Name: fabrication of a biomimetic nano-matrix with janus base nanotubes and fibronectin for stem cell adhesion
Uploaded: 2020-05-10T14:45:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fabrication of a Biomimetic Nano-Matrix with Janus Base Nanotubes and Fibronectin for Stem Cell Adhesion at JoVE.com

This work is financially supported by NIH (Grants 1R01AR072027-01, 1R03AR069383-01), NSF Career Award (1653702) and University of Connecticut.

1. Synthesis of JBNTs
NOTE: JBNT monomer was prepared as published previously11.
<ol>
	<li>Synthesis of compound A1
	<ol>
		<li>Prepare a solution containing 8.50 g of 2-cyanoacetic acid and 9.80 g of ethylcarbamate in 25 mL of toluene and 2.5 mL of N, N-dimethylformamide. Add 4.90 mL of phosphoryl chloride dropwise. Then heat the mixture to 70 &#176;C and keep stirring for 1.5 h.</li>
		<li>Cool the reaction mixture to room temperature and pour in 100 g of ice water....

<ol>
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P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> U. S. Patent. , (2017).</li><li>Zhou, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Self-assembled+biomimetic+Nano-Matrix+for+stem+cell+Anchorage.">Self-assembled biomimetic Nano-Matrix for stem cell Anchorage.</a> Journal of Biomedical Materials and Research. 108, 984-991 (2020).</li><li>Jones, M., Leroux, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polymeric+micelles+-+a+new+generation+of+colloidal+drug+carriers.">Polymeric micelles - a new generation of colloidal drug carriers.</a> European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 48 (2), 101-111 (1999).</li><li>Singh, P., Schwarzbauer, J. 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In this study, we developed a self-assembled biomimetic NM, which was formed with DNA-inspired JBNTs and FN. When preparing the JBNT solution, the JBNT lyophilized powder should be dissolved into the water instead of PBS because PBS will cause agglomeration of JBNTs, which inhibits their assembly. Moreover, the NM should also be assembled in water if we want to observe the nano-fibril structures of the NM, because the salt in PBS will bundle with NM fibers, which can greatly reduce the resolution of the images.
<p cl...

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have shown the potential for self-renewal and self-differentiation along different mesenchymal lineages, which helps in the regeneration and maintenance of tissues1. Based on the differentiation potential, hMSCs are considered as candidates for mesenchymal tissue injuries and hematopoietic disorder therapy2. hMSCs have shown the ability to promote wound healing by increasing tissue repair, angiogenesis, and reducing inflammation3. However, without biochemical or biomaterials assistance, the efficiency for the hMSCs to reach a target tissue and function at the desired location is low4. Although various engineered scaffolds have been utilized to attract hMSCs to adhere onto the lesions, some sites such as growth plate fracture, in the middle of a long bone, are not easily accessible by the conventional pre-fabricated scaffolds, which may not fit perfectly into an irregularly shaped injured site.
Here, we have developed a biomimetic nanomaterial that can self-assemble in situ and be injected to a hard to reach target area. The injectable bio-scaffold NM is composed of Janus base nanotubes (JBNTs) and fibronectin (FN). JBNTs, also known as the Rosette Nanotubes (RNTs), are derived from DNA base pairs, specifically thymine and adenine, here5,6,7. As seen in Figure 1, the nanotubes are formed when six molecules of the derived DNA base pairs self-assemble via hydrogen bonds to form a plane6. Six molecules are then stacked onto each other in a plane via a strong pi-stacking interaction7, which can be up to 200-300 &#181;m in length. The JBNTs are designed to morphologically mimic collagen fibers so that FN will react with them.
FN is a high molecular weight adhesive glycoprotein, which can be found in the extracellular matrix (ECM)9. These can mediate the attachment of stem cells to other components of the ECM, particularly collagen10. We designed JBNTs to morphologically mimic collagen fibers so FN can react with them to form NM in a few seconds via noncovalent bonding. Therefore, NM is a promising bio-scaffold to be injected into a bone fracture site that could not be accessible by the conventionally fabricated scaffolds. Here, the injectable NM presents an excellent ability to enhance hMSC anchorage in vitro, exhibiting their potential to serve as a scaffold for tissue regeneration.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1,2-dichloroethane</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>39121</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-cyanoacetic acid</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C88505</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4-Dimethylaminopyridine</td>
			<td>TCI America</td>
			<td>D1450</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>8 wells Chambered Coverglass</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>155409</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well plate</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>353072</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>absolute ethanol</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>BP2818500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>acetone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>179124</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>34851</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>allylamine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>145831</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Basic Plasma Cleaner</td>
			<td>Harrick Plasma</td>
			<td>PDC32G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>citric acid</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>251275</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>concentrated hydrochloric acid</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H1758</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Deionized water</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>15230147</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dichloromethane</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>270997</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>diethyl ether</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>296082</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Di-tert-butyl dicarbonate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>361941</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ethyl acetate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>319902</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ethylcarbamate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>U2500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibronectin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>PHE0023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fixative Solution (4 % formaldehyde prepared in PBS)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>R37814</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>guanidinium hydrochloride</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A13543</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>hexanes</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>227064</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human mesenchymal stem cells</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>PT-2501</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>methanol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>34860</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>methyl iodide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>289566</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N,N-Diisopropylethylamine</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A17114</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N,N-dimethylformamide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>227056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A19802</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Osmium tetraoxide</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>45385</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>15140163</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate Buffer Solution</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>20012050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>phosphoryl chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>201170</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>potassium carbonate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>347825</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>reverse phase column</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>25305-154630</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rhodamine Phalloidin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>R415</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>silica gel</td>
			<td>TCI America</td>
			<td>S0821</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium bicarbonate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S6014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium ethoxide</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>L13083</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium periodide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>71859</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium sulfate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>239313</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium sulfite</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S0505</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium triacetoxyborohydride</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>B22060</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>spectrophotometer(NanoDrop One/One&#7580; UV-Vis)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>ND-ONE-W</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stem Cell Growth Medium BulletKit</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>PT-3001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>tetrahydrofuran</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>401757</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>thioanisole</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T28002</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>toluene</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>179418</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>triethylamine</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A12646</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>trifluoroacetic acid</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>A12198</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>HFH10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA solution</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>25200056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

fabrication of a biomimetic nano-matrix with janus base nanotubes and fibronectin for stem cell adhesion

A biomimetic NM was developed to serve as a tissue-engineering biological scaffold, which can enhance stem cell anchorage. The biomimetic NM is formed from JBNTs and FN through self-assembly in an aqueous solution. JBNTs measure 200-300 &#181;m in length with inner hydrophobic hollow channels and outer hydrophilic surfaces. JBNTs are positively charged and FNs are negatively charged. Therefore, when injected into a neutral aqueous solution, they are bonded together via noncovalent bonding to form the NM bundles. The self-assembly process is completed within a few seconds without any chemical initiators, heat source, or UV light. When the pH of the NM solution is lower than the isoelectric point of FNs (pI 5.5-6.0), the NM bundles will self-release due to the presence of positively charged FN.
NM is known to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) morphologically and hence, can be used as an injectable scaffold, which provides an excellent platform to enhance hMSC adhesion. Cell density analysis and fluorescence imaging experiments indicated that the NMs significantly increased the anchorage of hMSCs compared to the negative control.

Our studies discovered that the formation of the NM of JBNTs and FN is fast, which happened in 10 seconds. As shown in Figure 2, white floccule was obtained when the JBNT solution was mixed with the FN solution and pipetted several times. The formation process of NM is completely biomimetic. No external stimuli are needed. The process of fabrication is much easier than that of some emerging biomaterials, which is based on ultraviolet light or chemical initiator for crosslinking<sup class="xr...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fabrication of a Biomimetic Nano-Matrix with Janus Base Nanotubes and Fibronectin for Stem Cell Adhesion at JoVE.com

Fabrication of a Biomimetic Nano-Matrix with Janus Base Nanotubes and Fibronectin for Stem Cell Adhesion

The goal of this protocol is to show the assembly of a biomimetic nanomatrix (NM) with Janus base nanotubes (JBNTs) and fibronectin (FN). When co-cultured with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), the NMs exhibit excellent bioactivity in encouraging hMSCs adhesion.

A biomimetic NM was developed to serve as a tissue-engineering biological scaffold, which can enhance stem cell anchorage. The biomimetic NM is formed ...

We developed a biomimetic nano-matrix with great promise to serve as a tissue engineering scaffold. This protocol demonstrates how to assemble the nano-matrix from Janus base nanotubes synthesized in my lab, as well as the fibronectin protein. This nano-matrix can self-assemble in a few seconds without using any additional assistance.When co-cultured with human mesenchymal stem cells, the nano-matrix exhibited excellent bioactivity in encouraging cell adhesion. The nano-matrix mimics the extracellular matrix morphologically. Therefore, it has the potential to serve as an injectable scaffold to repair bone fractures by promoting cell adhesion and function at the target location.Begin by fabricating the nano-matrix. Add 80 microliters of one-milligram-per-milliliter Janus base nanotubes to 40 microliters of one-milligram-per-milliliter fibronectin, and pipette the mixture gently and slowly several times. After 10 seconds, visually inspect the tube for the presence of a white solid suspension.Next, prepare fibronectin, JBNT, and Fibronectin/JBNT nano-matrix solutions for lyophilized materials observation according to manuscript directions. Coat three wells of a 96-well, clear, round-bottom microplate with solutions, adding 50 microliters to each well. Freeze the plate at minus 80 degrees Celsius overnight.On the next day, turn on the lyophilized instrument and vacuum pump, and press the cool down button to reduce the temperature of the system to minus 50 degrees Celsius. Put the frozen plate into the instrument, and close all openings. Click the start button to reduce the system pressure to 0.9 millibar.After four hours, press the aerate button, and open the valve to increase the system pressure to the atmospheric pressure. Then, take the plate out of the lyophilized instrument. Prepare the JBNT/fibronectin nano-matrix solution as described in the text manuscript, and dilute the JBNT and fibronectin solutions with distilled water to make control solutions.Measure the absorption spectra of the solutions with the spectrophotometer to characterize the assembly of nano-matrices. Click the UV-vis button. Then, clean the test surface of the spectrophotometer, and drop two microliters of distilled water on it.Measure the water as blank from 190 to 850 nanometers. For each sample, clean the test surface, and drop two microliters of the solution on it. Then, measure the UV-vis absorption spectra from 190 to 850 nanometers.Add 200 microliters of negative controls, JBNTs, fibronectin, and the nano-matrix solutions into the wells of an eight-well chambered slide. Freeze-dry the eight-well chambered coverglass with the lyophilized instrument to coat materials onto the bottom of the wells. Then, add 10, 000 human mesenchymal stem cells to each well of the coverglass, and incubate it for 24 hours at 37 degrees Celsius with 5%carbon dioxide.After the incubation, remove the cell culture medium from the wells, and rinse them with PBS. Add 100 microliters of the fixative solution to each well, and leave it for five minutes at room temperature. Then, gently rinse the cells with PBS twice, and add 100 microliters of 0.1%Triton X-100 to each well.After 10 minutes, repeat the rinses with PBS. Add 100 microliters of rhodamine phalloidin to each well, and incubate the chambered coverglass for 30 minutes, protecting it from light. Rinse the cells twice with PBS, and image them with a fluorescent microscope.Nano-matrix formation is fast and completely biomimetic. White floccule was visible 10 seconds after the JBNT solution was mixed with the fibronectin solution. Camera images of fibronectin, JBNTs, and the nano-matrix were captured and analyzed.No long fibers were observed in the fibronectin group, indicating that the scaffold structure can't form without JBNTs. JBNTs appear as long and thin fibers. When crosslinked with fibronectin, the nano-matrix fiber can grow up to several centimeters in length.The assembly of the nano-matrix was also confirmed by obtaining UV-vis spectra. The two absorption peaks of JBNTs alone diminish after nano-matrix formation. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the morphology of the JBNTs and nano-matrices.The JBNTs are slender tubes with uniform diameters. When mixed with fibronectin, they form a long fibroid nano-matrix via charge interactions. When the pH is lower than the isoelectric point of the fibronectin, the nano-matrix bundles self-release due to the positively charged fibronectin.The effect of the JBNT/fibronectin nano-matrix on cell adhesion was also explored. Since nano-matrices are designed to morphologically mimic the extracellular matrix, they provide a scaffold and increase cell adhesion. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that incubation with the nano-matrices increased cell adhesion.In the following procedure, cell migration, differentiation, and the long-term function can be shown to further explore the effect of nano-matrix on human mesenchymal stem cell growth and functions.

fabrication-biomimetic-nano-matrix-with-janus-base-nanotubes

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape

A &#8220;sheath&#8221; fluid passing through a microfluidic channel at low Reynolds number can be directed around another &#8220;core&#8221; stream and used to dictate the shape as well as the diameter of a core stream.&#160;Grooves in the top and bottom of a microfluidic channel were designed to direct the sheath fluid and shape the core fluid.&#160;By matching the viscosity and hydrophilicity of the sheath and core fluids, the interfacial effects are minimized and complex fluid shapes can be formed.&#160;Controlling the relative flow rates of the sheath and core fluids determines the cross-sectional area of the core fluid.&#160;Fibers have been produced with sizes ranging from 300 nm to ~1 mm, and fiber cross-sections can be round, flat, square, or complex as in the case with double anchor fibers. Polymerization of the core fluid downstream from the shaping region solidifies the fibers.&#160;Photoinitiated click chemistries are well suited for rapid polymerization of the core fluid by irradiation with ultraviolet light.&#160;Fibers with a wide variety of shapes have been produced from a list of polymers including liquid crystals, poly(methylmethacrylate), thiol-ene and thiol-yne resins, polyethylene glycol, and hydrogel derivatives. Minimal shear during the shaping process and mild polymerization conditions also makes the fabrication process well suited for encapsulation of cells and other biological components.

Two adjacent fluids passing through a grooved microfluidic channel can be directed to form a sheath around a prepolymer core; thereby&#160;determining both shape and cross-section. Photoinitiated polymerization, such as thiol click chemistry, is well suited for rapidly solidifying the core fluid into a microfiber with predetermined size and shape.

A &#8220;sheath&#8221; fluid passing through a microfluidic channel at low Reynolds number can be directed around another &#8220;core&#8221; stream and ...

Using Cell-substrate Impedance and Live Cell Imaging to Measure Real-time Changes in Cellular Adhesion and De-adhesion Induced by Matrix Modification

Cell-matrix adhesion plays a key role in controlling cell morphology and signaling. Stimuli that disrupt cell-matrix adhesion (e.g., myeloperoxidase and other matrix-modifying oxidants/enzymes released during inflammation) are implicated in triggering pathological changes in cellular function, phenotype and viability in a number of diseases. Here, we describe how cell-substrate impedance and live cell imaging approaches can be readily employed to accurately quantify real-time changes in cell adhesion and de-adhesion induced by matrix modification (using endothelial cells and myeloperoxidase as a pathophysiological matrix-modifying stimulus) with high temporal resolution and in a non-invasive manner. The xCELLigence cell-substrate impedance system continuously quantifies the area of cell-matrix adhesion by measuring the electrical impedance at the cell-substrate interface in cells grown on gold microelectrode arrays. Image analysis of time-lapse differential interference contrast movies quantifies changes in the projected area of individual cells over time, representing changes in the area of cell-matrix contact. Both techniques accurately quantify rapid changes to cellular adhesion and de-adhesion processes. Cell-substrate impedance on microelectrode biosensor arrays provides a platform for robust, high-throughput measurements. Live cell imaging analyses provide additional detail regarding the nature and dynamics of the morphological changes quantified by cell-substrate impedance measurements. These complementary approaches provide valuable new insights into how myeloperoxidase-catalyzed oxidative modification of subcellular extracellular matrix components triggers rapid changes in cell adhesion, morphology and signaling in endothelial cells. These approaches are also applicable for studying cellular adhesion dynamics in response to other matrix-modifying stimuli and in related adherent cells (e.g., epithelial cells).

Here, we present a protocol to continuously quantify cell adhesion and de-adhesion processes with high temporal resolution in a non-invasive manner by cell-substrate impedance and live cell imaging analyses. These approaches reveal the dynamics of cell adhesion/de-adhesion processes triggered by matrix modification and their temporal relationship to adhesion-dependent signaling events.

Cell-matrix adhesion plays a key role in controlling cell morphology and signaling. Stimuli that disrupt cell-matrix adhesion (e.g., myeloperoxidase and ...

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method

In order to mimic cell membranes, the supported lipid bilayer (SLB) is an attractive platform which enables in vitro investigation of membrane-related processes while conferring biocompatibility and biofunctionality to solid substrates. The spontaneous adsorption and rupture of phospholipid vesicles is the most commonly used method to form SLBs. However, under physiological conditions, vesicle fusion (VF) is limited to only a subset of lipid compositions and solid supports. Here, we describe a one-step general procedure called the solvent-assisted lipid bilayer (SALB) formation method in order to form SLBs which does not require vesicles. The SALB method involves the deposition of lipid molecules onto a solid surface in the presence of water-miscible organic solvents (e.g., isopropanol) and subsequent solvent-exchange with aqueous buffer solution in order to trigger SLB formation. The continuous solvent exchange step enables application of the method in a flow-through configuration suitable for monitoring bilayer formation and subsequent alterations using a wide range of surface-sensitive biosensors. The SALB method can be used to fabricate SLBs on a wide range of hydrophilic solid surfaces, including those which are intractable to vesicle fusion. In addition, it enables fabrication of SLBs composed of lipid compositions which cannot be prepared using the vesicle fusion method. Herein, we compare results obtained with the SALB and conventional vesicle fusion methods on two illustrative hydrophilic surfaces, silicon dioxide and gold. To optimize the experimental conditions for preparation of high quality bilayers prepared via the SALB method, the effect of various parameters, including the type of organic solvent in the deposition step, the rate of solvent exchange, and the lipid concentration is discussed along with troubleshooting tips. Formation of supported membranes containing high fractions of cholesterol is also demonstrated with the SALB method, highlighting the technical capabilities of the SALB technique for a wide range of membrane configurations.

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer SALB Method

We present an experimental protocol to form a supported lipid bilayer on solid substrates without using lipid vesicles. We demonstrate a one-step method to form a lipid bilayer on silicon dioxide and gold as well as supported membranes with cholesterol-enriched domain for various biological applications.

In order to mimic cell membranes, the supported lipid bilayer (SLB) is an attractive platform which enables in vitro investigation of membrane-related ...

Micropatterning and Assembly of 3D Microvessels

In vitro platforms to study endothelial cells and vascular biology are largely limited to 2D endothelial cell culture, flow chambers with polymer or glass based substrates, and hydrogel-based tube formation assays. These assays, while informative, do not recapitulate lumen geometry, proper extracellular matrix, and multi-cellular proximity, which play key roles in modulating vascular function. This manuscript describes an injection molding method to generate engineered vessels with diameters on the order of 100 &#181;m. Microvessels are fabricated by seeding endothelial cells in a microfluidic channel embedded within a native type I collagen hydrogel. By incorporating parenchymal cells within the collagen matrix prior to channel formation, specific tissue microenvironments can be modeled and studied. Additional modulations of hydrodynamic properties and media composition allow for control of complex vascular function within the desired microenvironment. This platform allows for the study of perivascular cell recruitment, blood-endothelium interactions, flow response, and tissue-microvascular interactions. Engineered microvessels offer the ability to isolate the influence from individual components of a vascular niche and precisely control its chemical, mechanical, and biological properties to study vascular biology in both health and disease.

This manuscript presents an injection molding method to engineer microvessels that recapitulate physiological properties of endothelium. The microfluidic-based process creates patent 3D vascular networks with tailorable conditions, such as flow, cellular composition, geometry, and biochemical gradients. The fabrication process and examples of potential applications are described.

In vitro platforms to study endothelial cells and vascular biology are largely limited to 2D endothelial cell culture, flow chambers with polymer or glass ...

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Mechanical properties of complex, polymer-based soft matter, such as cells or biopolymer networks, can be understood in neither the classical frame of flexible polymers nor of rigid rods. Underlying filaments remain outstretched due to their non-vanishing backbone stiffness, which is quantified via the persistence length (lp), but they are also subject to strong thermal fluctuations. Their finite bending stiffness leads to unique, non-trivial collective mechanics of bulk networks, enabling the formation of stable scaffolds at low volume fractions while providing large mesh sizes. This underlying principle is prevalent in nature (e.g., in cells or tissues), minimizing the high molecular content and thereby facilitating diffusive or active transport. Due to their biological implications and potential technological applications in biocompatible hydrogels, semiflexible polymers have been subject to considerable study. However, comprehensible investigations remained challenging since they relied on natural polymers, such as actin filaments, which are not freely tunable. Despite these limitations and due to the lack of synthetic, mechanically tunable, and semiflexible polymers, actin filaments were established as the common model system. A major limitation is that the central quantity lp cannot be freely tuned to study its impact on macroscopic bulk structures. This limitation was resolved by employing structurally programmable DNA nanotubes, enabling controlled alteration of the filament stiffness. They are formed through tile-based designs, where a discrete set of partially complementary strands hybridize in a ring structure with a discrete circumference. These rings feature sticky ends, enabling the effective polymerization into filaments several microns in length, and display similar polymerization kinetics as natural biopolymers. Due to their programmable mechanics, these tubes are versatile, novel tools to study the impact of lp on the single-molecule as well as the bulk scale. In contrast to actin filaments, they remain stable over weeks, without notable degeneration, and their handling is comparably straightforward.

Semiflexible polymers display unique mechanical properties that are extensively applied by living systems. However, systematic studies on biopolymers are limited since properties such as polymer rigidity are inaccessible. This manuscript describes how this limitation is circumvented by programmable DNA nanotubes, enabling experimental studies on the impact of filament rigidity.

Mechanical properties of complex, polymer-based soft matter, such as cells or biopolymer networks, can be understood in neither the classical frame of ...

Fabrication and Validation of an Organ-on-chip System with Integrated Electrodes to Directly Quantify Transendothelial Electrical Resistance

Organs-on-chips, in vitro models involving the culture of (human) tissues inside microfluidic devices, are rapidly emerging and promise to provide useful research tools for studying human health and disease. To characterize the barrier function of cell layers cultured inside organ-on-chip devices, often transendothelial or transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is measured. To this end, electrodes are usually integrated into the chip by micromachining methods to provide more stable measurements than is achieved with manual insertion of electrodes into the inlets of the chip. However, these electrodes frequently hamper visual inspection of the studied cell layer or require expensive cleanroom processes for fabrication. To overcome these limitations, the device described here contains four easily integrated electrodes that are placed and fixed outside of the culture area, making visual inspection possible. Using these four electrodes the resistance of six measurement paths can be quantified, from which the TEER can be directly isolated, independent of the resistance of culture medium-filled microchannels. The blood-brain barrier was replicated in this device and its TEER was monitored to show the device applicability. This chip, the integrated electrodes and the TEER determination method are generally applicable in organs-on-chips, both to mimic other organs or to be incorporated into existing organ-on-chip systems.

This publication describes the fabrication of an organ-on-chip device with integrated electrodes for direct quantification of transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). For validation, the blood-brain barrier was mimicked inside this microfluidic device and its barrier function was monitored. The presented methods for electrode integration and direct TEER quantification are generally applicable.

Organs-on-chips, in vitro models involving the culture of (human) tissues inside microfluidic devices, are rapidly emerging and promise to provide useful ...

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

The basement membrane is a critical component of cellular bilayers that can vary in stiffness, composition, architecture, and porosity. In vitro studies of endothelial-epithelial bilayers have traditionally relied on permeable support models that enable bilayer culture, but permeable supports are limited in their ability to replicate the diversity of human basement membranes. In contrast, hydrogel models that require chemical synthesis are highly tunable and allow for modifications of both the material stiffness and the biochemical composition via incorporation of biomimetic peptides or proteins. However, traditional hydrogel models are limited in functionality because they lack pores for cell-cell contacts and functional in vitro migration studies. Additionally, due to the thickness of traditional hydrogels, incorporation of pores that span the entire thickness of hydrogels has been challenging. In the present study, we use poly-(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) hydrogels and a novel zinc oxide templating method to address the previous shortcomings of biomimetic hydrogels. As a result, we present an ultrathin, basement membrane-like hydrogel that permits the culture of confluent cellular bilayers on a customizable scaffold with variable pore architectures, mechanical properties, and biochemical composition.

Current bilayer culture models do not allow for functional in vitro studies that mimic in vivo microenvironments. Using polyethylene glycol and a zinc oxide templating method, this protocol describes the development of an ultrathin biomimetic basement membrane with tunable stiffness, porosity, and biochemical composition that closely mimics in vivo extracellular matrices.

The basement membrane is a critical component of cellular bilayers that can vary in stiffness, composition, architecture, and porosity. In vitro studies ...

Fabrication of Custom Agarose Wells for Cell Seeding and Tissue Ring Self-assembly Using 3D-Printed Molds

Engineered tissues are being used clinically for tissue repair and replacement, and are being developed as tools for drug screening and human disease modeling. Self-assembled tissues offer advantages over scaffold-based tissue engineering, such as enhanced matrix deposition, strength, and function. However, there are few available methods for fabricating 3D tissues without seeding cells on or within a supporting scaffold. Previously, we developed a system for fabricating self-assembled tissue rings by seeding cells into non-adhesive agarose wells. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) negative was first cast in a machined polycarbonate mold, and then agarose was gelled in the PDMS negative to create ring-shaped cell seeding wells. However, the versatility of this approach was limited by the resolution of the tools available for machining the polycarbonate mold. Here, we demonstrate that 3D-printed plastic can be used as an alternative to machined polycarbonate for fabricating PDMS negatives. The 3D-printed mold and revised mold design is simpler to use, inexpensive to produce, and requires significantly less agarose and PDMS per cell seeding well. We have demonstrated that the resulting agarose wells can be used to create self-assembled tissue rings with customized diameters from a variety of different cell types. Rings can then be used for mechanical, functional, and histological analysis, or for fabricating larger and more complex tubular tissues.

This protocol describes a platform for fabricating self-assembled tissue rings in variable sizes using a customized 3D-printed plastic mold. PDMS negatives are cured in the 3D-printed mold; then agarose is cast in the cured PDMS negatives. Cells are seeded into the resulting agarose wells where they aggregate into tissue rings.

Engineered tissues are being used clinically for tissue repair and replacement, and are being developed as tools for drug screening and human disease ...

Methodology for Biomimetic Chemical Neuromodulation of Rat Retinas with the Neurotransmitter Glutamate In Vitro

Photoreceptor degenerative diseases cause irreparable blindness through the progressive loss of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Retinal prostheses are an emerging treatment for photoreceptor degenerative diseases that seek to restore vision by artificially stimulating the surviving retinal neurons in the hope of eliciting comprehensible visual perception in patients. Current retinal prostheses have demonstrated success in restoring limited vision to patients using an array of electrodes to electrically stimulate the retina but face substantial physical barriers in restoring high acuity, natural vision to patients. Chemical neurostimulation using native neurotransmitters is a biomimetic alternative to electrical stimulation and could bypass the fundamental limitations associated with retinal prostheses using electrical neurostimulation. Specifically, chemical neurostimulation has the potential to restore more natural vision with comparable or better visual acuities to patients by injecting very small quantities of neurotransmitters, the same natural agents of communication used by retinal chemical synapses, at much finer resolution than current electrical prostheses. However, as a relatively unexplored stimulation paradigm, there is no established protocol for achieving chemical stimulation of the retina in vitro. The purpose of this work is to provide a detailed framework for accomplishing chemical stimulation of the retina for investigators who wish to study the potential of chemical neuromodulation of the retina or similar neural tissues in vitro. In this work, we describe the experimental setup and methodology for eliciting retinal ganglion cell (RGC) spike responses similar to visual light responses in wild-type and photoreceptor-degenerated wholemount rat retinas by injecting controlled volumes of the neurotransmitter glutamate into the subretinal space using glass micropipettes and a custom multiport microfluidic device. This methodology and protocol are general enough to be adapted for neuromodulation using other neurotransmitters or even other neural tissues.

Methodology for Biomimetic Chemical Neuromodulation of Rat Retinas with the Neurotransmitter Glutamate In Vitro

This protocol describes a novel method for investigating a form of chemical neurostimulation of wholemount rat retinas in vitro with the neurotransmitter glutamate. Chemical neurostimulation is a promising alternative to the conventional electrical neurostimulation of retinal neurons for treating irreversible blindness caused by photoreceptor degenerative diseases.

Photoreceptor degenerative diseases cause irreparable blindness through the progressive loss of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Retinal prostheses are ...

Fabrication of a Multiplexed Artificial Cellular MicroEnvironment Array

Cellular microenvironments consist of a variety of cues, such as growth factors, extracellular matrices, and intercellular interactions. These cues are well orchestrated and are crucial in regulating cell functions in a living system. Although a number of researchers have attempted to investigate the correlation between environmental factors and desired cellular functions, much remains unknown. This is largely due to the lack of a proper methodology to mimic such environmental cues in vitro, and simultaneously test different environmental cues on cells. Here, we report an integrated platform of microfluidic channels and a nanofiber array, followed by high-content single-cell analysis, to examine stem cell phenotypes altered by distinct environmental factors. To demonstrate the application of this platform, this study focuses on the phenotypes of self-renewing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Here, we present the preparation procedures for a nanofiber array and the microfluidic structure in the fabrication of a Multiplexed Artificial Cellular MicroEnvironment (MACME) array. Moreover, overall steps of the single-cell profiling, cell staining with multiple fluorescent markers, multiple fluorescence imaging, and statistical analyses, are described.

This article describes the detailed methodology to prepare a Multiplexed Artificial Cellular MicroEnvironment (MACME) array for high-throughput manipulation of physical and chemical cues mimicking in vivo cellular microenvironments and to identify the optimal cellular environment for human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) with single-cell profiling.

Cellular microenvironments consist of a variety of cues, such as growth factors, extracellular matrices, and intercellular interactions. These cues are ...