1
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Mazzaglia C, Munir H, Le IM, Gerigk M, Huang YYS, Shields JD. Modelling Structural Elements and Functional Responses to Lymphatic-Delivered Cues in a Murine Lymph Node on a Chip. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2303720. [PMID: 38626388 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303720] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Lymph nodes (LNs) are organs of the immune system, critical for maintenance of homeostasis and initiation of immune responses, yet there are few models that accurately recapitulate LN functions in vitro. To tackle this issue, an engineered murine LN (eLN) was developed, replicating key cellular components of the mouse LN; incorporating primary murine lymphocytes, fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs), and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). T and B cells compartments are incorporated within the eLN that mimic LN cortex and paracortex architectures. When challenged, the eLN elicits both robust inflammatory responses and antigen-specific immune activation, showing that the system can differentiate between non-specific and antigen-specific responses and can be monitored in real-time. Beyond immune responses, this model also enables interrogation of changes in stromal cells, thus permitting investigations of all LN cellular components in homeostasis and different disease settings, such as cancer. Here, we present how LN behavior can be influenced by murine melanoma-derived factors. In conclusion, the eLN model presents a promising platform for in vitro study of LN biology that will enhance understanding of stromal and immune responses in the murine LN, and in doing so will enable development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve LN responses in disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Mazzaglia
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hafsa Munir
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
- German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Division of Dermal Oncoimmunology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iek M Le
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Magda Gerigk
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jacqueline D Shields
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
- Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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2
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Aazmi A, Zhang D, Mazzaglia C, Yu M, Wang Z, Yang H, Huang YYS, Ma L. Biofabrication methods for reconstructing extracellular matrix mimetics. Bioact Mater 2024; 31:475-496. [PMID: 37719085 PMCID: PMC10500422 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.08.018] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In the human body, almost all cells interact with extracellular matrices (ECMs), which have tissue and organ-specific compositions and architectures. These ECMs not only function as cellular scaffolds, providing structural support, but also play a crucial role in dynamically regulating various cellular functions. This comprehensive review delves into the examination of biofabrication strategies used to develop bioactive materials that accurately mimic one or more biophysical and biochemical properties of ECMs. We discuss the potential integration of these ECM-mimics into a range of physiological and pathological in vitro models, enhancing our understanding of cellular behavior and tissue organization. Lastly, we propose future research directions for ECM-mimics in the context of tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip applications, offering potential advancements in therapeutic approaches and improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellah Aazmi
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 51817, China
| | - Corrado Mazzaglia
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mengfei Yu
- The Affiliated Stomatologic Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Center for Laboratory Medicine, Allergy Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Huayong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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3
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Wang W, Ka SGS, Pan Y, Sheng Y, Huang YYS. Biointerface Fiber Technology from Electrospinning to Inflight Printing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023. [PMID: 38109220 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10617] [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: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Building two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) micro- and nanofibril structures with designable patterns and functionalities will offer exciting prospects for numerous applications spanning from permeable bioelectronics to tissue engineering scaffolds. This Spotlight on Applications highlights recent technological advances in fiber printing and patterning with functional materials for biointerfacing applications. We first introduce the current state of development of micro- and nanofibers with applications in biology and medical wearables. We then describe our contributions in developing a series of fiber printing techniques that enable the patterning of functional fiber architectures in three dimensions. These fiber printing techniques expand the material library and device designs, which underpin technological capabilities from enabling fundamental studies in cell migration to customizable and ecofriendly fabrication of sensors. Finally, we provide an outlook on the strategic pathways for developing the next-generation bioelectronics and "Fiber-of-Things" (FoT) using nano/micro-fibers as architectural building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, CB2 1PZ Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FF Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stanley Gong Sheng Ka
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, CB2 1PZ Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FF Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yifei Pan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, CB2 1PZ Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FF Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yaqi Sheng
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, CB2 1PZ Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FF Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, CB2 1PZ Cambridge, United Kingdom
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FF Cambridge, United Kingdom
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4
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Shi HH, Pan Y, Xu L, Feng X, Wang W, Potluri P, Hu L, Hasan T, Huang YYS. Sustainable electronic textiles towards scalable commercialization. Nat Mater 2023; 22:1294-1303. [PMID: 37500958 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01615-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Textiles represent a fundamental material format that is extensively integrated into our everyday lives. The quest for more versatile and body-compatible wearable electronics has led to the rise of electronic textiles (e-textiles). By enhancing textiles with electronic functionalities, e-textiles define a new frontier of wearable platforms for human augmentation. To realize the transformational impact of wearable e-textiles, materials innovations can pave the way for effective user adoption and the creation of a sustainable circular economy. We propose a repair, recycle, replacement and reduction circular e-textile paradigm. We envisage a systematic design framework embodying material selection and biofabrication concepts that can unify environmental friendliness, market viability, supply-chain resilience and user experience quality. This framework establishes a set of actionable principles for the industrialization and commercialization of future sustainable e-textile products.
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Affiliation(s)
- HaoTian Harvey Shi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yifei Pan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Xueming Feng
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Centre, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Prasad Potluri
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Liangbing Hu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tawfique Hasan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Graphene Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Kunz D, Wang A, Chan CU, Pritchard RH, Wang W, Gallo F, Bradshaw CR, Terenzani E, Müller KH, Huang YYS, Xiong F. Downregulation of extraembryonic tension controls body axis formation in avian embryos. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3266. [PMID: 37277340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38988-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic tissues undergoing shape change draw mechanical input from extraembryonic substrates. In avian eggs, the early blastoderm disk is under the tension of the vitelline membrane (VM). Here we report that the chicken VM characteristically downregulates tension and stiffness to facilitate stage-specific embryo morphogenesis. Experimental relaxation of the VM early in development impairs blastoderm expansion, while maintaining VM tension in later stages resists the convergence of the posterior body causing stalled elongation, failure of neural tube closure, and axis rupture. Biochemical and structural analysis shows that VM weakening is associated with the reduction of outer-layer glycoprotein fibers, which is caused by an increasing albumen pH due to CO2 release from the egg. Our results identify a previously unrecognized potential cause of body axis defects through mis-regulation of extraembryonic tissue tension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Kunz
- Wellcome Trust / CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anfu Wang
- Wellcome Trust / CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chon U Chan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Robyn H Pritchard
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Filomena Gallo
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charles R Bradshaw
- Wellcome Trust / CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elisa Terenzani
- Wellcome Trust / CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karin H Müller
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Fengzhu Xiong
- Wellcome Trust / CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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6
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Mazzaglia C, Sheng Y, Rodrigues LN, Lei IM, Shields JD, Huang YYS. Deployable extrusion bioprinting of compartmental tumoroids with cancer associated fibroblasts for immune cell interactions. Biofabrication 2023; 15:025005. [PMID: 36626838 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/acb1db] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Realizing the translational impacts of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting for cancer research necessitates innovation in bioprinting workflows which integrate affordability, user-friendliness, and biological relevance. Herein, we demonstrate 'BioArm', a simple, yet highly effective extrusion bioprinting platform, which can be folded into a carry-on pack, and rapidly deployed between bio-facilities. BioArm enabled the reconstruction of compartmental tumoroids with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), forming the shell of each tumoroid. The 3D printed core-shell tumoroids showedde novosynthesized extracellular matrices, and enhanced cellular proliferation compared to the tumour alone 3D printed spheroid culture. Further, thein vivophenotypes of CAFs normally lost after conventional 2D co-culture re-emerged in the bioprinted model. Embedding the 3D printed tumoroids in an immune cell-laden collagen matrix permitted tracking of the interaction between immune cells and tumoroids, and subsequent simulated immunotherapy treatments. Our deployable extrusion bioprinting workflow could significantly widen the accessibility of 3D bioprinting for replicating multi-compartmental architectures of tumour microenvironment, and for developing strategies in cancer drug testing in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yaqi Sheng
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Iek Man Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline D Shields
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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7
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Fathi S, Lei IM, Cao Y, Huang YYS. Microcapillary cell extrusion deposition with picolitre dispensing resolution. Biodes Manuf 2023; 6:1-11. [PMID: 36644556 PMCID: PMC9829649 DOI: 10.1007/s42242-022-00205-3] [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: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Extrusion-based cell deposition has become a prominent technique for expanding bioprinting applications. However, the associated print resolution in the order of nanolitre or above has been a limiting factor. The demand for improving print resolution towards the scale of a single cell has driven the development of precision nozzle extrusion, although the benefits gained remain ambiguous. Here, aided by in situ imaging, we investigated the dynamics of cell organisation through an extrusion-based microcapillary tip with picolitre precision through in-air or immersion deposition. The microcapillary extrusion setup, termed 'Picodis', was demonstrated by generating droplets of colouring inks immersed in an immiscible medium. Next, using 3T3 fibroblast cells as an experimental model, we demonstrated the deposition of cell suspension, and pre-aggregated cell pellets. Then, the dynamic organisation of cells within the microcapillary tip was described, along with cell ejection and deposition upon exiting the tip opening. The vision-assisted approach revealed that when dispersed in a culture medium, the movements of cells were distinctive based on the flow profiles and were purely driven by laminar fluid flow within a narrow tip. The primary process limitations were cell sedimentation, aggregation and compaction, along with trapped air bubbles. The use of picolitre-level resolution microcapillary extrusion, although it provides some level of control for a small number of cells, does not necessarily offer a reliable method when a specified number of cells are required. Our study provides insights into the process limitations of high-resolution cell ink extrusion, which may be useful for optimising biofabrication processes of cell-laden constructs for biomedical research. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42242-022-00205-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Fathi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Iek Man Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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8
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Lv W, Zhou H, Aazmi A, Yu M, Xu X, Yang H, Huang YYS, Ma L. Constructing biomimetic liver models through biomaterials and vasculature engineering. Regen Biomater 2022; 9:rbac079. [PMID: 36338176 PMCID: PMC9629974 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of various liver diseases can lead to organ failure of the liver, which is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Liver tissue engineering see the potential for replacing liver transplantation and drug toxicity studies facing donor shortages. The basic elements in liver tissue engineering are cells and biomaterials. Both mature hepatocytes and differentiated stem cells can be used as the main source of cells to construct spheroids and organoids, achieving improved cell function. To mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment, biomaterials need to be biocompatible and bioactive, which also help support cell proliferation and differentiation and allow ECM deposition and vascularized structures formation. In addition, advanced manufacturing approaches are required to construct the extracellular microenvironment, and it has been proved that the structured three-dimensional culture system can help to improve the activity of hepatocytes and the characterization of specific proteins. In summary, we review biomaterials for liver tissue engineering, including natural hydrogels and synthetic polymers, and advanced processing techniques for building vascularized microenvironments, including bioassembly, bioprinting and microfluidic methods. We then summarize the application fields including transplant and regeneration, disease models and drug cytotoxicity analysis. In the end, we put the challenges and prospects of vascularized liver tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongzhao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Abdellah Aazmi
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mengfei Yu
- The Affiliated Stomatologic Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xiaobin Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Huayong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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9
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Feng X, Wang L, Huang YYS, Luo Y, Ba J, Shi HH, Pei Y, Zhang S, Zhang Z, Jia X, Lu B. Cost-Effective Fabrication of Uniformly Aligned Silver Nanowire Microgrid-Based Transparent Electrodes with Higher than 99% Transmittance. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:39199-39210. [PMID: 35976981 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanowire (Ag NW)-based transparent electrodes (TEs) are promising alternatives to indium tin oxide (ITO) for next-generation flexible optoelectronic devices. Although many different constructs of Ag NW networks and post-treatment methods have been developed for TE applications, trade-offs between optical and electrical performance still remain. Herein, aided by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, we present a cost-effective strategy to fabricate aligned Ag NW microgrids in a large area with excellent uniformity, resulting in superior optoelectronic properties. Guided by the percolation theory and simulation, we demonstrated that by confining aligned Ag NWs into a microgrid arrangement, the percolation threshold can be reduced significantly and adequate electrical conducting pathways can be achieved with an optimized combination of sheet resistance and optical transparency, which surpass conventional random Ag NW networks and random aligned Ag NW networks. The resulting TEs exhibit an ultrahigh transmittance of 99.1% at a sheet resistance of 91 Ω sq-1 with extremely low nanowire usage, an areal mass density of only 8.3 mg m-2, and uniform spatial distribution. Based on this TE design, we demonstrated transparent heaters exhibiting rapid thermal response and superior uniformity in heat generation. Using UV-curable epoxy, highly flexible Ag NW-embedded TEs were fabricated with superior mechanical stabilities and low surface roughness of 2.6 nm. Bendable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are directly fabricated on these flexible Ag NW electrodes, with higher current efficiency (27.7 cd A-1) than ITO devices (24.8 cd A-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueming Feng
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing, Xi'an 710000, P. R. China
| | | | - Yu Luo
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Jiahao Ba
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - HaoTian Harvey Shi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
| | - Yuechen Pei
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Shuyuan Zhang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaofa Zhang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Xibei Jia
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Bingheng Lu
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing, Xi'an 710000, P. R. China
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Zhang D, Sheng Y, Piano N, Jakuszeit T, Cozens E, Dong L, Buell AK, Pollet A, Lei IM, Wang W, Terentjev E, Huang YYS. Cancer cell migration on straight, wavy, loop and grid microfibre patterns. Biofabrication 2022; 14. [PMID: 34991078 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac48e6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes where the fibrillar morphology of extracellular matrices (ECM) could regulate the migration dynamics. To mimic the morphological characteristics of fibrillar matrix structures, low-voltage continuous electrospinning was adapted to construct straight, wavy, looped and gridded fibre patterns made of polystyrene (of fibre diameter ca. 3 μm). Cells were free to explore their different shapes in response to the directly-adhered fibre, as well as to the neighbouring patterns. For all the patterns studied, analysing cellular migration dynamics of MDA-MB-231 (a highly migratory breast cancer cell line) demonstrated two interesting findings: first, although cells dynamically adjust their shapes and migration trajectories in response to different fibrillar environments, their average step speed is minimally affected by the fibre global pattern; secondly, a switch in behaviour was observed when the pattern features approach the upper limit of the cell body's minor axis, reflecting that cells' ability to divert from an existing fibre track is limited by the size along the cell body's minor axis. It is therefore concluded that the upper limit of cell body's minor axis might act as a guide for the design of microfibre patterns for different purposes of cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Zhang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Yaqi Sheng
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Nicholas Piano
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Theresa Jakuszeit
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Edward Cozens
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Lingqing Dong
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, CHINA
| | - Alexander K Buell
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 227, 061 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Lyngby, 2800, DENMARK
| | - Andreas Pollet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600MB Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, 5600 MB, NETHERLANDS
| | - Iek Man Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Eugene Terentjev
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, CAMBRIDGE CB3 0HE, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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11
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Lei IM, Jiang C, Lei CL, de Rijk SR, Tam YC, Swords C, Sutcliffe MPF, Malliaras GG, Bance M, Huang YYS. 3D printed biomimetic cochleae and machine learning co-modelling provides clinical informatics for cochlear implant patients. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6260. [PMID: 34716306 PMCID: PMC8556326 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26491-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implants restore hearing in patients with severe to profound deafness by delivering electrical stimuli inside the cochlea. Understanding stimulus current spread, and how it correlates to patient-dependent factors, is hampered by the poor accessibility of the inner ear and by the lack of clinically-relevant in vitro, in vivo or in silico models. Here, we present 3D printing-neural network co-modelling for interpreting electric field imaging profiles of cochlear implant patients. With tuneable electro-anatomy, the 3D printed cochleae can replicate clinical scenarios of electric field imaging profiles at the off-stimuli positions. The co-modelling framework demonstrated autonomous and robust predictions of patient profiles or cochlear geometry, unfolded the electro-anatomical factors causing current spread, assisted on-demand printing for implant testing, and inferred patients' in vivo cochlear tissue resistivity (estimated mean = 6.6 kΩcm). We anticipate our framework will facilitate physical modelling and digital twin innovations for neuromodulation implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iek Man Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chen Jiang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chon Lok Lei
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau.,Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Rosalie de Rijk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Chuen Tam
- Emmeline Centre for Hearing Implants, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chloe Swords
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neurosciences, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - George G Malliaras
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Manohar Bance
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. .,The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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12
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Gerigk M, Bulstrode H, Shi HH, Tönisen F, Cerutti C, Morrison G, Rowitch D, Huang YYS. On-chip perivascular niche supporting stemness of patient-derived glioma cells in a serum-free, flowable culture. Lab Chip 2021; 21:2343-2358. [PMID: 33969368 PMCID: PMC8204159 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00271f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and the most aggressive type of primary brain malignancy. Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) can migrate in vascular niches within or away from the tumour mass, increasing tumour resistance to treatments and contributing to relapses. To study individual GSC migration and their interactions with the perivasculature of the tumour microenvironment, there is a need to develop a human organotypic in vitro model. Herein, we demonstrated a perivascular niche-on-a-chip, in a serum-free condition with gravity-driven flow, that supported the stemness of patient-derived GSCs and foetal neural stem cells grown in a three-dimensional environment (3D). Endothelial cells from three organ origins, (i) human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3), (ii) human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and, (iii) human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-L) formed rounded microvessels within the extracellular-matrix integrated microfluidic chip. By optimising cell extraction protocols, systematic studies were performed to evaluate the effects of serum-free media, 3D cell cultures, and the application of gravity-driven flow on the characteristics of endothelial cells and their co-culture with GSCs. Our results showed the maintenance of adherent and tight junction markers of hCMEC/D3 in the serum-free culture and that gravity-driven flow was essential to support adequate viability of both the microvessel and the GSCs in co-culture (>80% viability at day 3). Endpoint biological assays showed upregulation of neovascularization-related genes (e.g., angiopoietins, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors) in endothelial cells co-cultured with GSCs in contrast to the neural stem cell reference that showed insignificant changes. The on-chip platform further permitted live-cell imaging of GSC - microvessel interaction, enabling quantitative analysis of GSC polarization and migration. Overall, our comparative genotypic (i.e. qPCR) and phenotypic (i.e. vessel permeability and GSC migration) studies showed that organotypic (brain cancer cells-brain endothelial microvessel) interactions differed from those within non-tissue specific vascular niches of human origin. The development and optimization of this on-chip perivascular niche, in a serum-free flowable culture, could provide the next level of complexity of an in vitro system to study the influence of glioma stem cells on brain endothelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Gerigk
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK. and The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Harry Bulstrode
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - HaoTian Harvey Shi
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Felix Tönisen
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Netherlands and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Camilla Cerutti
- Randall Centre of Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, UK
| | | | - David Rowitch
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK. and The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, UK
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13
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Liu Y, Dabrowska C, Mavousian A, Strauss B, Meng F, Mazzaglia C, Ouaras K, Macintosh C, Terentjev E, Lee J, Huang YYS. Bio-assembling Macro-Scale, Lumenized Airway Tubes of Defined Shape via Multi-Organoid Patterning and Fusion. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2021; 8:2003332. [PMID: 33977046 PMCID: PMC8097322 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202003332] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial, stem-cell derived organoids are ideal building blocks for tissue engineering, however, scalable and shape-controlled bio-assembly of epithelial organoids into larger and anatomical structures is yet to be achieved. Here, a robust organoid engineering approach, Multi-Organoid Patterning and Fusion (MOrPF), is presented to assemble individual airway organoids of different sizes into upscaled, scaffold-free airway tubes with predefined shapes. Multi-Organoid Aggregates (MOAs) undergo accelerated fusion in a matrix-depleted, free-floating environment, possess a continuous lumen, and maintain prescribed shapes without an exogenous scaffold interface. MOAs in the floating culture exhibit a well-defined three-stage process of inter-organoid surface integration, luminal material clearance, and lumina connection. The observed shape stability of patterned MOAs is confirmed by theoretical modelling based on organoid morphology and the physical forces involved in organoid fusion. Immunofluorescent characterization shows that fused MOA tubes possess an unstratified epithelium consisting mainly of tracheal basal stem cells. By generating large, shape-controllable organ tubes, MOrPF enables upscaled organoid engineering towards integrated organoid devices and structurally complex organ tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Liu
- Department of EngineeringUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1PZUK
| | - Catherine Dabrowska
- Wellcome – MRC Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 0AWUK
- Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EGUK
| | - Antranik Mavousian
- Wellcome – MRC Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 0AWUK
| | - Bernhard Strauss
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1QWUK
| | - Fanlong Meng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Theoretical PhysicsInstitute of Theoretical PhysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100190China
| | - Corrado Mazzaglia
- Department of EngineeringUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1PZUK
- MRC Cancer UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 0XZUK
| | - Karim Ouaras
- Department of EngineeringUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1PZUK
- The Nanoscience CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB30FFUK
| | - Callum Macintosh
- Department of EngineeringUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1PZUK
| | | | - Joo‐Hyeon Lee
- Wellcome – MRC Cambridge Stem Cell InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 0AWUK
- Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EGUK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of EngineeringUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1PZUK
- The Nanoscience CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB30FFUK
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14
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Lee CT, Gill EL, Wang W, Gerigk M, Terentjev EM, Shery Huang YY. Guided assembly of cancer ellipsoid on suspended hydrogel microfibers estimates multi-cellular traction force. Phys Biol 2021; 18:036001. [PMID: 33412531 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abd9aa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) multi-cellular aggregates hold important applications in tissue engineering and in vitro biological modeling. Probing the intrinsic forces generated during the aggregation process, could open up new possibilities in advancing the discovery of tissue mechanics-based biomarkers. We use individually suspended, and tethered gelatin hydrogel microfibers to guide multicellular aggregation of brain cancer cells (glioblastoma cell line, U87), forming characteristic cancer 'ellipsoids'. Over a culture period of up to 13 days, U87 aggregates evolve from a flexible cell string with cell coverage following the relaxed and curly fiber contour; to a distinct ellipsoid-on-string morphology, where the fiber segment connecting the ellipsoid poles become taut. Fluorescence imaging revealed the fiber segment embedded within the ellipsoidal aggregate to exhibit a morphological transition analogous to filament buckling under a compressive force. By treating the multicellular aggregate as an effective elastic medium where the microfiber is embedded, we applied a filament post-buckling theory to model the fiber morphology, deducing the apparent elasticity of the cancer ellipsoid medium, as well as the collective traction force inherent in the aggregation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Tai Lee
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
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15
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Hecker L, Wang W, Mela I, Fathi S, Poudel C, Soavi G, Huang YYS, Kaminski CF. Guided Assembly and Patterning of Intrinsically Fluorescent Amyloid Fibers with Long-Range Order. Nano Lett 2021; 21:938-945. [PMID: 33448864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c03672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fibrillar amyloids exhibit a fascinating range of mechanical, optical, and electronic properties originating from their characteristic β-sheet-rich structure. Harnessing these functionalities in practical applications has so far been hampered by a limited ability to control the amyloid self-assembly process at the macroscopic scale. Here, we use core-shell electrospinning with microconfinement to assemble amyloid-hybrid fibers, consisting of densely aggregated fibrillar amyloids stabilized by a polymer shell. Up to centimeter-long hybrid fibers with micrometer diameter can be arranged into aligned and ordered arrays and deposited onto substrates or produced as free-standing networks. Properties that are characteristic of amyloids, including their high elastic moduli and intrinsic fluorescence signature, are retained in the hybrid fiber cores, and we show that they fully persist through the macroscopic fiber patterns. Our findings suggest that microlevel confinement is key for the guided assembly of amyloids from monomeric proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Hecker
- Department for Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ioanna Mela
- Department for Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Saeed Fathi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Chetan Poudel
- Department for Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
| | - Giancarlo Soavi
- Institute of Solid State Physics, Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Max-Wien Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens F Kaminski
- Department for Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, United Kingdom
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16
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Abstract
Nano- and micro-scaled fibers have been incorporated in a number of applications in biofabrication and tissue cultures, providing a cell interfacing structure with extracellular matrix-mimicking topography and adhesion sites, and further supporting localized drug release. Here, we describe the low-voltage electrospinning patterning (LEP) protocol, which allows direct and continuous patterning of sub-micron fibers in a controlled fashion. The processable polymers range from protein (e.g., gelatin) to thermoplastic (e.g., polystyrene) polymers, with flexible selections of collecting substrates. The operation voltage for fiber fabrication can be as low as 50 V, which brings the benefits of reducing costs and mild-processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoying Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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17
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Zhang D, Davoodi P, Li X, Liu Y, Wang W, Huang YYS. An empirical model to evaluate the effects of environmental humidity on the formation of wrinkled, creased and porous fibre morphology from electrospinning. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18783. [PMID: 33139775 PMCID: PMC7608675 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Controlling environmental humidity level and thus moisture interaction with an electrospinning solution jet has led to a fascinating range of polymer fibre morphological features; these include surface wrinkles, creases and surface/internal porosity at the individual fibre level. Here, by cross-correlating literature data of far-field electrospinning (FFES), together with our experimental data from near-field electrospinning (NFES), we propose a theoretical model, which can account, phenomenologically, for the onset of fibre microstructures formation from electrospinning solutions made of a hydrophobic polymer dissolved in a water-miscible or polar solvent. This empirical model provides a quantitative evaluation on how the evaporating solvent vapour could prevent or disrupt water vapor condensation onto the electrospinning jet; thus, on the condition where vapor condensation does occur, morphological features will form on the surface, or bulk of the fibre. A wide range of polymer systems, including polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly-L-lactic acid, polycaprolactone were tested and validated. Our analysis points to the different operation regimes associated FFES versus NFES, when it comes to the system's sensitivity towards environmental moisture. Our proposed model may further be used to guide the process in creating desirable fibre microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Zhang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Pooya Davoodi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Ye Liu
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK.
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Ave, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK.
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18
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Wang W, Ouaras K, Rutz AL, Li X, Gerigk M, Naegele TE, Malliaras GG, Huang YYS. Inflight fiber printing toward array and 3D optoelectronic and sensing architectures. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaba0931. [PMID: 32998891 PMCID: PMC7527227 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba0931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Scalability and device integration have been prevailing issues limiting our ability in harnessing the potential of small-diameter conducting fibers. We report inflight fiber printing (iFP), a one-step process that integrates conducting fiber production and fiber-to-circuit connection. Inorganic (silver) or organic {PEDOT:PSS [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate]} fibers with 1- to 3-μm diameters are fabricated, with the fiber arrays exhibiting more than 95% transmittance (350 to 750 nm). The high surface area-to-volume ratio, permissiveness, and transparency of the fiber arrays were exploited to construct sensing and optoelectronic architectures. We show the PEDOT:PSS fibers as a cell-interfaced impedimetric sensor, a three-dimensional (3D) moisture flow sensor, and noncontact, wearable/portable respiratory sensors. The capability to design suspended fibers, networks of homo cross-junctions and hetero cross-junctions, and coupling iFP fibers with 3D-printed parts paves the way to additive manufacturing of fiber-based 3D devices with multilatitude functions and superior spatiotemporal resolution, beyond conventional film-based device architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Karim Ouaras
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Alexandra L Rutz
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Magda Gerigk
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Tobias E Naegele
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - George G Malliaras
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK.
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FF, UK
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19
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Wang W, Stipp PN, Ouaras K, Fathi S, Huang YYS. Broad Bandwidth, Self-Powered Acoustic Sensor Created by Dynamic Near-Field Electrospinning of Suspended, Transparent Piezoelectric Nanofiber Mesh. Small 2020; 16:e2000581. [PMID: 32510871 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202000581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Freely suspended nanofibers, such as spider silk, harnessing their small diameter (sub-micrometer) and spanning fiber morphology, behave as a nonresonating acoustic sensor. The associated sensing characteristics, departing from conventional resonant acoustic sensors, could be of tremendous interest for the development of high sensitivity, broadband audible sensors for applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and internet-of-things. Herein, a low packing density, freely suspended nanofiber mesh with a piezoelectric active polymer is fabricated, demonstrating a self-powered acoustic sensing platform with broad sensitivity bandwidth covering 200-5000 Hz at hearing-safe sound pressure levels. Dynamic near-field electrospinning is developed to fabricate in situ poled poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) nanofiber mesh (average fiber diameter ≈307 nm), exhibiting visible light transparency greater than 97%. With the ability to span the nanomesh across a suspension distance of 3 mm with minimized fiber stacking (≈18% fiber packing density), individual nanofibers can freely imitate the acoustic-driven fluctuation of airflow in a collective manner, where piezoelectricity is harvested at two-terminal electrodes for direct signal collection. Applications of the nanofiber mesh in music recording with good signal fidelity are demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Wang
- The Nanoscience Center, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Patrick N Stipp
- The Nanoscience Center, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
- Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Rämistrasse 101, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Karim Ouaras
- The Nanoscience Center, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Saeed Fathi
- The Nanoscience Center, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- The Nanoscience Center, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FF, UK
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20
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Gerigk M, Bulstrode HJ, Huang YYS. Abstract 39: Microvessel-on-a-chip for investigating glioma-vascular interactions. Cancer Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2019-39] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Gliomas, which are heterogeneous tumors made up of malignant glial and stromal cells, can often grow and progress without angiogenesis and thus escape anti-angiogenic therapies. One of the alternative mechanisms of tumor blood supply is vessel co-option, where cancer cells migrate along the pre-existing vessel of the host organ, preserving the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, studying this phenomenon is currently limited mainly to animal models. With the push to reduce in vivo approaches, developing an experimental, organ-on-a-chip model to encompass one or more tractable microenvironmental factors, will enable us to better understand their mechanistic roles in brain tumor progression.
Methods and Results: An extracellular matrix-integrated PDMS-based microfluidic chip with a rounded microvessel, mimicking the BBB, was generated using a human microvascular cell line (hCMEC/D3), in the presence of flow. In the chip, a vessel of ~100µm diameter was interfaced with a 3D brain cancer cell culture (either U87, glioma neural stem or normal neural stem cell, embedded in a collagen-based ECM). The system was coupled with live-cell imaging and image analysis, which enabled tracking of cell-cell and cell-microenvironment interactions. Changes in gene expression and protein distribution in endothelial cells were successfully quantified, thus enabling the characterization of the influence of cancer cells population on the microvessel.
Conclusions: Development and optimization of the novel device has given us the opportunity to study the influence of glioma cells on normal brain endothelium, when agiogenesis does not occur. Crucially, this can be done in controlled, user-defined environment (i.e. choice of ECM components and stiffness, microvessel size and flow rate) unlike in animal models.
Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.
Citation Format: Magda Gerigk, Harry J. Bulstrode, Yan Yan Shery Huang. Microvessel-on-a-chip for investigating glioma-vascular interactions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 39.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Gerigk
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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21
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Li Z, Lei IM, Davoodi P, Huleihel L, Huang YYS. Solution Formulation and Rheology for Fabricating Extracellular Matrix-Derived Fibers Using Low-Voltage Electrospinning Patterning. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:3676-3684. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoying Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K
| | - Iek M. Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K
| | - Pooya Davoodi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K
| | - Luai Huleihel
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, United States
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
- The Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K
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22
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Gill E, Willis S, Gerigk M, Cohen P, Zhang D, Li X, Huang YYS. Fabrication of Designable and Suspended Microfibers via Low-Voltage 3D Micropatterning. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019; 11:19679-19690. [PMID: 31081331 PMCID: PMC6613729 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b01258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Building two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) fibrous structures in the micro- and nanoscale will offer exciting prospects for numerous applications spanning from sensors to energy storage and tissue engineering scaffolds. Electrospinning is a well-suited technique for drawing micro- to nanoscale fibers, but current methods of building electrospun fibers in 3D are restrictive in terms of printed height, design of macroscopic fiber networks, and choice of polymer. Here, we combine low-voltage electrospinning and additive manufacturing as a method to pattern layers of suspended mesofibers. Layers of fibers are suspended between 3D-printed supports in situ in multiple fiber layers and designable orientations. We examine the key working parameters to attain a threshold for fiber suspension, use those behavioral observations to establish a "fiber suspension indicator", and demonstrate its utility through design of intricate suspended fiber architectures. Individual fibers produced by this method approach the micrometer/submicrometer scale, while the overall suspended 3D fiber architecture can span over a centimeter in height. We demonstrate an application of suspended fiber architectures in 3D cell culture, utilizing patterned fiber topography to guide the assembly of suspended high-cellular-density structures. The solution-based fiber suspension patterning process we report offers a unique competence in patterning soft polymers, including extracellular matrix-like materials, in a high resolution and aspect ratio. The platform could thus offer new design and manufacturing capabilities of devices and functional products by incorporating functional fibrous elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth
L. Gill
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
- The
Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K.
| | - Samuel Willis
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
| | - Magda Gerigk
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
- The
Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K.
| | - Paul Cohen
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
- The
Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K.
| | - Xia Li
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K.
- The
Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K.
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23
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Li Z, Tuffin J, Lei IM, Ruggeri FS, Lewis NS, Gill EL, Savin T, Huleihel L, Badylak SF, Knowles T, Satchell SC, Welsh GI, Saleem MA, Huang YYS. Solution fibre spinning technique for the fabrication of tuneable decellularised matrix-laden fibres and fibrous micromembranes. Acta Biomater 2018; 78:111-122. [PMID: 30099199 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Recreating tissue-specific microenvironments of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro is of broad interest for the fields of tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip. Here, we present biofunctional ECM protein fibres and suspended membranes, with tuneable biochemical, mechanical and topographical properties. This soft and entirely biologic membrane scaffold, formed by micro-nano-fibres using low voltage electrospinning, displays three unique characteristics for potential cell culture applications: high-content of key ECM proteins, single-layered mesh membrane, and flexibility for in situ integration into a range of device setups. Extracellular matrix (ECM) powder derived from urinary bladder, was used to fabricate the ECM-laden fibres and membranes. The highest ECM concentration in the dry protein fibre was 50 wt%, with the rest consisting of gelatin. Key ECM proteins, including collagen IV, laminin, and fibronectin, were shown to be preserved post the biofabrication process. The single fibre tensile Young's modulus can be tuned for over two orders of magnitude between ∼600 kPa and 50 MPa depending on the ECM content. Combining the fibre mesh printing with 3D printed or microfabricated structures, culture devices were constructed for endothelial layer formation, and a trans-membrane co-culture formed by glomerular cell types of podocytes and glomerular endothelial cells, demonstrating feasibility of the membrane culture. Our cell culture observation points to the importance of membrane mechanical property and re-modelling ability as a factor for soft membrane-based cell cultures. The ECM-laden fibres and membranes presented here would see potential applications in in vitro assays, and tailoring structure and biological functions of tissue engineering scaffolds. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Recreating tissue-specific microenvironments of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is of broad interest for the fields of tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip. Both the biochemical and biophysical signatures of the engineered ECM interplay to affect cell response. Currently, there are limited biomaterials processing methods which allow to design ECM membrane properties flexibly and rapidly. Solvents and additives used in many existing processes also induced unwanted ECM protein degradation and toxic residues. This paper presents a solution fibre spinning technique, where careful selection of the solution combination led to well-preserved ECM proteins with tuneable composition. This technique also provides a highly versatile approach to fabricate ECM fibres and membranes, leading to designable fibre Young's modulus for over two orders of magnitude.
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Bertulli C, Gerigk M, Piano N, Liu Y, Zhang D, Müller T, Knowles TJ, Huang YYS. Image-Assisted Microvessel-on-a-Chip Platform for Studying Cancer Cell Transendothelial Migration Dynamics. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12480. [PMID: 30127372 PMCID: PMC6102203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30776-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
With the push to reduce in vivo approaches, the demand for microphysiological models that recapitulate the in vivo settings in vitro is dramatically increasing. Here, we present an extracellular matrix-integrated microfluidic chip with a rounded microvessel of ~100 µm in diameter. Our system displays favorable characteristics for broad user adaptation: simplified procedure for vessel creation, minimised use of reagents and cells, and the ability to couple live-cell imaging and image analysis to study dynamics of cell-microenvironment interactions in 3D. Using this platform, the dynamic process of single breast cancer cells (LM2-4175) exiting the vessel lumen into the surrounding extracellular matrix was tracked. Here, we show that the presence of endothelial lining significantly reduced the cancer exit events over the 15-hour imaging period: there were either no cancer cells exiting, or the fraction of spontaneous exits was positively correlated with the number of cancer cells in proximity to the endothelial barrier. The capability to map the z-position of individual cancer cells within a 3D vessel lumen enabled us to observe cancer cell transmigration 'hot spot' dynamically. We also suggest the variations in the microvessel qualities may lead to the two distinct types of cancer transmigration behaviour. Our findings provide a tractable in vitro model applicable to other areas of microvascular research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Bertulli
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Magda Gerigk
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Nicholas Piano
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Ye Liu
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Thomas Müller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.,Fluidic Analytics Ltd., Cambridge, CB4 3NP, UK
| | - Tuomas J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
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Liu Y, Gill E, Shery Huang YY. Microfluidic on-chip biomimicry for 3D cell culture: a fit-for-purpose investigation from the end user standpoint. Future Sci OA 2017; 3:FSO173. [PMID: 28670465 PMCID: PMC5481809 DOI: 10.4155/fsoa-2016-0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A plethora of 3D and microfluidics-based culture models have been demonstrated in the recent years with the ultimate aim to facilitate predictive in vitro models for pharmaceutical development. This article summarizes to date the progress in the microfluidics-based tissue culture models, including organ-on-a-chip and vasculature-on-a-chip. Specific focus is placed on addressing the question of what kinds of 3D culture and system complexities are deemed desirable by the biological and biomedical community. This question is addressed through analysis of a research survey to evaluate the potential use of microfluidic cell culture models among the end users. Our results showed a willingness to adopt 3D culture technology among biomedical researchers, although a significant gap still exists between the desired systems and existing 3D culture options. With these results, key challenges and future directions are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Liu
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1PZ
| | - Elisabeth Gill
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1PZ
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, UK, CB2 1PZ
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26
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Li X, Li Z, Wang L, Ma G, Meng F, Pritchard RH, Gill EL, Liu Y, Huang YYS. Low-Voltage Continuous Electrospinning Patterning. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:32120-32131. [PMID: 27807979 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b07797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrospinning is a versatile technique for the construction of microfibrous and nanofibrous structures with considerable potential in applications ranging from textile manufacturing to tissue engineering scaffolds. In the simplest form, electrospinning uses a high voltage of tens of thousands volts to draw out ultrafine polymer fibers over a large distance. However, the high voltage limits the flexible combination of material selection, deposition substrate, and control of patterns. Prior studies show that by performing electrospinning with a well-defined "near-field" condition, the operation voltage can be decreased to the kilovolt range, and further enable more precise patterning of fibril structures on a planar surface. In this work, by using solution dependent "initiators", we demonstrate a further lowering of voltage with an ultralow voltage continuous electrospinning patterning (LEP) technique, which reduces the applied voltage threshold to as low as 50 V, simultaneously permitting direct fiber patterning. The versatility of LEP is shown using a wide range of combination of polymer and solvent systems for thermoplastics and biopolymers. Novel functionalities are also incorporated when a low voltage mode is used in place of a high voltage mode, such as direct printing of living bacteria; the construction of suspended single fibers and membrane networks. The LEP technique reported here should open up new avenues in the patterning of bioelements and free-form nano- to microscale fibrous structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Li
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge , JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Zhaoying Li
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge , Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Liyun Wang
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University , Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guokun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China , Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Fanlong Meng
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge , JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Robyn H Pritchard
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge , JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth L Gill
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge , Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ye Liu
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge , Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge , Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
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27
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Xue N, Bertulli C, Sadok A, Huang YYS. Dynamics of filopodium-like protrusion and endothelial cellular motility on one-dimensional extracellular matrix fibrils. Interface Focus 2014; 4:20130060. [PMID: 24748955 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2013.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial filopodia play key roles in guiding the tubular sprouting during angiogenesis. However, their dynamic morphological characteristics, with the associated implications in cell motility, have been subjected to limited investigations. In this work, the interaction between endothelial cells and extracellular matrix fibrils was recapitulated in vitro, where a specific focus was paid to derive the key morphological parameters to define the dynamics of filopodium-like protrusion during cell motility. Based on one-dimensional gelatin fibrils patterned by near-field electrospinning (NFES), we study the response of endothelial cells (EA.hy926) under normal culture or ROCK inhibition. It is shown that the behaviour of temporal protrusion length versus cell motility can be divided into distinct modes. Persistent migration was found to be one of the modes which permitted cell displacement for over 300 µm at a speed of approximately 1 µm min(-1). ROCK inhibition resulted in abnormally long protrusions and diminished the persistent migration, but dramatically increased the speeds of protrusion extension and retraction. Finally, we also report the breakage of protrusion during cell motility, and examine its phenotypic behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niannan Xue
- Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB3 0HE , UK
| | - Cristina Bertulli
- Cavendish Laboratory , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB3 0HE , UK
| | - Amine Sadok
- The Institute of Cancer Research , 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB , UK
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1PZ , UK
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Abstract
From the cell cytoskeleton to connective tissues, fibrous networks are ubiquitous in metazoan life as the key promoters of mechanical strength, support and integrity. In recent decades, the application of physics to biological systems has made substantial strides in elucidating the striking mechanical phenomena observed in such networks, explaining strain stiffening, power law rheology and cytoskeletal fluidisation - all key to the biological function of individual cells and tissues. In this review we focus on the current progress in the field, with a primer into the basic physics of individual filaments and the networks they form. This is followed by a discussion of biological networks in the context of a broad spread of recent in vitro and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn H Pritchard
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK.
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Huang YYS, Terentjev EM, Oppenheim T, Lacour SP, Welland ME. Fabrication and electromechanical characterization of near-field electrospun composite fibers. Nanotechnology 2012; 23:105305. [PMID: 22362025 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/10/105305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We report the use of near-field electrospinning (NFES) as a route to fabricate composite electrodes. Electrodes made of composite fibers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in polyethylene oxide (PEO) are formed via liquid deposition, with precise control over their configuration. The electromechanical properties of free-standing fibers and fibers deposited on elastic substrates are studied in detail. In particular, we examine the elastic deformation limit of the resulting free-standing fibers and find, similarly to bulk PEO composites, that the plastic deformation onset is below 2% of tensile strain. In comparison, the apparent deformation limit is much improved when the fibers are integrated onto a stretchable, elastic substrate. It is hoped that the NFES fabrication protocol presented here can provide a platform to direct-write polymeric electrodes, and to integrate both stiff and soft electrodes onto a variety of polymeric substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Y S Huang
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK.
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