scholarly journals In situ measurement of ECM rheology and microheterogeneity in embedded and overlaid 3D pancreatic tumor stroma co-cultures via passive particle tracking

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (06) ◽  
pp. 1742003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin P. Jones ◽  
William Hanna ◽  
Gwendolyn M. Cramer ◽  
Jonathan P. Celli

Tumor growth is regulated by a diverse set of extracellular influences, including paracrine crosstalk with stromal partners, and biophysical interactions with surrounding cells and tissues.Studies elucidating the role of physical force and the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) itself as regulators of tumor growth and invasion have been greatly catalyzed by the use of in vitro three-dimensional (3D) tumor models. These systems provide the ability to systematically isolate, manipulate, and evaluate impact of stromal components and extracellular mechanics in a platform that is both conducive to imaging and biologically relevant. However, recognizing that mechanoregulatory crosstalk is bi-directional and fully utilizing these models requires complementary methods for in situ measurements of the local mechanical environment. Here, in 3D tumor/fibroblast co-culture models of pancreatic cancer, a disease characterized by its prominent stromal involvement, we evaluate the use of particle-tracking microrheology to probe dynamic mechanical changes. Using videos of fluorescently labeled polystyrene microspheres embedded in collagen I ECM, we measure spatiotemporal changes in the Brownian motion of probes to report local ECM shear modulus and microheterogeneity. This approach reveals stiffening of collagen in fibroblast co-cultures relative to cultures with cancer cells only, which exhibit degraded ECM with heterogeneous microstructure. We further show that these effects are dependent on culture geometry with contrasting behavior for embedded and overlay cultures. In addition to potential application to screening stroma-targeted therapeutics, this work also provides insight into how the composition and plating geometry impact the mechanical properties of 3D cell cultures that are increasingly widely used in cancer biology.

2015 ◽  
Vol 9s2 ◽  
pp. BCBCR.S29424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadidiatou Guiro ◽  
Treena L. Arinzeh

Despite substantial advances in early diagnosis, breast cancer (BC) still remains a clinical challenge. Most BC models use complex in vivo models and two-dimensional monolayer cultures that do not fully mimic the tumor microenvironment. The integration of cancer biology and engineering can lead to the development of novel in vitro approaches to study BC behavior and quantitatively assess different features of the tumor microenvironment that may influence cell behavior. In this review, we present tissue engineering approaches to model BC in vitro. Recent advances in the use of three-dimensional cell culture models to study various aspects of BC disease in vitro are described. The emerging area of studying BC dormancy using these models is also reviewed.


Author(s):  
J. P. Revel

Movement of individual cells or of cell sheets and complex patterns of folding play a prominent role in the early developmental stages of the embryo. Our understanding of these processes is based on three- dimensional reconstructions laboriously prepared from serial sections, and from autoradiographic and other studies. Many concepts have also evolved from extrapolation of investigations of cell movement carried out in vitro. The scanning electron microscope now allows us to examine some of these events in situ. It is possible to prepare dissections of embryos and even of tissues of adult animals which reveal existing relationships between various structures more readily than used to be possible vithout an SEM.


Author(s):  
D. Reis ◽  
B. Vian ◽  
J. C. Roland

Wall morphogenesis in higher plants is a problem still open to controversy. Until now the possibility of a transmembrane control and the involvement of microtubules were mostly envisaged. Self-assembly processes have been observed in the case of walls of Chlamydomonas and bacteria. Spontaneous gelling interactions between xanthan and galactomannan from Ceratonia have been analyzed very recently. The present work provides indications that some processes of spontaneous aggregation could occur in higher plants during the formation and expansion of cell wall.Observations were performed on hypocotyl of mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) for which growth characteristics and wall composition have been previously defined.In situ, the walls of actively growing cells (primary walls) show an ordered three-dimensional organization (fig. 1). The wall is typically polylamellate with multifibrillar layers alternately transverse and longitudinal. Between these layers intermediate strata exist in which the orientation of microfibrils progressively rotates. Thus a progressive change in the morphogenetic activity occurs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (29) ◽  
pp. 4778-4788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Heredia-Soto ◽  
Andrés Redondo ◽  
José Juan Pozo Kreilinger ◽  
Virginia Martínez-Marín ◽  
Alberto Berjón ◽  
...  

Sarcomas are tumours of mesenchymal origin, which can arise in bone or soft tissues. They are rare but frequently quite aggressive and with a poor outcome. New approaches are needed to characterise these tumours and their resistance mechanisms to current therapies, responsible for tumour recurrence and treatment failure. This review is focused on the potential of three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models, including multicellular tumour spheroids (MCTS) and organoids, and the latest data about their utility for the study on important properties for tumour development. The use of spheroids as a particularly valuable alternative for compound high throughput screening (HTS) in different areas of cancer biology is also discussed, which enables the identification of new therapeutic opportunities in commonly resistant tumours.


Author(s):  
Chad E. Eckert ◽  
Brandon T. Mikulis ◽  
Dane Gerneke ◽  
Danielle Gottlieb ◽  
Bruce Smaill ◽  
...  

Engineered heart valve tissue (EHVT) has received much attention as a potential pediatric valve replacement therapy, offering prospective long-term functional improvements over current options. A significant gap in the literature exists, however, regarding estimating tissue mechanical properties from tissue-scaffold composites. Detailed three-dimensional structural information prior to implantation (in vitro) and after implantation in (in vivo) is needed for improved modeling of tissue properties. As such, a novel high-resolution imaging technique will be employed to obtain three-dimensional microstructural information. Analysis techniques will be used to fully quantify constituents of interest including scaffold, collagen, and cellular information and to develop appropriate two-dimensional sectioning sampling protocols. It is the intent of this work to guide modeling efforts to better elucidate EHVT tissue-specific mechanical properties.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirmin H. Lakner ◽  
Michael G. Monaghan ◽  
Yvonne Möller ◽  
Monilola A. Olayioye ◽  
Katja Schenke-Layland

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (283) ◽  
pp. 283ps9-283ps9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kandice Tanner ◽  
Michael M. Gottesman

The mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal evolution of tumor ecosystems present a challenge in evaluating drug efficacy. In this Perspective, we address the use of three-dimensional in vitro culture models to delineate the dynamic interplay between the tumor and the host microenvironment in an effort to attain realistic platforms for assessing pharmaceutical efficacy in patients.


Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Bray ◽  
Constanze Secker ◽  
Berline Murekatete ◽  
Jana Sievers ◽  
Marcus Binner ◽  
...  

Bone is the most common site for breast-cancer invasion and metastasis, and it causes severe morbidity and mortality. A greater understanding of the mechanisms leading to bone-specific metastasis could improve therapeutic strategies and thus improve patient survival. While three-dimensional in vitro culture models provide valuable tools to investigate distinct heterocellular and environmental interactions, sophisticated organ-specific metastasis models are lacking. Previous models used to investigate breast-to-bone metastasis have relied on 2.5D or singular-scaffold methods, constraining the in situ mimicry of in vitro models. Glycosaminoglycan-based gels have demonstrated outstanding potential for tumor-engineering applications. Here, we developed advanced biphasic in vitro microenvironments that mimic breast-tumor tissue (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 in a hydrogel) spatially separated with a mineralized bone construct (human primary osteoblasts in a cryogel). These models allow distinct advantages over former models due to the ability to observe and manipulate cellular migration towards a bone construct. The gels allow for the binding of adhesion-mediating peptides and controlled release of signaling molecules. Moreover, mechanical and architectural properties can be tuned to manipulate cell function. These results demonstrate the utility of these biomimetic microenvironment models to investigate heterotypic cell–cell and cell–matrix communications in cancer migration to bone.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniruddha Mitra ◽  
Laura Meißner ◽  
Rojapriyadharshini Gandhimathi ◽  
Roman Renger ◽  
Felix Ruhnow ◽  
...  

Abstract Within the mitotic spindle, kinesin motors cross-link and slide overlapping microtubules. Some of these motors exhibit off-axis power strokes, but their impact on motility and force generation in microtubule overlaps has not been investigated. Here, we develop and utilize a three-dimensional in vitro motility assay to explore kinesin-14, Ncd, driven sliding of cross-linked microtubules. We observe that free microtubules, sliding on suspended microtubules, not only rotate around their own axis but also move around the suspended microtubules with right-handed helical trajectories. Importantly, the associated torque is large enough to cause microtubule twisting and coiling. Further, our technique allows us to measure the in situ spatial extension of the motors between cross-linked microtubules to be about 20 nm. We argue that the capability of microtubule-crosslinking kinesins to cause helical motion of overlapping microtubules around each other allows for flexible filament organization, roadblock circumvention and torque generation in the mitotic spindle.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hao Tsai ◽  
Chih-Hung Hung ◽  
Che-Nan Kuo ◽  
Cheng-Yu Chen ◽  
Yu-Ning Peng ◽  
...  

Recently, cases of bone defects have been increasing incrementally. Thus, repair or replacement of bone defects is gradually becoming a huge problem for orthopaedic surgeons. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have since emerged as a potential candidate for bone replacement, of which titanium (Ti) alloys are one of the most promising candidates among the metal alloys due to their low cytotoxicity and mechanical properties. However, bioactivity remains a problem for metal alloys, which can be enhanced using simple immersion techniques to coat bioactive compounds onto the surface of Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds. In our study, we fabricated magnesium-calcium silicate (Mg–CS) and chitosan (CH) compounds onto Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds. Characterization of these surface-modified scaffolds involved an assessment of physicochemical properties as well as mechanical testing. Adhesion, proliferation, and growth of human Wharton’s Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) were assessed in vitro. In addition, the cell attachment morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy to assess adhesion qualities. Osteogenic and mineralization assays were conducted to assess osteogenic expression. In conclusion, the Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds were able to exhibit and retain pore sizes and their original morphologies and architectures, which significantly affected subsequent hard tissue regeneration. In addition, the surface was shown to be hydrophilic after modification and showed mechanical strength comparable to natural bone. Not only were our modified scaffolds able to match the mechanical properties of natural bone, it was also found that such modifications enhanced cellular behavior such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, which led to enhanced osteogenesis and mineralization downstream. In vivo results indicated that Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V enhances the bone regeneration and ingrowth at the critical size bone defects of rabbits. These results indicated that the proposed Mg–CS/CH coated Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds exhibited a favorable, inducive micro-environment that could serve as a promising modification for future bone tissue engineering scaffolds.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document