Développement d’un modèle microfluidique in-vitro d’intérêt sur le plan physiologique pour l’étude et le suivi des interactions entre le foie et les cellules cancéreuses du pancréas

Le procédé de la métastase cancéreuse et sa compréhension sont devenus un des sujets majeurs de recherche en Biologie. En utilisant des modèles in-vitro en culture statique et dynamiques, nous avons étudié la possibilité de reproduire l’environnement physiologique in-vivo avec ces modèles. Nous avons développé un modèle de coculture hiérarchique dans des plaques à fond en PDMS. Composé d’hépatocytes, de pericytes et de cellules endothéliales. Dans différentes conditions, l’influence de ces cellules sur l’adhésion de cellules cancéreuses ou promyéloblastiques a été analysée ainsi que leur effet sur l’état inflammatoire du système. Afin de reproduire le flux sanguin et les forces de cisaillement présents in-vivo, le modèle a été transféré dans un système microfluidique. Le système se compose de trois canaux séparés par des micro-piliers, pouvant être remplis indépendamment. Les pericytes insérés dans du gel, les hépatocytes, les cellules endothéliales et finalement les cellules cancéreuses ont été injectés de façon successive afin de reproduire l’environnement in-vivo. Les cellules ont été trouvées viables durant toute la culture et des marqueurs relatifs au foie et à l’inflammation exprimés. L’influence des hépatocytes et des pericytes a été analysé. Il a été observé que les cellules cancéreuses adhérées dans le canal du haut étaient attirées par les autres cellules dans les diffèrent canaux. Les modèles établis posent de solides bases pour d’autres systèmes plus complexes et d’intérêt pouvant servir de complément aux modèles in-vivo lors de la recherche de nouvelles substances médicamenteuses.The cancer metastatic process and its understanding have been a major topic of interest for researchers in the past. Using in-vitro models in both standard culture conditions and in microfluidic devices, we investigated the feasibility of such models in the representation of the physiological in-vivo situation. We developed a hierarchical coculture model in PDMS plates, composed of hepatocytes, pericytes and endothelial cells. In different culture conditions, the influence of the different cells composing the model on the adhesion of cancer cells and promyeloblastic cells was investigated as well as the influence on the inflammatory state of the culture. To reproduce the in-vivo blood flow and shear stress to which the endothelial cells and the adhering cells are subjected, the model was then transferred into a microfluidic biochip. The device was composed of three channels, separated by micropillars and which could be filled independently one from another. Pericytes embedded in a hydrogel, hepatocytes, endothelial cells and finally pancreatic cancer cells could be inserted successively to reproduce the in-vivo hierarchical situation. Cells were found to viable after the culture and markers related to the liver and inflammation to be expressed. The influence of the presence of hepatocytes and pericytes was investigated by varying the culture conditions. It was found that pancreatic cancer cells were attracted by the cells in other channels in coculture. The established models lay the bases for more complex and relevant systems that could complement their in-vivo counterparts in the drug discovery process

Influence of an interfacial AlxIn1-xSb layer on the strain relaxation and surface morphology of thin GaSb layers epitaxially grown on GaAs(001)

This work focuses on the strain relaxation and surface morphology of 10 ML thick GaSb layers on GaAs. It is shown that full relaxation is never reached for this thickness. The use of an AlSb interfacial layer only slightly improves strain relaxation but greatly reduces surface roughness. Finally, first results are reported using an AlxIn1-xSb interfacial layer which allows reaching 100% relaxation. However, this implies to lower the growth temperature around 450C in order to avoid excessive surface roughning. Further reduction of the growth temperature leads to the development of a strong relaxation anisotropy

Development of a pancreas-liver organ-on-chip coculture model for organ-to-organ interaction studies

International audienceAdvances in organ-on-chip technology allowed the recapitulation of two or more organs interaction thanks to dedicated microbioreactors interconnected by microfluidic network. Here, we developed pancreas-liver coculture model in a microfluidic biochip, using rat Langerhans islets and hepatocytes. The behavior and functionality of the model were compared to islets and hepatocytes (with/without insulin) monocultures. We confirmed the insulin, glucagon and C-peptide secretions by islets monoculture and coculture. Furthermore, C-peptide and insulin secretions were higher in coculture after 5 days of culture. The islets coculture presented downregulation of Pdx1, Glut2, Gcg, App, Ins1, Neurod, Neurog3 and Gcgr genes, compared to monocultures. In hepatic compartment, the monocultures without insulin were negative to CK18 staining and displayed a weaker production of albumin when compared to monocultures with insulin. They also presented a moderate protein expression of CYP3A2, GLUT2, INSR and modulation of several hepatic genes. In coculture model, hepatocytes displayed albumin productions similar to those in monoculture with insulin. The hepatocytes cocultures were highly positive to INSR, GLUT2, CK18 and CYP3A2 immunostaining and allowed to recover mRNA levels similar to monoculture with insulin (Gcgr, Insr, Hnf4a, Igfbp1 and Alb). The result illustrated that islets can produce insulin to supplement the culture medium and recover hepatic functionality. We believe that our model illustrated the potential of organ-on-chip technology to reproduce cross-talk between liver and pancreas

Microwell-based pancreas-on-chip model enhances genes expression and functionality of rat islets of Langerhans

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Metabolomic profiling during the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells

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Integration of metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles of hiPSCs-derived hepatocytes in a microfluidic environment

International audienceThe differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into functional hepatocytes has the potential to solve the shortage of human primary liver cells and would be of use in drug screening. In this frame, we developed a hiPSCs maturation strategy in microfluidic biochips, using a liver-on-chip approach, a promising technology mimicking in vivo physiology. Hepato-like tissues differentiated in biochips presented advanced liver features, including ALB and CYP3A4 expressing cells. The metabolomics and transcriptomics profiles of hepato-likes cells differentiated either in biochips or Petri dishes were integrated to compare their functionalities. The multi-omics analysis revealed 41 metabolites and 302 genes differentially expressed. Overall, biochip environment lead to higher degree of hepatic differentiation demonstrated by an increase in the metabolic production of lipids, fatty acids and biliary acids, which was confirmed at the transcriptome level by the modulation of expression for genes involved in related signaling pathways. This observation was correlated with higher production of fructose in biochips, together with down-regulation of genes engaged in glycolysis. In parallel, increased activity of the Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate shuffle, and fatty acid beta oxidation was observed in tissues cultured in Petri. Besides, the modulation of nitrogen metabolism was observed in transcriptomic data and confirmed by an intense production of glutamine, putrescine and creatinine and by the higher consumption of spermidine measured in Petri

Adhesion of Pancreatic Cancer Cells in a Liver-Microvasculature Mimicking Coculture Correlates with Their Propensity to Form Liver-Specific Metastasis In Vivo

Organ-specific characteristic of endothelial cells (ECs) is crucial for specific adhesion of cancer cells to ECs, which is a key factor in the formation of organ-specific metastasis. In this study, we developed a coculture of TMNK-1 (immortalized liver sinusoidal ECs) with 10T1/2 (resembling hepatic stellate cells) to augment organ-specific characteristic of TMNK-1 and investigated adhesion of two pancreatic cancer cells (MIA-PaCa-2 and BxPC-3) in the culture. MIA-PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 adhesion in TMNK-1+10T1/2coating culture (TMNK-1 monolayer over 10T1/2 layer on collagen coated surface) were similar. However, in TMNK-1+10T1/2gel (coculture on collagen gel surface), MIA-PaCa-2 adhesion was significantly higher than BxPC-3, which was congruent with the reported higher propensity of MIA-PaCa-2 than BxPC-3 to form liver metastasis in vivo. Notably, as compared to BxPC-3, MIA-PaCa-2 adhesion was lower and similar in TMNK-1 only culture on the collagen coated and gel surfaces, respectively. Investigation of the adhesion in the representative human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) cultures and upon blocking of surface molecules of ECs revealed that MIA-PaCa-2 adhesion was strongly dependent on the organ-specific upregulated characteristics of TMNK-1 in TMNK-1+10T1/2gel culture. Therefore, the developed coculture would be a potential assay for screening novel drugs to inhibit the liver-microvasculature specific adhesion of cancer cells

Fabrication of a Porous Three-Dimensional Scaffold with Interconnected Flow Channels: Co-Cultured Liver Cells and In Vitro Hemocompatibility Assessment

The development of large-scale human liver scaffolds equipped with interconnected flow channels in three-dimensional space offers a promising strategy for the advancement of liver tissue engineering. Tissue-engineered scaffold must be blood-compatible to address the demand for clinical transplantable liver tissue. Here, we demonstrate the construction of 3-D macro scaffold with interconnected flow channels using the selective laser sintering (SLS) fabrication method. The accuracy of the printed flow channels was ensured by the incorporation of polyglycolic acid (PGA) microparticles as porogens over the conventional method of NaCl salt leaching. The fabricated scaffold was populated with Hep G2, followed by endothelization with endothelial cells (ECs) grown under perfusion of culture medium for up to 10 days. The EC covered scaffold was perfused with platelet-rich plasma for the assessment of hemocompatibility to examine its antiplatelet adhesion properties. Both Hep G2-covered scaffolds exhibited a markedly different albumin production, glucose metabolism and lactate production when compared to EC-Hep G2-covered scaffold. Most importantly, EC-Hep G2-covered scaffold retained the antiplatelet adhesion property associated with the perfusion of platelet-rich plasma through the construct. These results show the potential of fabricating a 3-D scaffold with interconnected flow channels, enabling the perfusion of whole blood and circumventing the limitation of blood compatibility for engineering transplantable liver tissue

Characterization of liver zonation‐like transcriptomic patterns in HLCs derived from hiPSCs in a microfluidic biochip environment

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Investigation of the hepatic respiration and liver zonation on rat hepatocytes using an integrated oxygen biosensor in a microscale device

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