The role of energy dissipation of polymeric scaffolds in the mechanobiological modulation of chondrogenic expression

Mechanical stimulation has been proposed to induce chondrogenesis in cell-seeded scaffolds. However, the effects of mechanical stimuli on engineered cartilage may vary substantially between different scaffolds. This advocates for the need to identify an overarching mechanobiological variable. We hypothesize that energy dissipation of scaffolds subjected to dynamic loading may be used as a mechanobiology variable. The energy dissipation would furnish a general criterion to adjust the mechanical stimulation favoring chondrogenesis in scaffold. Epiphyseal chondro-progenitor cells were then subject to unconfined compression 2 h per day during four days in different scaffolds, which differ only by the level of dissipation they generated while keeping the same loading conditions. Scaffolds with higher dissipation levels upregulated the mRNA of chondrogenic markers. In contrast lower dissipation of scaffolds was associated with downregulation of chondrogenic markers. These results showed that energy dissipation could be considered as a mechanobiology variable in cartilage. This study also indicated that scaffolds with energy dissipation level close to the one of cartilage favors chondrogenic expression when dynamical loading is present.     

The effect of bioengineered acellular collagen patch on cardiac remodeling and ventricular function post myocardial infarction

Regeneration of the damaged myocardium is one of the most challenging fronts in the field of tissue engineering due to the limited capacity of adult heart tissue to heal and to the mechanical and structural constraints of the cardiac tissue. In this study we demonstrate that an engineered acellular scaffold comprising type I collagen, endowed with specific physiomechanical properties, improves cardiac function when used as a cardiac patch following myocardial infarction. Patches were grafted onto the infarcted myocardium in adult murine hearts immediately after ligation of left anterior descending artery and the physiological outcomes were monitored by echocardiography, and by hemodynamic and histological analyses four weeks post infarction. In comparison to infarcted hearts with no treatment, hearts bearing patches preserved contractility and significantly protected the cardiac tissue from injury at the anatomical and functional levels. This improvement was accompanied by attenuated left ventricular remodeling, diminished fibrosis, and formation of a network of interconnected blood vessels within the infarct. Histological and immunostaining confirmed integration of the patch with native cardiac cells including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, epicardial cells, and immature cardiomyocytes. In summary, an acellular biomaterial with specific biomechanical properties promotes the endogenous capacity of the infarcted myocardium to attenuate remodeling and improve heart function following myocardial infarction.     

组织工程支架在脊髓损伤修复中应用的研究进展

目的：探讨组织工程支架材料在脊髓损伤（ SCI）修复中的应用进展。方法在中国生物医学文献数据库（ CBM）、PubMed数据库、Ovid Medline数据库查阅国内外有关应用组织工程支架修复SCI的相关文献,进行归纳总结。结果用于脊髓再生的生物工程组织支架的材料包括天然材料、合成材料和复合材料。天然材料包括透明质酸、藻酸盐、胶原、琼脂糖等,合成材料包括聚乳酸、聚乙醇酸及其聚合物等,以及二者相结合的复合材料。生物支架制作技术分为常规技术、静电纺丝技术和无固相成形技术3种：常规技术的作用非常有限;静电纺丝技术是使用最普遍的技术,但尚待完善;无固相成形技术是较新的技术,并具有更大的发展潜力。支架的治疗策略分为电刺激增强支架中生物细胞的活性,模拟细胞外基质的多肽修饰支架,引入生物活性分子和活性细胞的支架,延迟植入支架。克服SCI后恶劣的内环境,合理使用各种支架的治疗策略更加有利于发挥支架的治疗作用。结论组织工程支架在SCI的应用中可对轴突修复提供物理性的桥接,能够促进再生轴突的生长、连接和进一步恢复神经功能。     

A mechanism for effective cell-seeding in rigid,microporous substrates

Seeding cells into porous ceramic substrates has been shown to improve outcomes in surgical repair of large bone defects, but the physics underlying cellular ingress into such scaffolds remains elusive. This paper demonstrates capillary forces as a novel, yet simple, self-loading or self-seeding mechanism for rigid, microporous substrates. Capillary forces were found to draw cells through a microporous network with interconnections smaller than the diameter of the cells in suspension. Work here emphasizes CaP-based bone scaffolds containing both macroporosity (>100 μm) and microporosity (5–50 μm); these have been shown to improve bone formation in vivo as compared to their macroporous counterparts and also performed better than microporous scaffolds containing BMP-2 by some measures of bone regeneration. We hypothesize that capillary force driven self-seeding in both macro- and micropores may underlie this improvement, and present a mathematical model and experiments that support this hypothesis. The cell localization and penetration depth within these two-dimensional substrates in vitro depends upon both the cell type (size and stiffness) and the capillary forces generated by the microstructure. Additional experiments showing that cell penetration depth in vitro depends on cell size and stiffness suggest that microporosity could be tailored to optimize cell infiltration in a cell-specific way. Endogenous cells are also drawn into the microporous network in vivo. Results have important implications for design of scaffolds for the healing of large bone defects, and for controlled release of drugs in vivo.     

Continuous gradient scaffolds for rapid screening of cell–material interactions and interfacial tissue regeneration

In tissue engineering, the physical and chemical properties of the scaffold mediates cell behavior, including regeneration. Thus a strategy that permits rapid screening of cell–scaffold interactions is critical. Herein, we have prepared eight “hybrid” hydrogel scaffolds in the form of continuous gradients such that a single scaffold contains spatially varied properties. These scaffolds are based on combining an inorganic macromer (methacrylated star polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS_star-MA) and organic macromer (poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, PEG-DA) as well as both aqueous and organic fabrication solvents. Having previously demonstrated its bioactivity and osteoinductivity, PDMS_star-MA is a particularly powerful component to incorporate into instructive gradient scaffolds based on PEG-DA. The following parameters were varied to produce the different gradients or gradual transitions in: (1) the wt.% ratio of PDMS_star-MA to PEG-DA macromers, (2) the total wt.% macromer concentration, (3) the number average molecular weight (M_n) of PEG-DA and (4) the M_n of PDMS_star-MA. Upon dividing each scaffold into four “zones” perpendicular to the gradient, we were able to demonstrate the spatial variation in morphology, bioactivity, swelling and modulus. Among these gradient scaffolds are those in which swelling and modulus are conveniently decoupled. In addition to rapid screening of cell–material interactions, these scaffolds are well suited for regeneration of interfacial tissues (e.g. osteochondral tissues) that transition from one tissue type to another.     

Effect of bioactive borate glass microstructure on bone regeneration,angiogenesis, and hydroxyapatite conversion in a rat calvarial defect model

Borate bioactive glasses are biocompatible and enhance new bone formation, but the effect of their microstructure on bone regeneration has received little attention. In this study scaffolds of borate bioactive glass (1393B3) with three different microstructures (trabecular, fibrous, and oriented) were compared for their capacity to regenerate bone in a rat calvarial defect model. 12 weeks post-implantation the amount of new bone, mineralization, and blood vessel area in the scaffolds were evaluated using histomorphometric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The amount of new bone formed was 33%, 23%, and 15%, respectively, of the total defect area for the trabecular, oriented, and fibrous microstructures. In comparison, the percent new bone formed in implants composed of silicate 45S5 bioactive glass particles (250–300 μm) was 19%. Doping the borate glass with copper (0.4 wt.% CuO) had little effect on bone regeneration in the trabecular and oriented scaffolds, but significantly enhanced bone regeneration in the fibrous scaffolds (from 15 to 33%). The scaffolds were completely converted to hydroxyapatite within the 12 week implantation. The amount of hydroxyapatite formed, 22%, 35%, and 48%, respectively, for the trabecular, oriented, and fibrous scaffolds, increased with increasing volume fraction of glass in the as-fabricated scaffold. Blood vessels infiltrated into all the scaffolds, but the trabecular scaffolds had a higher average blood vessel area compared with the oriented and fibrous scaffolds. While all three scaffold microstructures were effective in supporting bone regeneration, the trabecular scaffolds supported more bone formation and may be more promising in bone repair.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Long-Acting D-Penicillamine Derivatives

This study extends the use of two lathyrogens, β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) and D-penicillamine (DPA) from daily systemic or local-topical administration to long-time acting agents. This was achieved by converting the hydrophilic drugs into lipophilic derivatives. The synthesis of functional derivatives of DPA consisted in esterification with methyl-, hexyl-, or benzyl alcohols in the presence of thionylchloride. The esters formed were hydrochlorides, acidic and soluble in water. During neutralization in vitro or in vivo by tissue fluid, an oily substance is formed that elutes from a hydrogel polymer at a much slower rate than hydroplilic DPA itself. The degree of lipophilicity, measured as a partition coefficient between octanol/water, was highest for hexyl ester and lowest for methyl ester DPA. A single injection of either DPA hexyl ester HCl or 3-hexyl(amino) propionitrile into the full thickness skin incision wound in rats significantly lowered the breaking strength of the wound 12 days after injection, indicating the interference with collagen cross-linking. Both agents injected into the breast adenocarcinoma in Fisher rats significantly inhibited tumor growth without any signs of local or systemic toxicity. We conclude that these lipophilic lathyrogens with prolonged effectiveness are suitable in the treatment of pathologies, consisting of excessively cross-linked or deposited collagen (fibrotic adhesions, strictures, stenosis, and scar contractures) and in the treatment of single, solitary tumors, malignant and benign.     

Regulation of mu opioid receptor internalization by the scaffold protein RanBPM

Mu opioid receptors (MOP) are transducers of the pharmacological effects of many opioid drugs, including analgesia and tolerance/dependence. Previously, we observed increased MOP signaling during postnatal development that was not associated with increased MOP or G protein expression. A yeast two-hybrid screen of a human brain cDNA library using the MOP C-terminus as bait identified RanBPM as a potential MOP-interacting protein. RanBPM has been recognized as a multi-functional scaffold protein that interacts with a variety of signaling receptors/proteins. Co-immunoprecipitation studies in HEK293 cells indicated that RanBPM constitutively associates with MOP. Functionally, RanBPM had no effect on MOP-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, yet reduced agonist-induced endocytosis of MOP. Mechanistically, RanBPM interfered with β arrestin2-GFP translocation stimulated by MOP but not α_1B-adrenergic receptor activation, indicating selectivity of action. Our findings suggest that RanBPM is a novel MOP-interacting protein that negatively regulates receptor internalization without altering MOP signaling through adenylyl cyclase.     

骨软骨组织工程支架的研究现状及发展趋势

目前,随着骨软骨组织工程的发展,为临床上骨软骨缺损的修复带来了新希望。应用自体细胞、支架、生长因子可以修复骨、软骨的缺损;选取具有生物相容性和可吸收性的复合支架可为细胞提供暂时的支持、黏附、生长环境,促进骨软骨缺损的修复。就骨软骨组织工程支架的分类、特性、应用以及存在的问题和发展趋势作一综述。     

Development of hyaluronic acid-based scaffolds for brain tissue engineering

Three-dimensional biodegradable porous scaffolds play vital roles in tissue engineering. In this study, a hyaluronic acid–collagen (HA–Coll) sponge with an open porous structure and mechanical behavior comparable to brain tissue was developed. HA–Coll scaffolds with different mixing ratios were prepared by a freeze–drying technique and crosslinked with water-soluble carbodiimide to improve mechanical stability. The pore structure of the samples was evaluated by light and scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical behavior was analyzed by mechanical compression and tension testing. The degree of crosslinking was determined by the water absorption and trinitrobenzene sulfonic assay, and the HA content was determined by a carbazole assay. The results showed that HA–Coll scaffolds containing an open porous structure with a homogeneous pore size distribution could be fabricated. Certain features of the mechanical properties of HA–Coll scaffolds prepared with a Coll:HA mixing ratio of 1:2, and pure HA sponges, were comparable with brain tissue. Neural stem cells (NSCs) were expanded in number in monolayer culture and then seeded onto the three-dimensional scaffolds in order to investigate the effects of the different types of scaffolds on neurogenic induction of the cells. This study contributes to the understanding of the effects of HA content and crosslink treatment on pore characteristics, and mechanical behavior essential for the design of HA–Coll scaffolds suitable for NSC growth and differentiation for brain tissue engineering.