and endothelial cells and a TEER measuring system (TEER-BBB-oC) integrated at a micrometric distance of the endothelial barrier. The characterization displayed a neurovascular network and the expression of tight junctions in the endothelium. We produced GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 and determined its non-cytotoxic range (0.05-0.4 nM) for plated cells included in the BBB-oC and confirmed its harmless effect at the highest concentration (0.4 nM) in the microfluidic device. The permeability assays revealed that GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1 cross the BBB and this entry is facilitated by Ang2 peptide. Parallel to the permeability analysis of GNR-PEG-Ang2/D1, an interesting behavior of the TJs expression was observed after its administration probably related to the ligands on the nanoparticle surface. CONCLUSIONS BBB-oC with a novel TEER integrated setup which allow a correct read-out and cell imaging monitoring was proven as a functional and throughput platform to evaluate the brain permeability performance of nanotherapeutics in a physiological environment with human cells, putting forward a viable alternative to animal experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujey Palma-Florez
- Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrián López-Canosa
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Moralez-Zavala
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santos Dumont 964, 8380494, Santiago, Chile
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Sergio Livingstone 1007, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oscar Castaño
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marcelo J Kogan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santos Dumont 964, 8380494, Santiago, Chile
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Sergio Livingstone 1007, Santiago, Chile
| | - Josep Samitier
- Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Lagunas
- Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mònica Mir
- Nanobioengineering group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 12 Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are a group of heart and blood vessel disorders which remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, cardiovascular disease research commonly depends on in vivo rodent models and in vitro human cell culture models. Despite their widespread use in cardiovascular disease research, there are some long-standing limitations: animal models often fail to faithfully mimic human response, while traditional cell models ignore the in vivo microenvironment, intercellular communications, and tissue-tissue interactions. The convergence of microfabrication and tissue engineering has given rise to organ-on-a-chip technologies. The organ-on-a-chip is a microdevice containing microfluidic chips, cells, and extracellular matrix to reproduce the physiological processes of a certain part of the human body, and is nowadays considered a promising bridge between in vivo models and in vitro 2D or 3D cell culture models. Considering the difficulty in obtaining human vessel and heart samples, the development of vessel-on-a-chip and heart-on-a-chip systems can guide cardiovascular disease research in the future. In this review, we elaborate methods and materials to fabricate organ-on-a-chip systems and summarize the construction of vessel and heart chips. The construction of vessels-on-a-chip must consider the cyclic mechanical stretch and fluid shear stress, while hemodynamic forces and cardiomyocyte maturation are key factors in building hearts-on-a-chip. We also introduce the application of organs-on-a-chip in cardiovascular disease study.
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10
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Criscione J, Rezaei Z, Hernandez Cantu CM, Murphy S, Shin SR, Kim DH. Heart-on-a-chip platforms and biosensor integration for disease modeling and phenotypic drug screening. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 220:114840. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Microfluidic 3D Platform to Evaluate Endothelial Progenitor Cell Recruitment by Bioactive Materials. Acta Biomater 2022; 151:264-277. [PMID: 35981686 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Most of the conventional in vitro models to test biomaterial-driven vascularization are too simplistic to recapitulate the complex interactions taking place in the actual cell microenvironment, which results in a poor prediction of the in vivo performance of the material. However, during the last decade, cell culture models based on microfluidic technology have allowed attaining unprecedented levels of tissue biomimicry. In this work, we propose a microfluidic-based 3D model to evaluate the effect of bioactive biomaterials capable of releasing signalling cues (such as ions or proteins) in the recruitment of endogenous endothelial progenitor cells, a key step in the vascularization process. The usability of the platform is demonstrated using experimentally-validated finite element models and migration and proliferation studies with rat endothelial progenitor cells (rEPCs) and bone marrow-derived rat mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-rMSCs). As a proof of concept of biomaterial evaluation, the response of rEPCs to an electrospun composite made of polylactic acid with calcium phosphates nanoparticles (PLA+CaP) was compared in a co-culture microenvironment with BM-rMSC to a regular PLA control. Our results show a significantly higher rEPCs migration and the upregulation of several pro-inflammatory and proangiogenic proteins in the case of the PLA+CaP. The effects of osteopontin (OPN) on the rEPCs migratory response were also studied using this platform, suggesting its important role in mediating their recruitment to a calcium-rich microenvironment. This new tool could be applied to screen the capacity of a variety of bioactive scaffolds to induce vascularization and accelerate the preclinical testing of biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : For many years researchers have used neovascularization models to evaluate bioactive biomaterials both in vitro, with low predictive results due to their poor biomimicry and minimal control over cell cues such as spatiotemporal biomolecule signaling, and in vivo models, presenting drawbacks such as being highly costly, time-consuming, poor human extrapolation, and ethically controversial. We describe a compact microphysiological platform designed for the evaluation of proangiogenesis in biomaterials through the quantification of the level of sprouting in a mimicked endothelium able to react to gradients of biomaterial-released signals in a fibrin-based extracellular matrix. This model is a useful tool to perform preclinical trustworthy studies in tissue regeneration and to better understand the different elements involved in the complex process of vascularization.
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Rajzer I, Rom M, Menaszek E, Fabia J, Kwiatkowski R. Conductive Polyaniline Patterns on Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:4837. [PMID: 34500927 PMCID: PMC8432661 DOI: 10.3390/ma14174837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the challenge for bone tissue engineering is to design a scaffold that would mimic the structure and biological functions of the extracellular matrix and would be able to direct the appropriate response of cells through electrochemical signals, thus stimulate faster bone formation. The purpose of the presented research was to perform and evaluate PCL/n-HAp scaffolds locally modified with a conductive polymer-polyaniline. The material was obtained using electrospinning, and a simple ink-jet printing method was applied to receive the conductive polyaniline patterns on the surface of the electrospun materials. The samples of scaffolds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before and after immersion of the material in Simulated Body Fluid. The effect of PANI patterns on changes in the SBF mineralization process and cell morphology was evaluated in order to prove that the presented material enables the growth and proliferation of bone cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabella Rajzer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Bielsko-Biala, 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland
| | - Monika Rom
- Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland; (M.R.); (J.F.); (R.K.)
| | - Elżbieta Menaszek
- Department of Cytobiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, 31-007 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Janusz Fabia
- Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland; (M.R.); (J.F.); (R.K.)
| | - Ryszard Kwiatkowski
- Faculty of Materials, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, 43-309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland; (M.R.); (J.F.); (R.K.)
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