Mechanobiology in the Third Dimension

Cells are mechanically coupled to their extracellular environments, which play critical roles in both communicating the state of the mechanical environment to the cell as well as in mediating cellular response to a variety of stimuli. Along with the molecular composition and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), recent work has demonstrated the importance of dimensionality in cell-ECM associations for controlling the sensitive communication between cells and the ECM. Matrix forces are generally transmitted to cells differently when the cells are on two-dimensional (2D) vs. within three-dimensional (3D) matrices, and cells in 3D environments may experience mechanical signaling that is unique vis-à-vis cells in 2D environments, such as the recently described 3D-matrix adhesion assemblies. This review examines how the dimensionality of the extracellular environment can affect in vitro cell mechanobiology, focusing on collagen and fibrin system

Role of Lymphatic Vessels in Tumor Immunity: Passive Conduits or Active Participants?

Research in lymphatic biology and cancer immunology may soon intersect as emerging evidence implicates the lymphatics in the progression of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity as well as in tumor metastasis and immune escape. Like the blood vasculature, the lymphatic system comprises a highly dynamic conduit system that regulates fluid homeostasis, antigen transport and immune cell trafficking, which all play important roles in the progression and resolution of inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This review presents emerging evidence that lymphatic vessels are active modulators of immunity, perhaps fine-tuning the response to adjust the balance between peripheral tolerance and immunity. This suggests that the tumor-associated lymphatic vessels and draining lymph node may be important in tumor immunity which in turn governs metastasi

Mechanisms of Interstitial Flow-Induced Remodeling of Fibroblast-Collagen Cultures

Interstitial fluid flow, critical for macromolecular transport, was recently shown to drive fibroblast differentiation and perpendicular cell and matrix alignment in 3D collagen cultures. Here we explore the mechanisms underlying this flow-induced cell and collagen alignment. Cell and matrix alignment was assessed from 3D confocal reflectance stacks using a Fast Fourier Transform method. We found that human dermal and lung fibroblasts align perpendicular to flow in the range of 5-13μm/s (0.1-0.3dyn/cm2) in collagen; however, neither cells nor matrix fibers align in fibrin cultures, which unlike collagen, is covalently cross-linked and generally degraded by cell fibrinolysis. We also found that even acellular collagen matrices align weakly upon exposure to flow. Matrix alignment begins within 12h of flow onset and continues, along with cell alignment, over 48h. Together, these data suggest that interstitial flow first induces collagen fiber alignment, providing contact guidance for the cells to orient along the aligned matrix; later, the aligned cells further remodel and align their surrounding matrix fibers. These findings help elucidate the effects of interstitial flow on cells in matrices and have relevance physiologically in tissue remodeling and in tissue engineering application

Inflammatory lymphangiogenesis in postpartum breast tissue remodeling

Like many cancers, mammary carcinomas use lymphatic vessels to disseminate, and numerous clinical and experimental studies have documented a strong correlation between peritumoral lymphangiogenesis and tumor dissemination. At the same time, many other factors can affect the incidence, invasiveness, and mortality of breast cancer, including lactation history. Although lactation reduces overall cancer risk, patients diagnosed within 5 years of pregnancy have an increased incidence of metastatic disease. In this issue of the JCI, Lyons and colleagues demonstrate that postpartum breast tissue remodeling during involution coincides with inflammatory lymphangiogenesis. In mouse models, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition during involution reduced the risk of cancer metastasis and correlated with decreased lymphangiogenesis. In addition to lymphangiogenesis, COX-2 inhibition reduces many of the immune-suppressive features of the tumor microenvironment, including development of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells; therefore, these results support the notion that inhibiting COX-2 during lactation weaning may lessen the incidence of breast cancer metastasis

Interstitial-lymphatic transport phenomena

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-186).by Melody A. Swartz.Ph.D

Engineering synthetic vaccines using cues from natural immunity

Vaccines aim to protect against or treat diseases through manipulation of the immune response, promoting either immunity or tolerance. In the former case, vaccines generate antibodies and T cells poised to protect against future pathogen encounter or attack diseased cells such as tumours; in the latter case, which is far less developed, vaccines block pathogenic autoreactive T cells and autoantibodies that target self tissue. Enormous challenges remain, however, as a consequence of our incomplete understanding of human immunity. A rapidly growing field of research is the design of vaccines based on synthetic materials to target organs, tissues, cells or intracellular compartments; to co-deliver immunomodulatory signals that control the quality of the immune response; or to act directly as immune regulators. There exists great potential for well-defined materials to further our understanding of immunity. Here we describe recent advances in the design of synthetic materials to direct immune responses, highlighting successes and challenges in prophylactic, therapeutic and tolerance-inducing vaccines.United States. Dept. of Defense (contract W911NF-13-D-0001)United States. Dept. of Defense (contract W911NF-07-D-0004)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (AI095109)Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationRagon Institute of MGH, MIT, and HarvardNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (AI091693)Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Investigator)Carigest S

Combination of Synthetic Long Peptides and XCL1 Fusion Proteins Results in Superior Tumor Control.

Cross-presenting Xcr1 <sup>+</sup> CD8α DCs are attractive APCs to target for therapeutic cancer vaccines, as they are able to take up and process antigen from dying tumor cells for their MHCI-restricted presentation to CD8 T cells. To this aim, we developed fusion proteins made of the Xcr1 ligand Xcl1 fused to an OVA synthetic long peptide (SLP) and IgG1 Fc fragment. We demonstrated the specific binding and uptake of the Xcl1 fusion proteins by Xcr1 <sup>+</sup> DCs. Most importantly, their potent adjuvant effect on the H-2Kb/OVA specific T cell response was associated with a sustained tumor control even against the poorly immunogenic B16-OVA melanoma tumor. The increased tumor protection correlated with higher tumor infiltration of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, increased IFNγ production and degranulation potential. Altogether, these results demonstrate that therapeutic cancer vaccines may be greatly improved by the combination of SLP antigen and Xcl1 fusion proteins

Inherent biomechanical traits enable infective filariae to disseminate through collecting lymphatic vessels

Filariases are diseases caused by arthropod-borne filaria nematodes. The related pathologies depend on the location of the infective larvae when their migration, the asymptomatic and least studied phase of the disease, comes to an end. To determine factors assisting in filariae dissemination, we image Litomosoides sigmodontis infective larvae during their escape from the skin. Burrowing through the dermis filariae exclusively enter pre-collecting lymphatics by mechanical disruption of their wall. Once inside collectors, their rapid and unidirectional movement towards the lymph node is supported by the morphology of lymphatic valves. In a microfluidic maze mimicking lymphatic vessels, filariae follow the direction of the flow, the first biomechanical factor capable of helminth guidance within the host. Finally, non-infective nematodes that rely on universal morpho-physiological cues alone also migrate through the dermis, and break in lymphatics, indicating that the ability to spread by the lymphatic route is an ancestral trait rather than acquired parasitic adaptation

Emerging roles of lymphatic endothelium in regulating adaptive immunity

Emerging research on the roles of stromal cells in modulating adaptive immune responses has included a new focus on lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). LECs are presumably the first cells that come into direct contact with peripheral antigens, cytokines, danger signals, and immune cells travelling from peripheral tissues to lymph nodes. LECs can modulate dendritic cell function, present antigens to T cells on MHC class I and MHC class II molecules, and express immunomodulatory cytokines and receptors, which suggests that their roles in adaptive immunity are far more extensive than previously realized.. This Review summarizes the emergent evidence that LECs are important in maintaining peripheral tolerance, limiting and resolving effector T cell responses, and modulating leukocyte function