Name: production, characterization and potential uses of a 3d tissue-engineered human esophageal mucosal model
Uploaded: 2015-05-18T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Production, Characterization and Potential Uses of a 3D Tissue-engineered Human Esophageal Mucosal Model at JoVE.com

We are grateful to Mr Roger Ackroyd, Mr Andrew Wyman and Mr Chris Stoddard, Consultant Surgeons at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for their help in acquiring esophageal tissue samples and their support of our work. We thank Ashraful Haque for his help incorporating tumor cell lines into the model. We gratefully acknowledge financial support for this study by grants from the Bardhan Research and Education Trust (BRET) and Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR).

Human esophageal cells are obtained from patients undergoing gastric or esophageal surgery. Informed consent is obtained for the tissue to be used for research purposes, and the tissue used anonymously under the appropriate ethical approvals (SSREC 165/03, Human Research Tissue Bank Licence 12179).
1. Isolation of Human Esophageal Epithelial Cells
<ol>
	<li>Working in a laminar flow tissue culture hood and using sterile technique, prepare the epithelial culture medium by mixing Dulbecco&#8217;s Modified Eagle&#8...

<ol>
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This manuscript describes the production and characterization of a biologically relevant human esophageal mucosal model suitable for use as an experimental platform to study the impact of exposure to environmental stressors upon the esophageal epithelium.
The most critical steps for the successful production of a human esophageal mucosal model are: ensuring that the majority of the epithelial cells remain proliferative and have not already begun to differentiate prior to seeding them on the sc...

The esophageal mucosa comprises a stratified, squamous epithelium above a layer of connective tissue, the lamina propria, and is one of the first sites to encounter ingested environmental stressors. Exposure to dietary toxins is implicated in the development of esophageal squamous carcinoma, while duodenogastro-esophageal reflux is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, which is associated with increased risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal carcinomas are the 8th most common malignant tumor in UK males and esophageal adenocarcinoma is rapidly increasing in the Western world1. Furthermore, there has been little improvement in disease prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival rate of around 15%. Consequently there is a need for experimental platforms to investigate the impact of exposure to environmental stressors on this esophageal epithelium and their potential involvement in the development of metaplasia or neoplasia.
Although immortalized or tumor cell lines allow researchers to study the response of epithelial cells to these stressors in vitro, they remain proliferative and fail to differentiate into the mature epithelial cells found on the uppermost layers of the esophageal mucosa. Furthermore, cells lines that have already undergone tumorigenesis may provide only limited information regarding the initial responses of normal cells within the epithelium to environmental factors; and this is the stage when the potential for therapeutic intervention may be highest. Finally, conventional cell culture systems fail to capture the potentially important interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells and between these cells and the surrounding matrix that occur within tissues in vivo.
Animal models provide a more realistic microenvironment for studying the responses of the esophageal epithelium and can incorporate the artificial induction of gastro-esophageal reflux disease2. However it can be more challenging to manipulate the environmental stressors in these models and they may not fully represent the response within the human esophagus.
Other experimental human esophageal models have been developed that utilize primary cells, immortalized cells or tumor cell lines on a collagen, or combined collagen/Matrigel, scaffold containing fibroblasts3,4. It is less labor intensive to generate these scaffolds than the acellular esophageal scaffold described in this manuscript, and these organotypic models provide a useful tool, particularly in the study of tumor invasion5,6, where tumor cell infiltration into the collagen gel can be readily observed. However these collagen gels have non-native mechanical properties and lack certain features of the original tissue, including a specific basement membrane and the appropriate surface topography. This can influence the behavior of cells resulting in, for example, poorer adhesion between the epithelium and scaffold when using a collagen gel scaffold7. As a consequence the acellular porcine esophageal scaffold was developed, with the advantage of being a more biologically realistic scaffold and thus more appropriate for use as an experimental platform. It has also been shown that it is better to incorporate primary cells into the esophageal constructs than immortalized esophageal epithelial cell lines, such as Het-1A, since these cells form a multi-layered epithelium but fail to stratify or differentiate4,7,8.
Consequently, this protocol has been adapted from a method already in use in the MacNeil laboratory for making tissue engineered skin and oral mucosa9,10 and incorporates a de-cellularized porcine esophageal scaffold combined with primary human esophageal epithelial cells and fibroblasts. This protocol produces a mature, stratified epithelium, similar to that of the normal human esophagus as demonstrated by CK4, CK14, Ki67 and involucrin staining. The resulting model provides an experimental platform to study responses to environmental stressors, and has been used effectively to investigate changes in gene expression in the esophageal epithelium in response to refluxate components11.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td align="right">215240</td>
			<td>Prepare 0.1% w/v solution in PBS and filter sterilise. Warm in 37&#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM</td>
			<td>Labtech</td>
			<td>LM-D1112</td>
			<td>Warm in 37&#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ham&#39;s F12</td>
			<td>Labtech</td>
			<td>LM-H1236</td>
			<td>Warm in 37&#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Foetal Calf Serum</td>
			<td>Labtech</td>
			<td>FB-1090</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epidermal Growth Factor</td>
			<td>R+D Systems</td>
			<td>236-EG-200</td>
			<td>Prepare 200 &#181;g/ml stock solution in 10 mM acetic acid, 1% FCS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydorcortisone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H0396</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in PBS and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adenine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A2786</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in PBS and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I2767</td>
			<td>Prepare 10 mg/ml solution in 0.01M HCl, dilute 1:10 in distilled water and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Transferrin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T2036</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in distilled water and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triiodothyronine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T2752</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in distilled water and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cholera toxin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C8052</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in water</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-Glutamine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G7513</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P0781</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Amphotericin B</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15290-026</td>
			<td>Brand name Fungizone</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS</td>
			<td>Oxoid</td>
			<td>BR0014</td>
			<td>Dissolve 1 tablet in 100 ml water and autoclave to sterilise</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase A</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td align="right">10103578001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Povidone-iodine solution</td>
			<td>Ecolab</td>
			<td>10830E</td>
			<td>Brand name Videne</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E7023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right">433209</td>
			<td>Prepare 1M solution and autoclave to sterilise before use (121 &#730;C for 15 min)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycerol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G2025</td>
			<td>Autoclave to sterilise before use (121 &#730;C for 15 min)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chelex 100</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C7901</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Newborn calf serum</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td align="right">26010074</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Progesterone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P8783</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in DMEM and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanolamine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E9508</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in DMEM and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydrocortisone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H0888</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in DMEM and filter sterilise before use use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>O-phosphorylethanolamine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P0503</td>
			<td>Prepare stock solution in DMEM and filter sterilise before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ITS (insulin, transferrin, selenium)</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>17-838Z</td>
			<td>Used for composite media preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypsin-EDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T3924</td>
			<td>Warm in 37&#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA 0.02% solution</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E8008</td>
			<td>Warm in 37&#176;C water bath before use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T75 culture flask</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>734-2313</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 ml centrifuge tube</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td align="right">11819650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 ml universal tube</td>
			<td>SLS</td>
			<td>SLS7504</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>180 ml pot</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>216-2603</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dish</td>
			<td>SLS</td>
			<td align="right">150350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6 well plate</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>734-2323</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>stainless steel rings</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Manufactured in house - medical grade stainless steel, internal diameter 10 mm, external diameter 20 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>steel mesh grids</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Manufactured in house - sheets have 0.3 cm diameter holes, bent to produce grid 2cm (w) x2 cm (d) x 0.5 cm (h)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ki67</td>
			<td>Novocastra</td>
			<td>KI67-MM1-L-CE</td>
			<td>Clone MM1 Use at 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CK4</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab9004</td>
			<td>Clone 6B10 Use at 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CK14</td>
			<td>Novocastra</td>
			<td>LL002-L-CE</td>
			<td>Clone LL002 Use at 1:200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Involucrin</td>
			<td>Novocastra</td>
			<td>INV</td>
			<td>Clone&#160; SY5 Use at 1:100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>OE21</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right">96062201</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>OE33</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right">96070808</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Het-1A</td>
			<td>ATCC-LGC</td>
			<td>CRL-2692</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mouse 3T3 fibroblasts</td>
			<td>ATCC-LGC</td>
			<td>CRL-1658</td>
			<td>previously growth arrested by irradiation (60 Gy)</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

production, characterization and potential uses of a 3d tissue-engineered human esophageal mucosal model

The incidence of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, are rising rapidly in the western world. Furthermore esophageal adenocarcinoma generally has a poor prognosis, with little improvement in survival rates in recent years. These are difficult conditions to study and there has been a lack of suitable experimental platforms to investigate disorders of the esophageal mucosa.
A model of the human esophageal mucosa has been developed in the MacNeil laboratory which, unlike conventional 2D cell culture systems, recapitulates the cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions present in vivo and produces a mature, stratified epithelium similar to that of the normal human esophagus. Briefly, the model utilizes non-transformed normal primary human esophageal fibroblasts and epithelial cells grown within a porcine-derived acellular esophageal scaffold. Immunohistochemical characterization of this model by CK4, CK14, Ki67 and involucrin staining demonstrates appropriate recapitulation of the histology of the normal human esophageal mucosa.
This model provides a robust, biologically relevant experimental model of the human esophageal mucosa. It can easily be manipulated to investigate a number of research questions including the effectiveness of pharmacological agents and the impact of exposure to environmental factors such as alcohol, toxins, high temperature or gastro-esophageal refluxate components. The model also facilitates extended culture periods not achievable with conventional 2D cell culture, enabling, inter alia, the study of the impact of repeated exposure of a mature epithelium to the agent of interest for up to 20 days. Furthermore, a variety of cell lines, such as those derived from esophageal tumors or Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, can be incorporated into the model to investigate processes such as tumor invasion and drug responsiveness in a more biologically relevant environment.

This manuscript describes the process required, shown in schematic form in Figure 1, to culture 3D models of the human esophageal epithelium successfully. To confirm the suitability of the model as an experimental platform histological and immunohistochemical studies have been undertaken comparing the cultured tissues with normal human esophageal squamous mucosa.
Histological assessment of the epithelium produced by the method described shows a mature, multi-layered, stratifie...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Production, Characterization and Potential Uses of a 3D Tissue-engineered Human Esophageal Mucosal Model at JoVE.com

Production, Characterization and Potential Uses of a 3D Tissue-engineered Human Esophageal Mucosal Model

This manuscript describes the production, characterization and potential uses of a tissue engineered 3D esophageal construct prepared from normal primary human esophageal fibroblast and squamous epithelial cells seeded within a de-cellularized porcine scaffold. The results demonstrate the formation of a mature stratified epithelium similar to the normal human esophagus.

The incidence of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, are rising rapidly in the western world. Furthermore ...

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Protocol for Relative Hydrodynamic Assessment of Tri-leaflet Polymer Valves

Limitations of currently available prosthetic valves, xenografts, and homografts have prompted a recent resurgence of developments in the area of ...

Surgical Technique for the Implantation of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts and Subsequent In Vivo Monitoring

Surgical Technique for the Implantation of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts and Subsequent In Vivo Monitoring

The development of Tissue Engineered Vessels (TEVs) is advanced by the ability to routinely and effectively implant TEVs (4-5 mm in diameter) into a large ...

Generation and Grafting of Tissue-engineered Vessels in a Mouse Model

The construction of vascular conduits is a fundamental strategy for surgical repair of damaged and injured vessels resulting from cardiovascular diseases. ...

A Hormone-responsive 3D Culture Model of the Human Mammary Gland Epithelium

The process of mammary epithelial morphogenesis is influenced by hormones. The study of hormone action on the breast epithelium using 2D cultures is ...

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds

In the present study, we combined an in vitro 3D lung tumor model with an in silico model to optimize predictions of drug response based on a specific ...

Development of a Multicellular Three-dimensional Organotypic Model of the Human Intestinal Mucosa Grown Under Microgravity

Because cells growing in a three-dimensional (3-D) environment have the potential to bridge many gaps of cell cultivation in 2-D environments (e.g., ...

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Neurotrauma and neurodegenerative disease often result in lasting neurological deficits due to the limited capacity of the central nervous system (CNS) to ...

A Novel Tenorrhaphy Suture Technique with Tissue Engineered Collagen Graft to Repair Large Tendon Defects

Surgical management of large tendon defects with tendon grafts is challenging, as there are a finite number of sites where donors can be readily ...

Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D

Two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture techniques have been essential for our understanding of fundamental cell biology. However, traditional 2D tissue ...