Human iPS derived progenitors bioengineered into liver organoids using an inverted colloidal crystal poly (ethylene glycol) scaffold.

Generation of human organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offers exciting possibilities for developmental biology, disease modelling and cell therapy. Significant advances towards those goals have been hampered by dependence on animal derived matrices (e.g. Matrigel), immortalized cell lines and resultant structures that are difficult to control or scale. To address these challenges, we aimed to develop a fully defined liver organoid platform using inverted colloid crystal (ICC) whose 3-dimensional mechanical properties could be engineered to recapitulate the extracellular niche sensed by hepatic progenitors during human development. iPSC derived hepatic progenitors (IH) formed organoids most optimally in ICC scaffolds constructed with 140 µm diameter pores coated with type I collagen in a two-step process mimicking liver bud formation. The resultant organoids were closer to adult tissue, compared to 2D and 3D controls, with respect to morphology, gene expression, protein secretion, drug metabolism and viral infection and could integrate, vascularise and function following implantation into livers of immune-deficient mice. Preliminary interrogation of the underpinning mechanisms highlighted the importance of TGFß and hedgehog signalling pathways. The combination of functional relevance with tuneable mechanical properties leads us to propose this bioengineered platform to be ideally suited for a range of future mechanistic and clinical organoid related applications.

Effect of adhesive ligand on cell deadhesion kinetics on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).

Thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) with a particular lower critical solution temperature (LCST) have been applied for the non-invasive harvesting of confluent cell layer. Until now, the effect of adhesive ligand on the biophysical responses of cells during cell layer harvesting from PIPAAm has not been elucidated. In this study, the deadhesion kinetics of smooth muscle cells (SMC) on various adhesive ligands immobilized on PIPAAm were investigated. Firstly, the formation of elastin (EL), laminin (LA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen (CL) coating on PIPAAm surfaces were validated with XPS, microBCA assay and AFM. It was shown that EL was most effective in driving cell retraction on PIPAAm surface. Moreover, the highest rate of initial SMC deadhesion on EL-PIPAAm was driven by the formation of stress fibers. Interestingly, HA was most effective in preventing initial SMC detachment from PIPAAm surface in comparison with EL, LA and CL. Also, the adhesion energy of SMC on HA-PIPAAm remained constant, which was two times and six times higher than that on CL-PIPAAm and EL-PIPAAm, respectively from 20 min onward. Overall, the results reported herein pave the way for the engineering of the invasive regeneration/recovery of cells/tissue with adhesive ligand.

Biomechanical study of the edge outgrowth phenomenon of encapsulated chondrocytic isogenous groups in the surface layer of hydrogel scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.

In cartilage tissue engineering, hydrogel is widely used as the scaffold for hosting and culturing chondrocyte suspension during neo-tissue formation. In order to develop cultured chondrocytes into a functional cartilage equivalent, the hydrogel must provide an ideal microenvironment for the rapidly proliferating chondrocytes. At the same time, the essential functions of chondrocytes, such as the secretion of type II collagen and glycosaminoglycans, must be maintained. In these studies, we quantitatively characterize the mechanobiology underlying a newly discovered "edge flourish" phenomenon of cultured chondrocytes within a three-dimensional agarose hydrogel, which may ultimately nurture scaffold-free cartilaginous tissue regeneration. First, real-time microscopy was used to track the spatiotemporal distributions of chondrocytes at different focal planes. The chondrocytes were observed to exhibit abundant neo-tissue outgrowth and significant cartilaginous phenotype at the edge of the hydrogel compared to those inside the hydrogel bulk. Secondly, the hydrogel surface stresses induced by the encapsulated chondrocytes were characterized quantitatively in real time using the finite-element method. Finally, the real-time three-dimensional matrix deformations of agarose hydrogel under the influence of chondrocytes were measured using a multiple-particle tracking assay. Our results indicate that the mechanism of the "edge flourish" phenomenon is induced by the oriented outgrowth of chondrocytic isogenous groups located at the edge of hydrogel. These isogenous groups exhibit directed outgrowth towards the surface of the hydrogel and eventually generate substantial surface tension on the interface of hydrogel and medium. Ultimately, the encapsulated chondrocytes closest to the hydrogel/medium interface will spontaneously sprout out of the hydrogel and form a layer of rich proliferative and chondrocytic extracellular matrix secreting chondrocytes at the surface of the hydrogel.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate induced modulation of cell deadhesion and migration on thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is the main polyphenolic constituent of green tea, has emerged as a promising candidate for potential applications in selected anticancer therapeutics. Generally, tumor metastasis is known to be correlated with the alterations in cell adhesion and migration of normal cells. Nevertheless, the effect of EGCG on the biophysical responses of tumor cell adhering on extracellular matrix remains obscure. In this study, a thermosenstive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) system was developed to elucidate the potential anti-tumor effect of EGCG on the deadhesion and migration of HepG2 cells. First, both XPS and ELISA validated the coating of laminin (LA) on PIPAAm. Second, a change of nanotopology of LA layer on PIPAAm across the lower solution critical temperature (LCST) was detected with AFM. HepG2 cells seeded on LA-coated PIPAAm surface was shown to go through deadhesion by lowering the temperature below the LCST. Interestingly, EGCG was shown to decelerate the thermally triggered deadhesion of HepG2 cell on LA coated PIPAAm. Moreover, the inhibition of cell deadhesion in EGCG treated cells was shown to be driven by actin remodeling. Interestingly, the modulation of cell deadhesion on LA coated PIPAAm by EGCG leads to the reduction of cell motility as shown by real-time cell migration assay. Overall, the use of PIPAAm system demonstrated the promise of EGCG as anticancer therapy through the suppression of cell deadhesion and migration.