Name: generation of esc-derived mouse airway epithelial cells using decellularized lung scaffolds
Uploaded: 2016-05-05T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds at JoVE.com

We wish to thank Dr. Rossant and Dr. Bilodeau for the Nkx2-1mcherry ESC used in experiments depicted in Figures 1-3. FACS was performed in The SickKids-UHN Flow Cytometry Facility. This work was supported by operating grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and an infrastructure grant (CSCCD) from the Canadian Foundation of Innovation.

Animal experiments were carried out in accordance with the Animal Care Committee guidelines of the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute.
1. Scaffold Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Decellularization of lungs
	<ol>
		<li>Euthanize adult Wistar rats using CO2 chamber. Place animal in the chamber and start 100% CO2 exposure at a fill rate of 10-30% of chamber volume per minute.
		<ol>
			<li>Observe animal for unconsciousness; this will occur after approximately 2-3 min. If unconsciousness does...

<ol>
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The protocol described here generates mature ESC-derived airway epithelia using only natural lung scaffolds to direct differentiation with no other supplementation. This culture setup is defined, serum-free, inexpensive, and reproducible. No growth factor supplementation of base differentiation media is required. Previously published methods for generating stem cell-derived lung epithelial cells have used 2-dimensional strategies with growth factor supplementation to promote lineage restriction3,4,8,18,19. The...

Directed differentiation of pluripotent cells to the lung lineage is dependent on precise signaling events in the microenvironment 1,2. Due to the dynamic nature of this process it has been challenging to mimic the precise events of lung organogenesis in vitro. Recent reports have used step-wise lineage restriction strategies with soluble growth factor supplementation of two-dimensional cultures to achieve lung differentiation3-8. In step-wise differentiation protocols, pluripotent cells, whether embryonic stem cells (ESC) or induced pluripotent stem cells, were first differentiated to the definitive endoderm germ layer. Endodermal cells were subsequently pushed to an anterior endoderm fate and thereafter to lung progenitor cells, as identified by the expression of homeodomain-containing transcription factor NKX2-1. These lung progenitors were further differentiated to proximal (airway) or distal (alveolar) lung epithelial cells with continued growth factor supplementation. Such 2-dimensional strategies have had some success in generating lung epithelial cells, however there are several limitations including unclear efficiencies, possible contamination from other endodermal lineages, lack of a 3-dimensional (3D) structure, and in some instances use of undefined cultures with serum supplementation. Culture of pluripotent or differentiated cells on decellularized lung scaffolds is increasingly used as an assay to assess the regenerative potential of seeded cells in forming lung epithelial structures3,5,6,8,9. Such reports culture seeded cells on scaffolds with continued growth factor or serum supplementation.
Lung development involves the division, migration, gene expression and differentiation of individual cells in response to environmental cues. The extra cellular matrix (ECM) is a latticework of glycoproteins that in addition to providing structural support, directs tissue morphogenesis by integrating and regulating these processes10,11. By using the lung ECM scaffold as a natural platform for endoderm culture to better mimic the in vivo lung developmental milieu, we have generated stem cell-derived airway epithelial cells in a defined 3D-culture setting with high efficiency and reproducibility.
Rat lung ECM scaffolds were generated by decellularization as well as mouse ESC-derived endodermal cells were generated and subsequently seeded onto these scaffolds. Dual expression of CXCR4 &#38; c-KIT proteins indicates a definitive endoderm cell identity and cells positive for both SOX2 &#38; NKX2-1 expression are identified as airway (proximal lung) progenitor cells. Definitive endoderm cells were cultured at air liquid interface (ALI) for up to three weeks to generate functional airway epithelial cells in vitro.
This protocol promotes lung lineage differentiation of definitive endoderm as early as 7 days, observed with the emergence of NKX2-1+/SOX2+ early proximal lung progenitors. By day 14 and 21 of culture mature airway epithelial cell populations emerge including ciliated (TUBB4A+), club (SCGB1A1+), and basal (TRP63+, KRT5+) cells with morphological and functional resemblance to native mouse airways. This protocol demonstrates the importance of the 3D-matrix microenvironment for achieving robust differentiation to airway epithelial cells.

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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Reagents</td>
			<td style="width:163px;"></td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
			<td style="width:281px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Perfusion solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">H0777</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">10U/mL heparin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="39">
			<td height="39" style="height:39px;width:291px;">Perfusion solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">14170112</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">dissolved in Hank&#39;s balanced salt solution (HBSS-)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Decellularization solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BioShop</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">CHA003</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">8mM CHAPS&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Decellularization solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">E9884</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">25mM EDTA&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Decellularization solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BioShop</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">SOD002</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">1M NaCl</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Decellularization solution</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">14190-144</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">dissolved in PBS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Benzonase nuclease</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Novagen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">70664-3</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">90U/mL Benzonase nuclease&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Benzonase nuclease</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">14190-144</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">diluted in PBS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Antimicrobial solution&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">15140</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">200U/mL penicillin streptomycin&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Antimicrobial solution&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">15290</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">25&#956;g/mL amphotericin B&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Antimicrobial solution&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">14190-144</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">diluted in PBS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Trypsinization&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">12605-028</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">TrypLE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="39">
			<td height="39" style="height:39px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">IMDM 2440-053, F12 11765-054</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">3:1 ratio of IMDM and Ham&#8217;s modified F12 medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">12587-010</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">B27 supplement (50x dilution)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">17502-048</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">N2 supplement (100x dilution)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">15260-037</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">0.05% (Fraction V) bovine serum albumin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">35050-061</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">200mM Glutamax&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">M6145</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">4&#956;M monothioglycerol</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Serum free differentiation media (SFDM)</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A4403&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">0.05mg/mL ascobic acid</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Endoderm induction</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">R&#38;D</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">338-AC/CF</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Activin A</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Antibodies</td>
			<td style="width:163px;"></td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
			<td style="width:281px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">CDH1</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BD Biosciences</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">610181</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Mouse, non-conjugated, 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">C-KIT</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BD Biosciences</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">558163</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Rat, PE-Cy7, 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">CXCR4</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BD Biosciences</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:168px;">558644</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Rat, APC, 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">KRT5</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Abcam</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">ab24647</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Rabbit, non-conjugated, 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">NKX2-1</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Abcam</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">ab76013</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Rabbit, non-conjugated, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Laminin</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Novus Biologicals</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">NB300-144</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Rabbit, non-conjugated, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">SCGB1A1</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Santa Cruz</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">sc-9772&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Goat, non-conjugated, 1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">SOX2</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">R&#38;D Systems</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">AF2018&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Goat, non-conjugated, 1:400</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">TRP63</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Santa Cruz</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">sc-8431</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Mouse, non-conjugated, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">TUBB4A</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">BioGenex</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">MU178-UC</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Mouse, non-conjugated, 1:500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Goat IgG&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A-11055</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Donkey, Alexa Fluor 488, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Mouse IgG&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A-21202</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Donkey, Alexa Fluor 488, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Mouse IgG&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A-31571</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Donkey, Alexa Fluor 647, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:291px;">Rabbit IgG&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A-21206</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Donkey, Alexa Fluor 488, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Rabbit IgG&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">A-31573</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Donkey, Alexa Fluor 647, 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:291px;">Other Materials</td>
			<td style="width:163px;"></td>
			<td style="width:168px;"></td>
			<td style="width:281px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Low adherent plates</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Nunc</td>
			<td style="width:168px;">Z721050&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:281px;">Low cell binding plates,&#160; 6 wells&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Air-liquid interface membranes&#160;</td>
			<td>Whatman</td>
			<td align="right">110614</td>
			<td>Hydrophobic Nucleopore membrane, 8&#956;m pore size</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Vibratome</td>
			<td>Leica</td>
			<td>VT1200S&#160;</td>
			<td>Leica Vibratome</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;">Tissue Adhesive</td>
			<td>Ted Pella</td>
			<td align="right">10033</td>
			<td>Pelco tissue adhesive</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

generation of esc-derived mouse airway epithelial cells using decellularized lung scaffolds

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. Due to this complexity, recapitulation of lung development in vitro to promote differentiation of stem cells to lung epithelial cells has been challenging. In this protocol, decellularized lung scaffolds are used to mimic the 3-dimensional environment of the lung and generate stem cell-derived airway epithelial cells. Mouse embryonic stem cell are first differentiated to the endoderm lineage using an embryoid body (EB) culture method with activin A. Endoderm cells are then seeded onto decellularized scaffolds and cultured at air-liquid interface for up to 21 days. This technique promotes differentiation of seeded cells to functional airway epithelial cells (ciliated cells, club cells, and basal cells) without additional growth factor supplementation. This culture setup is defined, serum-free, inexpensive, and reproducible. Although there is limited contamination from non-lung endoderm lineages in culture, this protocol only generates airway epithelial populations and does not give rise to alveolar epithelial cells. Airway epithelia generated with this protocol can be used to study cell-matrix interactions during lung organogenesis and for disease modeling or drug-discovery platforms of airway-related pathologies such as cystic fibrosis.

As outlined in this protocol, robust differentiation of definitive endoderm to mature airway epithelial cells can be achieved using extended culture of seeded cells on decellularized lung scaffold sections. It is recommended that decellularized scaffolds be characterized to ensure (1) host cells are completely removed, and (2) extracellular matrix proteins are preserved prior to using scaffolds for differentiation. Decellularization can be assessed using tissue staining with hematoxylin a...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds at JoVE.com

Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds

This protocol efficiently directs mouse embryonic stem cell-derived definitive endoderm to mature airway epithelial cells. This differentiation technique uses 3-dimensional decellularized lung scaffolds to direct lung lineage specification, in a defined, serum-free culture setting.

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and ...

The overall goal of this procedure, is to direct the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into mature airway epithelial cells, using a 3D culture set up with decellularized lung scaffolds.This method can help answer key questions in the area of lung development, such as the role of cell matrix contractions and growth factor signalling during lung lineage differentiation.The main advantage of this technique is that it uses a 3D culture system in a defined serum free setting, and achieves robust airway epithelial differentiation with limited contamination from other endoderm lineages.After euthanizing an adult wistar rat, according to the text protocol, secure the animal to a dissecting surface by fixing forepaws and hindlegs, and use 70%ethanol to spray down the chest and abdomen.Create an incision just below the rib cage.Cut through the skin and expose the diaphragm.Then, make small incisions through the diaphragm, to cause the lungs to retract, reducing the chance of puncturing the lungs.Next, create a vertical incision along the sternum, and open the thoracic cavity to access the heart and lungs.Then with a suture, ligate the inferior vena cava, and use small dissecting scissors to place a small incision in the left atrium.Using a prepared 10ml syringe with a 25 gauge needle filled with heparinized Hank's Balance salt solution, start lung perfusion by inserting the needle into the right ventricle, and push the buffer through the pulmonary circulation.Continue the perfusion until the lungs turn white, and the fluid flowing from the left atrium runs clear.Following perfusion, expose the trachea, and make a small incision near the thyroid cartilage for canulation.Then, with a plastic catheter, canulate the trachea and use a suture to secure it in place.Now, set up a gravity perfusion system by fixing a 10ml syringe to a retort stand and clamp.Then, remove and discard the syringe plunger.Secure the maximum filling point on the syringe barrel at 20 cm above the lungs, then attach a two way stopcock to the end of the syringe, and a long plastic tubing to the other end of the stopcock.Gently pull out the catheter from the trachea, and attach to the end of the plastic tubing.Then, pour decellularization solution into the syringe and allow the solution to completely fill the attached plastic tubing and catheter.Place the solution filled catheter back into the trachea and lavage the lungs by filling to total lung capacity for one minute.Then remove the catheter from the trachea to allow the fluid to flow out of the lungs.Repeat the lavage of the lungs eight times with decellularization solution, followed by ten rinses with PBS.The lungs will appear white with the completion of the lavage steps.Then dissect the trachea and lungs from the neck and chest cavity.Remove excess tissue from the dissected lungs, including the esophagus and heart, then transfer the lungs into cold PBS until preparation for vibratome sectioning.To prepare thick sections, make approximately 15ml of 2%and 4%low melting point agarose in PBS, and enough 6%agarose for embedding all lobes into small rectangular blocks.After transferring the agarose to 15ml tubes, place the tubes on a heat block and maintain the temperature above 40 degrees celsius to avoid gelling.Using small scissors, dissect the decellularized lung at the end of each lobar bronchus, and detach each lobe.Then use absorbent sheets to remove excess PBS, and transfer the lobes to 2%agarose on the heating block for five minutes to coat the tissue.After transferring each lobe to a petri dish, place the dish on a cold plate and allow the surface to gel for one minute.Gently place the lobes into 4%agarose, and after incubating for five minutes and cooling, repeat the coating with 6%agarose.After coating, use metal base molds to embed each lobe separately in 6%agarose, with at least 3ml of agarose surrounding the tissue from the edges.Next, with forceps, orient each lobe by positioning the tissue's largest flat edge at the surface of the metal mold facing the experimentor, and complete the embedding using plastic cassettes.Allow the blocks to gel on a cold plate for at least 30 minutes before vibratome sectioning.Alternatively, store the blocks in a humidified chamber for up to 12 hours at four degrees celsius prior to vibratome sectioning.To prepare sections, set up the vibratome by filling the sectioning chamber with cold PBS.Set up a surrounding ice bath to maintain a cold temperature throughout sectioning.Now, remove the blocks from the metal molds, and use a razor blade to trim down the excess agarose surrounding the lobes, while keeping approximately three millimetres from the edge of the tissue.Using adhesive, fix the tissue to the center of the specimen plate, and submerge the plate into the PBS filled sectioning chamber.Load the sectioning blade on the vibratome.Set the sectioning boundaries on the vibratome, by selecting the following speed, amplitude, and thickness values respectively.Section each lobe completely, and if sections do not fully separate from each other, use small scissors to manually cut the sections free.Then, gently collect scaffold sections, and transfer into cold PBS.Using forceps, gently free each section from the surrounding agarose.To decontaminate scaffold sections, after transferring them from PBS to microcentrifuge tubes, add 90 units per milliliter of nuclease in PBS, and incubate on a rotator at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.After transferring sections to new microcentrifuge tubes, according to the text protocol, under sterile conditions add antimicrobial solution, and incubate on a rotator at room temperature for six hours.Then under sterile conditions, use PBS to rinse the scaffolds twice and transfer them into serum free medium, or SFDM, prior to seeding with cells.To set up an air liquid interface culture, use sterile forceps to place hydrophobic membranes on a petri dish.Then, transfer each decellularized scaffold section from SFDM onto a membrane, ensuring the sections are spread evenly on the membrane.Prepare six or twelve well plates by filling wells with 1ml or 0.5ml of SFDM respectively.Then, gently place the membranes into the wells, allowing the membrane to float on top of the medium creating an air liquid culture set up.To seed 3D scaffolds, following the preparation of endodermal cells and fluorescence activated cell sorting, to enrich for a definitive endoderm, use a haemocytometer to count the sorted cells.Then spin down the cells at 400 Gs for five minutes.Using SFDM, re-suspend the pelleted cells to approximately 100, 000 cells in 10

generation-esc-derived-mouse-airway-epithelial-cells-using

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

3D Hydrogel Scaffolds for Articular Chondrocyte Culture and Cartilage Generation

Human articular cartilage is highly susceptible to damage and has limited self-repair and regeneration potential. Cell-based strategies to engineer cartilage tissue offer a promising solution to repair articular cartilage. To select the optimal cell source for tissue repair, it is important to develop an appropriate culture platform to systematically examine the biological and biomechanical differences in the tissue-engineered cartilage by different cell sources. Here we applied a three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic hydrogel culture platform to systematically examine cartilage regeneration potential of juvenile, adult, and osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes. The 3D biomimetic hydrogel consisted of synthetic component poly(ethylene glycol) and bioactive component chondroitin sulfate, which provides a physiologically relevant microenvironment for in vitro culture of chondrocytes. In addition, the scaffold may be potentially used for cell delivery for cartilage repair in vivo. Cartilage tissue engineered in the scaffold can be evaluated using quantitative gene expression, immunofluorescence staining, biochemical assays, and mechanical testing. Utilizing these outcomes, we were able to characterize the differential regenerative potential of chondrocytes of varying age, both at the gene expression level and in the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the engineered cartilage tissue. The 3D culture model could be applied to investigate the molecular and functional differences among chondrocytes and progenitor cells from different stages of normal or aberrant development.

Cartilage repair represents an unmet medical challenge and cell-based approaches to engineer human articular cartilage are a promising solution. Here, we describe three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic hydrogels as an ideal tool for the expansion and maturation of human articular chondrocytes.

Human articular cartilage is highly susceptible to damage and has limited self-repair and regeneration potential. Cell-based strategies to engineer ...

Fabrication of Decellularized Cartilage-derived Matrix Scaffolds

Osteochondral defects lack sufficient intrinsic repair capacity to regenerate functionally sound bone and cartilage tissue. To this extent, cartilage research has focused on the development of regenerative scaffolds. This article describes the development of scaffolds that are completely derived from natural cartilage extracellular matrix, coming from an equine donor. Potential applications of the scaffolds include producing allografts for cartilage repair, serving as a scaffold for osteochondral tissue engineering, and providing in vitro models to study tissue formation. By decellularizing the tissue, the donor cells are removed, but many of the natural bioactive cues are thought to be retained. The main advantage of using such a natural scaffold in comparison to a synthetically produced scaffold is that no further functionalization of polymers is required to drive osteochondral tissue regeneration. The cartilage-derived matrix scaffolds can be used for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration in both in vivo and in vitro settings.

Decellularized cartilage-derived scaffolds can be used as a scaffold to guide cartilage repair and as a means to regenerate osteochondral tissue. This paper describes the decellularization process in detail and provides suggestions to use these scaffolds in in vitro settings.

Osteochondral defects lack sufficient intrinsic repair capacity to regenerate functionally sound bone and cartilage tissue. To this extent, cartilage ...

Engineered Lung Tissues Prepared from Decellularized Lung Slices

There is a need for improved 3-dimensional (3D) lung models that recapitulate the architectural and cellular complexity of the native lung alveolus ex vivo. Recently developed organoid models have facilitated the expansion and study of lung epithelial progenitors in vitro, but these platforms typically rely on mouse tumor-derived matrix and/or serum, and incorporate just one or two cellular lineages. Here, we describe a protocol for generating engineered lung tissues (ELTs) based on the multi-lineage recellularization of decellularized precision-cut lung slices (PCLS). ELTs contain alveolar-like structures comprising alveolar epithelium, mesenchyme, and endothelium, within an extracellular matrix (ECM) substrate closely resembling that of native lung. To generate the tissues, rat lungs are inflated with agarose, sliced into 450 &#181;m-thick slices, cut into strips, and decellularized. The resulting acellular ECM scaffolds are then reseeded with primary endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AEC2s). AEC2s can be maintained in ELT culture for at least 7 days with a serum-free, chemically-defined growth medium. Throughout the tissue preparation and culture process, the slices are clipped into a cassette system that facilitates handling and standardized cell seeding of multiple ELTs in parallel. These ELTs represent an organotypic culture platform that should facilitate investigations of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions within the alveolus as well as biochemical signals regulating AEC2s and their niche.

This protocol describes a method to generate reproducible, small-scale engineered lung tissues, by repopulating decellularized precision-cut lung slices with alveolar epithelial type 2 cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells.

There is a need for improved 3-dimensional (3D) lung models that recapitulate the architectural and cellular complexity of the native lung alveolus ex ...

Regional Decellularized Lung Tissue Isolation to Study Cell-Cell and Cell-ECM Interactions

Dissection and Isolation of Region-Specific Decellularized Lung Tissue

Lung transplantation is often the only option for patients in the later stages of severe lung disease, but this is limited both due to the supply of suitable donor lungs and both acute and chronic rejection after transplantation. Ascertaining novel bioengineering approaches for the replacement of diseased lungs is imperative for improving patient survival and avoiding complications associated with current transplantation methodologies. An alternative approach involves the use of decellularized whole lungs lacking cellular constituents that are typically the cause of acute and chronic rejection. Since the lung is such a complex organ, it is of interest to examine the extracellular matrix components of specific regions, including the vasculature, airways, and alveolar tissue. The purpose of this approach is to establish simple and reproducible methods by which researchers may dissect and isolate region-specific tissue from fully decellularized lungs. The current protocol has been devised for pig and human lungs, but may be applied to other species as well. For this protocol, four regions of the tissue were specified: airway, vasculature, alveoli, and bulk lung tissue. This procedure allows for the procurement of samples of tissue that more accurately represent the contents of the decellularized lung tissue as opposed to traditional bulk analysis methods.

Author Spotlight: Dissection and Isolation of Region-Specific Decellularized Lung Tissue  

Presented here is a protocol for the isolation of regional decellularized lung tissue. This protocol provides a powerful tool for studying complexities in the extracellular matrix and cell-matrix interactions.

Lung transplantation is often the only option for patients in the later stages of severe lung disease, but this is limited both due to the supply of ...

Human Epithelial Lung Carcinoma Cells Culture and Cell Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Experiments

After fabricating the gold carbon dots composite nanoparticles, place a sterile sapphire chip into the 24-well plates and seed cells with one milliliter of the medium into a single well. Incubate the plates in a humid environment to attain 70 to 80%confluence. Add the gold carbon dots composite nanoparticles to the single well and incubate for four to six hours.At the end of the incubation, remove the medium from the sapphire chips. Gently rinse the chips with PBS and dip the sapphire chips in PBS for SERS detection. To perform the SERS experiment, switch on the computer, Raman spectrometer, and 785 nanometer laser.Next, start the accompanying software and perform calibration using silicon wafers. Click new measurement followed by spectral acquisition and adjust the spectrum range. Then go to the acquisition tab, adjust the exposure time and laser power, and click OK to initiate a new spectral acquisition.Use a 20X objective lens for a clear cellular image. Then switch to a 50X lens. After selecting a point on the cells for measurement, click run to initiate the process and then save the spectra.To obtain SERS imaging of A549 cells, click new streamline image acquisition, select the range to be photographed and click OK.Set the edge streamline to 785 nanometers center to 1, 200 centimeter inverse, exposure duration to five seconds, and laser power to 50%The parameter can be modified as required. Click on new of live imaging, choose signal to baseline and set the first limit to 725 and the second limit to 1, 700. Then go to area set up, set the proper steps and click on OK.Finally, click run to start performing SERS imaging.SERS Spectra revealed that even when the concentration of methylene blue is as low as 10 to the minus nine molar, gold carbon dots composite nanoparticles exhibit excellent SERS performance compared to gold nanoparticles. SERS spectra acquired on 20 points exhibited high similarity. One month after the placement of gold carbon dots composite nanoparticles at four degrees Celsius, the average SERS activity at 950, 1, 185 and 1, 620 centimeters inverse showed a degree of decay of about 5.43%11.44%and 13.94%respectively.Gold carbon dots composite nanoparticles barely showed cytotoxicity to A549 cells. The mean spectrum of A549 cells is presented. Gold carbon dots composite nanoparticle aggregates exhibit obvious SERS signals without noise background in the SERS mapping of A549 cells.Spectra from different cell points demonstrated the heterogeneity of components in various cytoplasmic regions.

Comparative Study of Decellularization Techniques for Bovine Lung ECM Hydrogels

Development and Characterization of Decellularized Lung Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels

The use of extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived hydrogels in tissue engineering has become increasingly popular, as they can mimic cells&#39; natural environment in vitro. However, maintaining the native biochemical content of the ECM, achieving mechanical stability, and comprehending the impact of the decellularization process on the mechanical properties of the ECM hydrogels are challenging. Here, a pipeline for decellularization of bovine lung tissue using two different protocols, downstream characterization of the effectiveness of decellularization, fabrication of reconstituted decellularized lung ECM hydrogels and assessment of their mechanical and cytocompatibility properties were described. Decellularization of the bovine lung was pursued using a physical (freeze-thaw cycles) or chemical (detergent-based) method. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining was performed to validate the decellularization and retention of major ECM components. For the evaluation of residual collagen and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content within the decellularized samples, Sirius red and Alcian blue staining techniques were employed, respectively. Mechanical properties of the decellularized lung ECM hydrogels were characterized by oscillatory rheology. The results suggest that decellularized bovine lung hydrogels can provide a reliable organotypic<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">&#160;alternative to commercial ECM products by retaining most native ECM components. Furthermore, these findings reveal that the decellularization method of choice significantly affects gelation kinetics as well as the stiffness and viscoelastic properties of resulting hydrogels.

Author Spotlight: Optimizing Bovine Lung Decellularization for Organotypic Hydrogels

The protocol elucidates two distinct decellularization methodologies applied to native bovine pulmonary tissues, providing a comprehensive account of their respective characterizations.

The use of extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived hydrogels in tissue engineering has become increasingly popular, as they can mimic cells&#39; natural ...

Analyzing Cell-Seeded Decellularized Apple-Derived Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Decellularized Apple-Derived Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering In Vitro and In Vivo

Plant-derived&#160;cellulose biomaterials have been employed in various tissue engineering applications. In vivo studies have shown the remarkable biocompatibility of scaffolds made of cellulose derived from natural sources. Additionally, these scaffolds possess structural characteristics that are relevant for multiple tissues, and they promote the invasion and proliferation of mammalian cells. Recent research using decellularized apple hypanthium tissue has demonstrated the similarity of its pore size to that of trabecular bone as well as&#160;its ability to effectively support osteogenic differentiation. The present study further&#160;examined the potential of apple-derived cellulose scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications and evaluated their in vitro and in vivo mechanical properties. MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were seeded in apple-derived cellulose scaffolds that were then&#160;assessed for their osteogenic potential and mechanical properties. Alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red S staining confirmed osteogenic differentiation in scaffolds cultured in differentiation medium. Histological examination demonstrated widespread cell invasion and mineralization across the scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed mineral aggregates on the surface of the scaffolds, and&#160;energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS)&#160;confirmed the presence of phosphate and calcium elements. However, despite a significant increase in the Young&#39;s modulus following cell differentiation, it remained lower than that of healthy bone tissue. In vivo studies showed cell infiltration and deposition of extracellular matrix within the decellularized apple-derived&#160;scaffolds after 8 weeks of implantation in rat calvaria. In addition, the force required to remove the scaffolds from the bone defect was similar to the previously reported fracture load of native calvarial bone. Overall, this study confirms that apple-derived cellulose is a promising candidate for BTE applications. However, the dissimilarity between its mechanical properties and those of healthy bone tissue may restrict its application to low load-bearing scenarios. Additional structural re-engineering and optimization may be necessary to enhance the mechanical properties of apple-derived cellulose scaffolds for load-bearing applications.

Author Spotlight: Insights into the Use of Apple-Derived Cellulose Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering 

In this study, we detail methods of decellularization, physical characterization, imaging, and in vivo implantation of plant-based biomaterials, as well as methods for cell seeding and differentiation in the scaffolds. The described methods allow the evaluation of plant-based biomaterials for bone tissue engineering applications.