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Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

ABSTRACT: Neural tissue engineering aims at developing novel approaches for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, by providing a permissive environment for the growth and differentiation of neural cells. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems provide a closer biomimetic environment, and promote better cell differentiation and improved cell function, than could be achieved by conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems. With the recent advances in the discovery and introduction of different types of stem cells for tissue engineering, microfluidic platforms have provided an improved microenvironment for the 3D-culture of stem cells. Microfluidic systems can provide more precise control over the spatiotemporal distribution of chemical and physical cues at the cellular level compared to traditional systems. Various microsystems have been designed and fabricated for the purpose of neural tissue engineering. Enhanced neural migration and differentiation, and monitoring of these processes, as well as understanding the behavior of stem cells and their microenvironment have been obtained through application of different microfluidic-based stem cell culture and tissue engineering techniques. As the technology advances it may be possible to construct a "brain-on-a-chip". In this review, we describe the basics of stem cells and tissue engineering as well as microfluidics-based tissue engineering approaches. We review recent testing of various microfluidic approaches for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

SUBMITTER: Karimi M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4935609 | biostudies-other | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

Karimi Mahdi M Bahrami Sajad S Mirshekari Hamed H Basri Seyed Masoud Moosavi SM Nik Amirala Bakhshian AB Aref Amir R AR Akbari Mohsen M Hamblin Michael R MR

Lab on a chip 20160701 14

Neural tissue engineering aims at developing novel approaches for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, by providing a permissive environment for the growth and differentiation of neural cells. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems provide a closer biomimetic environment, and promote better cell differentiation and improved cell function, than could be achieved by conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems. With the recent advances in the discovery and introduction of dif ...[more]

PMID: 27296463

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Project description:Laminin incorporation into biological or synthetic hydrogels has been explored to recapitulate the dynamic nature and biological complexity of neural stem cell (NSC) niches. However, the strategies currently explored for laminin immobilization within three-dimensional (3D) matrices do not address a critical aspect influencing cell-matrix interactions, which is the control over laminin conformation and orientation upon immobilization. This is a key feature for the preservation of the protein bioactivity. In this work, we explored an affinity-based approach to mediate the site-selective immobilization of laminin into a degradable synthetic hydrogel. Specifically, a four-arm maleimide terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-4MAL) macromer was functionalized with a mono-PEGylated recombinant human N-terminal agrin (NtA) domain, to promote high affinity binding of laminin. Different NtA concentrations (10, 50 and 100 ?M) were used to investigate the impact of NtA density on laminin incorporation, hydrogel biophysical properties, and biological outcome. Laminin was efficiently incorporated for all the conditions tested (laminin incorporation >95%), and the developed hydrogels revealed mechanical properties (average storage modulus (G') ranging from 187 to 256 Pa) within the values preferred for NSC proliferation and neurite branching and extension. Affinity-bound laminin PEG-4MAL hydrogels better preserve laminin bioactivity, compared to unmodified hydrogels and hydrogels containing physically entrapped laminin, this effect being dependent on NtA concentration. This was evidenced by the 10 ?M NtA-functionalized PEG-4MAL gels incorporating laminin that support enhanced human NSC proliferation and neurite extension, compared to the latter. Overall, this work highlights the potential of the proposed engineered matrices to be used as defined 3D platforms for the establishment of artificial NSC niches and as extracellular matrix-mimetic microenvironments to support human NSC transplantation.

Project description:Treatment strategies of critical nerve injuries involving nerve gaps more than 3 cm are still not optimal. The need for an alternative to the standard autologous nerve grafts has led to the exploration of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) seeded in bioartificial nerve conduits for enhancement of peripheral nerve regeneration. ASC can be differentiated into Schwann cell like cells, which is believed to improve their neurotrophic potency. Nevertheless, the differentiation process requires several weeks and there is no evidence that the cells maintain their differentiated phenotype in vivo. Thus, the present study evaluated the synergistic effect of undifferentiated ASC with exogenously added growth factors in vitro with the aim to improve the neurotrophic potency of undifferentiated ASC through short ex-vivo stimulation with growth factors. The study furthermore provides a comparative in vitro assay of the six well-known neurotrophic factors NGF, GDNF, BDNF, CNTF, NT3 and NT4. ASC were cultured and thus stimulated in the presence of the respective exogenous growth factor for three days and resulting conditioned medium was evaluated in an in vitro axonal outgrowth assay. In addition, also unstimulated ASC’s conditioned medium was tested in combination with the respective exogenous growth factor for the same assay, which was perfomed on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants from 10 days old embryonic chicken. DRG explants from most promising conditions were further analyzed for upregulated STAT-3 and GAP-43 by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, also proteomics and phosphoproteomics were performed for ASC and DRG explants using mass spectrometry. The quantity of selected proteins contained in the ASC’s conditioned medium was investigated by ELISA. Combination of ASC’s conditioned medium with growth factors generally resulted in significantly enhanced axonal outgrowth when compared with their control of DRG explants cultured with the respective growth factor only. Specifically, conditioned medium derived from NT3-stimulated as well as ASC’s conditioned medium supplemented with NT3 or BDNF elicited significant axonal outgrowth from DRG explants in contrast to all other experimental conditions. Significant upregulation of STAT-3 and GAP-43 was evidenced for DRG explants grown in NT3-stimulated ASC’s conditioned medium and to a certain extent also for DRG cultured in ASC’s conditioned medium supplemented with NT3.

Project description:BackgroundNeural stem cells (NSCs) play an important role in developing potential cell-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease. Microfluidics has proven a powerful tool in mechanistic studies of NSC differentiation. However, NSCs are prone to differentiate when the nutrients are limited, which occurs unfavorable by fast medium consumption in miniaturized culture environment. For mechanistic studies of NSCs in microfluidics, it is vital that neuronal cell differentiation is triggered by controlled factors only. Thus, we studied the correlation between available cell medium and spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation of C17.2 NSCs in standard culture medium, and proposed the necessary microfluidic design criteria to prevent undesirable cell phenotype changes.Methodology/principal findingsA series of microchannels with specific geometric parameters were designed to provide different amount of medium to the cells over time. A medium factor (MF, defined as the volume of stem cell culture medium divided by total number of cells at seeding and number of hours between medium replacement) successfully correlated the amount of medium available to each cell averaged over time to neuronal cell differentiation. MF smaller than 8.3×10(4) µm3/cell?hour produced significant neuronal cell differentiation marked by cell morphological change and significantly more cells with positive ?-tubulin-III and MAP2 staining than the control. When MF was equal or greater than 8.3×10(4) µm3/cell?hour, minimal spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation happened relative to the control. MF had minimal relation with the average neurite length.SignificanceMFs can be controlled easily to maintain the stem cell status of C17.2 NSCs or to induce spontaneous neuronal cell differentiation in standard stem cell culture medium. This finding is useful in designing microfluidic culture platforms for controllable NSC maintenance and differentiation. This study also offers insight about consumption rate of serum molecules involved in maintaining the stemness of NSCs.

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Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

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Microfluidic systems for stem cell-based neural tissue engineering.

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