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Daou F, Masante B, Gabetti S, Mochi F, Putame G, Zenobi E, Scatena E, Dell'Atti F, Favero F, Leigheb M, Del Gaudio C, Bignardi C, Massai D, Cochis A, Rimondini L. Unraveling the transcriptome profile of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation in bone regeneration using a bioreactor-based investigation platform. Bone 2024; 182:117065. [PMID: 38428556 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2024.117065] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) sense and respond to biomechanical and biophysical stimuli, yet the involved signaling pathways are not fully identified. The clinical application of biophysical stimulation including pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has gained momentum in musculoskeletal disorders and bone tissue engineering. METHODOLOGY We herein aim to explore the role of PEMF stimulation in bone regeneration by developing trabecular bone-like tissues, and then, culturing them under bone-like mechanical stimulation in an automated perfusion bioreactor combined with a custom-made PEMF stimulator. After selecting the optimal cell seeding and culture conditions for inspecting the effects of PEMF on hMSCs, transcriptomic studies were performed on cells cultured under direct perfusion with and without PEMF stimulation. RESULTS We were able to identify a set of signaling pathways and upstream regulators associated with PEMF stimulation and to distinguish those linked to bone regeneration. Our findings suggest that PEMF induces the immune potential of hMSCs by activating and inhibiting various immune-related pathways, such as macrophage classical activation and MSP-RON signaling in macrophages, respectively, while promoting angiogenesis and osteogenesis, which mimics the dynamic interplay of biological processes during bone healing. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the adopted bioreactor-based investigation platform can be used to investigate the impact of PEMF stimulation on bone regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Daou
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy
| | - Beatrice Masante
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Gabetti
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Putame
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eleonora Zenobi
- Hypatia Research Consortium, Rome, Italy; E. Amaldi Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Scatena
- Hypatia Research Consortium, Rome, Italy; E. Amaldi Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Dell'Atti
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy
| | - Francesco Favero
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Leigheb
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy; Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, "Maggiore della Carità" Hospital, Novara, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Bignardi
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Pisa, Italy
| | - Diana Massai
- Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Cochis
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy
| | - Lia Rimondini
- Dept. of Health Sciences, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy.
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Gabetti S, Masante B, Schiavi A, Scatena E, Zenobi E, Israel S, Sanginario A, Del Gaudio C, Audenino A, Morbiducci U, Massai D. Adaptable test bench for ASTM-compliant permeability measurement of porous scaffolds for tissue engineering. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1722. [PMID: 38242930 PMCID: PMC10799031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52159-4] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic permeability describes the ability of a porous medium to be penetrated by a fluid. Considering porous scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) applications, this macroscopic variable can strongly influence the transport of oxygen and nutrients, the cell seeding process, and the transmission of fluid forces to the cells, playing a crucial role in determining scaffold efficacy. Thus, accurately measuring the permeability of porous scaffolds could represent an essential step in their optimization process. In literature, several methods have been proposed to characterize scaffold permeability. Most of the currently adopted approaches to assess permeability limit their applicability to specific scaffold structures, hampering protocols standardization, and ultimately leading to incomparable results among different laboratories. The content of novelty of this study is in the proposal of an adaptable test bench and in defining a specific testing protocol, compliant with the ASTM International F2952-22 guidelines, for reliable and repeatable measurements of the intrinsic permeability of TE porous scaffolds. The developed permeability test bench (PTB) exploits the pump-based method, and it is composed of a modular permeability chamber integrated within a closed-loop hydraulic circuit, which includes a peristaltic pump and pressure sensors, recirculating demineralized water. A specific testing protocol was defined for characterizing the pressure drop associated with the scaffold under test, while minimizing the effects of uncertainty sources. To assess the operational capabilities and performance of the proposed test bench, permeability measurements were conducted on PLA scaffolds with regular (PS) and random (RS) micro-architecture and on commercial bovine bone matrix-derived scaffolds (CS) for bone TE. To validate the proposed approach, the scaffolds were as well characterized using an alternative test bench (ATB) based on acoustic measurements, implementing a blind randomized testing procedure. The consistency of the permeability values measured using both the test benches demonstrated the reliability of the proposed approach. A further validation of the PTB's measurement reliability was provided by the agreement between the measured permeability values of the PS scaffolds and the theory-based predicted permeability value. Once validated the proposed PTB, the performed measurements allowed the investigation of the scaffolds' transport properties. Samples with the same structure (guaranteed by the fused-deposition modeling technique) were characterized by similar permeability values, and CS and RS scaffolds showed permeability values in agreement with the values reported in the literature for bovine trabecular bone. In conclusion, the developed PTB and the proposed testing protocol allow the characterization of the intrinsic permeability of porous scaffolds of different types and dimensions under controlled flow regimes, representing a powerful tool in view of providing a reliable and repeatable framework for characterizing and optimizing scaffolds for TE applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gabetti
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Beatrice Masante
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
- Department of Surgical Sciences, CIR-Dental School, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Schiavi
- Applied Metrology and Engineering Division, INRiM-National Institute of Metrological Research, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | - Simone Israel
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sanginario
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Audenino
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Morbiducci
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Diana Massai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy.
- Centro 3R, Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy.
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Gabetti S, Sileo A, Montrone F, Putame G, Audenino AL, Marsano A, Massai D. Versatile electrical stimulator for cardiac tissue engineering-Investigation of charge-balanced monophasic and biphasic electrical stimulations. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 10:1031183. [PMID: 36686253 PMCID: PMC9846083 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1031183] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of biomimetic physical stimuli replicating the in vivo dynamic microenvironment is crucial for the in vitro development of functional cardiac tissues. In particular, pulsed electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to improve the functional properties of in vitro cultured cardiomyocytes. However, commercially available electrical stimulators are expensive and cumbersome devices while customized solutions often allow limited parameter tunability, constraining the investigation of different ES protocols. The goal of this study was to develop a versatile compact electrical stimulator (ELETTRA) for biomimetic cardiac tissue engineering approaches, designed for delivering controlled parallelizable ES at a competitive cost. ELETTRA is based on an open-source micro-controller running custom software and is combinable with different cell/tissue culture set-ups, allowing simultaneously testing different ES patterns on multiple samples. In particular, customized culture chambers were appositely designed and manufactured for investigating the influence of monophasic and biphasic pulsed ES on cardiac cell monolayers. Finite element analysis was performed for characterizing the spatial distributions of the electrical field and the current density within the culture chamber. Performance tests confirmed the accuracy, compliance, and reliability of the ES parameters delivered by ELETTRA. Biological tests were performed on neonatal rat cardiac cells, electrically stimulated for 4 days, by comparing, for the first time, the monophasic waveform (electric field = 5 V/cm) to biphasic waveforms by matching either the absolute value of the electric field variation (biphasic ES at ±2.5 V/cm) or the total delivered charge (biphasic ES at ±5 V/cm). Findings suggested that monophasic ES at 5 V/cm and, particularly, charge-balanced biphasic ES at ±5 V/cm were effective in enhancing electrical functionality of stimulated cardiac cells and in promoting synchronous contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gabetti
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Sileo
- Department of Surgery and Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Federica Montrone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Putame
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Alberto L. Audenino
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Anna Marsano
- Department of Surgery and Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Diana Massai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy,*Correspondence: Diana Massai,
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Gabetti S, Masante B, Cochis A, Putame G, Sanginario A, Armando I, Fiume E, Scalia AC, Daou F, Baino F, Salati S, Morbiducci U, Rimondini L, Bignardi C, Massai D. An automated 3D-printed perfusion bioreactor combinable with pulsed electromagnetic field stimulators for bone tissue investigations. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13859. [PMID: 35974079 PMCID: PMC9381575 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18075-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In bone tissue engineering research, bioreactors designed for replicating the main features of the complex native environment represent powerful investigation tools. Moreover, when equipped with automation, their use allows reducing user intervention and dependence, increasing reproducibility and the overall quality of the culture process. In this study, an automated uni-/bi-directional perfusion bioreactor combinable with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation for culturing 3D bone tissue models is proposed. A user-friendly control unit automates the perfusion, minimizing the user dependency. Computational fluid dynamics simulations supported the culture chamber design and allowed the estimation of the shear stress values within the construct. Electromagnetic field simulations demonstrated that, in case of combination with a PEMF stimulator, the construct can be exposed to uniform magnetic fields. Preliminary biological tests on 3D bone tissue models showed that perfusion promotes the release of the early differentiation marker alkaline phosphatase. The histological analysis confirmed that perfusion favors cells to deposit more extracellular matrix (ECM) with respect to the static culture and revealed that bi-directional perfusion better promotes ECM deposition across the construct with respect to uni-directional perfusion. Lastly, the Real-time PCR results of 3D bone tissue models cultured under bi-directional perfusion without and with PEMF stimulation revealed that the only perfusion induced a ~ 40-fold up-regulation of the expression of the osteogenic gene collagen type I with respect to the static control, while a ~ 80-fold up-regulation was measured when perfusion was combined with PEMF stimulation, indicating a positive synergic pro-osteogenic effect of combined physical stimulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gabetti
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Beatrice Masante
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Cochis
- Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease-CAAD, Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale UPO, Novara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Putame
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sanginario
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Ileana Armando
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elisa Fiume
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Calogero Scalia
- Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease-CAAD, Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale UPO, Novara, Italy
| | - Farah Daou
- Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease-CAAD, Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale UPO, Novara, Italy
| | - Francesco Baino
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Umberto Morbiducci
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Lia Rimondini
- Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Center for Translational Research on Autoimmune and Allergic Disease-CAAD, Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale UPO, Novara, Italy
| | - Cristina Bignardi
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Diana Massai
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy. .,Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research, Turin, Italy.
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Putame G, Gabetti S, Carbonaro D, Meglio FD, Romano V, Sacco AM, Belviso I, Serino G, Bignardi C, Morbiducci U, Castaldo C, Massai D. Compact and tunable stretch bioreactor advancing tissue engineering implementation. Application to engineered cardiac constructs. Med Eng Phys 2020; 84:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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