Extracellular Matrix News Volume 6.34 | Sep 3 2015

Silica Bioreplication Preserves Three-Dimensional Spheroid Structures of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and HepG2 Cells
It has proven challenging to stabilize spheroid architectures for detailed morphological examination. Scientists overcame this issue using a silica bioreplication process employed on spheroids formed from human pluripotent stem cells and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells cultured in the nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Spontaneous Helical Structure Formation in Laminin Nanofibers
Researchers engineered monodisperse laminin nanofibers using a surface-initiated assembly technique in order to investigate how changes in protein composition affect formation and structure of the network. Specifically, they compared laminin 111 with varying degrees of purity and with and without entactin to determine whether these changes alter biophysical properties. [J Mater Chem B Mater Biol Med] Abstract

MMP Proteolysis of the Extracellular Loop of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels and Potential Alterations in Pain Signaling
Based on their acquired in-depth knowledge of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) cleavage preferences, scientists developed a specialized software that predicts the presence of the MMP cleavage sites in the peptide sequences. According to their in silico predictions, the peptide sequence of the exposed extracellular unstructured region linking the S5-S6 transmembrane segments in the DII domain of the human Nav1.7 sodium channel is highly sensitive to MMP-9 proteolysis. [J Biol Chem] Abstract

Migration in Confined 3D Environments Is Determined by a Combination of Adhesiveness, Nuclear Volume, Contractility, and Cell Stiffness
To study three-dimensional (3D) migration in a soft environment, scientists used self-assembled collagen networks with an average pore size of 3 μm. They then measured the ability of four different cancer cell lines to migrate through these 3D matrices, and correlated the results with cell physical properties including contractility, adhesiveness, cell stiffness, and nuclear volume. [Biophys J] Abstract

The Effect of Ferulic Acid Ethyl Ester on Leptin-Induced Proliferation and Migration of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells
Researchers found that ferulic acid ethyl ester exerts multiple effects on leptin-induced cell proliferation and migration, including the inhibition of p44/42MAPK phosphorylation, cell cycle-regulatory proteins and matrix metalloproteinase-9. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

Bioreactor-Based Online Recovery of Human Progenitor Cells with Uncompromised Regenerative Potential: A Bone Tissue Engineering Perspective
Scientists developed a methodology for harvesting a progenitor cell population from a 3D open porous culture surface after expansion in a perfusion bioreactor and performed a functional characterization of the expanded cells. An initial screening showed collagenase to be the most interesting reagent to release the cells from the 3D culture surface as it resulted in high yields without compromising cell viability. [PLoS One] Full Article

Silk 3D Matrices Incorporating Human Neural Progenitor Cells for Neural Tissue Engineering Applications
Silk fibroin three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds from mulberry and non-mulberry silks were designed to bridge the tissue gap and provide structural support to maintain the native function of normal tissues. The 3D scaffolds were examined by culturing human neural progenitor cells, which demonstrated good cell viability and proliferation over 14 days. [Polymer J] Abstract

Platform Technology for Scalable Assembly of Instantaneously Functional Mosaic Tissues
Researchers invented Tissue-Velcro, a bio-scaffold with a microfabricated hook and loop system. The assembly of Tissue-Velcro preserved the guided cell alignment realized by the topographical features in the two-dimensional scaffold mesh and allowed for the instant establishment of coculture conditions by spatially defined stacking of cardiac cell layers or through endothelial cell coating. [Sci Adv] Abstract | Press Release

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Researchers Develop Drug to Treat Scarring and Autoimmune Diseases
An anti-scarring drug invented by UBC researchers will soon complete testing to determine its safety in humans as a topically administered drug. [University of British Columbia (UBC)] Press Release

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Cell Biology Lab Manager (Harvard Apparatus Regenerative Technology, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellowships – Embryonic Stem Cells, Bio-NEMS, Tissue Engineering (University of South Carolina)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration (University of Connecticut Health Center)

Assistant Professor – Cell Biology or Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms (Washington University School of Medicine)

PhD Position – Materials Engineering (IFP Energies Nouvelles)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Ex Vivo Tumor Organoid Models (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Faculty Positions – Biomedical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering (University of California, Davis)

Scientific Writer – Cardiovascular Regeneration (Houston Methodist Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Biology (INSERM)

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