Improvement of paracellular transport in the Caco-2 drug screening model using protein-engineered substrates.

The Caco-2 assay has achieved wide popularity among pharmaceutical companies in the past two decades as an in vitro method for estimation of in vivo oral bioavailability of pharmaceutical compounds during preclinical characterization. Despite its popularity, this assay suffers from a severe underprediction of the transport of drugs which are absorbed paracellularly, that is, which pass through the cell-cell tight junctions of the absorptive cells of the small intestine. Here, we propose that simply replacing the collagen I matrix employed in the standard Caco-2 assay with an engineered matrix, we can control cell morphology and hence regulate the cell-cell junctions that dictate paracellular transport. Specifically, we use a biomimetic engineered extracellular matrix (eECM) that contains modular protein domains derived from two ECM proteins found in the small intestine, fibronectin and elastin. This eECM allows us to independently tune the density of cell-adhesive RGD ligands presented to Caco-2 cells as well as the mechanical stiffness of the eECM. We observe that lower amounts of RGD ligand presentation as well as decreased matrix stiffness results in Caco-2 morphologies that more closely resemble primary small intestinal epithelial cells than Caco-2 cells cultured on collagen. Additionally, these matrices result in Caco-2 monolayers with decreased recruitment of actin to the apical junctional complex and increased expression of claudin-2, a tight junction protein associated with higher paracellular permeability that is highly expressed throughout the small intestine. Consistent with these morphological differences, drugs known to be paracellularly transported in vivo exhibited significantly improved transport rates in this modified Caco-2 model. As expected, permeability of transcellularly transported drugs remained unaffected. Thus, we have demonstrated a method of improving the physiological accuracy of the Caco-2 assay that could be readily adopted by pharmaceutical companies without major changes to their current testing protocols.

An artificial niche preserves the quiescence of muscle stem cells and enhances their therapeutic efficacy.

A promising therapeutic strategy for diverse genetic disorders involves transplantation of autologous stem cells that have been genetically corrected ex vivo. A major challenge in such approaches is a loss of stem cell potency during culture. Here we describe an artificial niche for maintaining muscle stem cells (MuSCs) in vitro in a potent, quiescent state. Using a machine learning method, we identified a molecular signature of quiescence and used it to screen for factors that could maintain mouse MuSC quiescence, thus defining a quiescence medium (QM). We also engineered muscle fibers that mimic the native myofiber of the MuSC niche. Mouse MuSCs maintained in QM on engineered fibers showed enhanced potential for engraftment, tissue regeneration and self-renewal after transplantation in mice. An artificial niche adapted to human cells similarly extended the quiescence of human MuSCs in vitro and enhanced their potency in vivo. Our approach for maintaining quiescence may be applicable to stem cells isolated from other tissues.

Protein-engineered scaffolds for in vitro 3D culture of primary adult intestinal organoids.

Though in vitro culture of primary intestinal organoids has gained significant momentum in recent years, little has been done to investigate the impact of microenvironmental cues provided by the encapsulating matrix on the growth and development of these fragile cultures. In this work, the impact of various in vitro culture parameters on primary adult murine organoid formation and growth are analyzed with a focus on matrix properties and geometric culture configuration. The air-liquid interface culture configuration was found to result in enhanced organoid formation relative to a traditional submerged configuration. Additionally, through use of a recombinantly engineered extracellular matrix (eECM), the effects of biochemical and biomechanical cues were independently studied. Decreasing mechanical stiffness and increasing cell adhesivity were found to increase organoid yield. Tuning of eECM properties was used to obtain organoid formation efficiency values identical to those observed in naturally harvested collagen I matrices but within a stiffer construct with improved ease of physical manipulation. Increased ability to remodel the surrounding matrix through mechanical or enzymatic means was also shown to enhance organoid formation. As the engineering and tunability of recombinant matrices is essentially limitless, continued property optimization may result in further improved matrix performance and may help to identify additional microenvironmental cues that directly impact organoid formation, development, differentiation, and functional behavior. Continued culture of primary organoids in recombinant matrices could therefore prove to be largely advantageous in the field of intestinal tissue engineering for applications in regenerative medicine and in vitro tissue mimics.

Protein-engineered hydrogel encapsulation for 3-D culture of murine cochlea.

HYPOTHESIS: Elastin-like protein (ELP) hydrogel helps maintain the three-dimensional (3-D) cochlear structure in culture. BACKGROUND: Whole-organ culture of the cochlea is a useful model system facilitating manipulation and analysis of live sensory cells and surrounding nonsensory cells. The precisely organized 3-D cochlear structure demands a culture method that preserves this delicate architecture; however, current methods have not been optimized to serve such a purpose. METHODS: A protein-engineered ELP hydrogel was used to encapsulate organ of Corti isolated from neonatal mice. Cultured cochleae were immunostained for markers of hair cells and supporting cells. Organ of Corti hair cell and supporting cell density and organ dimensions were compared between the ELP and nonencapsulated systems. These culture systems were then compared with noncultured cochlea. RESULTS: After 3 days in vitro, vital dye uptake and immunostaining for sensory and nonsensory cells show that encapsulated cochlea contain viable cells with an organized architecture. In comparison with nonencapsulated cultured cochlea, ELP-encapsulated cochleae exhibit higher densities of hair cells and supporting cells and taller and narrower organ of Corti dimensions that more closely resemble those of noncultured cochleae. However, we found compromised cell viability when the culture period extended beyond 3 days. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the ELP hydrogel can help preserve the 3-D architecture of neonatal cochlea in short-term culture, which may be applicable to in vitro study of the physiology and pathophysiology of the inner ear.

Engineering of three-dimensional microenvironments to promote contractile behavior in primary intestinal organoids.

Multiple culture techniques now exist for the long-term maintenance of neonatal primary murine intestinal organoids in vitro; however, the achievement of contractile behavior within cultured organoids has thus far been infrequent and unpredictable. Here we combine finite element simulation of oxygen transport and quantitative comparative analysis of cellular microenvironments to elucidate the critical variables that promote reproducible intestinal organoid contraction. Experimentally, oxygen distribution was manipulated by adjusting the ambient oxygen concentration along with the use of semi-permeable membranes to enhance transport. The culture microenvironment was further tailored through variation of collagen type-I matrix density, addition of exogenous R-spondin1, and specification of culture geometry. "Air-liquid interface" cultures resulted in significantly higher numbers of contractile cultures relative to traditional submerged cultures. These interface cultures were confirmed to have enhanced and more symmetric oxygen transport relative to traditional submerged cultures. While oxygen availability was found to impact in vitro contraction rate and the orientation of contractile movement, it was not a key factor in enabling contractility. For all conditions tested, reproducible contractile behavior only occurred within a consistent and narrow range of collagen type-I matrix densities with porosities of approximately 20% and storage moduli near 30 Pa. This suggests that matrix density acts as a "permissive switch" that enables contractions to occur. Similarly, contractions were only observed in cultures with diameters less than 15.5 mm that had relatively large interfacial surface area between the compliant matrix and the rigid culture dish. Taken together, these data suggest that spatial geometry and mechanics of the microenvironment, which includes both the encapsulating matrix as well as the surrounding culture device, may be key determinants of intestinal organoid functionality. As peristaltic contractility is a crucial requirement for normal digestive tract function, this achievement of reproducible organoid contraction marks a pivotal advancement towards engineering physiologically functional replacement tissue constructs.

Multifunctional materials through modular protein engineering.

The diversity of potential applications for protein-engineered materials has undergone profound recent expansion through a rapid increase in the library of domains that have been utilized in these materials. Historically, protein-engineered biomaterials have been generated from a handful of peptides that were selected and exploited for their naturally evolved functionalities. In recent years, the scope of the field has drastically expanded to include peptide domains that were designed through computational modeling, identified through high-throughput screening, or repurposed from wild type domains to perform functions distinct from their primary native applications. The strategy of exploiting a diverse library of peptide domains to design modular block copolymers enables the synthesis of multifunctional protein-engineered materials with a range of customizable properties and activities. As the diversity of peptide domains utilized in modular protein engineering continues to expand, a tremendous and ever-growing combinatorial expanse of material functionalities will result.