| 1. |
- Abrahamsson, Annelie, et al.
(författare)
-
Increased matrix stiffness enhances pro-tumorigenic traits in a physiologically relevant breast tissue- monocyte 3D model
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 178, s. 160-169
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High mammographic density, associated with increased tissue stiffness, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer per se . In postmenopausal women there is no differences in the occurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) depending on breast density. Preliminary data suggest that dense breast tissue is associated with a pro -inflammatory microenvironment including infiltrating monocytes. However, the underlying mechanism(s) remains largely unknown. A major roadblock to understanding this risk factor is the lack of relevant in vitro models. A biologically relevant 3D model with tunable stiffness was developed by cross -linking hyaluronic acid. Breast cancer cells were cultured with and without freshly isolated human monocytes. In a unique clinical setting, extracellular proteins were sampled using microdialysis in situ from women with various breast densities. We show that tissue stiffness resembling high mammographic density increases the attachment of monocytes to the cancer cells, increase the expression of adhesion molecules and epithelia-mesenchymal-transition proteins in estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. Increased tissue stiffness results in increased secretion of similar pro-tumorigenic proteins as those found in human dense breast tissue including inflammatory cytokines, proteases, and growth factors. ER negative breast cancer cells were mostly unaffected suggesting that diverse cancer cell phenotypes may respond differently to tissue stiffness. We introduce a biological relevant model with tunable stiffness that resembles the densities found in normal breast tissue in women. The model will be key for further mechanistic studies. Additionally, our data revealed several pro-tumorigenic pathways that may be exploited for prevention and therapy against breast cancer.
|
|
| 2. |
- Ahn, Jae-Il, et al.
(författare)
-
Crosslinked collagen hydrogels as corneal implants: Effects of sterically bulky vs. non-bulky carbodiimides as crosslinkers
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 9:8, s. 7796-7805
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have previously shown that recombinant human collagen can be crosslinked with N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) to fabricate transparent hydrogels possessing the shape and dimensions of the human cornea. These corneal implants have been tested in a Phase I human clinical study. Although these hydrogels successfully promoted corneal tissue and nerve regeneration, the gelling kinetics were difficult to control during the manufacture of the implants. An alternative carbodiimide capable of producing hydrogels of similar characteristics as EDC in terms of strength and biocompatibility, but with a longer gelation time would be a desirable alternative. Here, we compared the crosslinking kinetics and properties of hydrogels crosslinked with a sterically bulky carbodiimide, N-Cyclohexyl-N-(2-morpholinoethyl) carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate (CMC), with that of EDC. CMC crosslinking was possible at ambient temperature whereas the EDC reaction was too rapid to control and had to be carried out at low temperatures. The highest tensile strength obtained using optimized formulations were equivalent, although CMC crosslinked hydrogels were found to be stiffer. The collagenase resistance of CMC crosslinked hydrogels was superior to that of EDC crosslinked hydrogels while biocompatibility was similar. We are also able to substitute porcine collagen with recombinant human collagen and show that the in vivo performance of both resulting hydrogels as full-thickness corneal implants is comparable in a mouse model of an orthotopic corneal graft. In conclusion, CMC is a viable alternative to EDC as a crosslinker for collagen-based biomaterials for use as corneal implants, and potentially for use in other tissue engineering applications.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Alloisio, Marta, et al.
(författare)
-
Fracture of porcine aorta-Part 1 : symconCT fracture testing and DIC
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 167, s. 147-157
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tissue failure and damage are inherent parts of vascular diseases and tightly linked to clinical events. Additionally, experimental set-ups designed to study classical engineering materials are suboptimal in the exploration of vessel wall fracture properties. The classical Compact Tension (CT) test was augmented to enable stable fracture propagation, resulting in the symmetry-constraint Compact Tension (symconCT) test, a suitable set-up for fracture testing of vascular tissue. The test was combined with Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to study tissue fracture in 45 porcine aorta specimens. Test specimens were loaded in axial and circumferential directions in a physiological solution at 37 & DEG;C. Loading the aortic vessel wall in the axial direction resulted in mode I tissue failure and a fracture path aligned with the circumferential vessel direction. Circumferential loading resulted in mode I-dominated failure with multiple deflections of the fracture path. The aorta ruptured at a principal Green-Lagrange strain of approximately 0.7, and strain rate peaks that develop ahead of the crack tip reached nearly 400 times the strain rate on average over the test specimen. It required approximately 70% more external work to fracture the aorta by circumferential than axial load; normalised with the fracture surface, similar energy levels are, however, observed. The symconCT test resulted in a stable fracture propagation, which, combined with DIC, provided a set-up for the in-depth analysis of vascular tissue failure. The high strain rates ahead of the crack tip indicate the significance of rate effects in the constitutive description of vascular tissue fracture.
|
|
| 5. |
- Alloisio, Marta, et al.
(författare)
-
Fracture of porcine aorta. Part 2: FEM modelling and inverse parameter identification
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Acta Materialia Inc. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 167, s. 158-170
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mechanics of vascular tissue, particularly its fracture properties, are crucial in the onset and progression of vascular diseases. Vascular tissue properties are complex, and the identification of fracture mechanical properties relies on robust and efficient numerical tools. In this study, we propose a parameter identification pipeline to extract tissue properties from force-displacement and digital image correlation (DIC) data. The data has been acquired by symconCT testing porcine aorta wall specimens. Vascular tissue is modelled as a non-linear viscoelastic isotropic solid, and an isotropic cohesive zone model describes tissue fracture. The model closely replicated the experimental observations and identified the fracture energies of 1.57±0.82 kJ m−2 and 0.96±0.34 kJ m−2 for rupturing the porcine aortic media along the circumferential and axial directions, respectively. The identified strength was always below 350 kPa, a value significantly lower than identified through classical protocols, such as simple tension, and sheds new light on the resilience of the aorta. Further refinements to the model, such as considering rate effects in the fracture process zone and tissue anisotropy, could have improved the simulation results. Statement of significance: This paper identified porcine aorta's biomechanical properties using data acquired through a previously developed experimental protocol, the symmetry-constraint compact tension test. An implicit finite element method model mimicked the test, and a two-step approach identified the material's elastic and fracture properties directly from force-displacement curves and digital image correlation-based strain measurements. Our findings show a lower strength of the abdominal aorta as compared to the literature, which may have significant implications for the clinical evaluation of the risk of aortic rupture.
|
|
| 6. |
- Altgärde, Noomi, 1983, et al.
(författare)
-
Probing the biofunctionality of biotinylated hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate by hyaluronidase degradation and aggrecan interaction
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-7568 .- 1742-7061. ; 9:9, s. 8158-8166
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular interactions involving glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are important for biological processes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and at cell surfaces, and also in biotechnological applications. Enzymes in the ECM constantly modulate the molecular structure and the amount of GAGs in our tissues. Specifically, the changeable sulfation patterns of many GAGs are expected to be important in interactions with proteins. Biotinylation is a convenient method for immobilizing molecules to surfaces. When studying interactions at the molecular, cell and tissue level, the native properties of the immobilized molecule, i.e. its biofunctionality, need to be retained upon immobilization. Here, the GAGs hyaluronan (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), and synthetically sulfated derivatives of the two, were immobilized using biotin-streptavidin binding. The degree of biotinylation and the placement of biotin groups (end-on/side-on) were varied. The introduction of biotin groups could have unwanted effects on the studied molecule, but this aspect that is not always straightforward to evaluate. Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrades HA and CS in the ECM, was investigated as a probe to evaluate the biofunctionality of the immobilized GAGs, using both quartz crystal microbalance and high-performance liquid chromatography. Our results showed that end-on biotinylated HA was efficiently degraded by hyaluronidase, whereas already a low degree of side-on biotinylation destroyed the degrading ability of the enzyme. Synthetically introduced sulfate groups also had this effect. Hence hyaluronidase degradation is a cheap and easy way to investigate how molecular function is influenced by the introduced functional groups. Binding experiments with the proteoglycan aggrecan emphasized the influence of protein size and surface orientation of the GAGs for in-depth studies of GAG behavior.
|
|
| 7. |
- Aminlashgari, Nina, et al.
(författare)
-
Degradation profile and preliminary clinical testing of a resorbable device for ligation of blood vessels
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 9:6, s. 6898-904
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A resorbable device for ligation of blood vessels was developed and tested in vitro to reveal the degradation profile of the device and to predict the clinical performance in terms of adequate mechanical support during a healing period of I week. In addition, preliminary clinical testing was performed that showed complete hemostasis and good tissue grip of renal arteries in five pigs. The device was made by injection molding of poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate) triblock copolymer, and it consisted of a case with a locking mechanism connected to a partly perforated flexible band. A hydrolytic degradation study was carried out for 7, 30 and 60 days in water and buffer medium, following the changes in mass, water absorption, pH and mechanical properties. A new rapid matrix-free laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) method was developed for direct screening of degradation products released into the degradation medium. The combination of LDI-MS and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analyses enabled the comparison of the degradation product patterns in water and buffer medium. The identified degradation products were rich in trimethylene carbonate units, indicating preferential hydrolysis of amorphous regions where trimethylene units are located. The crystallinity of the material was doubled after 60 days of hydrolysis, additionally confirming the preferential hydrolysis of trimethylene carbonate units and the enrichment of glycolide units in the remaining solid matrix. The mechanical performance of the perforated band was followed for the first week of hydrolysis and the results suggest that sufficient strength is retained during the healing time of the blood vessels.
|
|
| 8. |
- Asif, Sana, et al.
(författare)
-
Heparinization of cell surfaces with short peptide-conjugated PEG-lipid regulates thromboinflammation in transplantation of human MSCs and hepatocytes
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 35, s. 194-205
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infusion of therapeutic cells into humans is associated with immune responses, including thromboinflammation, which result in a large loss of transplanted cells\ To address these problems, heparinization of the cell surfaces was achieved by a cell-surface modification technique using polyethylene glycol conjugated phospholipid (PEG-lipid) derivatives. A short heparin-binding peptide was conjugated to the PEG-lipid for immobilization of heparin conjugates on the surface of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and human hepatocytes. Here three kinds of heparin-binding peptides were used for immobilizing heparin conjugates and examined for the antithrombogenic effects on the cell surface. The heparinized cells were incubated in human whole blood to evaluate their hemocompatibility by measuring blood parameters such as platelet count, coagulation markers, complement markers, and Factor Xa activity. We found that one of the heparin-binding peptides did not show cytotoxicity after the immobilization with heparin conjugates. The degree of binding of the heparin conjugates on the cell surface (analyzed by flow cytometer) depended on the ratio of the active peptide to control peptide. For both human MSCs and hepatocytes in whole-blood experiments, no platelet aggregation was seen in the heparin conjugate-immobilized cell group vs. the controls (non-coated cells or control peptide). Also, the levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), C3a, and sC5b-9 were significantly lower than those of the controls, indicating a lower activation of coagulation and complement. Factor Xa analysis indicated that the heparin conjugate was still active on the cell surface at 24 h post-coating. It is possible to immobilize heparin conjugates onto hMSC and human hepatocyte surfaces and thereby protect the cell surfaces from damaging thromboinflammation. Statement of Signigficance We present a promising approach to enhance the biocompatibility of therapeutic cells. Here we used short peptide-conjugated PEG-lipid for cell surface modification and heparin conjugates for the coating of human hepatocytes and MSCs. We screened the short peptides to find higher affinity for heparinization of cell surface and performed hemocompatibility assay of heparinized human hepatocytes and human MSCs in human whole blood. Using heparin-binding peptide with higher affinity, not only coagulation activation but also complement activation was significantly suppressed. Thus, it was possible to protect human hepatocytes and human MSCs from the attack of thromboinflammatory activation, which can contribute to the improvement graft survival. (C) 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 9. |
- Atefyekta, Saba, 1987, et al.
(författare)
-
Antibiofilm elastin-like polypeptide coatings: functionality, stability, and selectivity
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-7568 .- 1742-7061. ; 83, s. 245-256
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antimicrobial peptides (AMPS) are currently receiving interest as an alternative to conventional antibiotics to treat biomaterial-associated infection. However, the inherent instability of such peptides often limits their efficacy in intended clinical applications. Covalent immobilization of AMPs to surfaces is one strategy to increase the long-term stability and minimize the toxicity. In this work, an antimicrobial peptide, RRPRPRPRPWWWW-NH2 (RRP9W4N), was used to modify elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) surface coatings containing cell-adhesive peptide domains (RGD) using covalent chemistry. The AMP retained its antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa when covalently bonded to ELP surfaces. Simultaneously, the AMP functionalization had insignificant effect on the viability, function, and differentiation of human osteosarcoma MG63 cells and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Furthermore, stability of the immobilized AMP in human blood serum was investigated, and the results suggested that the AMP preserved its antibacterial activity up to 24 h. Combined, the results show that covalently attached AMPs onto RGD-containing ELP are an excellent candidate as an antimicrobial coating for medical devices.
|
|
| 10. |
- Atif, Abdul Raouf, 1996-, et al.
(författare)
-
A microfluidics-based method for culturing osteoblasts on biomimetic hydroxyapatite
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 127, s. 327-337
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The reliability of conventional cell culture studies to evaluate biomaterials is often questioned, as in vitro outcomes may contradict results obtained through in vivo assays. Microfluidics technology has the potential to reproduce complex physiological conditions by allowing for fine control of microscale features such as cell confinement and flow rate. Having a continuous flow during cell culture is especially advantageous for bioactive biomaterials such as calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (HA), which may otherwise alter medium composition and jeopardize cell viability, potentially producing false negative results in vitro. In this work, HA was integrated into a microfluidics-based platform (HA-on-chip) and the effect of varied flow rates (2, 8 and 14 µl/min, corresponding to 0.002, 0.008 and 0.014 dyn/cm2, respectively) was evaluated. A HA sample placed in a well plate (HA-static) was included as a control. While substantial calcium depletion and phosphate release occurred in static conditions, the concentration of ions in HA-on-chip samples remained similar to those of fresh medium, particularly at higher flow rates. Pre-osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) exhibited a significantly higher degree of proliferation on HA-on-chip (8 μl/min flow rate) as compared to HA-static. However, cell differentiation, analysed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, showed low values in both conditions. This study indicates that cells respond differently when cultured on HA under flow compared to static conditions, which indicates the need for more physiologically relevant methods to increase the predictive value of in vitro studies used to evaluate biomaterials.
|
|
