scholarly journals Multiscale modelling of drug transport and metabolism in liver spheroids

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 20190041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Leedale ◽  
Jonathan A. Kyffin ◽  
Amy L. Harding ◽  
Helen E. Colley ◽  
Craig Murdoch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Transport ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Isolated Cells ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cells Cultured

In early preclinical drug development, potential candidates are tested in the laboratory using isolated cells. These in vitro experiments traditionally involve cells cultured in a two-dimensional monolayer environment. However, cells cultured in three-dimensional spheroid systems have been shown to more closely resemble the functionality and morphology of cells in vivo . While the increasing usage of hepatic spheroid cultures allows for more relevant experimentation in a more realistic biological environment, the underlying physical processes of drug transport, uptake and metabolism contributing to the spatial distribution of drugs in these spheroids remain poorly understood. The development of a multiscale mathematical modelling framework describing the spatio-temporal dynamics of drugs in multicellular environments enables mechanistic insight into the behaviour of these systems. Here, our analysis of cell membrane permeation and porosity throughout the spheroid reveals the impact of these properties on drug penetration, with maximal disparity between zonal metabolism rates occurring for drugs of intermediate lipophilicity. Our research shows how mathematical models can be used to simulate the activity and transport of drugs in hepatic spheroids and in principle any organoid, with the ultimate aim of better informing experimentalists on how to regulate dosing and culture conditions to more effectively optimize drug delivery.

Comparison of gene expression and activation of transcription factors in organoid-derived monolayer intestinal epithelial cells and organoids

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Takahashi ◽  
Yu Inoue ◽  
Keitaro Kuze ◽  
Shintaro Sato ◽  
Makoto Shimizu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Gene Expression Regulation ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial Cells ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial

Abstract Intestinal organoids better represent in vivo intestinal properties than conventionally used established cell lines in vitro. However, they are maintained in three-dimensional culture conditions that may be accompanied by handling complexities. We characterized the properties of human organoid-derived two-dimensionally cultured intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) compared with those of their parental organoids. We found that the expression of several intestinal markers and functional genes were indistinguishable between monolayer IECs and organoids. We further confirmed that their specific ligands equally activate intestinal ligand-activated transcriptional regulators in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that culture conditions do not significantly influence the fundamental properties of monolayer IECs originating from organoids, at least from the perspective of gene expression regulation. This will enable their use as novel biological tools to investigate the physiological functions of the human intestine.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of endothelial cell coverage by pericytes: computational modelling of cell wrapping and in vitro experiments

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (162) ◽  
pp. 20190739
Author(s):  
Kei Sugihara ◽  
Saori Sasaki ◽  
Akiyoshi Uemura ◽  
Satoru Kidoaki ◽  
Takashi Miura
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Computational Modelling ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Cellular Potts Model ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Cell Cell

Pericytes (PCs) wrap around endothelial cells (ECs) and perform diverse functions in physiological and pathological processes. Although molecular interactions between ECs and PCs have been extensively studied, the morphological processes at the cellular level and their underlying mechanisms have remained elusive. In this study, using a simple cellular Potts model, we explored the mechanisms for EC wrapping by PCs. Based on the observed in vitro cell wrapping in three-dimensional PC–EC coculture, the model identified four putative contributing factors: preferential adhesion of PCs to the extracellular matrix (ECM), strong cell–cell adhesion, PC surface softness and larger PC size. While cell–cell adhesion can contribute to the prevention of cell segregation and the degree of cell wrapping, it cannot determine the orientation of cell wrapping alone. While atomic force microscopy revealed that PCs have a larger Young’s modulus than ECs, the experimental analyses supported preferential ECM adhesion and size asymmetry. We also formulated the corresponding energy minimization problem and numerically solved this problem for specific cases. These results give biological insights into the role of PC–ECM adhesion in PC coverage. The modelling framework presented here should also be applicable to other cell wrapping phenomena observed in vivo .

scholarly journals An Unbiased Functional Genetics Screen Identifies Rare Activating ERBB4 Mutations

2022 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-27
Author(s):  
Deepankar Chakroborty ◽  
Veera K. Ojala ◽  
Anna M. Knittle ◽  
Jasmin Drexler ◽  
Mahlet Z. Tamirat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Cellular Growth ◽  
Expression Library ◽  
Functional Genetics ◽  
Mutational Hotspots ◽  
Cancer Types

Despite the relatively high frequency of somatic ERBB4 mutations in various cancer types, only a few activating ERBB4 mutations have been characterized, primarily due to lack of mutational hotspots in the ERBB4 gene. Here, we utilized our previously published pipeline, an in vitro screen for activating mutations, to perform an unbiased functional screen to identify potential activating ERBB4 mutations from a randomly mutated ERBB4 expression library. Ten potentially activating ERBB4 mutations were identified and subjected to validation by functional and structural analyses. Two of the 10 ERBB4 mutants, E715K and R687K, demonstrated hyperactivity in all tested cell models and promoted cellular growth under two-dimensional and three-dimensional culture conditions. ERBB4 E715K also promoted tumor growth in in vivo Ba/F3 cell mouse allografts. Importantly, all tested ERBB4 mutants were sensitive to the pan-ERBB tyrosine kinase inhibitors afatinib, neratinib, and dacomitinib. Our data indicate that rare ERBB4 mutations are potential candidates for ERBB4-targeted therapy with pan-ERBB inhibitors. Statement of Significance: ERBB4 is a member of the ERBB family of oncogenes that is frequently mutated in different cancer types but the functional impact of its somatic mutations remains unknown. Here, we have analyzed the function of over 8,000 randomly mutated ERBB4 variants in an unbiased functional genetics screen. The data indicate the presence of rare activating ERBB4 mutations in cancer, with potential to be targeted with clinically approved pan-ERBB inhibitors.

A comparison of cytokine and hormone production by decidual cells and tissue explants

1996 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
L B Lonsdale ◽  
M G Elder ◽  
M H F Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Enzymatic Digestion ◽  
Isolated Cells ◽  
Hormone Production ◽  
General Process ◽  
Decidual Cells ◽  
Cells Cultured

Abstract Previous work has shown that enzymatic digestion of human placental tissue can induce the production of the cytokine interleukin-1β. Most studies of the feto-maternal interface of human pregnancy have used decidual cells prepared in a similar way, but the effects of tissue dissociation on the production of growth factors, cytokines, prostaglandins or hormones have not been investigated. Our studies show human decidual explants produce substantially lower levels of a range of factors than do human decidual cells cultured under the same conditions, indicating that induction may be a general process during the dissociation of tissues in vitro as the production of interleukins-1β, -6 and -8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, transforming growth factor-β2, tissue necrosis factor-α, prostaglandins E2 and F2α, and prolactin were all affected. The induction of cytokine production (expressed per mg tissue protein) ranged from 10- to 300-fold, indicating that isolated cells cultured in vitro may not reflect accurately the in vivo situation. Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 151, 309–313

scholarly journals Breed-specific factors influence embryonic lipid composition: comparison between Jersey and Holstein

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Baldoceda ◽  
Isabelle Gilbert ◽  
Dominic Gagné ◽  
Christian Vigneault ◽  
Patrick Blondin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Lipid Composition ◽  
Lipid Droplets ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Mitochondrial Activity ◽  
The Impact

Some embryos exhibit better survival potential to cryopreservation than others. The cause of such a phenotype is still unclear and may be due to cell damage during cryopreservation, resulting from overaccumulation and composition of lipids. In cattle embryos, in vitro culture conditions have been shown to impact the number of lipid droplets within blastomeres. Thus far, the impact of breed on embryonic lipid content has not been studied. In the present study were compared the colour, lipid droplet abundance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity and gene expression of in vivo-collected Jersey breed embryos, which are known to display poor performance post-freezing, with those of in vivo Holstein embryos, which have good cryotolerance. Even when housed and fed under the same conditions, Jersey embryos were found to be darker and contain more lipid droplets than Holstein embryos, and this was correlated with lower mitochondrial activity. Differential expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism and differences in lipid composition were found. These results show genetic background can impact embryonic lipid metabolism and storage.

scholarly journals Bacterial Infection-Mimicking Three-Dimensional Phagocytosis and Chemotaxis in Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone) Nanofibrous Membrane

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 569
Author(s):  
Seung-Jun Lee ◽  
Perry Ayn Mayson A Maza ◽  
Gyu-Min Sun ◽  
Petr Slama ◽  
In-Jeong Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Culture System ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Lung Epithelial Cells ◽  
Nanofibrous Membrane ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Layer System

In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro infection model to investigate the crosstalk between phagocytes and microbes in inflammation using a nanofibrous membrane (NM). Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-NMs (PCL-NMs) were generated via electrospinning of PCL in chloroform. Staphylococcus aureus and phagocytes were able to adhere to the nanofibers and phagocytes engulfed S. aureus in the PCL-NM. The migration of phagocytes to S. aureus was evaluated in a two-layer co-culture system using PCL-NM. Neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) cultured in the upper PCL-NM layer migrated to the lower PCL-NM layer containing bacteria. DCs migrated to neutrophils that cultured with bacteria and then engulfed neutrophils in two-layer system. In addition, phagocytes in the upper PCL-NM layer migrated to bacteria-infected MLE-12 lung epithelial cells in the lower PCL-NM layer. S. aureus-infected MLE-12 cells stimulated the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1α in 3D culture conditions, but not in 2D culture conditions. Therefore, the PCL-NM-based 3D culture system with phagocytes and bacteria mimics the inflammatory response to microbes in vivo and is applicable to the biomimetic study of various microbe infections.

scholarly journals Mesenchymal-like glioma cells are enriched in the gelatin methacrylate hydrogels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nameeta Shah ◽  
Pavan M. Hallur ◽  
Raksha A. Ganesh ◽  
Pranali Sonpatki ◽  
Divya Naik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Response ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Glioma Cells ◽  
Cellular Phenotype ◽  
3D Scaffold ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Cells Cultured

AbstractGlioblastoma is the most lethal primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Simplified two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and neurospheres in vitro models fail to recapitulate the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, limiting its ability to predict therapeutic response. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffold-based models have emerged as a promising alternative for addressing these concerns. One such 3D system is gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels, which can be used for modeling the glioblastoma microenvironment. We characterized the phenotype of patient-derived glioma cells cultured in GelMA hydrogels (3D-GMH) for their tumorigenic properties using invasion and chemoresponse assays. In addition, we used integrated single-cell and spatial transcriptome analysis to compare cells cultured in 3D-GMH to cells in vivo. Finally, we assessed tumor-immune cell interactions with a macrophage infiltration assay and a cytokine array. We show that cells cultured in 3D-GMH develop a mesenchymal-like cellular phenotype found in perivascular and hypoxic regions present in the core of the tumor, and recruit macrophages by secreting cytokines in contrast to the cells grown as neurospheres that match the phenotype of cells of the infiltrative edge of the tumor.

scholarly journals Mechanobiology of Epithelia From the Perspective of Extracellular Matrix Heterogeneity

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra N. Kozyrina ◽  
Teodora Piskova ◽  
Jacopo Di Russo
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Sheets ◽  
Ecm Remodeling ◽  
Cellular Behavior ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Matrix Heterogeneity ◽  
The Impact

Understanding the complexity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and its variability is a necessary step on the way to engineering functional (bio)materials that serve their respective purposes while relying on cell adhesion. Upon adhesion, cells receive messages which contain both biochemical and mechanical information. The main focus of mechanobiology lies in investigating the role of this mechanical coordination in regulating cellular behavior. In recent years, this focus has been additionally shifted toward cell collectives and the understanding of their behavior as a whole mechanical continuum. Collective cell phenomena very much apply to epithelia which are either simple cell-sheets or more complex three-dimensional structures. Researchers have been mostly using the organization of monolayers to observe their collective behavior in well-defined experimental setups in vitro. Nevertheless, recent studies have also reported the impact of ECM remodeling on epithelial morphogenesis in vivo. These new concepts, combined with the knowledge of ECM biochemical complexity are of key importance for engineering new interactive materials to support both epithelial remodeling and homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the structure and heterogeneity of the ECM before discussing its impact on the epithelial mechanobiology.

scholarly journals Single-cell transcriptomics elucidates in vitro reprogramming of human intestinal epithelium cultured in a physiodynamic gut-on-a-chip

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woojung Shin ◽  
Zhe Su ◽  
S. Stephen Yi ◽  
Hyun Jung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Intestinal Epithelium ◽  
Drug Transport ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cancer Cell Line ◽  
Static Condition ◽  
On Chip ◽  
Epithelial Layers

The microphysiological human gut-on-a-chip has demonstrated in vivo-relevant cellular fidelity of intestinal epithelium compared to its cultures in a static condition. Microfluidic control of morphogen gradients and mechanical cues robustly induced morphological histogenesis with villi-like three-dimensional (3D) microarchitecture, lineage-associated cytodifferentiation, and physiological functions of a human intestinal Caco-2 epithelium. However, transcriptomic dynamics that orchestrates morphological and functional reprogramming of the epithelium in a microphysiological culture remains elusive. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that a gut-on-a-chip culture that offers physiological motions and flow drives three distinctive subclusters that offer distinct gene expression and unique spatial representation in 3D epithelial layers. The pseudotemporal trajectory of individual cells visualized the evolutionary transition from ancestral genotypes in static cultures into more heterogeneous phenotypes in physiodynamic cultures on cell cycles, differentiation, and intestinal functions including digestion, absorption, drug transport, and metabolism of xenobiotics. Furthermore, the inversed transcriptomic signature of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes of Caco-2 cells verified that a gut-on-a-chip culture drives a postmitotic reprogramming of cancer-associated phenotypes. Thus, we discovered that a physiodynamic on-chip culture is necessary and sufficient for a cancer cell line to be reprogrammed to elicit in vivo-relevant heterogeneous cell populations with restored normal physiological signatures.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Extracellular Matrix Environment on Sost Expression by the MLO-Y4 Osteocyte Cell Line

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Robert T. Brady ◽  
Fergal J. O’Brien ◽  
David A. Hoey
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Collagen Scaffolds ◽  
Sost Gene ◽  
The Impact

Bone is a dynamic organ that can adapt its structure to meet the demands of its biochemical and biophysical environment. Osteocytes form a sensory network throughout the tissue and orchestrate tissue adaptation via the release of soluble factors such as a sclerostin. Osteocyte physiology has traditionally been challenging to investigate due to the uniquely mineralized extracellular matrix (ECM) of bone leading to the development of osteocyte cell lines. Importantly, the most widely researched and utilized osteocyte cell line: the MLO-Y4, is limited by its inability to express sclerostin (Sost gene) in typical in-vitro culture. We theorised that culture in an environment closer to the in vivo osteocyte environment could impact on Sost expression. Therefore, this study investigated the role of composition and dimensionality in directing Sost expression in MLO-Y4 cells using collagen-based ECM analogues. A significant outcome of this study is that MLO-Y4 cells, when cultured on a hydroxyapatite (HA)-containing two-dimensional (2D) film analogue, expressed Sost. Moreover, three-dimensional (3D) culture within HA-containing collagen scaffolds significantly enhanced Sost expression, demonstrating the impact of ECM composition and dimensionality on MLO-Y4 behaviour. Importantly, in this bone mimetic ECM environment, Sost expression was found to be comparable to physiological levels. Lastly, MLO-Y4 cells cultured in these novel conditions responded accordingly to fluid flow stimulation with a decrease in expression. This study therefore presents a novel culture system for the MLO-Y4 osteocyte cell line, ensuring the expression of an important osteocyte specific gene, Sost, overcoming a major limitation of this model.

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