Developing a multi-functional sensor for cell traction force, matrix remodeling and biomechanical assays in self-assembled 3D tissues in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashar Emon ◽  
M Saddam H Joy ◽  
M Taher A Saif
Keyword(s):  
Traction Force ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Tissue Stiffness ◽  
Cell Traction ◽  
Primary Fibroblasts ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Cell Matrix Interactions ◽  
Cell Force

Abstract Cell-matrix interactions, mediated by cellular force and matrix remodeling, result in a dynamic reciprocity that drives numerous biological processes and disease progression. Currently, there is no available method for direct quantification cell traction force and matrix remodeling in 3D matrices as a function of time. To address this long-standing need, we recently developed a high-resolution microfabricated sensor1 that measures cell force, tissue-stiffness and can apply mechanical stimulation to the tissue. Here the tissue self-assembles and self-integrates with the sensor. With primary fibroblasts, cancer cells and neurons, we demonstrated the feasibility of the sensor by measuring single/multiple cell force with a resolution of 1 nN, and tissue stiffness1 due to matrix remodeling by the cells. The sensor can be translated into a high-throughput system for clinical assays such as patient-specific drug and phenotypic screening. In this paper, we present the detailed protocol for manufacturing the sensors, preparing experimental setup, developing assays with different tissues, and for imaging and analyzing the data.

scholarly journals Mean deformation metrics for quantifying 3D cell–matrix interactions without requiring information about matrix material properties

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (11) ◽  
pp. 2898-2903 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Stout ◽  
Eyal Bar-Kochba ◽  
Jonathan B. Estrada ◽  
Jennet Toyjanova ◽  
Haneesh Kesari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Matrix Material ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
Constitutive Law ◽  
Small Cells ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Physiological Relevance ◽  
Cell Traction ◽  
The Matrix

Mechanobiology relates cellular processes to mechanical signals, such as determining the effect of variations in matrix stiffness with cell tractions. Cell traction recorded via traction force microscopy (TFM) commonly takes place on materials such as polyacrylamide- and polyethylene glycol-based gels. Such experiments remain limited in physiological relevance because cells natively migrate within complex tissue microenvironments that are spatially heterogeneous and hierarchical. Yet, TFM requires determination of the matrix constitutive law (stress–strain relationship), which is not always readily available. In addition, the currently achievable displacement resolution limits the accuracy of TFM for relatively small cells. To overcome these limitations, and increase the physiological relevance of in vitro experimental design, we present a new approach and a set of associated biomechanical signatures that are based purely on measurements of the matrix's displacements without requiring any knowledge of its constitutive laws. We show that our mean deformation metrics (MDM) approach can provide significant biophysical information without the need to explicitly determine cell tractions. In the process of demonstrating the use of our MDM approach, we succeeded in expanding the capability of our displacement measurement technique such that it can now measure the 3D deformations around relatively small cells (∼10 micrometers), such as neutrophils. Furthermore, we also report previously unseen deformation patterns generated by motile neutrophils in 3D collagen gels.

scholarly journals Emerging liver organoid platforms and technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Thuy Uyen Ha Lam ◽  
Yock Young Dan ◽  
Yun-Shen Chan ◽  
Huck-Hui Ng
Keyword(s):  
Cell Types ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Cell Culture Techniques ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
Cellular Models ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Liver Organoids

AbstractBuilding human organs in a dish has been a long term goal of researchers in pursue of physiologically relevant models of human disease and for replacement of worn out and diseased organs. The liver has been an organ of interest for its central role in regulating body homeostasis as well as drug metabolism. An accurate liver replica should contain the multiple cell types found in the organ and these cells should be spatially organized to resemble tissue structures. More importantly, the in vitro model should recapitulate cellular and tissue level functions. Progress in cell culture techniques and bioengineering approaches have greatly accelerated the development of advance 3-dimensional (3D) cellular models commonly referred to as liver organoids. These 3D models described range from single to multiple cell type containing cultures with diverse applications from establishing patient-specific liver cells to modeling of chronic liver diseases and regenerative therapy. Each organoid platform is advantageous for specific applications and presents its own limitations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of major liver organoid platforms and technologies developed for diverse applications.

scholarly journals Synthetic extracellular matrices with tailored adhesiveness and degradability support lumen formation during angiogenic sprouting

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jifeng Liu ◽  
Hongyan Long ◽  
Dagmar Zeuschner ◽  
Andreas F. B. Räder ◽  
William J. Polacheck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
In Vitro Model ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Lumen Formation ◽  
Cell Matrix ◽  
Matrix Interactions ◽  
Vitro Model ◽  
Cell Matrix Interactions

AbstractA major deficit in tissue engineering strategies is the lack of materials that promote angiogenesis, wherein endothelial cells from the host vasculature invade the implanted matrix to form new blood vessels. To determine the material properties that regulate angiogenesis, we have developed a microfluidic in vitro model in which chemokine-guided endothelial cell sprouting into a tunable hydrogel is followed by the formation of perfusable lumens. We show that long, perfusable tubes only develop if hydrogel adhesiveness and degradability are fine-tuned to support the initial collective invasion of endothelial cells and, at the same time, allow for matrix remodeling to permit the opening of lumens. These studies provide a better understanding of how cell-matrix interactions regulate angiogenesis and, therefore, constitute an important step towards optimal design criteria for tissue-engineered materials that require vascularization.

scholarly journals An Agent-Based Discrete Collagen Fiber Network Model of Dynamic Traction Force-Induced Remodeling

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Reinhardt ◽  
Keith J. Gooch
Keyword(s):  
Strain Energy ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Microstructural Properties ◽  
Collagen Gels ◽  
Stress Strain ◽  
Fiber Network ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Collagen Remodeling

Microstructural properties of extracellular matrix (ECM) promote cell and tissue homeostasis as well as contribute to the formation and progression of disease. In order to understand how microstructural properties influence the mechanical properties and traction force-induced remodeling of ECM, we developed an agent-based model that incorporates repetitively applied traction force within a discrete fiber network. An important difference between our model and similar finite element models is that by implementing more biologically realistic dynamic traction, we can explore a greater range of matrix remodeling. Here, we validated our model by reproducing qualitative trends observed in three sets of experimental data reported by others: tensile and shear testing of cell-free collagen gels, collagen remodeling around a single isolated cell, and collagen remodeling between pairs of cells. In response to tensile and shear strain, simulated acellular networks with straight fibrils exhibited biphasic stress–strain curves indicative of strain-stiffening. When fibril curvature was introduced, stress–strain curves shifted to the right, delaying the onset of strain-stiffening. Our data support the notion that strain-stiffening might occur as individual fibrils successively align along the axis of strain and become engaged in tension. In simulations with a single, contractile cell, peak collagen displacement occurred closest to the cell and decreased with increasing distance. In simulations with two cells, compaction of collagen between cells appeared inversely related to the initial distance between cells. These results for cell-populated collagen networks match in vitro findings. A demonstrable benefit of modeling is that it allows for further analysis not feasible with experimentation. Within two-cell simulations, strain energy within the collagen network measured from the final state was relatively uniform around the outer surface of cells separated by 250 μm, but became increasingly nonuniform as the distance between cells decreased. For cells separated by 75 and 100 μm, strain energy peaked in the direction toward the other cell in the region in which fibrils become highly aligned and reached a minimum adjacent to this region, not on the opposite side of the cell as might be expected. This pattern of strain energy was partly attributable to the pattern of collagen compaction, but was still present when mapping strain energy divided by collagen density. Findings like these are of interest because fibril alignment, density, and strain energy may each contribute to contact guidance during tissue morphogenesis.

Endothelial cell traction and ECM density influence both capillary morphogenesis and maintenance in 3-D

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. C179-C187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Kniazeva ◽  
Andrew J. Putnam
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tissue Stiffness ◽  
Fibrin Gel ◽  
Pharmacological Agents ◽  
Capillary Morphogenesis ◽  
Microcarrier Beads ◽  
Cell Traction ◽  
Tractional Forces ◽  
Vitro Model

Identifying the mechanisms regulating angiogenesis in pathological conditions such as cancer and heart disease is crucial to develop successful therapies. The dependence of angiogenesis on characteristic properties of these conditions, such as alterations in tissue stiffness due to changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), may shed light on potential therapeutic strategies. Prior studies have suggested that ECM compliance regulates capillary morphogenesis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that ECM density, which influences substrate mechanics, may regulate angiogenesis via a mechanism involving actin-mediated cell-generated forces. To investigate this hypothesis, we utilized an in vitro model of angiogenesis in which endothelial cells coated on microcarrier beads are distributed within a three-dimensional (3-D) fibrin ECM. A monolayer of fibroblasts, which provides pro-angiogenic factors, is cultured on top of the gel. Variations in fibrin gel density, along with a library of pharmacological agents that inhibit forces generated by the actin cytoskeleton, were used to prove the necessity of cell-generated tractional forces in blood vessel formation. Our data demonstrate that cell-generated forces not only play a crucial role in the early sprouting stages of capillary morphogenesis but are also required in the later maintenance stages, and thereby suggest a broader interdependence among tissue stiffness, cell contractile forces, and angiogenesis.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Alginate-Based Bioinks for 3D Bioprinting, Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Osteogenesis, and Application for Patient-Specific Bone Grafts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandez ◽  
Alejandro J. Tenorio ◽  
Kevin T. Campbell ◽  
Eduardo A. Silva ◽  
J. Kent Leach
Keyword(s):  
Mesh Size ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Osteogenic Potential ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
3D Bioprinting ◽  
3D Print ◽  
Biological Performance ◽  
Cell Matrix Interactions ◽  
Thickening Agents

AbstractTo realize the promise of 3D bioprinting, it is imperative to develop bioinks that possess the biological and rheological characteristics needed for the printing of cell-laden tissue grafts. Alginate is widely used as a bioink because its rheological properties can be modified through pre-crosslinking or the addition of thickening agents to increase printing resolution. However, modification of alginate’s physicochemical characteristics using common crosslinking agents can affect its cytocompatibility. Therefore, we evaluated the printability, physicochemical properties, and osteogenic potential of four common alginate bioinks: alginate-CaCl2 (alg-CaCl2), alginate-CaSO4 (alg-CaSO4), alginate-gelatin (alg-gel) and alginate-nanocellulose (alg-ncel) for the 3D bioprinting of patient-specific osteogenic grafts. While all bioinks possessed similar viscosity, printing fidelity was lower in the pre-crosslinked bioinks. When used to print geometrically defined constructs, alg-CaSO4 and alg-ncel exhibited higher mechanical properties and lower mesh size than those printed with alg-CaCl2 or alg-gel. The physical properties of these constructs affected the biological performance of encapsulated bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Cell-laden constructs printed using alg-CaSO4 and alg-ncel exhibited greater cell apoptosis and contained fewer living cells 7 days post-printing. In addition, effective cell-matrix interactions were only observed in alg-CaCl2 printed constructs. When cultured in osteogenic media, MSCs in alg-CaCl2 constructs exhibited increased osteogenic differentiation compared to the other three bioinks. This bioink was then used to 3D print anatomically accurate cell-laden scaphoid bones that were capable of partial mineralization after 14 days of in vitro culture. These results highlight the importance of bioink properties to modulate cell behavior and the biofabrication of clinically relevant bone tissues.

Cell Traction Force Mapping in MG63 and HaCaTs

2013 ◽  
Vol 832 ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Chin Fhong Soon ◽  
Mohamad A. Genedy ◽  
Mansour Youseffi ◽  
Morgan C.T. Denyer
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Force Measurement ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
Force Sensor ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Traction Forces ◽  
Cell Traction ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Cell Force Measurement ◽  
Cell Force

The ability of a cell to adhere and transmit traction forces to a surface reveals the cytoskeleton integrity of a cell. Shear sensitive liquid crystals were discovered with new function in sensing cell traction force recently. This liquid crystal has been previously shown to be non-toxic, linear viscoelastic and sensitive to localized exerted forces. This paper reports the possibility of extending the application of the proposed liquid crystal based cell force sensor in sensing traction forces of osteoblast-like (MG-63) and human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell lines exerted to the liquid crystal sensor. Incorporated with cell force measurement software, force distributions of both cell types were represented in force maps. For these lowly contractile cells, chondrocytes expressed regular forces (10 – 90 nN, N = 200) around the circular cell body whereas HaCaT projected forces (0 – 200 nN, N = 200) around the perimeter of poly-hedral shaped body. These forces are associated with the organisation of the focal adhesion expressions and stiffness of the LC substrate. From the results, liquid crystal based cell force sensor system is shown to be feasible in detecting forces of both MG63 and HaCaT.

scholarly journals Application of Airy beam light sheet microscopy to examine early neurodevelopmental structures in 3D hiPSC-derived human cortical spheroids

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwaipayan Adhya ◽  
George Chennell ◽  
James A. Crowe ◽  
Eva P. Valencia-Alarcón ◽  
James Seyforth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Light Sheet ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Airy Beam

Abstract Background The inability to observe relevant biological processes in vivo significantly restricts human neurodevelopmental research. Advances in appropriate in vitro model systems, including patient-specific human brain organoids and human cortical spheroids (hCSs), offer a pragmatic solution to this issue. In particular, hCSs are an accessible method for generating homogenous organoids of dorsal telencephalic fate, which recapitulate key aspects of human corticogenesis, including the formation of neural rosettes—in vitro correlates of the neural tube. These neurogenic niches give rise to neural progenitors that subsequently differentiate into neurons. Studies differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in 2D have linked atypical formation of neural rosettes with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum conditions. Thus far, however, conventional methods of tissue preparation in this field limit the ability to image these structures in three-dimensions within intact hCS or other 3D preparations. To overcome this limitation, we have sought to optimise a methodological approach to process hCSs to maximise the utility of a novel Airy-beam light sheet microscope (ALSM) to acquire high resolution volumetric images of internal structures within hCS representative of early developmental time points. Results Conventional approaches to imaging hCS by confocal microscopy were limited in their ability to image effectively into intact spheroids. Conversely, volumetric acquisition by ALSM offered superior imaging through intact, non-clarified, in vitro tissues, in both speed and resolution when compared to conventional confocal imaging systems. Furthermore, optimised immunohistochemistry and optical clearing of hCSs afforded improved imaging at depth. This permitted visualization of the morphology of the inner lumen of neural rosettes. Conclusion We present an optimized methodology that takes advantage of an ALSM system that can rapidly image intact 3D brain organoids at high resolution while retaining a large field of view. This imaging modality can be applied to both non-cleared and cleared in vitro human brain spheroids derived from hiPSCs for precise examination of their internal 3D structures. This process represents a rapid, highly efficient method to examine and quantify in 3D the formation of key structures required for the coordination of neurodevelopmental processes in both health and disease states. We posit that this approach would facilitate investigation of human neurodevelopmental processes in vitro.

scholarly journals MyD88 Is Not Required for Muscle Injury-Induced Endochondral Heterotopic Ossification in a Mouse Model of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 630
Author(s):  
Huili Lyu ◽  
Cody M. Elkins ◽  
Jessica L. Pierce ◽  
C. Henrique Serezani ◽  
Daniel S. Perrien
Keyword(s):  
Heterotopic Ossification ◽  
Muscle Injury ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva ◽  
Inflammatory Signaling ◽  
Conditional Deletion ◽  
Pathway Crosstalk ◽  
Multiple Cell

Excess inflammation and canonical BMP receptor (BMPR) signaling are coinciding hallmarks of the early stages of injury-induced endochondral heterotopic ossification (EHO), especially in the rare genetic disease fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). Multiple inflammatory signaling pathways can synergistically enhance BMP-induced Smad1/5/8 activity in multiple cell types, suggesting the importance of pathway crosstalk in EHO and FOP. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and IL-1 receptors mediate many of the earliest injury-induced inflammatory signals largely via MyD88-dependent pathways. Thus, the hypothesis that MyD88-dependent signaling is required for EHO was tested in vitro and in vivo using global or Pdgfrα-conditional deletion of MyD88 in FOP mice. As expected, IL-1β or LPS synergistically increased Activin A (ActA)-induced phosphorylation of Smad 1/5 in fibroadipoprogenitors (FAPs) expressing Alk2R206H. However, conditional deletion of MyD88 in Pdgfrα-positive cells of FOP mice did not significantly alter the amount of muscle injury-induced EHO. Even more surprisingly, injury-induced EHO was not significantly affected by global deletion of MyD88. These studies demonstrate that MyD88-dependent signaling is dispensable for injury-induced EHO in FOP mice.

scholarly journals Pathophysiological In Vitro Profile of Neuronal Differentiated Cells Derived from Niemann-Pick Disease Type C2 Patient-Specific iPSCs Carrying the NPC2 Mutations c.58G>T/c.140G>T

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4009
Author(s):  
Maik Liedtke ◽  
Christin Völkner ◽  
Alexandra V. Jürs ◽  
Franziska Peter ◽  
Michael Rabenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Hereditary Disease ◽  
Cholesterol Homeostasis ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Npc1 Gene ◽  
Niemann Pick

Niemann-Pick type C2 (NP-C2) disease is a rare hereditary disease caused by mutations in the NPC2 gene. NPC2 is a small, soluble protein consisting of 151 amino acids, primarily expressed in late endosomes and lysosomes (LE/LY). Together with NPC1, a transmembrane protein found in these organelles, NPC2 accomplishes the exclusion of cholesterol; thus, both proteins are essential to maintain cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Consequently, mutations in the NPC2 or NPC1 gene result in pathophysiological accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids in LE/LY. The vast majority of Niemann-Pick type C disease patients, 95%, suffer from a mutation of NPC1, and only 5% display a mutation of NPC2. The biochemical phenotype of NP-C1 and NP-C2 appears to be indistinguishable, and both diseases share several commonalities in the clinical manifestation. Studies of the pathological mechanisms underlying NP-C2 are mostly based on NP-C2 animal models and NP-C2 patient-derived fibroblasts. Recently, we established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), derived from a donor carrying the NPC2 mutations c.58G>T/c.140G>T. Here, we present a profile of pathophysiological in vitro features, shared by NP-C1 and NP-C2, of neural differentiated cells obtained from the patient specific iPSCs. Profiling comprised a determination of the NPC2 protein level, detection of cholesterol accumulation by filipin staining, analysis of oxidative stress, and determination of autophagy. As expected, the NPC2-deficient cells displayed a significantly reduced amount of NPC2 protein, and, accordingly, we observed a significantly increased amount of cholesterol. Most notably, NPC2-deficient cells displayed only a slight increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), suggesting that they do not suffer from oxidative stress and express catalase at a high level. As a site note, comparable NPC1-deficient cells suffer from a lack of catalase and display an increased level of ROS. In summary, this cell line provides a valuable tool to gain deeper understanding, not only of the pathogenic mechanism of NP-C2, but also of NP-C1.

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