Article
Chemistry, Physical
Antonius Chrisnandy, Delphine Blondel, Saba Rezakhani, Nicolas Broguiere, Matthias P. Lutolf
Summary: The study investigated the influence of stress relaxation of the extracellular matrix on the formation of intestinal organoids, revealing that a stress-relaxing synthetic matrix promotes crypt budding through increased symmetry breaking and niche cell formation.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yoshiki Ando, Fei-Chien Chang, Matthew James, Yang Zhou, Miqin Zhang
Summary: In this study, three-dimensional chitosan scaffolds are developed as microcarriers for the prolonged expansion of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) in bioreactors. The chitosan scaffolds exhibit desirable microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties, allowing for hNSC expansion in dynamic conditions for up to three weeks. This microcarrier approach has the potential for mass production of hNSCs in a three-dimensional setting.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yufeng Shou, Xin Yong Teo, Kenny Zhuoran Wu, Bingyu Bai, Arun R. K. Kumar, Jessalyn Low, Zhicheng Le, Andy Tay
Summary: Cells interact with their surrounding environment through static and dynamic mechanical signals. The understanding of the effects of dynamic mechanical stimulations on cells is limited, but it is important for translational applications. Researches have bioengineered ECM-mimicking hydrogels that can incorporate mechanical cues to model complex static and dynamic mechanical profiles.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Han Cui, Qimeng Wang, Ye Zhang, Mihail Barboiu, Yan Zhang, Jinghua Chen
Summary: Double cross-linked dynamic hydrogels, dynagels, prepared through reversible imine bonds and supramolecular interactions, showed excellent pH responsiveness, injectability, self-healing property and biocompatibility. Further encapsulation of heparin enhanced the hydrogels' anti-bacterial activity and promotion effects for 3D cell culture.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Kai Weissenbruch, Enrico Lemma, Marc Hippler, Martin Bastmeyer
Summary: Micro-fabrication and nano-fabrication provide useful methods for addressing biological questions by mimicking physiological microenvironments. Two-dimensional patterns and three-dimensional scaffolds, obtained through techniques like lithography and direct laser writing, can shape hydrogels, synthetic polymers, and biologically derived materials for (single) cell culture. Micro-scaffolds mimicking cell niches have applications in stem cell renewal, differentiation, and lineage specification, as well as studying single cells in basic cell biology.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cemile Uslu, Sumeyye Narin, Zeynep Demirsoy, Hasan Basri Oksuz, Gulcihan Gulseren
Summary: The current 2D cell culture techniques are not able to accurately model native tissue environments, leading to the development of 3D cell cultures with high tissue resemblance. However, these 3D techniques have limitations such as complex preparation processes, variations between batches, unnatural components, static culture conditions, and complex reactor systems. To overcome these limitations, a one-step strategy was introduced to create a tissue-like 3D cell culture method by mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment. This method involves the use of a non-covalent cross-linking of biopolymer-peptide complex and non-static cell culturing modules to accurately simulate the microenvironment and physical conditions of the ECM. This method has been successfully applied to improve osteogenic regeneration and can also be used with different cell types for personalized test models as an alternative to animal studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Francis L. C. Morgan, Julia Fernandez-Perez, Lorenzo Moroni, Matthew B. Baker
Summary: This study successfully controlled the mechanical properties of hydrogels, including hardness and stress relaxation, through simple modular mixing of dynamic cross-linking agents, providing a solution that balances processability and mechanical properties. Additionally, it was found that hydrogels with high hydrazone content have self-healing properties, enabling recycling of printed structures, and a distinct threshold for cell spreading and morphology within the hydrogel series was observed.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Muhammad Rizwan, Alexander E. G. Baker, Molly S. Shoichet
Summary: Designing simple biomaterials to replicate tissue properties is challenging in tissue engineering. Current biomaterials mainly provide macroscopic tunability of scaffold mechanics and do not reflect the dynamic nature of the natural extracellular microenvironment. There are opportunities to investigate cells capable of locally remodeling matrices for more complex applications.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Woochan Kim, Yonghyun Gwon, Sunho Park, Hyoseong Kim, Jangho Kim
Summary: Three-dimensional stem cell culture systems have the potential to mimic complex interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix, and have unique properties that can be applied in therapeutics.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Donghyun Kim, Yeo-Jun Yoon, Dojin Choi, Jisun Kim, Jae-Yol Lim
Summary: This study demonstrated lumen formation in mouse submandibular gland organoids using a three-dimensional culture system. The formation of lumens was induced by vasoactive intestinal peptide and accelerated by retinoic acid treatment. RA signaling was identified as playing a crucial role in regulating VIPR1 and KRT7 for lumen formation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiomara Fernandez-Garibay, Manuel Gomez-Florit, Rui M. A. Domingues, Manuela E. Gomes, Juan M. Fernandez-Costa, Javier Ramon-Azcon
Summary: Bioengineered human skeletal muscle tissues have been developed as in vitro systems for disease modeling. In this study, a-PL-based nanocomposite hydrogels were used as scaffolds to encapsulate human muscle satellite stem cells. The modulation of nanocrystal content facilitated the formation of highly aligned muscle fibers.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hideaki Tokuyama, Ryo Aoyagi, Kazuto Fujita, Yuki Maekawa, Shohei Riya
Summary: Ethanol fermentation using a hybrid system containing free and immobilized yeast cells in macroporous hydrogel scaffold was studied, with immobilization achieved through NIPA and MTGA hydrogels. The hybrid system showed higher ethanol productivity than the control system, with macroporous hydrogel allowing stable growth of immobilized yeast cells. In steady-state fermentation, the hybrid system had significantly higher cell densities and ethanol productivities compared to the control system.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Souvik Ghosh, Anastasiya Boersch, Shreemoyee Ghosh, Mihaela Zavolan
Summary: Our study explores the effects of Collagen I and Matrigel on the transcriptional profile of cells in a cell culture system. The results indicate a robust transcriptional response to Collagen I in Huh-7 cells, distinct from that induced by Matrigel, potentially aiding in defining appropriate culture and transcription pathways for hepatoma cell lines. This study could help in circumventing bottlenecks of limited availability of primary hepatocytes for preclinical studies of drug targets as systems mimicking the in vivo structure and function of liver cells are still being developed.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jae-Il Choi, John Hoon Rim, Sung Ill Jang, Joon Seong Park, Hak Park, Jae Hee Cho, Jong-Baeck Lim
Summary: This study reveals the critical role of JAG1 in cancer cell plasticity and maintenance of tumor heterogeneity in PDAC. In PDAC assembloids, ECs and immune cells act as tumor-supporting cells inducing plasticity in differentiated ductal carcinomas. Furthermore, the high expression of WNT5B in ECs is positively correlated with the expressions of JAG1, NOTCH1, and NOTCH2, and high JAG1 expression is associated with poor survival.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yonggang Lv, Hongjun Wang, Gui Li, Boyuan Zhao
Summary: A study prepared 3D DECM scaffolds with suitable stiffness to mimic the tumor microenvironment of human breast tissue, exploring the impact of matrix stiffness on drug resistance in breast cancer cells.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander E. G. Baker, Laura C. Bahlmann, Roger Y. Tam, Jeffrey C. Liu, Ahil N. Ganesh, Nikolaos Mitrousis, Richard Marcellus, Melanie Spears, John M. S. Bartlett, David W. Cescon, Gary D. Bader, Molly S. Shoichet
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2019)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura C. Bahlmann, Laura J. Smith, Molly S. Shoichet
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amy E. Arnold, Laura J. Smith, Greg Beilhartz, Laura C. Bahlmann, Emma Jameson, Roman Melnyk, Molly S. Shoichet
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura C. Bahlmann, Alexander E. G. Baker, Chang Xue, Sophie Liu, Moritz Meier-Merziger, Danielle Karakas, Luke Zhu, Ileana Co, Spencer Zhao, Allysia Chin, Alison McGuigan, John Kuruvilla, Rob C. Laister, Molly S. Shoichet
Summary: Studies have shown that macrophages migrate to a greater depth in cryogels with greater porosity and pore size, primarily through a matrix metalloproteinase-mediated mechanism. The migration of macrophages in cryogels is influenced by cell polarization, with polarized macrophages using a combination of amoeboid and mesenchymal migration. These findings pave the way for further research on macrophage invasion in a biomimetic tumor microenvironment.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Matthew D. Dozois, Laura C. Bahlmann, Yael Zilberman, Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang