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Biehl A, Colmon R, Timofeeva A, Gracioso Martins AM, Dion GR, Peters K, Freytes DO. Scalable and High-Throughput In Vitro Vibratory Platform for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering Applications. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:602. [PMID: 37237672 PMCID: PMC10215097 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10050602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The vocal folds (VFs) are constantly exposed to mechanical stimulation leading to changes in biomechanical properties, structure, and composition. The development of long-term strategies for VF treatment depends on the characterization of related cells, biomaterials, or engineered tissues in a controlled mechanical environment. Our aim was to design, develop, and characterize a scalable and high-throughput platform that mimics the mechanical microenvironment of the VFs in vitro. The platform consists of a 24-well plate fitted with a flexible membrane atop a waveguide equipped with piezoelectric speakers which allows for cells to be exposed to various phonatory stimuli. The displacements of the flexible membrane were characterized via Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV). Human VF fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells were seeded, exposed to various vibratory regimes, and the expression of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes was analyzed. Compared to current bioreactor designs, the platform developed in this study can incorporate commercial assay formats ranging from 6- to 96-well plates which represents a significant improvement in scalability. This platform is modular and allows for tunable frequency regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Biehl
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University & University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 4130 Engineering Building III, Campus Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA (R.C.); (A.M.G.M.)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Ramair Colmon
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University & University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 4130 Engineering Building III, Campus Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA (R.C.); (A.M.G.M.)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Anastasia Timofeeva
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (A.T.); (K.P.)
| | - Ana Maria Gracioso Martins
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University & University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 4130 Engineering Building III, Campus Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA (R.C.); (A.M.G.M.)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Gregory R. Dion
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
| | - Kara Peters
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; (A.T.); (K.P.)
| | - Donald O. Freytes
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University & University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 4130 Engineering Building III, Campus Box 7115, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA (R.C.); (A.M.G.M.)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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Gracioso Martins AM, Biehl A, Sze D, Freytes DO. Bioreactors for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering. Tissue Eng Part B Rev 2022; 28:182-205. [PMID: 33446061 PMCID: PMC8892964 DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2020.0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
It is estimated that almost one-third of the United States population will be affected by a vocal fold (VF) disorder during their lifespan. Promising therapies to treat VF injury and scarring are mostly centered on VF tissue engineering strategies such as the injection of engineered biomaterials and cell therapy. VF tissue engineering, however, is a challenging field as the biomechanical properties, structure, and composition of the VF tissue change upon exposure to mechanical stimulation. As a result, the development of long-term VF treatment strategies relies on the characterization of engineered tissues under a controlled mechanical environment. In this review, we highlight the importance of bioreactors as a powerful tool for VF tissue engineering with a focus on the current state of the art of bioreactors designed to mimic phonation in vitro. We discuss the influence of the phonatory environment on the development, function, injury, and healing of the VF tissue and its importance for the development of efficient therapeutic strategies. A concise and comprehensive overview of bioreactor designs, principles, operating parameters, and scalability are presented. An in-depth analysis of VF bioreactor data to date reveals that mechanical stimulation significantly influences cell viability and the expression of proinflammatory and profibrotic genes in vitro. Although the precision and accuracy of bioreactors contribute to generating reliable results, diverse gene expression profiles across the literature suggest that future efforts should focus on the standardization of bioreactor parameters to enable direct comparisons between studies. Impact statement We present a comprehensive review of bioreactors for vocal fold (VF) tissue engineering with a focus on the influence of the phonatory environment on the development, function, injury, and healing of the VFs and the importance of mimicking phonation on engineered VF tissues in vitro. Furthermore, we put forward a strong argument for the continued development of bioreactors in this area with an emphasis on the standardization of bioreactor designs, principles, operating parameters, and oscillatory regimes to enable comparisons between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Gracioso Martins
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University/University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andreea Biehl
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University/University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daphne Sze
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University/University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Donald O Freytes
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University/University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Hortobagyi D, Grossmann T, Tschernitz M, Grill M, Kirsch A, Gerstenberger C, Gugatschka M. In vitro mechanical vibration down-regulates pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic signaling in human vocal fold fibroblasts. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241901. [PMID: 33211714 PMCID: PMC7676657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Voice rest following phonotrauma or phonosurgery has a considerable clinical impact, but clinical recommendations are inconsistent due to inconclusive data. As biopsies of the vocal folds (VF) for molecular biology studies in humans are unethical, we established a new in vitro model to explore the effects of vibration on human vocal fold fibroblasts (hVFF) in an inflammatory and normal state, which is based on previously published models. METHODS By using a phonomimetic bioreactor we were able to apply predefined vibrational stress patterns on hVFF cultured under inflammatory or normal conditions. Inflammatory and pro-fibrotic stimuli were induced by interleukin (IL)1β and transforming growth factor (TGF)β1, respectively. Mechanical stimulation was applied four hours daily, over a period of 72 hours. Outcome measurements comprised assessment of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related components, angiogenic factors, and inflammatory and fibrogenic markers on gene expression and protein levels. RESULTS Under inflammatory conditions, the inflammatory cytokine IL11, as well as the myofibroblast marker alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were significantly reduced when additional vibration was applied. The desirable anti-fibrotic ECM component hyaluronic acid was increased following cytokine treatment, but was not diminished following vibration. CONCLUSION Our experiments revealed the effect of vibrational stress on hVFF in an inflammatory state. Elevated levels of certain pro-inflammatory/pro-fibrotic factors could be mitigated by additional vibrational excitation in an in vitro setting. These findings corroborate clinical studies which recommend early voice activation following an acute event.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hortobagyi
- Division of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Tanja Grossmann
- Division of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Magdalena Grill
- Division of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrijana Kirsch
- Division of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Kim D, Kwon S. Vibrational stress affects extracellular signal-regulated kinases activation and cytoskeleton structure in human keratinocytes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231174. [PMID: 32267880 PMCID: PMC7141684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
As the outermost organ, the skin can be damaged following injuries such as wounds and bacterial or viral infections, and such damage should be rapidly restored to defend the body against physical, chemical, and microbial assaults. However, the wound healing process can be delayed or prolonged by health conditions, including diabetes mellitus, venous stasis disease, ischemia, and even stress. In this study, we developed a vibrational cell culture model and investigated the effects of mechanical vibrations on human keratinocytes. The HaCaT cells were exposed to vibrations at a frequency of 45 Hz with accelerations of 0.8g for 2 h per day. The applied mechanical vibration did not affect cell viability or cell proliferation. Cell migratory activity did increase following exposure to vibration, but the change was not statistically significant. The results of immunostaining (F-actin), western blot (ERK1/2), and RT-qPCR (FGF-2, PDGF-B, HB-EGF, TGF-β1, EGFR, and KGFR) analyses demonstrated that the applied vibration resulted in rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, leading to activation of ERK1/2, one of the MAPK signaling pathways, and upregulation of the gene expression levels of HB-EGF and EGFR. The results suggest that mechanical vibration may have wound healing potential and could be used as a mechanical energy-based treatment for enhancing wound healing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjoo Kim
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
- Biology and Medical Device Evaluation Team, Korea Testing & Research Institute, Gwacheon, Korea
| | - Soonjo Kwon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
- * E-mail:
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