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Wang BX, Kane C, Nicastro L, King O, Kit-Anan W, Downing B, Deidda G, Couch LS, Pinali C, Mitraki A, MacLeod KT, Terracciano CM. Integrins Increase Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Activity for Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10940. [PMID: 36142853 PMCID: PMC9504605 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810940] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Engagement of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ stores for excitation-contraction (EC)-coupling is a fundamental feature of cardiac muscle cells. Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that form the extracellular scaffolding supporting cardiac contractile activity are thought to play an integral role in the modulation of EC-coupling. At baseline, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) show poor utilisation of SR Ca2+ stores, leading to inefficient EC-coupling, like developing or human CMs in cardiac diseases such as heart failure. We hypothesised that integrin ligand-receptor interactions between ECM proteins and CMs recruit the SR to Ca2+ cycling during EC-coupling. hiPSC-CM monolayers were cultured on fibronectin-coated glass before 24 h treatment with fibril-forming peptides containing the integrin-binding tripeptide sequence arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (2 mM). Micropipette application of 40 mM caffeine in standard or Na+/Ca2+-free Tyrode's solutions was used to assess the Ca2+ removal mechanisms. Microelectrode recordings were conducted to analyse action potentials in current-clamp. Confocal images of labelled hiPSC-CMs were analysed to investigate hiPSC-CM morphology and ultrastructural arrangements in Ca2+ release units. This study demonstrates that peptides containing the integrin-binding sequence arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (1) abbreviate hiPSC-CM Ca2+ transient and action potential duration, (2) increase co-localisation between L-type Ca2+ channels and ryanodine receptors involved in EC-coupling, and (3) increase the rate of SR-mediated Ca2+ cycling. We conclude that integrin-binding peptides induce recruitment of the SR for Ca2+ cycling in EC-coupling through functional and structural improvements and demonstrate the importance of the ECM in modulating cardiomyocyte function in physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian X. Wang
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Christopher Kane
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Laura Nicastro
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Oisín King
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Human Safety, Bayer Crop Science, 06903 Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Barrett Downing
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Graziano Deidda
- Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology−Hellas (FORTH), 700 13 Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, 700 13 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Liam S. Couch
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Christian Pinali
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
| | - Anna Mitraki
- Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology−Hellas (FORTH), 700 13 Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, 700 13 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Kenneth T. MacLeod
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Cesare M. Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Laboratory of Myocardial Electrophysiology, 4th Floor, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
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King O, Cruz-Moreira D, Sayed A, Kermani F, Kit-Anan W, Sunyovszki I, Wang BX, Downing B, Fourre J, Hachim D, Randi AM, Stevens MM, Rasponi M, Terracciano CM. Functional microvascularization of human myocardium in vitro. Cell Rep Methods 2022; 2:100280. [PMID: 36160044 PMCID: PMC9499876 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we report static and perfused models of human myocardial-microvascular interaction. In static culture, we observe distinct regulation of electrophysiology of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) in co-culture with human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (hCMVECs) and human left ventricular fibroblasts (hLVFBs), including modification of beating rate, action potential, calcium handling, and pro-arrhythmic substrate. Within a heart-on-a-chip model, we subject this three-dimensional (3D) co-culture to microfluidic perfusion and vasculogenic growth factors to induce spontaneous assembly of perfusable myocardial microvasculature. Live imaging of red blood cells within myocardial microvasculature reveals pulsatile flow generated by beating hiPSC-CMs. This study therefore demonstrates a functionally vascularized in vitro model of human myocardium with widespread potential applications in basic and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oisín King
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniela Cruz-Moreira
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
| | - Alaa Sayed
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Fatemeh Kermani
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Ilona Sunyovszki
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Brian X. Wang
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Barrett Downing
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jerome Fourre
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Hachim
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anna M. Randi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marco Rasponi
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
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Pitoulis FG, Nunez-Toldra R, Xiao K, Kit-Anan W, Mitzka S, Jabbour RJ, Harding SE, Perbellini F, Thum T, de Tombe PP, Terracciano CM. Remodelling of adult cardiac tissue subjected to physiological and pathological mechanical load in vitro. Cardiovasc Res 2022; 118:814-827. [PMID: 33723566 PMCID: PMC8859636 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Cardiac remodelling is the process by which the heart adapts to its environment. Mechanical load is a major driver of remodelling. Cardiac tissue culture has been frequently employed for in vitro studies of load-induced remodelling; however, current in vitro protocols (e.g. cyclic stretch, isometric load, and auxotonic load) are oversimplified and do not accurately capture the dynamic sequence of mechanical conformational changes experienced by the heart in vivo. This limits translational scope and relevance of findings. METHODS AND RESULTS We developed a novel methodology to study chronic load in vitro. We first developed a bioreactor that can recreate the electromechanical events of in vivo pressure-volume loops as in vitro force-length loops. We then used the bioreactor to culture rat living myocardial slices (LMS) for 3 days. The bioreactor operated based on a 3-Element Windkessel circulatory model enabling tissue mechanical loading based on physiologically relevant parameters of afterload and preload. LMS were continuously stretched/relaxed during culture simulating conditions of physiological load (normal preload and afterload), pressure-overload (normal preload and high afterload), or volume-overload (high preload & normal afterload). At the end of culture, functional, structural, and molecular assays were performed to determine load-induced remodelling. Both pressure- and volume-overloaded LMS showed significantly decreased contractility that was more pronounced in the latter compared with physiological load (P < 0.0001). Overloaded groups also showed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy; RNAseq identified shared and unique genes expressed in each overload group. The PI3K-Akt pathway was dysregulated in volume-overload while inflammatory pathways were mostly associated with remodelling in pressure-overloaded LMS. CONCLUSION We have developed a proof-of-concept platform and methodology to recreate remodelling under pathophysiological load in vitro. We show that LMS cultured in our bioreactor remodel as a function of the type of mechanical load applied to them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fotios G Pitoulis
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
| | - Raquel Nunez-Toldra
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
| | - Ke Xiao
- Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover Medical School, OE 8886, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, J3 Building, Level 1, Room 3030, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
| | - Saskia Mitzka
- Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover Medical School, OE 8886, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, J3 Building, Level 1, Room 3030, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Richard J Jabbour
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
| | - Sian E Harding
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
| | - Filippo Perbellini
- Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover Medical School, OE 8886, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, J3 Building, Level 1, Room 3030, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
- Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover Medical School, OE 8886, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, J3 Building, Level 1, Room 3030, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Pieter P de Tombe
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Rm E202 (MC901), Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, 72 Du Cane Road, Hammersmith Hospital, ICTEM Building, W12 0NN London, UK
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4
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Jabbour RJ, Owen TJ, Pandey P, Reinsch M, Wang B, King O, Couch LS, Pantou D, Pitcher DS, Chowdhury RA, Pitoulis FG, Handa BS, Kit-Anan W, Perbellini F, Myles RC, Stuckey DJ, Dunne M, Shanmuganathan M, Peters NS, Ng FS, Weinberger F, Terracciano CM, Smith GL, Eschenhagen T, Harding SE. In vivo grafting of large engineered heart tissue patches for cardiac repair. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e144068. [PMID: 34369384 PMCID: PMC8410032 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.144068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered heart tissue (EHT) strategies, by combining cells within a hydrogel matrix, may be a novel therapy for heart failure. EHTs restore cardiac function in rodent injury models, but more data are needed in clinically relevant settings. Accordingly, an upscaled EHT patch (2.5 cm × 1.5 cm × 1.5 mm) consisting of up to 20 million human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) embedded in a fibrin-based hydrogel was developed. A rabbit myocardial infarction model was then established to test for feasibility and efficacy. Our data showed that hPSC-CMs in EHTs became more aligned over 28 days and had improved contraction kinetics and faster calcium transients. Blinded echocardiographic analysis revealed a significant improvement in function in infarcted hearts that received EHTs, along with reduction in infarct scar size by 35%. Vascularization from the host to the patch was observed at week 1 and stable to week 4, but electrical coupling between patch and host heart was not observed. In vivo telemetry recordings and ex vivo arrhythmia provocation protocols showed that the patch was not pro-arrhythmic. In summary, EHTs improved function and reduced scar size without causing arrhythmia, which may be due to the lack of electrical coupling between patch and host heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Jabbour
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J Owen
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pragati Pandey
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Reinsch
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Brian Wang
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Oisín King
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Steven Couch
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dafni Pantou
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David S Pitcher
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rasheda A Chowdhury
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fotios G Pitoulis
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Balvinder S Handa
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Filippo Perbellini
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rachel C Myles
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J Stuckey
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Dunne
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicholas S Peters
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fu Siong Ng
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Weinberger
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Godfrey L Smith
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Eschenhagen
- Department of Cardiovascular Science, Hamburg University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sian E Harding
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Kit-Anan W, Mazo MM, Wang BX, Leonardo V, Pence IJ, Gopal S, Gelmi A, Nagelkerke A, Becce M, Chiappini C, Harding SE, Terracciano CM, Stevens MM. Multiplexing physical stimulation on single human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for phenotype modulation. Biofabrication 2021; 13:025004. [PMID: 33710972 PMCID: PMC7610872 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/abce0a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Traditional in vitro bioengineering approaches whereby only individual biophysical cues are manipulated at any one time are highly inefficient, falling short when recapitulating the complexity of the cardiac environment. Multiple biophysical cues are present in the native myocardial niche and are essential during development, as well as in maintenance of adult cardiomyocyte (CM) phenotype in both health and disease. This study establishes a novel biofabrication workflow to study and manipulate hiPSC-CMs and to understand how these cells respond to a multiplexed biophysical environment, namely 3D shape and substrate stiffness, at a single cell level. Silicon masters were fabricated and developed to generate inverse patterns of the desired 3D shapes in bas relief, which then were used to mold the designed microwell arrays into a hydrogel. Polyacrylamide (PAAm) was modified with the incorporation of acrylic acid to provide a carboxylic group conjugation site for adhesion motifs, without compromising capacity to modulate stiffness. In this manner, two individual parameters can be finely tuned independently within the hydrogel: the shape of the 3D microwell and its stiffness. The design allows the platform to isolate single hiPSC-CMs to study solely biophysical cues in the absence of cell-cell physical interaction. Under physiologic-like physical conditions (3D shape resembling that of adult CM and 9.83 kPa substrate stiffness that mimics muscle stiffness), isolated single hiPSC-CMs exhibit increased Cx-43 density, cell membrane stiffness and calcium transient amplitude; co-expression of the subpopulation-related MYL2-MYL7 proteins; and higher anisotropism than cells in pathologic-like conditions (flat surface and 112 kPa substrate stiffness). This demonstrates that supplying a physiologic or pathologic microenvironment to an isolated single hiPSC-CM in the absence of any physical cell-to-cell communication in this biofabricated platform leads to a significantly different set of cellular features, thus presenting a differential phenotype. Importantly, this demonstrates the high plasticity of hiPSC-CMs even in isolation. The ability of multiple biophysical cues to significantly influence isolated single hiPSC-CM phenotype and functionality highlights the importance of fine-tuning such cues for specific applications. This has the potential to produce more fit-for-purpose hiPSC-CMs. Further understanding of human cardiac development is enabled by the robust, versatile and reproducible biofabrication techniques applied here. We envision that this system could be easily applied to other tissues and cell types where the influence of cellular shape and stiffness of the surrounding environment is hypothesized to play an important role in physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worrapong Kit-Anan
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel M Mazo
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian X Wang
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Leonardo
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Isaac J Pence
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sahana Gopal
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Gelmi
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Current Address: Applied Chemistry and Environmental Science, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Anika Nagelkerke
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Becce
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ciro Chiappini
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sian E Harding
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Molly M Stevens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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King O, Cruz-Moreira D, Kit-Anan W, Sayed A, Wang B, Fourre J, Randi A, Rasponi M, Terracciano C. Influence of perfusable microvasculature on excitation-contraction coupling in IPSC-derived myocardium. Eur Heart J 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.3590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The myocardium is one of the most densely vascularised tissues in the body, with dynamic metabolic demand from beating cardiomyocytes (CM) necessitating an intimate relationship with microvasculature. Endothelial cells (EC) produce a diverse array of cardio-active factors which acutely and chronically modulate myocardial phenotype. Disruption of CM-EC signalling results in pathological remodelling, and ultimately organ failure. However, as physiologically relevant recapitulation of CM-EC interaction has been difficult to achieve in vitro, many molecular mechanisms governing their interaction remain poorly understood.
To induce cardiac vasculogenesis in vitro, we have developed microfluidic chips which subject 3D hydrogel cultures to precisely controlled flow. We then co-cultured human cardiac microvascular ECs, human left ventricular fibroblasts (FB), and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for 5 days under a pro-vasculogenic protocol (0.5 ul/min flow rate, 50ng/ml VEGF, 100ng/ml Ang-1). Via live and fixed immunofluorescence microscopy, we observed spontaneous formation of a microvasculature network with a continuously open lumen embedded within beating myocardium. Simultaneous quantification of iPSC-CM contractility and perfused red blood cell velocity reveals biomimetic pulsatile flow profile within the microvasculature. To evaluate the influence of microvasculature on CM function, we incorporated CMs differentiated from stem cells with the genetically encoded calcium biosensor GCaMP6F. Compared to CM only control, vascularised preparations demonstrate significantly faster calcium transient time to peak (−11.5%, p=0.007) and time to 50% relaxation (−15%, p=0.01). Under static conditions and 1Hz electrical stimulation, presence of EC was associated with reduced iPSC-CM arrhythmia at baseline (p<0.0001) and during 1uM isoprenaline treatment (p=0.0003), while maintaining isoprenaline induced Ca2+ handling quickening.
To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first fully perfusable model of the myocardial microvasculature, and highlights the importance of EC regulatory influence on CM function. Further work aims to investigate underlying molecular mechanisms to provide therapeutically relevant insight into cardiac biology.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- O King
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - D Cruz-Moreira
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
| | - W Kit-Anan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Sayed
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - B.X Wang
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - J Fourre
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - A.M Randi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - M Rasponi
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Milan, Italy
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7
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Nele V, Schutt CE, Wojciechowski JP, Kit-Anan W, Doutch JJ, Armstrong JPK, Stevens MM. Ultrasound-Triggered Enzymatic Gelation. Adv Mater 2020; 32:e1905914. [PMID: 31922627 PMCID: PMC7180077 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201905914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels are formed using various triggers, including light irradiation, pH adjustment, heating, cooling, or chemical addition. Here, a new method for forming hydrogels is introduced: ultrasound-triggered enzymatic gelation. Specifically, ultrasound is used as a stimulus to liberate liposomal calcium ions, which then trigger the enzymatic activity of transglutaminase. The activated enzyme catalyzes the formation of fibrinogen hydrogels through covalent intermolecular crosslinking. The catalysis and gelation processes are monitored in real time and both the enzyme kinetics and final hydrogel properties are controlled by varying the initial ultrasound exposure time. This technology is extended to microbubble-liposome conjugates, which exhibit a stronger response to the applied acoustic field and are also used for ultrasound-triggered enzymatic hydrogelation. To the best of the knowledge, these results are the first instance in which ultrasound is used as a trigger for either enzyme catalysis or enzymatic hydrogelation. This approach is highly versatile and can be readily applied to different ion-dependent enzymes or gelation systems. Moreover, this work paves the way for the use of ultrasound as a remote trigger for in vivo hydrogelation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Nele
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Carolyn E Schutt
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jonathan P Wojciechowski
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - James J Doutch
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 ODE, UK
| | - James P K Armstrong
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Molly M Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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8
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Wang Y, Kim E, Lin Y, Kim N, Kit-Anan W, Gopal S, Agarwal S, Howes PD, Stevens MM. Rolling Circle Transcription-Amplified Hierarchically Structured Organic-Inorganic Hybrid RNA Flowers for Enzyme Immobilization. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:22932-22940. [PMID: 31252470 PMCID: PMC6613047 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Programmable nucleic acids have emerged as powerful building blocks for the bottom-up fabrication of two- or three-dimensional nano- and microsized constructs. Here we describe the construction of organic-inorganic hybrid RNA flowers (hRNFs) via rolling circle transcription (RCT), an enzyme-catalyzed nucleic acid amplification reaction. These hRNFs are highly adaptive structures with controlled sizes, specific nucleic acid sequences, and a highly porous nature. We demonstrated that hRNFs are applicable as potential biological platforms, where the hRNF scaffold can be engineered for versatile surface functionalization and the inorganic component (magnesium ions) can serve as an enzyme cofactor. For surface functionalization, we proposed robust and straightforward approaches including in situ synthesis of functional hRNFs and postfunctionalization of hRNFs that enable facile conjugation with various biomolecules and nanomaterials (i.e., proteins, enzymes, organic dyes, inorganic nanoparticles) using selective chemistries (i.e., avidin-biotin interaction, copper-free click reaction). In particular, we showed that hRNFs can serve as soft scaffolds for β-galactosidase immobilization and greatly enhance enzymatic activity and stability. Therefore, the proposed concepts and methodologies are not only fundamentally interesting when designing RNA scaffolds or RNA bionanomaterials assembled with enzymes but also have significant implications on their future utilization in biomedical applications ranging from enzyme cascades to biosensing and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yiyang Lin
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Nayoung Kim
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sahana Gopal
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Shweta Agarwal
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering,
and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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9
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Li C, Armstrong JP, Pence IJ, Kit-Anan W, Puetzer JL, Correia Carreira S, Moore AC, Stevens MM. Glycosylated superparamagnetic nanoparticle gradients for osteochondral tissue engineering. Biomaterials 2018; 176:24-33. [PMID: 29852377 PMCID: PMC6018621 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In developmental biology, gradients of bioactive signals direct the formation of structural transitions in tissue that are key to physiological function. Failure to reproduce these native features in an in vitro setting can severely limit the success of bioengineered tissue constructs. In this report, we introduce a facile and rapid platform that uses magnetic field alignment of glycosylated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, pre-loaded with growth factors, to pattern biochemical gradients into a range of biomaterial systems. Gradients of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in agarose hydrogels were used to spatially direct the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells and generate robust osteochondral tissue constructs exhibiting a clear mineral transition from bone to cartilage. Interestingly, the smooth gradients in growth factor concentration gave rise to biologically-relevant, emergent structural features, including a tidemark transition demarcating mineralized and non-mineralized tissue and an osteochondral interface rich in hypertrophic chondrocytes. This platform technology offers great versatility and provides an exciting new opportunity for overcoming a range of interfacial tissue engineering challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunching Li
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - James Pk Armstrong
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Isaac J Pence
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer L Puetzer
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Correia Carreira
- H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TL, United Kingdom
| | - Axel C Moore
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Molly M Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
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10
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You AYF, Bergholt MS, St-Pierre JP, Kit-Anan W, Pence IJ, Chester AH, Yacoub MH, Bertazzo S, Stevens MM. Raman spectroscopy imaging reveals interplay between atherosclerosis and medial calcification in the human aorta. Sci Adv 2017; 3:e1701156. [PMID: 29226241 PMCID: PMC5721727 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Medial calcification in the human aorta accumulates during aging and is known to be aggravated in several diseases. Atherosclerosis, another major cause of cardiovascular calcification, shares some common aggravators. However, the mechanisms of cardiovascular calcification remain poorly understood. To elucidate the relationship between medial aortic calcification and atherosclerosis, we characterized the cross-sectional distributions of the predominant minerals in aortic tissue, apatite and whitlockite, and the associated extracellular matrix. We also compared the cellular changes between atherosclerotic and nonatherosclerotic human aortic tissues. This was achieved through the development of Raman spectroscopy imaging methods that adapted algorithms to distinguish between the major biomolecules present within these tissues. We present a relationship between apatite, cholesterol, and triglyceride in atherosclerosis, with the relative amount of all molecules concurrently increased in the atherosclerotic plaque. Further, the increase in apatite was disproportionately large in relation to whitlockite in the aortic media directly underlying a plaque, indicating that apatite is more pathologically significant in atherosclerosis-aggravated medial calcification. We also discovered a reduction of β-carotene in the whole aortic intima, including a plaque in atherosclerotic aortic tissues compared to nonatherosclerotic tissues. This unprecedented biomolecular characterization of the aortic tissue furthers our understanding of pathological and physiological cardiovascular calcification events in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Y. F. You
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mads S. Bergholt
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jean-Philippe St-Pierre
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Worrapong Kit-Anan
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Isaac J. Pence
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Adrian H. Chester
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Harefield Heart Science Centre, Imperial College London, Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6JH, UK
| | - Magdi H. Yacoub
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Harefield Heart Science Centre, Imperial College London, Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6JH, UK
| | - Sergio Bertazzo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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