Extracellular Matrix News Volume 6.36 | Sep 17 2015

Robust Bioengineered 3D Functional Human Intestinal Epithelium
To replicate in vitro the tissue architecture and microenvironments of native intestine, researchers developed a 3D porous protein scaffolding system, containing a geometrically-engineered hollow lumen, with adaptability to both large and small intestines. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Three-Dimensional Morphogenesis of MDCK Cells Induced by Cellular Contractile Forces on a Viscous Substrate
The authors focused on the relationship between epithelial cell 3D morphogenesis and the substrate viscosity. Cells cultured on genipin-treated-matrigel changed their 3D morphology in a substrate viscosity-dependent manner. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Three-Dimensional Fabrication of Cell-Laden Biodegradable Poly(Ethylene Glycol-Co-Depsipeptide) Hydrogels by Visible Light Stereolithography
A new methacrylated poly(ethylene glycol-co-depsipeptide) macromer combined with RGDS peptide was used for stereolithography fabrication of hydrogels in absence and presence of cells. Encapsulated endothelial cells proliferated in the hydrogels during 10-day in vitro cell culturing study. [J Mat Chem B] Abstract

Syndecan-1 and Syndecan-4 Capture Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Family Members and the α3β1 Integrin via Binding Sites in Their Ectodomains: Novel Synstatins Prevent Kinase Capture and Inhibit α6β4-Integrin-Dependent Epithelial Cell Motility
Scientists demonstrated that HER2 is captured via a site, comprised of amino acids 210-240, in the extracellular domain of human syndecan-1 (Sdc1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is captured via an extracellular site comprised of amino acids 87-131 in human Sdc4. Binding assays using purified recombinant proteins demonstrates that the interaction between the EGFR family members and the syndecans is direct. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article

Microfabrication of Scaffold-Free Tissue Strands for Three-Dimensional Tissue Engineering
Tissue strands were obtained using tubular alginate conduits as mini-capsules with well-defined permeability and mechanical properties, where their removal by ionic decrosslinking allowed the formation of scaffold-free cell aggregates in the form of cylindrical strands with well-defined morphology and geometry. [Biofabrication] Abstract

In Situ Patterned Micro 3D Liver Constructs for Parallel Toxicology Testing in a Fluidic Device
The authors describe a strategy for realizing multiple tissue constructs in a parallel microfluidic platform using an approach that is simple and can be easily scaled for high-throughput formats. Liver cells mixed with a UV-crosslinkable hydrogel solution are introduced into parallel channels of a sealed microfluidic device and photopatterned to produce stable tissue constructs in situ. [Biofabrication] Abstract | Full Article

Ultrastructural Investigation on Fibroblast Interaction with Collagen Scaffold
Researchers aimed at providing a structural analysis of how NIH3T3 fibroblasts migrate and proliferate in vitro when seeded on a native type-I collagen scaffold. [J Biomed Mater Res A] Abstract

Cancer Cell Invasion Driven by Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Is Dependent on the Properties of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Scientists investigated how cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) with various matrix-remodeling capacities influence cancer cell invasion. Using a co-culture model, they evaluated the correlations between the number of invaded cancer cells and the remodeling areas generated by CAF clones in each case. [J Cancer Res Clin Oncol] Abstract

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Extreme Makeover of the Heart: Matrix Therapy Is First FDA-Approved Procedure of Its Kind
A cardiovascular team at University of Utah Hospital has successfully performed a first-in-the-world heart procedure on a 72-year-old attorney after suffering a large heart attack. Amit N. Patel, M.D. M.S., director of clinical regenerative medicine and associate professor of surgery at University of Utah Health Care, was the first physician to perform an emerging heart procedure where cardiac matrix is directly injected into a damaged heart. [University of Utah Hospital (Newswise, Inc.)] Press Release

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Postdoctoral Research Associate – Breast Cancer Invasion / Extracellular Matrix / Proteomics / Microscopy (University of Liverpool)

Assistant Professor – Stem Cell Biology (Stanford University)

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)

Scientific Writer – Cardiovascular Regeneration (Houston Methodist Research Institute)

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