Biomimetic collagen-sodium alginate-titanium oxide (TiO2) 3D matrix supports differentiated periodontal ligament fibroblasts growth for periodontal tissue regeneration.

Fabrication of biomaterial that mimics a suitable biological microenvironment is still a major challenge in the field of periodontitis treatment. Hence, in this report, we presented for the first time the fabrication of a novel biomaterial 3D matrix using collagen combined with sodium alginate and titanium oxide (TiO2) to recreate the in-vivo microenvironment and to act as a platform for the culture of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF) towards osteogenic differentiation. Further, we explored the changes of differentiated and undifferentiated HPLF cells in morphological and cellular level comparing 2D (standard culture plates) and 3D cell culture systems. The physicochemical parameters such as stiffness, water binding capacity, swelling, shrinkage factor, porosity and in-vitro biodegradation show the suitability of this 3D matrix to act as a scaffold for in-vitro periodontal regeneration. The differentiated HPLF cells in the 3D matrix secrete high levels of collagen, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase compared to the conventional 2D cell culture. Morphological analysis revealed the structural changes of HPLF cells before and after differentiation in 2D and 3D cell culture. In this study, we find that the level of osteocalcin secretion towards osteogenic differentiation was enhanced in HPLF cells by 3D matrix as compared with 2D cell culture, which demonstrates the osteogenic stimulatory potential of 3D matrix. Overall, the fabricated 3D matrix supports the differentiation of the HPLF cells into osteoblastogenic lineage cells in-vitro and is a promising approach for further investigations in in-vivo treatment of periodontal tissue impairment.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy versus confocal microscopy: in quest of a suitable tool to assess drug and nanomedicine penetration into multicellular tumor spheroids.

We recently constructed a multicellular spheroid model of pancreatic tumor based on a triple co-culture of cancer cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells and characterized by the presence of fibronectin, an important component of the tumor extracellular matrix. By combining cancer cells and stromal components, this model recreates in vitro the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of solid tumors. In this study, we used these hetero-type spheroids as a tool to assess the penetration of doxorubicin (used as a model drug) through the whole tumor mass either in a free form or loaded into polymer nanoparticles (NPs), and we investigated whether microscopy images, acquired by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy (LSFM), would be best to provide reliable information on this process. Results clearly demonstrated that CLSM was not suitable to accurately monitor the diffusion of small molecules such as the doxorubicin. Indeed, it only allowed to scan a layer of 100 µm depth and no information on deeper layers could be available because of a progressive loss of the fluorescence signal. On the contrary, a complete 3D tomography of the hetero-type multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) was obtained by LSFM and multi-view image fusion which revealed that the fluorescent molecule was able to reach the core of spheroids as large as 1 mm in diameter. However, no doxorubicin-loaded polymer nanoparticles were detected in the spheroids, highlighting the challenge of nanomedicine delivery through biological barriers. Overall, the combination of hetero-type MCTS and LSFM allowed to carry out a highly informative microscopic assessment and represents a suitable approach to precisely follow up the drug penetration in tumors. Accordingly, it could provide useful support in the preclinical investigation and optimization of nanoscale systems for drug delivery to solid tumors.

Heterotelechelic polymer prodrug nanoparticles: Adaptability to different drug combinations and influence of the dual functionalization on the cytotoxicity.

Well-defined, heterotelechelic polymer prodrugs for combination therapy were synthesized by using a combination of the "drug-initiated" nitroxide-mediated polymerization from a gemcitabine-alkoxyamine initiator and the nitroxide exchange reaction using TEMPO-bearing drugs to end-cap the drug-polymer chain-end by a second drug. This methodology was successfully applied to two different clinically relevant combinations, gemcitabine/doxorubicin (Gem/Dox) and gemcitabine/lapatinib (Gem/Lap), showing a certain degree of universality of the synthetic methodology. It also represented the first nanocarrier for the co-delivery of Gem and Lap ever reported. Well-controlled, low molar mass heterotelechelic polymers (Mn = 2100-4090 g.mol-1, Ð = 1.18-1.38) with ~1:1 drug ratios and high overall drug loadings up to 40 wt% were obtained. They were formulated into nanoparticles by nanoprecipitation and exhibited average diameters in the 34-154 nm range, with narrow particle size distributions (PSD = 0.01-0.22) and excellent colloidal stability over time. Their biological evaluation in terms of drug release and cytotoxicity was performed and compared to that of different monofunctional polymer prodrug formulations. We showed that heterobifunctional polymer prodrugs induced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values in the 120-300 nM range depending on the combination tested. Interestingly, whereas Gem/Dox combination did not lead to noticeable improvement over monofunctional therapies, co-nanoprecipitation of Gem/Lap prodrugs led to synergistic effect.

Multicellular spheroid based on a triple co-culture: A novel 3D model to mimic pancreatic tumor complexity.

The preclinical drug screening of pancreatic cancer treatments suffers from the absence of appropriate models capable to reproduce in vitro the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment and its stiff desmoplasia. Driven by this pressing need, we describe in this paper the conception and the characterization of a novel 3D tumor model consisting of a triple co-culture of pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1), fibroblasts (MRC-5) and endothelial cells (HUVEC), which assembled to form a hetero-type multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS). By histological analyses and Selective Plain Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) we have monitored the spatial distribution of each cell type and the evolution of the spheroid composition. Results revealed the presence of a core rich in fibroblasts and fibronectin in which endothelial cells were homogeneously distributed. The integration of the three cell types enabled to reproduce in vitro with fidelity the influence of the surrounding environment on the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a scaffold-free pancreatic cancer spheroid model combining both tumor and multiple stromal components has been designed. It holds the possibility to become an advantageous tool for a pertinent assessment of the efficacy of various therapeutic strategies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Pancreatic tumor microenvironment is characterized by abundant fibrosis and aberrant vasculature. Aiming to reproduce in vitro these features, cancer cells have been already co-cultured with fibroblasts or endothelial cells separately but the integration of both these essential components of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment in a unique system, although urgently needed, was still missing. In this study, we successfully integrated cellular and acellular microenvironment components (i.e., fibroblasts, endothelial cells, fibronectin) in a hetero-type scaffold-free multicellular tumor spheroid. This new 3D triple co-culture model closely mimicked the resistance to treatments observed in vivo, resulting in a reduction of cancer cell sensitivity to the anticancer treatment.

Biocompatible multilayer capsules engineered with a graphene oxide derivative: synthesis, characterization and cellular uptake.

Graphene-based capsules have strong potential for a number of applications, including drug/gene delivery, tissue engineering, sensors, catalysis and reactors. The ability to integrate graphene into carrier systems with three-dimensional (3D) geometry may open new perspectives both for fundamental tests of graphene mechanics and for novel (bio)technological applications. However, the assembly of 3D complexes from graphene or its derivatives is challenging because of its poor stability under biological conditions. In this work, we attempted to integrate a layer of graphene oxide derivative into the shell of biodegradable capsules by exploiting a facile layer-by-layer (LbL) protocol. As a first step we optimized the LbL protocol to obtain colloidal suspensions of isolated capsules embedding the graphene oxide derivative. As a following step, we investigated in detail the morphological properties of the hybrid capsules, and how the graphene oxide derivative layer influences the porosity and the robustness of the multilayer composite shells. Finally, we verified the uptake of the capsules modified with the GO derivative by two cell lines and studied their intracellular localization and biocompatibility. As compared to pristine capsules, the graphene-modified capsules possess reduced porosity, reduced shell thickness and a higher stability against osmotic pressure. They show remarkable biocompatibility towards the tested cells and long-term colloidal stability and dispersion. By combining the excellent mechanical properties of a graphene oxide derivative with the high versatility of the LbL method, robust and flexible biocompatible polymeric capsules with novel characteristics have been fabricated.