Multi-casting approach for vascular networks in cellularized hydrogels

Vascularization is essential for living tissue and remains a major challenge in the field of tissue engineering. A lack of a perfusable channel network within a large and densely populated tissue engineered construct leads to necrotic core formation, preventing fabrication of functional tissues and organs. We report a new method for producing a hierarchical, three-dimensional (3D) and perfusable vasculature in a large, cellularized fibrin hydrogel. Bifurcating channels, varying in size from 1 mm to 200-250 µm, are formed using a novel process in which we convert a 3D printed thermoplastic material into a gelatin network template, by way of an intermediate alginate hydrogel. This enables a CAD-based model design, which is highly customizable, reproducible, and which can yield highly complex architectures, to be made into a removable material, which can be used in cellular environments. Our approach yields constructs with a uniform and high density of cells in the bulk, made from bioactive collagen and fibrin hydrogels. Using standard cell staining and immuno-histochemistry techniques, we showed good cell seeding and the presence of tight junctions between channel endothelial cells, and high cell viability and cell spreading in the bulk hydrogel.This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC, grant no. 240446), and an Engineering for Clinical Practice Grant from the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. A.W.J. acknowledges the support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through a PhD studentship (EP/L504920/1). R.A.B. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the National Institute for Health Research

Out-of-plane auxeticity in sintered fibre network mats

Fibre network mats composed of stainless steel exhibit an unusually large out-of-plane auxeticity (i.e. high negative Poisson’s ratio ν) when subjected to in-plane tensile loading. In situ observations in a scanning electron microscope suggest that this is attributable to fibre segment straightening. An investigation was carried out on the effects of fibre volume fraction and network thickness on the auxetic response. Weak inter-layer bonding, high fibre content and low network thickness were found to amplify the auxetic effect.This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) (Grant No. 240446). We wish to thank Dr. Kalin Dragnevski at The Laboratory for In situ Microscopy and Analysis (LIMA) in the Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University for the help in setting up the in situ DEBEN experiments.This is the accepted manuscript of a paper published in Scripta Materialia (Neelakantan S, Tan J-C, Markaki AE, Scripta Materialia, 2015, doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2015.04.028). The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2015.04.02

Nano-terracing on polycrystalline palladium induced via simple heat treatment

This paper concerns formation of terraces on polycrystalline Pd, via heat treatments followed by quenching with gas jets. The driving force for terrace formation is the crystallographic anisotropy of the surface energy. Information is presented regarding the surface topography of the terraces and of the grain boundary regions. Typically, the step heights are about 50 nm and the widths of the faces between them are around 1 μm. It is shown that a measure of control can be exercised over the structures produced, although they are determined by a complex interplay of related effects.This research was supported by the EPSRC (EP/E025862/1) and the European Research Council (grant no. 240446)

Cell structure, stiffness and permeability of freeze-dried collagen scaffolds in dry and hydrated states.

UNLABELLED: Scaffolds for tissue engineering applications should be highly permeable to support mass transfer requirements while providing a 3-D template for the encapsulated biological cells. High porosity and cell interconnectivity result in highly compliant scaffolds. Overstraining occurs easily with such compliant materials and can produce misleading results. In this paper, the cell structure of freeze-dried collagen scaffolds, in both dry and hydrated states, was characterised using X-ray tomography and 2-photon confocal microscopy respectively. Measurements have been made of the scaffold's Young's modulus using conventional mechanical testing and a customised see-saw testing configuration. Specific permeability was measured under constant pressure gradient and compared with predictions. The collagen scaffolds investigated here have a coarse cell size (∼100-150 μm) and extensive connectivity between adjacent cells (∼10-30 μm) in both dry and hydrated states. The Young's modulus is very low, of the order of 10 kPa when dry and 1 kPa when hydrated. There is only a single previous study concerning the specific permeability of (hydrated) collagen scaffolds, despite its importance in nutrient diffusion, waste removal and cell migration. The experimentally measured value reported here (5 × 10(-)(10)m(2)) is in good agreement with predictions based on Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation and broadly consistent with the Carman-Kozeny empirical estimate. It is however about three orders of magnitude higher than the single previously-reported value and this discrepancy is attributed at least partly to the high pressure gradient imposed in the previous study. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The high porosity and interconnectivity of tissue engineering scaffolds result in highly compliant structures (ie large deflections under low applied loads). Characterisation is essential if these scaffolds are to be systematically optimised. Scaffold overstraining during characterisation can lead to misleading results. In this study, the stiffness (in dry and hydrated states) and specific permeability of freeze-dried collagen scaffolds have been measured using techniques customised for low stiffness structures. The scaffold cell structure is investigated using X-ray computed tomography, which has been applied previously to visualise such materials, without extracting any structural parameters or simulating fluid flow. These are carried out in this work. 2-photon confocal microscopy is used for the first time to study the structure in hydrated state.This research was supported by the European Research Council (Grant No. 240446) and the EPSRC (EP/E025862/1). Financial support for MCV and RAB has been provided via the WD Armstrong studentship and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), respectively.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2016.01.04

Effect of Rotation on Scaffold Motion and Cell Growth in Rotating Bioreactors

Efficient use of different bioreactor designs to improve cell growth in three-dimensional scaffolds requires an understanding of their mechanism of action. To address this for rotating wall vessel bioreactors, fluid and scaffold motion were investigated experimentally at different rotation speeds and vessel fill volumes. Low cost bioreactors with single and dual axis rotation were developed to investigate the effect of these systems on human osteoblast proliferation in free floating and constrained collagen-glycosaminoglycan porous scaffolds. A range of scaffold motions (free fall, periodic oscillation, and orbital motion) were observed at the rotation speeds and vessel fluid/air ratios used, with 85% fluid fill and an outer vessel wall velocity of ∼14 mm s$^{−1}$ producing a scaffold in a free fall state. The cell proliferation results showed that after 14 and 21 days of culture, this combination of fluid fill and speed of rotation produced significantly greater cell numbers in the scaffolds than when lower or higher rotation speeds (p  0.05).This research was supported by the European Research Council (Grant No. 240446) and the EPSRC (EP/E025862/1). Financial support for M.C.V. and R.A.B. has been provided through the WD Armstrong studentship and the National Institute for Health Research, respectively

An accelerated buoyancy adhesion assay combined with 3-D morphometric analysis for assessing osteoblast adhesion on microgrooved substrata.

An accelerated negative buoyancy method has been developed to assess cell adhesion strength. This method has been used in conjunction with 3-D morphometric analysis to understand the effects of surface topology on cell response. Aligned micro-grooved surface topographies (with a range of groove depths) were produced on stainless steel 316L substrates by laser ablation. An investigation was carried out on the effect of the micro-grooved surface topography on cell adhesion strength, cell and nucleus volumes, cell phenotypic expression and attachment patterns. Increased hydrophobicity and anisotropic wettability was observed on surfaces with deeper grooves. A reduction was noted in cell volume, projected areas and adhesion sites for deeper grooves, linked to lower cell proliferation and differentiation rates and also to reduced adhesion strength. The results suggest that the centrifugation assay combined with three-dimensional cell morphometric analysis has considerable potential for obtaining improved understanding of the cell/substrate interface.Financial support for this work has been provided by the EPSRC (grant GR/R95364/01) and by the ERC (grant No. 240446). The authors are grateful to Dr. Tim Nunney, of Thermo-Fisher Scientific, for carrying out the XPS measurements.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via https://doi.org/ /10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.12.03

Control over fine scale terrace structures induced on polycrystalline Pd by simple heat treatments in air

This paper presents information about the formation of terraces (often composed of relatively wide faces and relatively narrow steps between them) on samples of polycrystalline palladium. These have been formed via simple heat treatments, involving holding at 1200˚C for periods ranging from a few minutes to several hours, followed by quenching by jets of inert gas. These treatments are such that the terraces are created, and survive the cooling, without significant formation of surface oxide. The crystallographic anisotropy of the surface energy is the driving force for terrace formation, with low surface energy planes tending to be preferentially exposed. Information is presented regarding the surface topography of the terraces and of the grain boundary regions, which have mainly been explored using AFM. Typically, the step heights are of the order of 50 nm and the widths of the faces between them are around 1 µm, although there are quite substantial local variations in these figures. It is shown that a degree of control is possible via the grain structure and texture of the sample, as well as via the processing conditions during the terracing treatment.This research was supported by the EPSRC (EP/E025862/1) and the European Research Council (Grant No. 240446). Financial support for RR was provided by the Nabaa El Mahabaa, Egypt (ID 5898)

Biomimetic and electroactive 3D scaffolds for human neural crest-derived stem cell expansion and osteogenic differentiation

AbstractOsteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by bone loss and bone microarchitectural deterioration. The combination of smart materials and stem cells represents a new therapeutic approach. In the present study, highly porous scaffolds are prepared by combining the conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS with collagen type I, the most abundant protein in bone. The inclusion of collagen proves to be an effective way to modulate their mechanical properties and it induces an increase in scaffolds’ electrochemical impedance. The biomimetic scaffolds support neural crest-derived stem cell osteogenic differentiation, with no need for scaffold pre-conditioning contrarily to other reports.</jats:p

Lestaurtinib Inhibits Histone Phosphorylation and Androgen-Dependent Gene Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells

Background: Epigenetics is defined as heritable changes in gene expression that are not based on changes in the DNA sequence. Posttranslational modification of histone proteins is a major mechanism of epigenetic regulation. The kinase PRK1 (protein kinase C related kinase 1, also known as PKN1) phosphorylates histone H3 at threonine 11 and is involved in the regulation of androgen receptor signalling. Thus, it has been identified as a novel drug target but little is known about PRK1 inhibitors and consequences of its inhibition. Methodology/Principal Finding: Using a focused library screening approach, we identified the clinical candidate lestaurtinib (also known as CEP-701) as a new inhibitor of PRK1. Based on a generated 3D model of the PRK1 kinase using the homolog PKC-theta (protein kinase c theta) protein as a template, the key interaction of lestaurtinib with PRK1 was analyzed by means of molecular docking studies. Furthermore, the effects on histone H3 threonine phosphorylation and androgen-dependent gene expression was evaluated in prostate cancer cells. Conclusions/Significance: Lestaurtinib inhibits PRK1 very potently in vitro and in vivo. Applied to cell culture it inhibits histone H3 threonine phosphorylation and androgen-dependent gene expression, a feature that has not been known yet. Thus our findings have implication both for understanding of the clinical activity of lestaurtinib as well as for future PRK

Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults.

BACKGROUND: Underweight, overweight, and obesity in childhood and adolescence are associated with adverse health consequences throughout the life-course. Our aim was to estimate worldwide trends in mean body-mass index (BMI) and a comprehensive set of BMI categories that cover underweight to obesity in children and adolescents, and to compare trends with those of adults. METHODS: We pooled 2416 population-based studies with measurements of height and weight on 128·9 million participants aged 5 years and older, including 31·5 million aged 5-19 years. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1975 to 2016 in 200 countries for mean BMI and for prevalence of BMI in the following categories for children and adolescents aged 5-19 years: more than 2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference for children and adolescents (referred to as moderate and severe underweight hereafter), 2 SD to more than 1 SD below the median (mild underweight), 1 SD below the median to 1 SD above the median (healthy weight), more than 1 SD to 2 SD above the median (overweight but not obese), and more than 2 SD above the median (obesity). FINDINGS: Regional change in age-standardised mean BMI in girls from 1975 to 2016 ranged from virtually no change (-0·01 kg/m2 per decade; 95% credible interval -0·42 to 0·39, posterior probability [PP] of the observed decrease being a true decrease=0·5098) in eastern Europe to an increase of 1·00 kg/m2 per decade (0·69-1·35, PP>0·9999) in central Latin America and an increase of 0·95 kg/m2 per decade (0·64-1·25, PP>0·9999) in Polynesia and Micronesia. The range for boys was from a non-significant increase of 0·09 kg/m2 per decade (-0·33 to 0·49, PP=0·6926) in eastern Europe to an increase of 0·77 kg/m2 per decade (0·50-1·06, PP>0·9999) in Polynesia and Micronesia. Trends in mean BMI have recently flattened in northwestern Europe and the high-income English-speaking and Asia-Pacific regions for both sexes, southwestern Europe for boys, and central and Andean Latin America for girls. By contrast, the rise in BMI has accelerated in east and south Asia for both sexes, and southeast Asia for boys. Global age-standardised prevalence of obesity increased from 0·7% (0·4-1·2) in 1975 to 5·6% (4·8-6·5) in 2016 in girls, and from 0·9% (0·5-1·3) in 1975 to 7·8% (6·7-9·1) in 2016 in boys; the prevalence of moderate and severe underweight decreased from 9·2% (6·0-12·9) in 1975 to 8·4% (6·8-10·1) in 2016 in girls and from 14·8% (10·4-19·5) in 1975 to 12·4% (10·3-14·5) in 2016 in boys. Prevalence of moderate and severe underweight was highest in India, at 22·7% (16·7-29·6) among girls and 30·7% (23·5-38·0) among boys. Prevalence of obesity was more than 30% in girls in Nauru, the Cook Islands, and Palau; and boys in the Cook Islands, Nauru, Palau, Niue, and American Samoa in 2016. Prevalence of obesity was about 20% or more in several countries in Polynesia and Micronesia, the Middle East and north Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA. In 2016, 75 (44-117) million girls and 117 (70-178) million boys worldwide were moderately or severely underweight. In the same year, 50 (24-89) million girls and 74 (39-125) million boys worldwide were obese. INTERPRETATION: The rising trends in children's and adolescents' BMI have plateaued in many high-income countries, albeit at high levels, but have accelerated in parts of Asia, with trends no longer correlated with those of adults. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, AstraZeneca Young Health Programme