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1.
Stem Cell Res Ther ; 15(1): 131, 2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38702793

BACKGROUND: Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) hold great therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant methodology for the isolation and culture of WJ-MSCs. Through comprehensive research, encompassing laboratory-scale experiments to pilot-scale studies, we aimed to develop standardized protocols ensuring the high yield and quality of WJ-MSCs manufacturing. METHODS: Firstly, optimization of parameters for the enzymatic digestion method used to isolate WJ-MSCs was conducted. These parameters included enzyme concentrations, digestion times, seeding densities, and culture media. Additionally, a comparative analysis between the explant method and the enzymatic digestion method was performed. Subsequently, the consecutive passaging of WJ-MSCs, specifically up to passage 9, was evaluated using the optimized method. Finally, manufacturing processes were developed and scaled up, starting from laboratory-scale flask-based production and progressing to pilot-scale cell factory-based production. Furthermore, a stability study was carried out to assess the storage and use of drug products (DPs). RESULTS: The optimal parameters for the enzymatic digestion method were a concentration of 0.4 PZ U/mL Collagenase NB6 and a digestion time of 3 h, resulting in a higher yield of P0 WJ-MSCs. In addition, a positive correlation between the weight of umbilical cord tissue and the quantities of P0 WJ-MSCs has been observed. Evaluation of different concentrations of human platelet lysate revealed that 2% and 5% concentrations resulted in similar levels of cell expansion. Comparative analysis revealed that the enzymatic digestion method exhibited faster outgrowth of WJ-MSCs compared to the explant method during the initial passage. Passages 2 to 5 exhibited higher viability and proliferation ability throughout consecutive passaging. Moreover, scalable manufacturing processes from the laboratory scale to the pilot scale were successfully developed, ensuring the production of high-quality WJ-MSCs. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles of the DPs led to reduced cell viability and viable cell concentration. Subsequent thawing and dilution of the DPs resulted in a significant decrease in both metrics, especially when stored at 20-27 °C. CONCLUSION: This study offers valuable insights into optimizing the isolation and culture of WJ-MSCs. Our scalable manufacturing processes facilitate the large-scale production of high-quality WJ-MSCs. These findings contribute to the advancement of WJ-MSCs-based therapies in regenerative medicine.


Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Wharton Jelly , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Humans , Wharton Jelly/cytology , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Differentiation , Cells, Cultured , Cell Proliferation , Cell Separation/methods , Cell Separation/standards
2.
Stem Cell Res Ther ; 15(1): 130, 2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38702837

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronan (HA) is an extracellular glycosaminoglycan polysaccharide with widespread roles throughout development and in healthy and neoplastic tissues. In pluripotent stem cell culture it can support both stem cell renewal and differentiation. However, responses to HA in culture are influenced by interaction with a range of cognate factors and receptors including components of blood serum supplements, which alter results. These may contribute to variation in cell batch production yield and phenotype as well as heighten the risks of adventitious pathogen transmission in the course of cell processing for therapeutic applications. MAIN: Here we characterise differentiation of a human embryo/pluripotent stem cell derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (hESC/PSC-MSC)-like cell population by culture on a planar surface coated with HA in serum-free media qualified for cell production for therapy. Resulting cells met minimum criteria of the International Society for Cellular Therapy for identification as MSC by expression of. CD90, CD73, CD105, and lack of expression for CD34, CD45, CD14 and HLA-II. They were positive for other MSC associated markers (i.e.CD166, CD56, CD44, HLA 1-A) whilst negative for others (e.g. CD271, CD71, CD146). In vitro co-culture assessment of MSC associated functionality confirmed support of growth of hematopoietic progenitors and inhibition of mitogen activated proliferation of lymphocytes from umbilical cord and adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively. Co-culture with immortalized THP-1 monocyte derived macrophages (Mɸ) concurrently stimulated with lipopolysaccharide as a pro-inflammatory stimulus, resulted in a dose dependent increase in pro-inflammatory IL6 but negligible effect on TNFα. To further investigate these functionalities, a bulk cell RNA sequence comparison with adult human bone marrow derived MSC and hESC substantiated a distinctive genetic signature more proximate to the former. CONCLUSION: Cultivation of human pluripotent stem cells on a planar substrate of HA in serum-free culture media systems is sufficient to yield a distinctive developmental mesenchymal stromal cell lineage with potential to modify the function of haematopoietic lineages in therapeutic applications.


Cell Differentiation , Hyaluronic Acid , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Pluripotent Stem Cells , Humans , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Hyaluronic Acid/pharmacology , Hyaluronic Acid/metabolism , Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology , Culture Media, Serum-Free/pharmacology , Cell Lineage , Cells, Cultured , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Coculture Techniques
3.
Function (Oxf) ; 5(3): zqae012, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38706963

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a heterogeneous syndrome, comprising diverse etiologies of kidney insults that result in high mortality and morbidity if not well managed. Although great efforts have been made to investigate underlying pathogenic mechanisms of AKI, there are limited therapeutic strategies available. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are membrane-bound vesicles secreted by various cell types, which can serve as cell-free therapy through transfer of bioactive molecules. In this review, we first overview the AKI syndrome and EV biology, with a particular focus on the technical aspects and therapeutic application of cell culture-derived EVs. Second, we illustrate how multi-omic approaches to EV miRNA, protein, and genomic cargo analysis can yield new insights into their mechanisms of action and address unresolved questions in the field. We then summarize major experimental evidence regarding the therapeutic potential of EVs in AKI, which we subdivide into stem cell and non-stem cell-derived EVs. Finally, we highlight the challenges and opportunities related to the clinical translation of animal studies into human patients.


Acute Kidney Injury , Extracellular Vesicles , Acute Kidney Injury/therapy , Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism , Acute Kidney Injury/pathology , Humans , Extracellular Vesicles/transplantation , Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Animals , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , MicroRNAs/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics
4.
Biotechnol J ; 19(5): e2400090, 2024 May.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38719592

The production of lentiviral vectors (LVs) pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus envelope glycoprotein (VSV-G) is limited by the associated cytotoxicity of the envelope and by the production methods used, such as transient transfection of adherent cell lines. In this study, we established stable suspension producer cell lines for scalable and serum-free LV production derived from two stable, inducible packaging cell lines, named GPRG and GPRTG. The established polyclonal producer cell lines produce self-inactivating (SIN) LVs carrying a WAS-T2A-GFP construct at an average infectious titer of up to 4.64 × 107 TU mL-1 in a semi-perfusion process in a shake flask and can be generated in less than two months. The derived monoclonal cell lines are functionally stable in continuous culture and produce an average infectious titer of up to 9.38 × 107 TU mL-1 in a semi-perfusion shake flask process. The producer clones are able to maintain a productivity of >1 × 107 TU mL-1 day-1 for up to 29 consecutive days in a non-optimized 5 L stirred-tank bioreactor perfusion process, representing a major milestone in the field of LV manufacturing. As the producer cell lines are based on an inducible Tet-off expression system, the established process allows LV production in the absence of inducers such as antibiotics. The purified LVs efficiently transduce human CD34+ cells, reducing the LV quantities required for gene and cell therapy applications.


Bioreactors , Genetic Vectors , Lentivirus , Lentivirus/genetics , Humans , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Culture Media, Serum-Free , Cell Line , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Virus Cultivation/methods , HEK293 Cells , Transfection/methods
5.
Biomed Microdevices ; 26(2): 26, 2024 May 29.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38806765

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models have been extensively utilized in various mechanistic studies as well as for drug development studies as superior in vitro platforms than conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models. This is especially the case in cancer biology, where 3D cancer models, such as spheroids or organoids, have been utilized extensively to understand the mechanisms of cancer development. Recently, many sophisticated 3D models such as organ-on-a-chip models are emerging as advanced in vitro models that can more accurately mimic the in vivo tissue functions. Despite such advancements, spheroids are still considered as a powerful 3D cancer model due to the relatively simple structure and compatibility with existing laboratory instruments, and also can provide orders of magnitude higher throughput than complex in vitro models, an extremely important aspects for drug development. However, creating well-defined spheroids remain challenging, both in terms of throughputs in generation as well as reproducibility in size and shape that can make it challenging for drug testing applications. In the past decades, droplet microfluidics utilizing hydrogels have been highlighted due to their potentials. Importantly, core-shell structured gel droplets can avoid spheroid-to-spheroid adhesion that can cause large variations in assays while also enabling long-term cultivation of spheroids with higher uniformity by protecting the core organoid area from external environment while the outer porous gel layer still allows nutrient exchange. Hence, core-shell gel droplet-based spheroid formation can improve the predictivity and reproducibility of drug screening assays. This review paper will focus on droplet microfluidics-based technologies for cancer spheroid production using various gel materials and structures. In addition, we will discuss emerging technologies that have the potential to advance the production of spheroids, prospects of such technologies, and remaining challenges.


Hydrogels , Spheroids, Cellular , Spheroids, Cellular/cytology , Spheroids, Cellular/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogels/chemistry , Lab-On-A-Chip Devices , Cell Culture Techniques/instrumentation , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/instrumentation , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/methods , Neoplasms/pathology , Neoplasms/metabolism , Microfluidics/instrumentation , Microfluidics/methods , Animals
6.
J Vis Exp ; (207)2024 May 10.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38801260

The squamous epithelium of the esophagus is directly exposed to the environment, continuously facing foreign antigens, including food antigens and microbes. Maintaining the integrity of the epithelial barrier is critical for preventing infections and avoiding inflammation caused by harmless food-derived antigens. This article provides simplified protocols for generating human esophageal organoids and air-liquid interface cultures from patient biopsies to study the epithelial compartment of the esophagus in the context of tissue homeostasis and disease. These protocols have been significant scientific milestones in the last decade, describing three-dimensional organ-like structures from patient-derived primary cells, organoids, and air-liquid interface cultures. They offer the possibility to investigate the function of specific cytokines, growth factors, and signaling pathways in the esophageal epithelium within a three-dimensional framework while maintaining the phenotypic and genetic properties of the donor. Organoids provide information on tissue microarchitecture by assessing the transcriptome and proteome after cytokine stimulation. In contrast, air-liquid interface cultures allow the assessment of the epithelial barrier integrity through transepithelial resistance (TEER) or macromolecule flux measurements. Combining these organoids and air-liquid interface cultures is a powerful tool to advance research in impaired esophageal epithelial barrier conditions.


Eosinophilic Esophagitis , Organoids , Eosinophilic Esophagitis/pathology , Eosinophilic Esophagitis/metabolism , Humans , Organoids/pathology , Organoids/metabolism , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/methods , Esophagus/pathology , Esophagus/cytology , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/pathology
7.
J Vis Exp ; (207)2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38767371

The mammary gland is a fundamental structure of the breast and plays an essential role in reproduction. Human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), which are the origin cells of breast cancer and other breast-related inflammatory diseases, have garnered considerable attention. However, isolating and culturing primary HMECs in vitro for research purposes has been challenging due to their highly differentiated, keratinized nature and their short lifespan. Therefore, developing a simple and efficient method to isolate and culture HMECs is of great scientific value for the study of breast biology and breast-related diseases. In this study, we successfully isolated primary HMECs from small amounts of mammary tissue by digestion with a mixture of enzymes combined with an initial culture in 5% fetal bovine serum-DMEM containing the Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632, followed by culture expansion in serum-free keratinocyte medium. This approach selectively promotes the growth of epithelial cells, resulting in an optimized cell yield. The simplicity and convenience of this method make it suitable for both laboratory and clinical research, which should provide valuable insights into these important areas of study.


Cell Culture Techniques , Epithelial Cells , Mammary Glands, Human , Humans , Epithelial Cells/cytology , Female , Mammary Glands, Human/cytology , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Amides/pharmacology , Pyridines/pharmacology , Cytological Techniques/methods , rho-Associated Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
8.
J Vis Exp ; (207)2024 May 03.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38767381

Over the last decades, the evidence accumulated about the existence of respiratory supercomplexes (SCs) has changed our understanding of the mitochondrial electron transport chain organization, giving rise to the proposal of the "plasticity model." This model postulates the coexistence of different proportions of SCs and complexes depending on the tissue or the cellular metabolic status. The dynamic nature of the assembly in SCs would allow cells to optimize the use of available fuels and the efficiency of electron transfer, minimizing reactive oxygen species generation and favoring the ability of cells to adapt to environmental changes. More recently, abnormalities in SC assembly have been reported in different diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease), Barth Syndrome, Leigh syndrome, or cancer. The role of SC assembly alterations in disease progression still needs to be confirmed. Nevertheless, the availability of enough amounts of samples to determine the SC assembly status is often a challenge. This happens with biopsy or tissue samples that are small or have to be divided for multiple analyses, with cell cultures that have slow growth or come from microfluidic devices, with some primary cultures or rare cells, or when the effect of particular costly treatments has to be analyzed (with nanoparticles, very expensive compounds, etc.). In these cases, an efficient and easy-to-apply method is required. This paper presents a method adapted to obtain enriched mitochondrial fractions from small amounts of cells or tissues to analyze the structure and function of mitochondrial SCs by native electrophoresis followed by in-gel activity assays or western blot.


Mitochondria , Animals , Mitochondria/metabolism , Mitochondria/chemistry , Humans , Cell Culture Techniques/methods
9.
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao ; 40(5): 1309-1322, 2024 May 25.
Article Zh | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38783799

In recent years, organoids have become a crucial model for studying the physiopathological processes in tissues and organs. The emergence of organoids has promoted the research on the mechanisms of the occurrence and clinical translation of diseases. Among these organoid models, colorectal organoid models are increasingly mature. Colorectal cancer is a common gastrointestinal malignant tumor worldwide, posing a serious threat to human health. Colorectal organoids provide a new model for studying the pathophysiology, drug sensitivity, and precision medicine of colorectal cancer. The conventional culture systems of colorectal organoids focus more on the role of biochemical factors, neglecting the fact that the gut is also influenced by biophysical signals in vivo. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the theories related to colorectal organoids and biomechanics and expound the effects of biomechanics on colorectal organoid culture.


Colorectal Neoplasms , Organoids , Organoids/cytology , Humans , Biomechanical Phenomena , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism , Colon/cytology , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Rectum/cytology , Tissue Culture Techniques/methods
10.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 11591, 2024 05 21.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38773220

Podocytes are specialized terminally differentiated cells in the glomerulus that are the primary target cells in many glomerular diseases. However, the current podocyte cell lines suffer from prolonged in vitro differentiation and limited survival time, which impede research progress. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a cell line that exhibits superior performance and characteristics. We propose a simple protocol to obtain an immortalized mouse podocyte cell (MPC) line from suckling mouse kidneys. Primary podocytes were cultured in vitro and infected with the SV40 tsA58 gene to obtain immortalized MPCs. The podocytes were characterized using Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Podocyte injury was examined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. First, we successfully isolated an MPC line and identified 39 °C as the optimal differentiation temperature. Compared to undifferentiated MPCs, the expression of WT1 and synaptopodin was upregulated in differentiated MPCs. Second, the MPCs ceased proliferating at a nonpermissive temperature after day 4, and podocyte-specific proteins were expressed normally after at least 15 passages. Finally, podocyte injury models were induced to simulate podocyte injury in vitro. In summary, we provide a simple and popularized protocol to establish a conditionally immortalized MPC, which is a powerful tool for the study of podocytes.


Cell Differentiation , Podocytes , Animals , Podocytes/metabolism , Podocytes/cytology , Mice , WT1 Proteins/metabolism , WT1 Proteins/genetics , Microfilament Proteins/metabolism , Microfilament Proteins/genetics , Cell Line , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Line, Transformed , Cell Proliferation
11.
Cell Transplant ; 33: 9636897241249556, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38742734

Pancreatic islet transplantation is one of the clinical options for certain types of diabetes. However, difficulty in maintaining islets prior to transplantation limits the clinical expansion of islet transplantations. Our study introduces a dynamic culture platform developed specifically for primary human islets by mimicking the physiological microenvironment, including tissue fluidics and extracellular matrix support. We engineered the dynamic culture system by incorporating our distinctive microwell-patterned porous collagen scaffolds for loading isolated human islets, enabling vertical medium flow through the scaffolds. The dynamic culture system featured four 12 mm diameter islet culture chambers, each capable of accommodating 500 islet equivalents (IEQ) per chamber. This configuration calculates > five-fold higher seeding density than the conventional islet culture in flasks prior to the clinical transplantations (442 vs 86 IEQ/cm2). We tested our culture platform with three separate batches of human islets isolated from deceased donors for an extended period of 2 weeks, exceeding the limits of conventional culture methods for preserving islet quality. Static cultures served as controls. The computational simulation revealed that the dynamic culture reduced the islet volume exposed to the lethal hypoxia (< 10 mmHg) to ~1/3 of the static culture. Dynamic culture ameliorated the morphological islet degradation in long-term culture and maintained islet viability, with reduced expressions of hypoxia markers. Furthermore, dynamic culture maintained the islet metabolism and insulin-secreting function over static culture in a long-term culture. Collectively, the physiological microenvironment-mimetic culture platform supported the viability and quality of isolated human islets at high-seeding density. Such a platform has a high potential for broad applications in cell therapies and tissue engineering, including extended islet culture prior to clinical islet transplantations and extended culture of stem cell-derived islets for maturation.


Collagen , Islets of Langerhans , Tissue Scaffolds , Humans , Islets of Langerhans/cytology , Islets of Langerhans/metabolism , Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry , Porosity , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Culture Techniques/instrumentation , Islets of Langerhans Transplantation/methods
13.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 3940, 2024 May 15.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38750036

Hepatocytes play important roles in the liver, but in culture, they immediately lose function and dedifferentiate into progenitor-like cells. Although this unique feature is well-known, the dynamics and mechanisms of hepatocyte dedifferentiation and the differentiation potential of dedifferentiated hepatocytes (dediHeps) require further investigation. Here, we employ a culture system specifically established for hepatic progenitor cells to study hepatocyte dedifferentiation. We found that hepatocytes dedifferentiate with a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, which is required for the induction and maintenance of dediHeps, and exhibit Vimentin-dependent propagation, upon inhibition of the Hippo signaling pathway. The dediHeps re-differentiate into mature hepatocytes by forming aggregates, enabling reconstitution of hepatic tissues in vivo. Moreover, dediHeps have an unexpected differentiation potential into intestinal epithelial cells that can form organoids in three-dimensional culture and reconstitute colonic epithelia after transplantation. This remarkable plasticity will be useful in the study and treatment of intestinal metaplasia and related diseases in the liver.


Cell Dedifferentiation , Cell Differentiation , Epithelial Cells , Hepatocytes , Animals , Hepatocytes/cytology , Hepatocytes/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/cytology , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Mice , Organoids/cytology , Organoids/metabolism , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition , Intestinal Mucosa/cytology , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Signal Transduction , Vimentin/metabolism , Hippo Signaling Pathway , Liver/cytology , Liver/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Male , Cell Culture Techniques/methods
14.
Biotechnol J ; 19(5): e2400104, 2024 May.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38700448

As the biopharmaceutical industry continues to mature in its cost-effectiveness and productivity, many companies have begun employing larger-scale biomanufacturing and bioprocessing protocols. While many of these protocols require cells with anchorage-independent growth, it remains challenging to induce the necessary suspension adaptations in many different cell types. In addition, although transfection efficiency is an important consideration for all cells, especially for therapeutic protein production, cells in suspension are generally more difficult to transfect than adherent cells. Thus, much of the biomanufacturing industry is focused on the development of new human cell lines with properties that can support more efficient biopharmaceutical production. With this in mind, we identified a set of "Adherent-to-Suspension Transition" (AST) factors, IKZF1, BTG2 and KLF1, the expression of which induces adherent cells to acquire anchorage-independent growth. Working from the HEK293A cell line, we established 293-AST cells and 293-AST-TetR cells for inducible and reversible reprogramming of anchorage dependency. Surprisingly, we found that the AST-TetR system induces the necessary suspension adaptations with an accompanying increase in transfection efficiency and protein expression rate. Our AST-TetR system therefore represents a novel technological platform for the development of cell lines used for generating therapeutic proteins.


Recombinant Proteins , Humans , HEK293 Cells , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Cell Adhesion/genetics , Transfection/methods , Cell Culture Techniques/methods
15.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng ; 10(5): 3478-3488, 2024 May 13.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38695610

Static three-dimensional (3D) cell culture has been demonstrated in ultralow attachment well plates, hanging droplet plates, and microtiter well plates with hydrogels or magnetic nanoparticles. Although it is simple, reproducible, and relatively inexpensive, thus potentially used for high-throughput screening, statically cultured 3D cells often suffer from a necrotic core due to limited nutrient and oxygen diffusion and waste removal and have a limited in vivo-like tissue structure. Here, we overcome these challenges by developing a pillar/perfusion plate platform and demonstrating high-throughput, dynamic 3D cell culture. Cell spheroids were loaded on the pillar plate with hydrogel by simple sandwiching and encapsulation and cultured dynamically in the perfusion plate on a digital rocker. Unlike traditional microfluidic devices, fast flow velocity was maintained within perfusion wells and the pillar plate was separated from the perfusion plate for cell-based assays. It was compatible with common lab equipment and allowed cell culture, testing, staining, and imaging in situ. The pillar/perfusion plate enhanced cell growth by rapid diffusion, reproducibility, assay throughput, and user friendliness in a dynamic 3D cell culture.


Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional , Cell Proliferation , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/methods , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/instrumentation , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Perfusion/instrumentation , Hydrogels/chemistry , Spheroids, Cellular/cytology , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Culture Techniques/instrumentation
16.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2800: 11-25, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38709474

Fibroblasts are the major producers of the extracellular matrix and regulate its organization. Aberrant signaling in diseases such as fibrosis and cancer can impact the deposition of the matrix proteins, which can in turn act as an adhesion scaffold and signaling reservoir promoting disease progression. To study the composition and organization of the extracellular matrix as well as its interactions with (tumor) cells, this protocol describes the generation and analysis of 3D fibroblast-derived matrices and the investigation of (tumor) cells seeded onto the 3D scaffolds by immunofluorescent imaging and cell adhesion, colony formation, migration, and invasion/transmigration assays.


Cell Adhesion , Cell Movement , Extracellular Matrix , Fibroblasts , Signal Transduction , Extracellular Matrix/metabolism , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Humans , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Neoplasms/metabolism , Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Communication , Cell Culture Techniques, Three Dimensional/methods , Animals , Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry
17.
Int J Mol Sci ; 25(10)2024 May 10.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38791236

The conditioned medium (CM) obtained from mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) culture has excellent cell growth-promoting activity and is used for cosmetics and healthcare products. Unlike pharmaceuticals, strict efficacy verification is not legally required for these products. However, their efficacy must be substantiated as commercial products. We attempted to simplify CM production and to standardize the evaluation of the growth-promoting activity of CM. CM was obtained through the culturing of two lines of commercially available human adipose tissue-derived MSCs using MEMα with or without 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 24 h. Non-CM control media were produced by the same protocol without MSCs. Growth-promoting activities of the CM were estimated by [3H]-thymidine pulse. CM were subjected to molecular weight fractionation with ultrafiltration using 10 k-, 30 k-, 50 k-, and 100 k-membranes. The FBS-free CMs showed 1.34- to 1.85-fold increases and FBS-containing CMs showed 1.45- to 1.67-fold increases in proliferation-promoting activity compared with non-CM controls, regardless of the source of the cell. The thymidine incorporation levels were approximately three times higher in FBS-containing CMs. Aged cells also showed 1.67- to 2.48-fold increases in the activity due to FBS-containing CM, but not to FBS-free CM. The CM activities were sustained even after 1 year at 4 °C. Molecular weight fractionation showed that the activity was recovered in the fraction above 100 k. Clear and stable cell-growth-promoting activity was confirmed with CMs of commercially available adipose tissue MSCs. The activity was detected in the fraction over 100 k. We propose here the importance of standardizing the production and evaluation of CMs to indicate their specific action.


Adipose Tissue , Cell Proliferation , Mesenchymal Stem Cells , Humans , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Adipose Tissue/cytology , Adipose Tissue/metabolism , Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology , Cells, Cultured , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Cell Culture Techniques/standards
18.
Viruses ; 16(5)2024 05 13.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38793654

Based on several clinical observations it was hypothesized that herpesviruses may influence the replication of human bocaviruses, the second known parvoviruses that have been confirmed as human pathogens. While several cell lines support the growth of HSV-1, HBoV-1 was exclusively cultivated on air-liquid interface cultures, the latter being a rather complicated, slow, and low throughput system. One of the cell lines are T84 cells, which are derived from the lung metastasis of a colorectal tumor. In this study, we provide evidence that T84 also supports HBoV replication when cultivated as monolayers, while simultaneously being permissive for HSV-1. The cell culture model thus would enable co-infection studies of both viruses and is worth being optimized for high throughput studies with HBoV-1. Additionally, the study provides evidence for a supporting effect of HSV-1 on the replication and packaging of HBoV-1 progeny DNA into DNase-resistant viral particles.


Coinfection , Herpesvirus 1, Human , Human bocavirus , Virus Replication , Herpesvirus 1, Human/physiology , Humans , Coinfection/virology , Human bocavirus/physiology , Human bocavirus/genetics , Cell Line , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Herpes Simplex/virology , Parvoviridae Infections/virology , Chlorocebus aethiops , Virus Cultivation/methods
19.
Viruses ; 16(5)2024 05 13.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38793649

Influenza vaccines, which are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), are the most effective preventive measure against influenza virus infection. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell culture is an emerging technology used to produce influenza vaccines. One challenge when purifying influenza vaccines using this cell culture system is to efficiently remove impurities, especially host cell double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and host cell proteins (HCPs), for safety assurance. In this study, we optimized ion-exchange chromatography methods to harvest influenza viruses from an MDCK cell culture broth, the first step in influenza vaccine purification. Bind/elute was chosen as the mode of operation for simplicity. The anion-exchange Q chromatography method was able to efficiently remove dsDNA and HCPs, but the recovery rate for influenza viruses was low. However, the cation-exchange SP process was able to simultaneously achieve high dsDNA and HCP removal and high influenza virus recovery. For the SP process to work, the clarified cell culture broth needed to be diluted to reduce its ionic strength, and the optimal dilution rate was determined to be 1:2 with purified water. The SP process yielded a virus recovery rate exceeding 90%, as measured using a hemagglutination units (HAUs) assay, with removal efficiencies over 97% for HCPs and over 99% for dsDNA. Furthermore, the general applicability of the SP chromatography method was demonstrated with seven strains of influenza viruses recommended for seasonal influenza vaccine production, including H1N1, H3N2, B (Victoria), and B (Yamagata) strains, indicating that the SP process could be utilized as a platform process. The SP process developed in this study showed four advantages: (1) simple operation, (2) a high recovery rate for influenza viruses, (3) a high removal rate for major impurities, and (4) general applicability.


Influenza Vaccines , Virion , Animals , Dogs , Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells , Virion/isolation & purification , Chromatography, Ion Exchange/methods , Virus Cultivation/methods , Orthomyxoviridae/isolation & purification , Cell Culture Techniques/methods
20.
Methods Mol Biol ; 2804: 77-89, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38753141

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by cells and found in biological fluids such as blood, with concentration correlated with oncogenic signals, making them attractive biomarkers for liquid biopsy. The current gold-standard method for EVs isolation requires an ultracentrifugation (UC) step among others. The cost and complexity of this technique are forbiddingly high for many researchers, as well as for routine use in biological laboratories and hospitals. This chapter reports on a simple microfluidic method for EVs isolation, based on a microfluidic size sorting technique named Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD). With the design of micrometric DLD array, we demonstrated the potential of our DLD devices for the isolation of nano-biological objects such as EVs, with main population size distribution consistent with UC technique.


Extracellular Vesicles , Lab-On-A-Chip Devices , Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Extracellular Vesicles/chemistry , Humans , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/instrumentation , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/methods , Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Ultracentrifugation/methods
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