Engineering dense tumor constructs via cellular contraction of extracellular matrix hydrogels.

Physical characteristics of solid tumors such as dense internal microarchitectures and pathological stiffness influence cancer progression and treatment. While it is routine to engineer culture substrates and scaffolds with elastic moduli that approximate tumors, these models often fail to capture characteristic internal microarchitectures such as densely compacted concentric ECM fibers at the stromal interface. Contractile mesenchymal cells can solve this engineering challenge by deforming, contracting, and compacting extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels to decrease tissue volume and increase tissue density. Here we demonstrate that allowing human fibroblasts of varying origins to freely contract collagen type I-containing hydrogels co-seeded with carcinoma cell spheroids produces a tissue engineered construct with structural features that mimic dense solid tumors in vivo. Morphometry and mechanical testing were conducted in tandem with biochemical analysis of proliferation and viability to confirm that dense carcinoma constructs engineered using this approach capture relevant physical characteristics of solid carcinomas in a tractable format that preserves viability and is amenable to extended culture. The reported method is adaptable to the use of multiple mesenchymal cell types and the inclusion of fibrin in the ECM combined with seeding of endothelial cells to produce prevascularized constructs. The physical dense carcinoma constructs engineered using this approach may provide more clinically relevant venues for studying cancer pathophysiology and the challenges associated with the delivery of macromolecular drugs and cellular immunotherapies to solid tumors.

Friction force-based measurements for simultaneous determination of the wetting properties and stability of superhydrophobic surfaces.

HYPOTHESIS: Contact angle and sliding angle measurements are widely used to characterize superhydrophobic surfaces because of the simplicity and accessibility of the technique. We hypothesize that dynamic friction measurements, with increasing pre-loads, between a water drop and a superhydrophobic surface is more accurate because this technique is less influenced by local surface inhomogeneities and temporal surface changes. EXPERIMENTS: A water drop, held by a ring probe which is connected to a dual-axis force sensor, is sheared against a superhydrophobic surface while maintaining a constant preload. From this force-based technique, static and kinetic friction forces measurements are used to characterize the wetting properties of the superhydrophobic surfaces. Furthermore, by applying increased pre-loads to the water drop while shearing, the critical load at which the drop transitions from the Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state is also measured. FINDINGS: The force-based technique predicts sliding angles with reduced standard deviations (between 56 and 64%) compared to conventional optical-based measurements. Kinetic friction force measurements show a higher accuracy (between 35 and 80%) compared to static friction force measurements in characterizing the wetting properties of superhydrophobic surfaces. The critical loads for the Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state transition allows for stability characterization between seemingly similar superhydrophobic surfaces.

Force-Based Characterization of the Wetting Properties of LDPE Surfaces Treated with CF4 and H2 Plasmas.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films are widely used in packaging, insulation and many other commodity applications due to their excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, the water-wetting and water-repellant properties of these films are insufficient for certain applications. In this study, bare LDPE and textured LDPE (T-LDPE) films were subjected to low-pressure plasmas, such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) and hydrogen (H2), to see the effect of plasma treatment on the wetting properties of LDPE films. In addition, the surface of the LDPE film was textured to improve the hydrophobicity through the lotus effect. The LDPE and T-LDPE films had contact angle (θ) values of 98.6° ± 0.6 and 143.6° ± 1.0, respectively. After CF4 plasma treatments, the θ values of the surfaces increased for both surfaces, albeit within the standard deviation for the T-LDPE film. On the other hand, the contact angle values after H2 plasma treatment decreased for both surfaces. The surface energy measurements supported the changes in the contact angle values: exposure to H2 plasma decreased the contact angle, while exposure to CF4 plasma increased the contact angle. Kinetic friction force measurements of water drops on LDPE and T-LDPE films showed a decrease in friction after the CF4 plasma treatment, consistent with the contact angle and surface energy measurements. Notably, the kinetic friction force measurements proved to be more sensitive compared to the contact angle measurements in differentiating the wetting properties of the T-LDPE versus 3× CF4-plasma-treated LDPE films. Based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images of the flat LDPE samples, the 3× CF4 plasma treatment did not significantly change the surface morphology or roughness. However, in the case of the T-LDPE samples, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed noticeable morphological changes, which were more significant at sharp edges of the surface structures.

Advances in the Fabrication and Characterization of Superhydrophobic Surfaces Inspired by the Lotus Leaf.

Nature has proven to be a valuable resource in inspiring the development of novel technologies. The field of biomimetics emerged centuries ago as scientists sought to understand the fundamental science behind the extraordinary properties of organisms in nature and applied the new science to mimic a desired property using various materials. Through evolution, living organisms have developed specialized surface coatings and chemistries with extraordinary properties such as the superhydrophobicity, which has been exploited to maintain structural integrity and for survival in harsh environments. The Lotus leaf is one of many examples which has inspired the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this review, the fundamental science, supported by rigorous derivations from a thermodynamic perspective, is presented to explain the origin of superhydrophobicity. Based on theory, the interplay between surface morphology and chemistry is shown to influence surface wetting properties of materials. Various fabrication techniques to create superhydrophobic surfaces are also presented along with the corresponding advantages and/or disadvantages. Recent advances in the characterization techniques used to quantify the superhydrophobicity of surfaces is presented with respect to accuracy and sensitivity of the measurements. Challenges associated with the fabrication and characterization of superhydrophobic surfaces are also discussed.

Determination of the Sliding Angle of Water Drops on Surfaces from Friction Force Measurements.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted considerable attention because of their unique water-repellency and their wide range of applications. The conventional method to characterize the surface wetting properties of surfaces, including superhydrophobic surfaces, relies on measuring static and dynamic contact angles, and sliding angles of water drops. However, because of the inhomogeneities inherently present on surfaces (smooth and textured), such optical methods can result in relatively large variability in sliding angle measurements. In this work, by using a force-based technique with ±1 µN sensitivity, the friction force between water drops and various surfaces is measured. The friction force can then be used to accurately predict the sliding angle of water drops of various sizes with improved consistency. We also show that the measured friction force can be used to determine the critical drop size below which a water drop is not expected to slide even at a tilt angle of 90°. The proposed technique to characterize the wetting properties of surfaces has a higher accuracy (between 15% and 65%, depending on the surface) compared to optical methods.