Extracellular Matrix News Volume 8.34 | Aug 31 2017

TOP STORY

Matrix Degradability Controls Multicellularity of 3D Cell Migration

To identify material properties that impact angiogenesis, investigators developed an in vitro model whereby molded tubular channels inside a synthetic hydrogel are seeded with endothelial cells and subjected to chemokine gradients within a microfluidic device. [Nat Commun] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Extracellular-Matrix-Mediated Osmotic Pressure Drives Vibrio cholerae Biofilm Expansion and Cheater Exclusion

Using V. cholerae as the model organism, the authors showed that during active cell growth, matrix production enables biofilm-dwelling bacterial cells to establish an osmotic pressure difference between the biofilm and the external environment. This pressure difference promoted biofilm expansion on nutritious surfaces by physically swelling the colony, which enhanced nutrient uptake, and enabled matrix-producing cells to outcompete non-matrix-producing cheaters via physical exclusion. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Peptide-Based Scaffolds Support Human Cortical Progenitor Graft Integration to Reduce Atrophy and Promote Functional Repair in a Model of Stroke

Scientists engineered hydrogel scaffolds to form “bio-bridges” within the necrotic lesion cavity, providing physical and trophic support to transplanted human embryonic stem cell-derived cortical progenitors, as well as residual host neurons. Scaffolds were fabricated by the self-assembly of peptides for a laminin-derived epitope, thereby mimicking the brain’s major extracellular protein. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Niche-Derived Laminin-511 Promotes Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuron Survival and Differentiation through YAP

Using embryonic and midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons, midbrain tissue from mice, and differentiated human neural stem cells, researchers investigated the mechanisms controlling the survival of mDA neurons. They found that the extracellular matrix protein laminin-511 promoted the survival and differentiation of mDA neurons. [Sci Signal] Abstract

Dermatopontin in Bone Marrow Extracellular Matrix Regulates Adherence but Is Dispensable for Murine Hematopoietic Cell Maintenance

The authors explored marrow ECM using mass spectrometry and found dermatopontin (DPT), a small non-collagenous ECM protein, to be present. They found that DPT cooperates with other ECM proteins to promote hematopoietic cell adherence in vitro on plastic as well as OP9 stromal cells. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

Integrin α4β1 and TLR4 Cooperate to Induce Fibrotic Gene Expression in Response to Fibronectin’s EDA Domain

Investigators found that the fibronectin EDA domain drives two waves of gene expression in human dermal fibroblasts. The first wave seen at 2 hours consisted of inflammatory genes, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and tumor necrosis factor. The second wave evaluated at 24 hours was composed of the fibrosis-associated cytokines, IL-10 and IL-13, and extracellular matrix genes fibronectin and osteopontin. [J Invest Dermatol] Abstract

Arginine-Presenting Peptide Hydrogels Decorated with Hydroxyapatite as Biomimetic Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration

Scientists designed and synthesized multi-component peptide-based hydrogels composed of fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl diphenylalanine that contributed to the rigidity and stability of the hydrogel, and Fmoc-arginine, which mediated high affinity to hydroxyapatite due to the arginine moiety. [Biomacromolecules] Abstract

Induction of a Novel Isoform of the lncRNA HOTAIR in Claudin-Low Breast Cancer Cells Attached to Extracellular Matrix

The authors observed low expression of HOTAIR in the invasive claudin-low MDA-MB-231 and Hs578T cells in 2D culture. However, HOTAIR expression exhibited robust induction in laminin-rich extracellular matrix based three-dimensional organotypic culture over that in 2D culture. [Mol Oncol] Abstract | Full Article

Mussel Inspired Polynorepinephrine Functionalized Electrospun Polycaprolactone Microfibers for Muscle Regeneration

Polycaprolactone fibrous membranes with appropriate diameter were selected and coated by mussel-inspired poly norepinephrine (pNE). The membrane with smaller diameter fibers, a relative larger specific surface area and the suitable pNE functionalization provided more suitable microenvironment for cell adhesion and proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Templated Assembly of Collagen Fibers Directs Cell Growth in 2D and 3D

Researchers report a novel biomaterial fabrication approach capable of efficiently generating collagen fibers of appropriate sizes using a viscous solution of dextran as a dissolvable template. They demonstrated that myoblasts readily attach and align along 2D collagen fiber networks created by this process. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Functional Vascularized Lung Grafts for Lung Bioengineering

Investigators developed an airway-specific approach to removing the pulmonary epithelium, while maintaining the viability and function of the vascular endothelium, using a rat model. The resulting vascularized lung grafts supported the attachment and growth of human adult pulmonary cells and stem cell-derived lung-specified epithelial cells. [Sci Adv] Full Article | Press Release

Concise Review: Bioprinting of Stem Cells for Transplantable Tissue Fabrication

Bioprinting is a quickly progressing technology, which holds the potential to generate replacement tissues and organs. Stem cells offer several advantages over differentiated cells for use as starting materials, including the potential for autologous tissue and differentiation into multiple cell lines. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Full Article

Building Collagen IV Smart Scaffolds on the outside of Cells

Collagen IV scaffolds assemble through an intricate pathway that begins intracellularly and is completed extracellularly. Scientists present key molecular mechanisms that drive the assembly of collagen IV smart scaffolds. [Protein Sci] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the extracellular matrix research field.

PharmAkea Announces Successful Completion of a Phase I Trial in Healthy Subjects for Its Novel LOXL2 Inhibitor, PAT-1251

PharmAkea, Inc. announced that it has successfully completed a Phase I single and multiple ascending dose clinical study with PAT-1251, its novel, small-molecule LOXL2 inhibitor being developed for the treatment of IPF and other fibrotic diseases. [PharmAkea, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Abeona Therapeutics Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for EB-101 Autologous Cell Therapy in Epidermolysis Bullosa

Abeona Therapeutics Inc. announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation status to the company’s EB-101 gene therapy program for patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. [Abeona Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Science Suffers as China’s Internet Censors Plug Holes in Great Firewall

China is tightening the screws on internet access, again. The latest crackdown—an evolving effort to ban virtual private networks not under government control—could seriously erode scientists’ ability to stay connected with peers abroad. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on the FDA’s New Policy Steps and Enforcement Efforts to Ensure Proper Oversight of Stem Cell Therapies and Regenerative Medicine

In the last few days alone, the FDA has taken steps in Florida and California to address a number of especially troubling products being marketed. But unfortunately, these are examples of a larger pool of actors who claim that their unproven and unsafe products will address a serious disease, but instead put patients at significant risk. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] Editorial

FDA Warns US Stem Cell Clinic of Significant Deviations

The FDA posted a warning letter issued to US Stem Cell Clinic of Sunrise, Florida, and its Chief Scientific Officer Kristin Comella for marketing stem cell products without FDA approval and for significant deviations from current good manufacturing practice requirements, including some that could impact the sterility of their products, putting patients at risk. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] Editorial

NEW Cell Symposia: CRISPR: From Biology to Technology and Novel Therapeutics
October 22-24, 2017
Sitges, Spain

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW PhD Scholarship – Tissue Engineering Scaffolds (University of Warwick)

PhD Fellowship – Nuclear Rho GTPase Function (University of Copenhagen)

Faculty Position – Regenerative Biology (Northwestern University)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Cancer Research (Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute)

Research Fellow – Discovery and Functionalization of Novel Peptides (Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School)

Research Officer – Matrix and Metastasis Group (Garvan Institute of Medical Research)

Postdoctoral Researchers – Cancer Metastasis and Drug Resistance (Tufts University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Stem Cells (Duke University Medical Center)

Tenure Track Position – Stem Cell Biology (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Masters Student – Fabrication and Investigation of Nano-Bio Interfaces (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology)

Assistant Professor – Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (Harvard University)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

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