144 results on '"Elisabeth Engel"'
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2. Chemotactic TEG3 Cells’ Guiding Platforms Based on PLA Fibers Functionalized With the SDF-1α/CXCL12 Chemokine for Neural Regeneration Therapy
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Oscar Castaño, Ana López-Mengual, Diego Reginensi, Andreu Matamoros-Angles, Elisabeth Engel, and José Antonio del Rio
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olfactory ensheathing cells ,electrospinning ,PLA nanofibers ,cell migration ,gradients ,SDF-1alpha ,Biotechnology ,TP248.13-248.65 - Abstract
(Following spinal cord injury, olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach in promoting functional improvement. Some studies report that the migratory properties of OECs are compromised by inhibitory molecules and potentiated by chemical concentration differences. Here we compare the attachment, morphology, and directionality of an OEC-derived cell line, TEG3 cells, seeded on functionalized nanoscale meshes of Poly(l/dl-lactic acid; PLA) nanofibers. The size of the nanofibers has a strong effect on TEG3 cell adhesion and migration, with the PLA nanofibers having a 950 nm diameter being the ones that show the best results. TEG3 cells are capable of adopting a bipolar morphology on 950 nm fiber surfaces, as well as a highly dynamic behavior in migratory terms. Finally, we observe that functionalized nanofibers, with a chemical concentration increment of SDF-1α/CXCL12, strongly enhance the migratory characteristics of TEG3 cells over inhibitory substrates. more...
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- 2021
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3. Proteinaceous Hydrogels for Bioengineering Advanced 3D Tumor Models
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Barbara Blanco‐Fernandez, Vítor M. Gaspar, Elisabeth Engel, and João F. Mano
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3D in vitro models ,cancers ,hydrogels ,peptides ,proteins ,Science - Abstract
Abstract The establishment of tumor microenvironment using biomimetic in vitro models that recapitulate key tumor hallmarks including the tumor supporting extracellular matrix (ECM) is in high demand for accelerating the discovery and preclinical validation of more effective anticancer therapeutics. To date, ECM‐mimetic hydrogels have been widely explored for 3D in vitro disease modeling owing to their bioactive properties that can be further adapted to the biochemical and biophysical properties of native tumors. Gathering on this momentum, herein the current landscape of intrinsically bioactive protein and peptide hydrogels that have been employed for 3D tumor modeling are discussed. Initially, the importance of recreating such microenvironment and the main considerations for generating ECM‐mimetic 3D hydrogel in vitro tumor models are showcased. A comprehensive discussion focusing protein, peptide, or hybrid ECM‐mimetic platforms employed for modeling cancer cells/stroma cross‐talk and for the preclinical evaluation of candidate anticancer therapies is also provided. Further development of tumor‐tunable, proteinaceous or peptide 3D microtesting platforms with microenvironment‐specific biophysical and biomolecular cues will contribute to better mimic the in vivo scenario, and improve the predictability of preclinical screening of generalized or personalized therapeutics. more...
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- 2021
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4. Soft-Tissue-Mimicking Using Hydrogels for the Development of Phantoms
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Aitor Tejo-Otero, Felip Fenollosa-Artés, Isabel Achaerandio, Sergi Rey-Vinolas, Irene Buj-Corral, Miguel Ángel Mateos-Timoneda, and Elisabeth Engel
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dynamic mechanical analysis ,hardness ,hydrogels ,materials ,mimicking ,soft tissues ,Science ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 ,Inorganic chemistry ,QD146-197 ,General. Including alchemy ,QD1-65 - Abstract
With the currently available materials and technologies it is difficult to mimic the mechanical properties of soft living tissues. Additionally, another significant problem is the lack of information about the mechanical properties of these tissues. Alternatively, the use of phantoms offers a promising solution to simulate biological bodies. For this reason, to advance in the state-of-the-art a wide range of organs (e.g., liver, heart, kidney as well as brain) and hydrogels (e.g., agarose, polyvinyl alcohol –PVA–, Phytagel –PHY– and methacrylate gelatine –GelMA–) were tested regarding their mechanical properties. For that, viscoelastic behavior, hardness, as well as a non-linear elastic mechanical response were measured. It was seen that there was a significant difference among the results for the different mentioned soft tissues. Some of them appear to be more elastic than viscous as well as being softer or harder. With all this information in mind, a correlation between the mechanical properties of the organs and the different materials was performed. The next conclusions were drawn: (1) to mimic the liver, the best material is 1% wt agarose; (2) to mimic the heart, the best material is 2% wt agarose; (3) to mimic the kidney, the best material is 4% wt GelMA; and (4) to mimic the brain, the best materials are 4% wt GelMA and 1% wt agarose. Neither PVA nor PHY was selected to mimic any of the studied tissues. more...
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- 2022
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5. Analysis of the in vitro degradation and the in vivo tissue response to bi-layered 3D-printed scaffolds combining PLA and biphasic PLA/bioglass components – Guidance of the inflammatory response as basis for osteochondral regeneration
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Mike Barbeck, Tiziano Serra, Patrick Booms, Sanja Stojanovic, Stevo Najman, Elisabeth Engel, Robert Sader, Charles James Kirkpatrick, Melba Navarro, and Shahram Ghanaati
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Bioactive glass ,Polylactic acid (PLA) ,Bi-layer scaffold ,Multinucleated giant cells ,Bone substitute ,Vascularization ,Calcium phosphate glass ,Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials ,TA401-492 ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
The aim of the present study was the in vitro and in vivo analysis of a bi-layered 3D-printed scaffold combining a PLA layer and a biphasic PLA/bioglass G5 layer for regeneration of osteochondral defects in vivo Focus of the in vitro analysis was on the (molecular) weight loss and the morphological and mechanical variations after immersion in SBF. The in vivo study focused on analysis of the tissue reactions and differences in the implant bed vascularization using an established subcutaneous implantation model in CD-1 mice and established histological and histomorphometrical methods. Both scaffold parts kept their structural integrity, while changes in morphology were observed, especially for the PLA/G5 scaffold. Mechanical properties decreased with progressive degradation, while the PLA/G5 scaffolds presented higher compressive modulus than PLA scaffolds. The tissue reaction to PLA included low numbers of BMGCs and minimal vascularization of its implant beds, while the addition of G5 lead to higher numbers of BMGCs and a higher implant bed vascularization. Analysis revealed that the use of a bi-layered scaffold shows the ability to observe distinct in vivo response despite the physical proximity of PLA and PLA/G5 layers. Altogether, the results showed that the addition of G5 enables to reduce scaffold weight loss and to increase mechanical strength. Furthermore, the addition of G5 lead to a higher vascularization of the implant bed required as basis for bone tissue regeneration mediated by higher numbers of BMGCs, while within the PLA parts a significantly lower vascularization was found optimally for chondral regeneration. Thus, this data show that the analyzed bi-layered scaffold may serve as an ideal basis for the regeneration of osteochondral tissue defects. Additionally, the results show that it might be able to reduce the number of experimental animals required as it may be possible to analyze the tissue response to more than one implant in one experimental animal. more...
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- 2017
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6. Development of a novel automatable fabrication method based on electrospinning co electrospraying for rotator cuff augmentation patches.
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Sergi Rey-Vinolas, Oscar Castaño, Leonardo Ruiz-Macarrilla, Xavier Llorens, José M Mora, Elisabeth Engel, and Miguel A Mateos-Timoneda
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Rotator cuff tear is one of the most common shoulder diseases. Rotator cuff augmentation (RCA) is trying to solve the high retear failure percentage after the surgery procedures (20-90%). The ideal augmentation patch must provide a temporal mechanical support during the healing process. In this work, we proposed a simple method for the fabrication of synthetic RCA patches. This method combines the use of electrospraying to produce poly-L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone (PLC) films in an organogel form and electrospinning to produce poly(lactic) acid (PLA) nanofibers. The device consists in a combination of layers, creating a multilayered construct, enabling the possibility of tuning its mechanical properties and thickness. Besides, both techniques are simple to escalate for industrial production. A complete characterization has been performed to optimize the involved number of layers and production time of PLC films and PLA nanofibers fabrication, obtaining a final optimal configuration for RCA devices. Structural, mechanical and suture properties were evaluated. Also, the possibility of surface functionalization to improve the bioactivity of the scaffold was studied, adding aligned electrospun PLA nanofibers on the surface of the device to mimic the natural tendon topography. Surface modification was characterized by culturing adult normal human dermal fibroblasts. Lack of toxicity was detected for material presented, and cell alignment shape orientation guided by aligned fibers, mimicking tendon structure, was obtained. Cell proliferation and protein production were also evaluated. more...
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- 2019
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7. Development and Angiogenic Potential of Cell-Derived Microtissues Using Microcarrier-Template
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Gerard Rubí-Sans, Irene Cano-Torres, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, and Elisabeth Engel
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poly-lactic acid microcarriers ,Cultispher® S ,rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ,microtissue ,cell-derived matrix ,angiogenesis ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches use biomaterials in combination with cells to regenerate lost functions of tissues and organs to prevent organ transplantation. However, most of the current strategies fail in mimicking the tissue’s extracellular matrix properties. In order to mimic native tissue conditions, we developed cell-derived matrix (CDM) microtissues (MT). Our methodology uses poly-lactic acid (PLA) and Cultispher® S microcarriers’ (MCs’) as scaffold templates, which are seeded with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBM-MSCs). The scaffold template allows cells to generate an extracellular matrix, which is then extracted for downstream use. The newly formed CDM provides cells with a complex physical (MT architecture) and biochemical (deposited ECM proteins) environment, also showing spontaneous angiogenic potential. Our results suggest that MTs generated from the combination of these two MCs (mixed MTs) are excellent candidates for tissue vascularization. Overall, this study provides a methodology for in-house fabrication of microtissues with angiogenic potential for downstream use in various tissue regenerative strategies. more...
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- 2021
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8. Development of a Three-Dimensional Bioengineered Platform for Articular Cartilage Regeneration
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Gerard Rubí-Sans, Lourdes Recha-Sancho, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Miguel Ángel Mateos-Timoneda, Carlos Eduardo Semino, and Elisabeth Engel
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polycaprolactone ,3d printing ,rad16-i self-assembling peptide ,chondrogenic differentiation ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Degenerative cartilage pathologies are nowadays a major problem for the world population. Factors such as age, genetics or obesity can predispose people to suffer from articular cartilage degeneration, which involves severe pain, loss of mobility and consequently, a loss of quality of life. Current strategies in medicine are focused on the partial or total replacement of affected joints, physiotherapy and analgesics that do not address the underlying pathology. In an attempt to find an alternative therapy to restore or repair articular cartilage functions, the use of bioengineered tissues is proposed. In this study we present a three-dimensional (3D) bioengineered platform combining a 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) macrostructure with RAD16-I, a soft nanofibrous self-assembling peptide, as a suitable microenvironment for human mesenchymal stem cells’ (hMSC) proliferation and differentiation into chondrocytes. This 3D bioengineered platform allows for long-term hMSC culture resulting in chondrogenic differentiation and has mechanical properties resembling native articular cartilage. These promising results suggest that this approach could be potentially used in articular cartilage repair and regeneration. more...
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- 2019
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9. Biofunctionalization of polymeric surfaces.
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Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Riccardo Levato, Xavier Punet, Irene Cano, óscar Castaño, and Elisabeth Engel
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- 2015
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10. Quantification of extracellular matrix components in immunolabeled tissue samples
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Gerard Rubi-Sans, Marina Cler, Laura Valls-Lacalle, Agata Nyga, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Elisabeth Engel, and Elena Rebollo
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In recent years, the interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) has become a new focus in understanding tissue morphogenesis, regeneration, and disease. However, the lack of specific techniques to study the ECM composition in preserved tissue structures remains a major obstacle to explaining ECM changes in response to extrinsic stimuli. To overcome this, we propose a novel strategy that uses multidimensional fluorescence microscopy and computational tools to quantify ECM composition in immunolabeled tissues and/or cell-derived matrices (CDM). This approach includes a detailed protocol for densitometric fluorescence calibration and procedures for image acquisition, processing, and automated quantification. Using this method, we present new data comparing collagen types I, III, and IV, and fibronectin contents in various tissues. These results emphasize the importance of studying ECM compositionin situunder both normal homeostatic and disease conditions.Graphical abstract more...
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- 2023
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11. Elastin-like Recombinamer Hydrogels as Platforms for Breast Cancer Modeling
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Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Arturo Ibañez-Fonseca, Doriana Orbanic, Celia Ximenes-Carballo, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Jose Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciència i Enginyeria dels Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Polymers and Plastics ,Cells ,Hydrogels ,Bioengineering ,Extracellular matrix ,Peptides and proteins ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Biomaterials ,Breast--Cancer ,Mama--Càncer ,Materials Chemistry ,Pèptids ,Peptides ,Cancer - Abstract
The involvement of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor progression has motivated the development of biomaterials mimicking the tumor ECM to develop more predictive cancer models. Particularly, polypeptides based on elastin could be an interesting approach to mimic the ECM due to their tunable properties. Here, we demonstrated that elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) hydrogels can be suitable biomaterials to develop breast cancer models. This hydrogel was formed by two ELR polypeptides, one containing sequences biodegradable by matrix metalloproteinase and cyclooctyne and the other carrying arginylglycylaspartic acid and azide groups to allow cell adhesion, biodegradability, and suitable stiffness through “click-chemistry” cross-linking. Our findings show that breast cancer or nontumorigenic breast cells showed high viability and cell proliferation for up to 7 days. MCF7 and MCF10A formed spheroids whereas MDA-MB-231 formed cell networks, with the expression of ECM and high drug resistance in all cases, evidencing that ELR hydrogels are a promising biomaterial for breast cancer modeling. more...
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- 2023
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12. Chlorine resistance property improvement of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes through cross-linking degree increment
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Sina Gholami, Alireza Rezvani, Vahid Vatanpour, Seyyed Hossein Khoshravesh, Joan Llorens, Elisabeth Engel, Oscar Castaño, and Jose Luis Cortina
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Environmental Engineering ,Environmental Chemistry ,Pollution ,Waste Management and Disposal - Published
- 2023
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13. Development of Cell-Derived Matrices for Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cancer Cell Models
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Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Jorge Otero, Gerard Rubí-Sans, Elena Rebollo, Daniel Navajas, Agata Nyga, Elisabeth Engel, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), and Generalitat de Catalunya more...
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Biopolímers ,Adipose mesenchymal stem cells ,Cytotoxicity assay ,Materials science ,Cèl·lules ,Cells ,3D cell-derived matrices ,Microcarriers ,Extracellular matrix ,Biopolymers ,Genetics ,General Materials Science ,Càncer ,Cancer ,Tumor microenvironment ,Decellularization ,biology ,Extracellular microenvironment ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Microcarrier ,Matriu extracel·lular ,Cell biology ,Fibronectin ,Cancer cell ,Self-healing hydrogels ,biology.protein ,Macromolecular crowders ,Genètica - Abstract
Most morphogenetic and pathological processes are driven by cells responding to the surrounding matrix, such as its composition, architecture, and mechanical properties. Despite increasing evidence for the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissue and disease development, many in vitro substitutes still fail to effectively mimic the native microenvironment. We established a novel method to produce macroscale (>1 cm) mesenchymal cell-derived matrices (CDMs) aimed to mimic the fibrotic tumor microenvironment surrounding epithelial cancer cells. CDMs are produced by human adipose mesenchymal stem cells cultured in sacrificial 3D scaffold templates of fibronectin-coated poly-lactic acid microcarriers (MCs) in the presence of macromolecular crowders. We showed that decellularized CDMs closely mimic the fibrillar protein composition, architecture, and mechanical properties of human fibrotic ECM from cancer masses. CDMs had highly reproducible composition made of collagen types I and III and fibronectin ECM with tunable mechanical properties. Moreover, decellularized and MC-free CDMs were successfully repopulated with cancer cells throughout their 3D structure, and following chemotherapeutic treatment, cancer cells showed greater doxorubicin resistance compared to 3D culture in collagen hydrogels. Collectively, these results support the use of CDMs as a reproducible and tunable tool for developing 3D in vitro cancer models., The researchers thank MICIU (BES-2016-077182, MAT2015-68906-R, RTI2018-096320-B-C21, PGC2018-097323-A-I00, DPI2017-83721-P) and the Spanish network of cell therapy (TERCEL) for financial support. Finally, the researchers also thank Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya (2017-SGR-359) and the Severo Ochoa program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Competitiveness (grant SEV-2014-0425, 2015-2019). more...
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- 2021
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14. Microfluidic 3D Platform to Evaluate Endothelial Progenitor Cell Recruitment by Bioactive Materials
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Adrián López-Canosa, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Elisabeth Engel, Oscar Castaño, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Calcium Phosphates ,Polyesters ,Microfluidics ,Biomedical Engineering ,Neovascularization, Physiologic ,Biocompatible Materials ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Biochemistry ,Biomaterials ,Ossos ,Animals ,Humans ,Microfluidic model ,Tissue engineering ,Bioactive materials ,Molecular Biology ,Endothelial Progenitor Cells ,Fibrin ,Signalling gradient ,Tissue Engineering ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Regeneració (Biologia) ,Vascularization ,General Medicine ,Rats ,Bone regeneration ,Regeneration (Biology) ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Ion release ,Calcium ,Osteopontin ,Enginyeria biomèdica ,Biomedical engineering ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Most of the conventional in vitro models to test biomaterial-driven vascularization are too simplistic to recapitulate the complex interactions taking place in the actual cell microenvironment, which results in a poor prediction of the in vivo performance of the material. However, during the last decade, cell culture models based on microfluidic technology have allowed attaining unprecedented levels of tissue biomimicry. In this work, we propose a microfluidic-based 3D model to evaluate the effect of bioactive biomaterials capable of releasing signaling cues (such as ions or proteins) in the recruitment of endogenous endothelial progenitor cells, a key step in the vascularization process. The usability of the platform is demonstrated using experimentally-validated finite element models and migration and proliferation studies with rat endothelial progenitor cells (rEPCs) and bone marrow-derived rat mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-rMSCs). As a proof of concept of biomaterial evaluation, the response of rEPCs to an electrospun composite made of polylactic acid with calcium phosphates nanoparticles (PLA+CaP) was compared in a co-culture microenvironment with BM-rMSC to a regular PLA control. Our results show a significantly higher rEPCs migration and the upregulation of several pro-inflammatory and proangiogenic proteins in the case of the PLA+CaP. The effects of osteopontin (OPN) on the rEPCs migratory response were also studied using this platform, suggesting its important role in mediating their recruitment to a calcium-rich microenvironment. This new tool could be applied to screen the capacity of a variety of bioactive scaffolds to induce vascularization and accelerate the preclinical testing of biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: For many years researchers have used neovascularization models to evaluate bioactive biomaterials both in vitro, with low predictive results due to their poor biomimicry and minimal control over cell cues such as spatiotemporal biomolecule signaling, and in vivo models, presenting drawbacks such as being highly costly, time-consuming, poor human extrapolation, and ethically controversial. We describe a compact microphysiological platform designed for the evaluation of proangiogenesis in biomaterials through the quantification of the level of sprouting in a mimicked endothelium able to react to gradients of biomaterial-released signals in a fibrin-based extracellular matrix. This model is a useful tool to perform preclinical trustworthy studies in tissue regeneration and to better understand the different elements involved in the complex process of vascularization. more...
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- 2022
15. Immediate-sustained lactate release using alginate hydrogel assembled to proteinase K/polymer electrospun fibers
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Lorena P. Macor, Samuele Colombi, Josep-Lluis Tamarit, Elisabeth Engel, Maria M. Pérez-Madrigal, Jose García-Torres, and Carlos Alemán
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Structural Biology ,General Medicine ,Molecular Biology ,Biochemistry - Published
- 2023
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16. Bioprinting decellularized breast tissue for the development of three-dimensional breast cancer models
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Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Sergi Rey-Vinolas, Gülsün Bağcı, Gerard Rubi-Sans, Jorge Otero, Daniel Navajas, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciència i Enginyeria dels Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Biomèdica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Three-dimensional printing ,Breast tissue ,Tissue Engineering ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Swine ,Bioprinting ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Extracellular Matrix ,Neoplasms ,Printing, Three-Dimensional ,Animals ,General Materials Science ,3D in vitro cancer model ,Impressió 3D ,Decellularization - Abstract
The tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a vital role in tumor progression and drug resistance. Previous studies have shown that breast tissue-derived matrices could be an important biomaterial to recreate the complexity of the tumor ECM. We have developed a method for decellularizing and delipidating a porcine breast tissue (TDM) compatible with hydrogel formation. The addition of gelatin methacrylamide and alginate allows this TDM to be bioprinted by itself with good printability, shape fidelity, and cytocompatibility. Furthermore, this bioink has been tuned to more closely recreate the breast tumor by incorporating collagen type I (Col1). Breast cancer cells (BCCs) proliferate in both TDM bioinks forming cell clusters and spheroids. The addition of Col1 improves the printability of the bioink as well as increases BCC proliferation and reduces doxorubicin sensitivity due to a downregulation of HSP90. TDM bioinks also allow a precise three-dimensional printing of scaffolds containing BCCs and stromal cells and could be used to fabricate artificial tumors. Taken together, we have proven that these novel bioinks are good candidates for biofabricating breast cancer models. more...
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- 2022
17. Trackability of distal access catheters: An in vitro quantitative evaluation of navigation strategies
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Jiahui Li, Alejandro Tomasello, Manuel Requena, Pere Canals, Riccardo Tiberi, Iñaki Galve, Elisabeth Engel, David F Kallmes, Oscar Castaño, Marc Ribo, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Catheters ,Catèters ,Surgery ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Neurology (clinical) ,General Medicine - Abstract
BackgroundIn mechanical thrombectomy (MT), distal access catheters (DACs) are tracked through the vascular anatomy to reach the occlusion site. The inability of DACs to reach the occlusion site has been reported as a predictor of unsuccessful recanalization. This study aims to provide insight into how to navigate devices through the vascular anatomy with minimal track forces, since higher forces may imply more risk of vascular injuries.MethodsWe designed an experimental setup to monitor DAC track forces when navigating through an in vitro anatomical model. Experiments were recorded to study mechanical behaviors such as tension buildup against vessel walls, DAC buckling, and abrupt advancements. A multiple regression analysis was performed to predict track forces from the catheters’ design specifications.ResultsDACs were successfully delivered to the target M1 in 60 of 63 in vitro experiments (95.2%). Compared to navigation with unsupported DAC, the concomitant coaxial use of a microcatheter/microguidewire and microcatheter/stent retriever anchoring significantly reduced the track forces by about 63% and 77%, respectively (pConclusionsThe use of microcatheter and stent retriever facilitate smooth navigation of DACs through the vascular tortuosity to reach the occlusion site, which in turn improves the reliability of tracking when positioning the DAC closer to the thrombus interface. more...
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- 2022
18. Advanced 3D In Vitro Models to Recapitulate the Breast Tumor Microenvironment
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Gülsün Bağcı, Celia Ximenes-Carballo, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Oscar Castaño, Elisabeth Engel, and Barbara Blanco-Fernandez
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- 2022
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19. Artificial extracellular matrix scaffolds of mobile molecules enhance maturation of human stem cell-derived neurons
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Zaida Álvarez, J. Alberto Ortega, Kohei Sato, Ivan R. Sasselli, Alexandra N. Kolberg-Edelbrock, Ruomeng Qiu, Kelly A. Marshall, Thao Phuong Nguyen, Cara S. Smith, Katharina A. Quinlan, Vasileios Papakis, Zois Syrgiannis, Nicholas A. Sather, Chiara Musumeci, Elisabeth Engel, Samuel I. Stupp, and Evangelos Kiskinis more...
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Genetics ,Molecular Medicine ,Cell Biology - Published
- 2023
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20. Poly-l/dl-lactic acid films functionalized with collagen IV as carrier substrata for corneal epithelial stem cells
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Elisabeth Engel, Margarita Calonge, Marina López-Paniagua, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Josep A. Planell, Ana de la Mata, Teresa Nieto-Miguel, Sara Galindo, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Collagen Type IV ,Cell Survival ,Corneal epithelium ,Polyesters ,Biophysics ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,02 engineering and technology ,01 natural sciences ,Polylactic acid ,Tissue culture ,Type IV collagen ,Colloid and Surface Chemistry ,Tissue engineering ,0103 physical sciences ,medicine ,Humans ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Cells, Cultured ,Cell Proliferation ,Collagen IV ,010304 chemical physics ,Chemistry ,Stem Cells ,Epithelium, Corneal ,Epithelial Cells ,Corneal epithelium, collagen IV, limbal stem cells, polylactic acid, tissue engineering ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Biofísica ,eye diseases ,Epithelium ,In vitro ,Cell biology ,Transplantation ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Limbal stem cells ,sense organs ,Stem cell ,0210 nano-technology ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) are responsible for the renewal of corneal epithelium. Cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation is the current treatment of choice for restoring the loss or dysfunction of LESCs. To perform this procedure, a substratum is necessary for in vitro culturing of limbal epithelial cells and their subsequent transplantation onto the ocular surface. In this work, we evaluated poly-L/DL-lactic acid 70:30 (PLA) films functionalized with type IV collagen (col IV) as potential in vitro carrier substrata for LESCs. We first demonstrated that PLA-col IV films were biocompatible and suitable for the proliferation of human corneal epithelial cells. Subsequently, limbal epithelial cell suspensions, isolated from human limbal rings, were cultivated using culture medium that did not contain animal components. The cells adhered significantly faster to PLA-col IV films than to tissue culture plastic (TCP). The mRNA expression levels for the LESC specific markers, K15, P63α and ABCG2 were similar or greater (significantly in the case of K15) in limbal epithelial cells cultured on PLA-col IV films than limbal epithelial cells cultured on TCP. The percentage of cells expressing the corneal (K3, K12) and the LESC (P63α, ABCG2) specific markers was similar for both substrata. These results suggest that the PLA-col IV films promoted LESC attachment and helped to maintain their undifferentiated stem cell phenotype. Consequently, these substrata offer an alternative for the transplantation of limbal cells onto the ocular surface., This work was supported by the Carlos III National Institute of Health, Spain (CIBER-BBN and Spanish Network on Cell Therapy, (TerCel RD12/0019/0036), MINECO/FEDER, EU), and the Castilla y León Regional Government, Spain (Regional Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy, SAN673/VA/28/08 and SAN126/VA11/09). more...
- Published
- 2019
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21. Electrospun Conducting and Biocompatible Uniaxial and Core–Shell Fibers Having Poly(lactic acid), Poly(ethylene glycol), and Polyaniline for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
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Jordi Puiggalí, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Elisabeth Engel, Luis J. del Valle, Paula T. Bertuoli, Carlos Alemán, Jesús Ordoño, Elaine Armelin, Carlos A. Ferreira, Alessandra F. Baldissera, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metal·lúrgica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. PSEP - Polimers Sintètics: Estructura i Propietats. Polimers Biodegradables., and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. PSEP - Polimers Sintètics: Estructura i Propietats. Polimers Biodegradables more...
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Poly ethylene glycol ,Materials science ,General Chemical Engineering ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,General Chemistry ,Biocompatible material ,Article ,Lactic acid ,Core shell ,lcsh:Chemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Enginyeria química [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Tissue engineering ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,Materials biomèdics ,Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid ,Polyaniline ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Biomedical materials - Abstract
Electroactive and biocompatible fibrous scaffolds have been prepared and characterized using polyaniline (PAni) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) combined with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) mixtures. The composition of simple and core-shell fibers, which have been obtained by both uniaxial and coaxial electrospinning, respectively, has been corroborated by Fourier-transform infrared and micro-Raman spectroscopies. Morphological studies suggest that the incorporation of PEG enhances the packing of PLA and PAni chains, allowing the regulation of the thickness of the fibers. PAni and PEG affect the thermal and electrical properties of the fibers, both decreasing the glass transition temperature and increasing the electrical conductivity. Interestingly, the incorporation of PEG improves the PAni-containing paths associated with the conduction properties. Although dose response curves evidence the high cytotoxicity of PAni/DBSA, cell adhesion and cell proliferation studies on PLA/PAni fibers show a reduction of such harmful effects as the conducting polymer is mainly retained inside the fibers through favorable PAni···PLA interactions. The incorporation of PEG into uniaxial fibers resulted in an increment of the cell mortality, which has been attributed to its rapid dissolution into the culture medium and the consequent enhancement of PAni release. In opposition, the delivery of PAni decreases and, therefore, the biocompatibility of the fibers increases when a shell coating the PAni-containing system is incorporated through coaxial electrospinning. Finally, morphological and functional studies using cardiac cells indicated that these fibrous scaffolds are suitable for cardiac tissue engineering applications. more...
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- 2019
22. Polymeric Composite Dressings Containing Calcium-Releasing Nanoparticles Accelerate Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice
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Jerónimo Blanco, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Mercè Alsina-Giber, Elisabeth Engel, Claudia Navarro-Requena, Oscar Castaño, Joan Marti-Munoz, Aitor Sanchez-Ferrero, Olaia F. Vila, Nuria Rubio, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), La Caixa, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Chronic wound ,Cell Survival ,Polymers ,Angiogenesis ,Cost-Benefit Analysis ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Composite number ,Nanofibers ,Neovascularization, Physiologic ,Nanoparticle ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Bioengineering ,Calcium ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Technology Advances ,Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ,Mice ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Animals ,Bioenginyeria ,Diabetis -- Tractament ,Chronic wounds ,Skin ,Mice, Knockout ,Wound Healing ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,Growth factor ,Enginyeria biomèdica [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Bioactive dressings ,Diabetes ,Granulation tissue ,Bandages ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Gene Expression Regulation ,chemistry ,Granulation Tissue ,Emergency Medicine ,medicine.symptom ,Wound healing ,business ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
[Objective] Wound healing is a complex process that involves the interaction between different cell types and bioactive factors. Impaired wound healing is characterized by a loss in synchronization of these interactions, resulting in nonhealing chronic wounds. Chronic wounds are a socioeconomic burden, one of the most prominent clinical manifestations of diabetes, however, they lack satisfactory treatment options. The objective of this study was to develop polymeric composites that deliver ions having wound healing properties and evaluate its performance using a pressure ulcer model in diabetic mice. [Approach] To develop a polymeric composite wound dressing containing ion-releasing nanoparticles for chronic wound healing. This composite was chemically and physically characterized and evaluated using a pressure ulcer wound model in diabetic (db/db) mice to explore their potential as novel wound dressing. [Results] This dressing exhibits a controlled ion release and a good in vitro bioactivity. The polymeric composite dressing treatment stimulates angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, granulation tissue formation, and accelerates wound closure of ischemic wounds created in diabetic mice. In addition, the performance of the newly designed composite is remarkably better than a commercially available dressing frequently used for the treatment of low-exuding chronic wounds. [Innovation] The developed nanoplatforms are cell- and growth factor free and control the host microenvironment resulting in enhanced wound healing. These nanoplatforms are available by cost-effective synthesis with a defined composition, offering an additional advantage in potential clinical application. [Conclusion] Based on the obtained results, these polymeric composites offer an optimum approach for chronic wound healing without adding cells or external biological factors., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER) through the projects MAT2012-38793 and MAT2015-68906-R, the EuroNanoMed3 project nAngioDerm funded through the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ref. PCI2019-103648), the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports with the FPU grant (ref. AP-2012-5310), EIT Health (project EIT PoC-2016-SPAIN-03), La Caixa Banking Foundation through their CaixaImpulse Program and Caixaimpulse 2.0 Consolidate Program (Ref. LCF/TR/CN18/52210003). more...
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- 2021
23. Proteinaceous Hydrogels for Bioengineering Advanced 3D Tumor Models
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João F. Mano, Elisabeth Engel, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, and Vítor M. Gaspar
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General Chemical Engineering ,Reviews ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Review ,02 engineering and technology ,Computational biology ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) ,3D In vitro Models ,Extracellular matrix ,In vivo ,3D in vitro models ,cancers ,General Materials Science ,lcsh:Science ,hydrogels ,Cancer ,Tumor microenvironment ,Chemistry ,General Engineering ,Proteins ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,proteins ,0104 chemical sciences ,Hydrogel ,Self-healing hydrogels ,Cancer cell ,peptides ,lcsh:Q ,Peptides ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
The establishment of tumor microenvironment using biomimetic in vitro models that recapitulate key tumor hallmarks including the tumor supporting extracellular matrix (ECM) is in high demand for accelerating the discovery and preclinical validation of more effective anticancer therapeutics. To date, ECM‐mimetic hydrogels have been widely explored for 3D in vitro disease modeling owing to their bioactive properties that can be further adapted to the biochemical and biophysical properties of native tumors. Gathering on this momentum, herein the current landscape of intrinsically bioactive protein and peptide hydrogels that have been employed for 3D tumor modeling are discussed. Initially, the importance of recreating such microenvironment and the main considerations for generating ECM‐mimetic 3D hydrogel in vitro tumor models are showcased. A comprehensive discussion focusing protein, peptide, or hybrid ECM‐mimetic platforms employed for modeling cancer cells/stroma cross‐talk and for the preclinical evaluation of candidate anticancer therapies is also provided. Further development of tumor‐tunable, proteinaceous or peptide 3D microtesting platforms with microenvironment‐specific biophysical and biomolecular cues will contribute to better mimic the in vivo scenario, and improve the predictability of preclinical screening of generalized or personalized therapeutics., The most recent and relevant protein and peptide‐based hydrogels used in 3D in vitro tumor modeling and therapeutics screening are discussed herein, outlining the importance of employing biomaterials for mimicking the 3D tumor microenvironment (TME) in vitro. The microengineered approaches used to recreate the TME and the future challenges that should be addressed to improve their predictability are also discussed. more...
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- 2021
24. Tuning multilayered polymeric self-standing films for controlled release of L-lactate by electrical stimulation
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Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Carlos Alemán, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Jesús Ordoño, Luis J. del Valle, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. PSEP - Polimers Sintètics: Estructura i Propietats. Polimers Biodegradables more...
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Materials science ,Biocompatibility ,Polymers ,Polyesters ,Pharmaceutical Science ,cardiomyocytes proliferation ,02 engineering and technology ,03 medical and health sciences ,PEDOT:PSS ,Tissue engineering ,sustained delivery ,Lactic Acid ,conducting polymer ,030304 developmental biology ,Conductive polymer ,nanoperforated films ,0303 health sciences ,Dopant ,Tissue Engineering ,Enginyeria biomèdica [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Controlled release ,Electric Stimulation ,Chemical engineering ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Delayed-Action Preparations ,cardiac tissue regeneration ,Degradation (geology) ,Enginyeria biomèdica ,0210 nano-technology ,Layer (electronics) ,Biomedical engineering ,Biphasic voltage pulse - Abstract
We examine different approaches for the controlled release of L-lactate, which is a signaling molecule that participates in tissue remodeling and regeneration, such as cardiac and muscle tissue. Robust, flexible, and self-supported 3-layers films made of two spin-coated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) layers separated by an electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer, are used as loading and delivery systems. Films with outer layers prepared using homochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 146 ± 70 experience more bulk erosion, which also contributes to the release of L-lactic acid, than those obtained using heterochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 66 ± 24. Moreover, the release of L-lactic acid as degradation product is accelerated by applying biphasic electrical pulses. The four approaches used for loading extra L-lactate in the 3-layered films were: incorporation of L-lactate at the intermediate PEDOT layer as primary dopant agent using (1) organic or (2) basic water solutions as reaction media; (3) substitution at the PEDOT layer of the ClO4- dopant by L-lactate using de-doping and re-doping processes; and (4) loading of L-lactate at the outer PLA layers during the spin-coating process. Electrical stimuli were applied considering biphasic voltage pulses and constant voltages (both negative and positive). Results indicate that the approach used to load the L-lactate has a very significant influence in the release regulation process, affecting the concentration of released L-lactate up to two orders of magnitude. Among the tested approaches, the one based on the utilization of the outer layers for loading, approach (4), can be proposed for situations requiring prolonged and sustained L-lactate release over time. The biocompatibility and suitability of the engineered films for cardiac tissue engineering has also been confirmed using cardiac cells. more...
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- 2021
25. Engineered microtissues for the bystander therapy against cancer
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Gerard Rubí-Sans, Jerónimo Blanco, Nuria Rubio, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Irene Cano-Torres, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Elisabeth Engel, Marta Guerra-Rebollo, Lourdes Sánchez-Cid, Cristina Garrido, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Biomèdica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Cell ,02 engineering and technology ,Stem cells ,01 natural sciences ,Neovascularization ,Extracellular matrix ,Mice ,Neoplasms ,Bystander effect ,Simplexvirus ,Càncer ,Cancer ,Cancer--Treatment ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,3. Good health ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Nanomedicine ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Mechanics of Materials ,Nanomedicina ,Càncer -- Tractament ,medicine.symptom ,Bioluminescence ,0210 nano-technology ,Cèl·lules mare ,medicine.drug ,Ganciclovir ,Adipose mesenchymal stem cells ,Materials science ,Bioengineering ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,010402 general chemistry ,Thymidine Kinase ,Bioluminescència ,Biomaterials ,Cell Line, Tumor ,medicine ,Animals ,Tissue engineering ,Self-assembled cell-based microtissues ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Mesenchymal Stem Cells ,Bystander Effect ,medicine.disease ,0104 chemical sciences ,Thymidine kinase ,Cancer research ,Bystander therapy - Abstract
Thymidine kinase expressing human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (TK-hAMSCs) in combination with ganciclovir (GCV) are an effective platform for antitumor bystander therapy in mice models. However, this strategy requires multiple TK-hAMSCs administrations and a substantial number of cells. Therefore, for clinical translation, it is necessary to find a biocompatible scaffold providing TK-hAMSCs retention in the implantation site against their rapid wash-out. We have developed a microtissue (MT) composed by TKhAMSCs and a scaffold made of polylactic acid microparticles and cell-derived extracellular matrix deposited by hAMSCs. The efficacy of these MTs as vehicles for TK-hAMSCs/GCV bystander therapy was evaluated in a rodent model of human prostate cancer. Subcutaneously implanted MTs were integrated in the surrounding tissue, allowing neovascularization and maintenance of TK-hAMSCs viability. Furthermore, MTs implanted beside tumors allowed TK-hAMSCs migration towards tumor cells and, after GCV administration, inhibited tumor growth. These results indicate that TK-hAMSCs-MTs are promising cell reservoirs for clinical use of therapeutic MSCs in bystander therapies., This work was supported by the Severo Ochoa Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D 2016–2019, the European Commission-ERANET (nAngioderm JTC2018-103), the Spanish network of cell therapy (TERCEL), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MAT2015-68906-R), the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) grants. BBF acknowledge finanical support through the BEST Postdoctoral Program, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (grant agreement no. 712754) and from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Severo Ochoa grants (SEV-2014-0425 and CEX2018-000789-S). GRS is thankful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness for his fellowship (BES-2016-077182). The authors specially thank Dr. Josep Roca, from Delfos hospital (Dr. Roca I Noguera aesthetic surgery team), for the kind donation of liposuction for hAMSCs preparation; and to the Services of cell culture (IQAC-CISC), animal care (IQAC-CSIC) and cell sorting (CCiT-University of Barcelona) for their technician and specialized support. more...
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- 2021
26. A microphysiological system combining electrospun fibers and electrical stimulation for the maturation of highly anisotropic cardiac tissue
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Jesús Ordoño, Adrián López-Canosa, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Eduardo Yanac-Huertas, Elisabeth Engel, Romen Rodriguez-Trujillo, Josep Samitier, Oscar Castaño, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Microphysiological system ,Key genes ,Computer science ,0206 medical engineering ,Microfluidics ,Biomedical Engineering ,Nanofibers ,Electrònica en cardiologia ,Bioengineering ,Stimulation ,02 engineering and technology ,Cardiac tissue engineering ,Biochemistry ,Biomaterials ,Heart-on-a-chip ,Mice ,Tissue engineering ,Animals ,Humans ,Myocytes, Cardiac ,Electronics in cardiology ,Electrospinning ,Tissue Engineering ,Drug discovery ,Neonatal mouse ,General Medicine ,Human physiology ,In vitro models ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Biocompatible material ,020601 biomedical engineering ,Electric Stimulation ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Electrònica biomèdica::Electrònica en cardiologia [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Anisotropy ,0210 nano-technology ,Biotechnology ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
The creation of cardiac tissue models for preclinical testing is still a non-solved problem in drug discovery, due to the limitations related to the in vitro replication of cardiac tissue complexity. Among these limitations, the difficulty of mimicking the functional properties of the myocardium due to the immaturity of the used cells hampers the obtention of reliable results that could be translated into human patients. In vivo models are the current gold standard to test new treatments, although it is widely acknowledged that the used animals are unable to fully recapitulate human physiology, which often leads to failures during clinical trials. In the present work, we present a microfluidic platform that aims to provide a range of signaling cues to immature cardiac cells to drive them towards an adult phenotype. The device combines topographical electrospun nanofibers with electrical stimulation in a microfabricated system. We validated our platform using a co-culture of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts, showing that it allows us to control the degree of anisotropy of the cardiac tissue inside the microdevice in a cost-effective way. Moreover, a 3D computational model of the electrical field was created and validated to demonstrate that our platform is able to closely match the distribution obtained with the gold standard (planar electrode technology) using inexpensive rod-shaped biocompatible stainless-steel electrodes. The functionality of the electrical stimulation was shown to induce a higher expression of the tight junction protein Cx-43, as well as the upregulation of several key genes involved in conductive and structural cardiac properties. These results validate our platform as a powerful tool for the tissue engineering community due to its low cost, high imaging compatibility, versatility, and high-throughput configuration capabilities. more...
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- 2020
27. Lactate promotes cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation through metabolic reprogramming
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Kristen Ball, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Aitor Aguirre, Elisabeth Engel, and Jesús Ordoño
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medicine.anatomical_structure ,Downregulation and upregulation ,Cell ,medicine ,Glycolysis ,Signal transduction ,Cell cycle ,Biology ,LIN28 ,Embryonic stem cell ,Reprogramming ,Cell biology - Abstract
Cardiomyocytes undergo different metabolic changes during development and differentiation crucial for their maturation and adult function, such as contraction, growth and survival. Alterations of cardiac metabolism have been associated with multiple disease states and pathological hypertrophy. The shift in substrate preference can impair the stress response, but it may also have a role in cell growth and survival. Here, we evaluated the response of cardiomyocytes to the presence of exogenous lactate, an important metabolite for the fetal heart and cardiogenesis. Lactate-exposed mouse primary cardiomyocytes and human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes quickly acquired a characteristic dedifferentiated phenotype, with enhanced proliferative capacity as determined by an increased expression of cell cycle (Ki67) and cytokinesis (Aurora-B) effectors. This effect was specific to cardiomyocytes and did not affect other heart cell populations (e.g. cardiac fibroblasts). Nevertheless, cardiac fibroblasts exposed to lactate promoted a pro-regenerative environment through the modulation of the release of cytokines (such as Fas, IL-13 or SDF1a). We characterized lactate-induced cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation through RNA-sequencing and gene expression analysis and identified increased expression of BMP10 (a TGFβ family protein involved in embryonic cardiomyocyte proliferation and stemness) and proteins associated to cell fate regulation (LIN28, TCIM) together with downregulation of cardiac maturation genes (GRIK1, DGKK). Bottom-up analysis suggested the phenotype promoted by lactate could be related to the activation of hypoxia signaling pathways. This finding indicated that, indeed, lactate may be a key player of hypoxic regenerative responses in the heart, as it usually accumulates as a result of glycolysis. In addition, ex vivo neonatal heart culture showed prolonged beating function and cardiac tissue integrity when culture media was supplemented with lactate. Thus, we conclude that lactate enhances cardiac proliferation by reprogramming cardiomyocytes towards a dedifferentiated stem cell-like state, supporting the notion that modulation of the metabolic microenvironment might be a powerful novel approach for promoting cardiac regeneration and tissue engineering applications. more...
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- 2020
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28. Engineering cell-derived matrices: from 3D models to advanced personalized therapies
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Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Elisabeth Engel, Irene Cano, Gerard Rubí-Sans, Oscar Castaño, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Biomèdica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Materials science ,Cell ,3d model ,Computational biology ,Extracellular matrix ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Matriu extracel·lular ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,Biomaterials ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Electrochemistry ,medicine ,Tissue engineering - Abstract
Regenerative medicine and disease models have evolved in recent years from two to three dimensions, providing in vitro constructs that are more similar to in vivo tissues. By mimicking native tissues, cell-derived matrices (CDMs) have emerged as new modifiable extracellular matrices for a variety of tissues, allowing researchers to study basic cellular processes in tissue-like structures, test tissue regeneration approaches, and model disease development. In this review, different fabrication techniques and characterization methods of CDMs are presented and examples of their application in cell behavior studies, tissue regeneration, and disease models are provided. In addition, future guidelines and perspectives in the field of CDMs are discussed. more...
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- 2020
29. Nanotechnology Approaches in Chronic Wound Healing
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Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Oscar Castaño, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Fundación 'la Caixa', and European Commission more...
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0301 basic medicine ,Chronic wound ,Nanofibers ,Cicatrització ,Wound healing ,Nanotechnology ,Biocompatible Materials ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Wound care ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Chronic ,Diabetis ,integumentary system ,Nanopartícules ,business.industry ,Nanotecnologia ,Diabetes ,Ferides i lesions -- Tractament ,3. Good health ,Nanostructures ,030104 developmental biology ,Forum Comprehensive Invited Reviews ,Chronic Disease ,Liposomes ,Emergency Medicine ,Nanoparticles ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
[Significance]: The incidence of chronic wounds is increasing due to our aging population and the augment of people afflicted with diabetes. With the extended knowledge on the biological mechanisms underlying these diseases, there is a novel influx of medical technologies into the conventional wound care market., [Recent Advances]: Several nanotechnologies have been developed demonstrating unique characteristics that address specific problems related to wound repair mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the most recently developed nanotechnology-based therapeutic agents and evaluate the efficacy of each treatment in in vivo diabetic models of chronic wound healing., [Critical Issues]: Despite the development of potential biomaterials and nanotechnology-based applications for wound healing, this scientific knowledge is not translated into an increase of commercially available wound healing products containing nanomaterials., [Future Directions]: Further studies are critical to provide insights into how scientific evidences from nanotechnology-based therapies can be applied in the clinical setting., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER) through the project MAT2012–38793 and MAT2015-68906-R and the Dermoglass project funded by CaixaImpulse Programme of Obra Social La Caixa (CaixaImpulse CI0015). Barbara Blanco-Fernandez acknowledges the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (agreement no. 712754) and the Severo Ochoa grant (SEV-2014-0425). O. Castano acknowledges the support from the Serra Hunter programme. more...
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- 2020
30. Layer-by-layer modification effects on a nanopore's inner surface of polycarbonate track-etched membranes
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Josep Samitier, José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello, Maria Bulwan, Antoni Homs-Corbera, Roberto Paoli, Elisabeth Engel, Oscar Castaño, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Nanoporus ,Materials science ,Nanociència ,Nanotecnologia ,General Chemical Engineering ,Policarbonats ,Direct current ,Layer by layer ,Bioengineering ,General Chemistry ,Polyelectrolyte ,Nanopore ,Nanoscience ,Nanopores ,Membrane ,Enginyeria química [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Chemical engineering ,visual_art ,visual_art.visual_art_medium ,Surface modification ,Nanotechnology ,Bioenginyeria ,Surface charge ,Polycarbonate ,Polycarbonates - Abstract
The control of the morphology, as well as the physical and chemical properties, of nanopores is a key issue for many applications. Reducing pore size is important in nanopore-based sensing applications as it helps to increase sensitivity. Changes of other physical properties such as surface net charge can also modify transport selectivity of the pores. We have studied how polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LBL) surface modification can be used to change the characteristics of nanoporous membranes. Studies were performed with a custom made three-dimensional multilayer microfluidic device able to fit membrane samples. The device allowed us to efficiently control LBL film deposition over blank low-cost commercially available polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes. We have demonstrated pore diameter reduction and deposition of the layers inside the pores through confocal and SEM images. Posterior impedance measurement studies served to evaluate experimentally the effect of the LBL deposition on the net inner nanopore surface charge and diameter. Measurements using direct current (DC) and alternative current (AC) voltages have demonstrated contrasted behaviors depending on the number and parity of deposited opposite charge layers. PCTE membranes are originally negatively charged and results evidenced higher impedance increases for paired charge LBL depositions. Impedance decreased when an unpaired positive layer was added. These results showed a different influence on the overall ion motility due to the effect of different surface charges. Results have been fit into a model that suggested a strong dependence of nanopores' impedance module to surface charge on conductive buffers, such as Phosphate Buffer Saline (PBS), even on relatively large nanopores. In AC significant differences between paired and unpaired charged LBL depositions tended to disappear as the total number of layers increased. more...
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- 2020
31. Hydrogel co-networks of gelatine methacrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate sustain 3D functional in vitro models of intestinal mucosa
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Elena Martínez, Vanesa Fernández-Majada, Carmen Corregidor, Núria Torras, Anna Vila, Teresa Pérez-Berezo, María García-Díaz, Albert G Castaño, Elisabeth Engel, Jordi Comelles, Oscar Castaño, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Microfluidics ,02 engineering and technology ,Biochemistry ,epithelial-stromal interactions ,intestinal barrier function ,Polyethylene Glycols ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Intestinal mucosa ,Gastrointestinal mucosa ,poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate ,Intestinal Mucosa ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Enginyeria biomèdica [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,hydrogels ,Hydrogels ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Printing, Three-Dimensional ,Self-healing hydrogels ,Methacrylates ,Enginyeria biomèdica ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical engineering ,Biotechnology ,GelMA-PEGDA conetworks ,Stromal cell ,0206 medical engineering ,Biomedical Engineering ,Bioengineering ,Models, Biological ,Biomaterials ,In vivo ,Cell Adhesion ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Tissue engineering ,Bioenginyeria ,Cellular compartment ,Cell Proliferation ,Intestinal permeability ,Tissue Engineering ,intestinal permeability ,Epithelial Cells ,Mucosa gastrointestinal ,Gelatine methacrylate ,Fibroblasts ,medicine.disease ,Microfluídica ,020601 biomedical engineering ,intestinal mucosa ,chemistry ,Caco-2 ,NIH 3T3 Cells ,Biophysics ,Gelatin ,Caco-2 Cells ,Ethylene glycol - Abstract
Mounting evidence supports the importance of the intestinal epithelial barrier and its permeability both in physiological and pathological conditions. Conventional in vitro models to evaluate intestinal permeability rely on the formation of tightly packed epithelial monolayers grown on hard substrates. These two-dimensional models lack the cellular and mechanical components of the non-epithelial compartment of the intestinal barrier, the stroma, which are key contributors to the barrier permeability in vivo. Thus, advanced in vitro models approaching the in vivo tissue composition are fundamental to improve precision in drug absorption predictions, to provide a better understanding of the intestinal biology, and to faithfully represent related diseases. Here, we generate photo-crosslinked gelatine methacrylate (GelMA)—poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel co-networks that provide the required mechanical and biochemical features to mimic both the epithelial and stromal compartments of the intestinal mucosa, i.e. they are soft, cell adhesive and cell-loading friendly, and suitable for long-term culturing. We show that fibroblasts can be embedded in the GelMA-PEGDA hydrogels while epithelial cells can grow on top to form a mature epithelial monolayer that exhibits barrier properties which closely mimic those of the intestinal barrier in vivo, as shown by the physiologically relevant transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and permeability values. The presence of fibroblasts in the artificial stroma compartment accelerates the formation of the epithelial monolayer and boosts the recovery of the epithelial integrity upon temporary barrier disruption, demonstrating that our system is capable of successfully reproducing the interaction between different cellular compartments. As such, our hydrogel co-networks offer a technologically simple yet sophisticated approach to produce functional three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models of epithelial barriers with epithelial and stromal cells arranged in a spatially relevant manner and near-physiological functionality. more...
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- 2020
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32. Elucidating Angiogenesis Upon Degradation of Polylactic Acid Nanofibers Containing Novel Calcium Phosphate Amorphous Nanoparticles
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Joan Marti-Munoz, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Irene Cano, Josep A. Planell, Elisabeth Engel, and Oscar Castano
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- 2020
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33. Chondroinductive alginate-based hydrogels having graphene oxide for 3D printed scaffold fabrication
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Lukas Arens, Felipe Olate-Moya, Elisabeth Engel, Manfred Wilhelm, Humberto Palza, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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food.ingredient ,Materials science ,Biocompatibility ,Alginates ,Grafè ,Nanotechnology ,02 engineering and technology ,Matrix (biology) ,010402 general chemistry ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,01 natural sciences ,Gelatin ,law.invention ,food ,Tissue engineering ,law ,Cell Adhesion ,Humans ,General Materials Science ,Cell Proliferation ,Graphene oxide ,Nanocomposite ,Tissue Engineering ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Graphene ,Liquid crystals ,Bioprinting ,Mesenchymal Stem Cells ,Hydrogels ,3D printing ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Chondrogenesis ,0104 chemical sciences ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Printing, Three-Dimensional ,Self-healing hydrogels ,Graphite ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Scaffolds based on bioconjugated hydrogels are attractive for tissue engineering because they can partly mimic human tissue characteristics. For example, they can further increase their bioactivity with cells. However, most of the hydrogels present problems related to their processability, consequently limiting their use in 3D printing to produce tailor-made scaffolds. The goal of this work is to develop bioconjugated hydrogel nanocomposite inks for 3D printed scaffold fabrication through a micro-extrusion process having improved both biocompatibility and processability. The hydrogel is based on a photocrosslinkable alginate bioconjugated with both gelatin and chondroitin sulfate in order to mimic the cartilage extracellular matrix, while the nanofiller is based on graphene oxide to enhance the printability and cell proliferation. Our results show that the incorporation of graphene oxide into the hydrogel inks considerably improved the shape fidelity and resolution of 3D printed scaffolds because of a faster viscosity recovery post extrusion of the ink. Moreover, the nanocomposite inks produce anisotropic threads after the 3D printing process because of the templating of the graphene oxide liquid crystal. The in vitro proliferation assay of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) shows that bioconjugated scaffolds present higher cell proliferation than pure alginate, with the nanocomposites presenting the highest values at long times. Live/Dead assay otherwise displays full viability of hADMSCs adhered on the different scaffolds at day 7. Notably, the scaffolds produced with nanocomposite hydrogel inks were able to guide the cell proliferation following the direction of the 3D printed threads. In addition, the bioconjugated alginate hydrogel matrix induced chondrogenic differentiation without exogenous pro-chondrogenesis factors as concluded from immunostaining after 28 days of culture. This high cytocompatibility and chondroinductive effect toward hADMSCs, together with the improved printability and anisotropic structures, makes these nanocomposite hydrogel inks a promising candidate for cartilage tissue engineering based on 3D printing. more...
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- 2020
34. In vitro evaluation of degradable electrospun polylactic acid/bioactive calcium phosphate ormoglass scaffolds
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Joan Marti-Munoz, Agnieszka T. Krawczynska, Oscar Castaño, Małgorzata Lewandowska, Agata Roguska, Elisabeth Engel, Anna Majchrowicz, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Materials science ,Composite number ,Nanoparticle ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,02 engineering and technology ,Calcium ,010402 general chemistry ,Bone tissue ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Adsorption ,Polylactic acid ,Teixit ossi ,medicine ,Fibrous composites ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Nanopartícules ,Mechanical Engineering ,Calci ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Electrospinning ,0104 chemical sciences ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Degradation (geology) ,Nanoparticles ,0210 nano-technology ,Compostos fibrosos - Abstract
Nowadays, the main limitation for clinical application of scaffolds is considered to be an insufficient vascularization of the implanted platforms and healing tissues. In our studies, we proposed a novel PLA-based hybrid platform with aligned and random fibrous internal structure and incorporated calcium phosphate (CaP) ormoglass nanoparticles (0, 10, 20 and 30 wt%) as an off-the-shelf method for obtaining scaffolds with pro-angiogenic properties. Complex morphological and physicochemical evaluation of PLA–CaP ormoglass composites was performed before and after in vitro degradation test in SBF solution to assess their biological potential. The degradation process of PLA–CaP ormoglass composites was accompanied by numerous CaP-based precipitations with extended topography and cauliflower-like shape which may enhance bonding of the material with the bone tissue and accelerate the regenerative process. Random fiber orientation was preferable for CaP compounds deposition upon in vitro degradation. CaP compounds precipitated firstly for randomly oriented composite nonwovens with 20 and 30 wt% addition of ormoglass. Moreover, the preliminary bioactivity test has shown that BSA adsorbed to PLA–CaP ormoglass composites (both aligned and randomly oriented) with 20 and 30 wt% of ormoglass nanoparticles which was not observed for pure PLA scaffolds. more...
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- 2020
35. Editorial – the theory and practice of ecumenism: Christian global governance and the search for world order, 1900–80
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Elisabeth Engel, James Kennedy, and Justin Reynolds
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060104 history ,History ,Ecumenism ,Sociology and Political Science ,Political science ,05 social sciences ,0507 social and economic geography ,0601 history and archaeology ,World order ,06 humanities and the arts ,Public administration ,050701 cultural studies ,Global governance - Published
- 2018
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36. The ecumenical origins of pan-Africanism: Africa and the ‘Southern Negro’ in the International Missionary Council’s global vision of Christian indigenization in the 1920s
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Elisabeth Engel
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Indigenization ,History ,Internationalism (politics) ,Sociology and Political Science ,05 social sciences ,Global vision ,050301 education ,06 humanities and the arts ,Colonialism ,Indigenous ,060104 history ,Scholarship ,Ecumenism ,Protestantism ,Political science ,0601 history and archaeology ,Religious studies ,0503 education - Abstract
This article explores the attitudes and policies of the International Missionary Council (IMC) concerning Africa and African Americans. It aims to revise historical scholarship that views the ecumenical missionary movement as originating in white Western missions and guided by the goals of post-war internationalism. It argues that the IMC, founded in 1921 as the central institution for coordinating Protestant missions around the world, developed an ecumenical definition of pan-Africanism. This definition cast African Americans from the US south in the role of ‘native’ leaders in the formation of indigenous churches in Africa. With this racialized version of Christian indigenization, the IMC excluded African Christian groups that sought to form their own churches. It promoted, instead, European colonial projects and missionary societies that aimed to use African American missionaries to counter the incendiary ideas of pan-Africanism. more...
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- 2018
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37. Southern Looks? A History of African American Missionary Photography of Africa, 1890s–1930s
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Elisabeth Engel
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African american ,History ,Anthropology ,General Arts and Humanities ,media_common.quotation_subject ,05 social sciences ,Perspective (graphical) ,Photography ,0507 social and economic geography ,General Social Sciences ,06 humanities and the arts ,Colonialism ,050701 cultural studies ,Subaltern ,060104 history ,New Negro ,Politics ,Institution ,0601 history and archaeology ,media_common - Abstract
This article traces and analyzes the missionary photography of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the most important independent black American institution that began to operate in colonial South Africa at the onset of the politics of racial segregation in the 1890s. It argues that AME missionary photography presents a neglected archive, from which a history of black photographic encounters and a subaltern perspective on the dominant visual cultures of European imperialism and Christian missions in Africa can be retrieved. Focussing in particular on how AME missionaries deployed tropes of the culturally refined “New Negro” and the US South in their visual description of South Africa, this article demonstrates that photography was an important tool for black subjects to define their image beyond the representations of black inferiority that established visual traditions constructed. more...
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- 2018
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38. Going South: Tracing Race and Region in the Post-Emancipation Black Atlantic
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Nicholas Grant and Elisabeth Engel
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Race (biology) ,Politics ,History ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Emancipation ,General Arts and Humanities ,medicine ,General Social Sciences ,Ethnology ,Globe ,Demise ,Destinations ,Colonialism - Abstract
The demise of American slavery in 1865 put black Americans in motion to an unprecedented degree. Freed slaves and their descendants migrated from the plantations in the rural South to destinations around the globe. Travelling in a variety of new roles – as missionaries, journalists, agronomists, scientists, athletes, performers, entrepreneurs and political activists – African Americans gained international visibility, inspiring other oppressed populations in the colonial world to struggle for their liberation. more...
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- 2018
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39. PEG hydrogel containing calcium-releasing particles and mesenchymal stromal cells promote vessel maturation
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Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Oscar Castaño, Jessica D. Weaver, Andrés J. García, Douglas A. Clift, Claudia Navarro-Requena, Amy Y. Clark, Elisabeth Engel, Dennis W. Zhou, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metal·lúrgica, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. BBT - Biomaterials, Biomecànica i Enginyeria de Teixits more...
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Angiogenesis ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Biochemistry ,Chorioallantoic Membrane ,Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate ,Fat pad ,Polyethylene Glycols ,Maleimides ,Cell therapy ,Mice ,Glass-ceramic particles ,0302 clinical medicine ,Implants, Experimental ,Epididymis ,Chemistry ,Soft tissue ,General Medicine ,Cells, Immobilized ,Cell biology ,Chorioallantoic membrane ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Adipose Tissue ,Biotechnology ,Blood vessel ,Cell Survival ,Biomedical Engineering ,Neovascularization, Physiologic ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Models, Biological ,Article ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,In vivo ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Colloids ,Particle Size ,Molecular Biology ,Glass-ceramics ,Cell Proliferation ,Col·loides ,Vascularization ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Calci ,Mesenchymal Stem Cells ,HMSC ,Hydrogel ,030104 developmental biology ,Blood Vessels ,Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ,Calcium ,Chickens - Abstract
The use of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) for treating diseased tissues with poor vascularization has received significant attention, but low cell survival has hampered its translation to the clinic. Bioglasses and glass-ceramics have also been suggested as therapeutic agents for stimulating angiogenesis in soft tissues, but these effects need further evaluation in vivo. In this study, calcium-releasing particles and hMSC were combined within a hydrogel to examine their vasculogenic potential in vitro and in vivo. The particles provided sustained calcium release and showed proangiogenic stimulation in a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The number of hMSC encapsulated in a degradable RGD-functionalized PEG hydrogel containing particles remained constant over time and IGF-1 release was increased. When implanted in the epidydimal fat pad of immunocompromised mice, this composite material improved cell survival and stimulated vessel formation and maturation. Thus, the combination of hMSC and calcium-releasing glass-ceramics represents a new strategy to achieve vessel stabilization, a key factor in the revascularization of ischemic tissues. Statement of Significance: Increasing blood vessel formation in diseased tissues with poor vascularization is a current clinical challenge. Cell therapy using human mesenchymal stem cells has received considerable interest, but low cell survival has hampered its translation to the clinic. Bioglasses and glass-ceramics have been explored as therapeutic agents for stimulating angiogenesis in soft tissues, but these effects need further evaluation in vivo. By incorporating both human mesenchymal stem cells and glass-ceramic particles in an implantable hydrogel, this study provides insights into the vasculogenic potential in soft tissues of the combined strategies. Enhancement of vessel formation and maturation supports further investigation of this strategy. more...
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- 2018
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40. New Directions in the Study of African American Recolonization ed. by Beverly C. Tomek and Matthew J. Hetrick
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Elisabeth Engel
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African american ,Environmental Engineering ,History ,Anthropology - Published
- 2018
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41. Development of a Three-Dimensional Bioengineered Platform for Articular Cartilage Regeneration
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Lourdes Recha-Sancho, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Gerard Rubí-Sans, Carlos E. Semino, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Biomèdica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Cartilage, Articular ,lcsh:QR1-502 ,Articular cartilage ,02 engineering and technology ,Regenerative Medicine ,Biochemistry ,lcsh:Microbiology ,Articular cartilage repair ,chondrogenic differentiation ,Cells, Cultured ,Three-dimensional printing ,0303 health sciences ,3d printing ,Cell Differentiation ,3D printing ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,3. Good health ,Cell biology ,Polycaprolactone ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Printing, Three-Dimensional ,Enginyeria biomèdica ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical engineering ,Impressió 3D ,Cartílags ,3d printed ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,polycaprolactone ,medicine ,Humans ,Regeneration ,Severe pain ,Tissue engineering ,Molecular Biology ,Cell Proliferation ,030304 developmental biology ,RAD16-I self-assembling peptide ,Tissue Engineering ,Chondrogenic differentiation ,business.industry ,Cartilage ,Regeneration (biology) ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Mesenchymal Stem Cells ,Chondrogenesis ,rad16-i self-assembling peptide ,business - Abstract
Degenerative cartilage pathologies are nowadays a major problem for the world population. Factors such as age, genetics or obesity can predispose people to suffer from articular cartilage degeneration, which involves severe pain, loss of mobility and consequently, a loss of quality of life. Current strategies in medicine are focused on the partial or total replacement of affected joints, physiotherapy and analgesics that do not address the underlying pathology. In an attempt to find an alternative therapy to restore or repair articular cartilage functions, the use of bioengineered tissues is proposed. In this study we present a three-dimensional (3D) bioengineered platform combining a 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) macrostructure with RAD16-I, a soft nanofibrous self-assembling peptide, as a suitable microenvironment for human mesenchymal stem cells&rsquo, (hMSC) proliferation and differentiation into chondrocytes. This 3D bioengineered platform allows for long-term hMSC culture resulting in chondrogenic differentiation and has mechanical properties resembling native articular cartilage. These promising results suggest that this approach could be potentially used in articular cartilage repair and regeneration. more...
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- 2019
42. Development of a self-assembled peptide/methylcellulose-based bioink for 3D bioprinting
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Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Carla Cofiño, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Carlos E. Semino, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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3D bioprinting ,Three-dimensional printing ,Materials science ,Polymers and Plastics ,General Chemical Engineering ,Organic Chemistry ,Nanotechnology ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Self assembled ,law.invention ,Tissue engineering ,law ,Materials Chemistry ,Impressió 3D ,Biofabrication - Abstract
The introduction of 3D bioprinting to fabricate living constructs with tailored architecture has provided a new paradigm for biofabrication, with the potential to overcome several drawbacks of conventional scaffold-based tissue regeneration strategies. Hydrogel-based materials are suitable candidates regarding cell biocompatibility but often display poor mechanical properties. Self-assembling peptides are a promising source of biomaterials to be used as 3D scaffolds based on their similarity to extracellular matrices (structurally and mechanically). In this study, an advanced bioink for biofabrication is presented based on the optimization of a RAD16-I-based biomaterial. The strategy followed to build 3D predefined structures by 3D printing is based on an enhancement of bioink viscosity by adding methylcellulose (MC) to a RAD16-I solution. The resultant constructs display high shape fidelity and stability and embedded human mesenchymal stem cells present high viability after 7 days of culture. Moreover, cells are also able to differentiate to the adipogenic lineage, suggesting the suitability of this novel biomaterial for soft tissue engineering applications. more...
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- 2019
43. Time-Lapse Intravital Imaging of Biomaterials Integration in Tissues using a Multicolor Multiphoton Microscope
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Sandra Baker, Natalia Castro, Xavier Trepat, Oscar Castaño, Dobryna Zalvidea, and Elisabeth Engel
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0301 basic medicine ,Microscope ,Materials science ,Biomaterial ,High resolution ,02 engineering and technology ,Intravital Imaging ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Multiphoton fluorescence microscope ,law ,In vivo ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Different mechanisms are triggered when tissue is exposed to a biomaterial. The success of the biomaterial targeted process, like the release of chemicals, promoted angiogenesis, tissue regeneration, etc. depends on its integration in the tissue [1]. Studying this interaction in vivo requires the ability to image simultaneously deep immersed proteins and biomaterials with high resolution and low damage. Several methods offer solutions but only multiphoton microscopy (MM) has the ability to image with high resolution deep inside the sample. Why is not MM more extensively applied as a platform for investigating biomaterial integration in vivo? The high cost of the typical source for multiphoton microscopy is a clear limitation. Furthermore, imaging several channels simultaneously becomes out of reach for most of the labs. more...
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- 2019
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44. Therapeutic potential of articular cartilage regeneration using tissue engineering based on multiphase designs
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Iván A. Marino-Martínez, Víctor M. Peña-Martínez, Lizeth Fuentes-Mera, Elisabeth Engel, Jorge Lara-Arias, Vanessa Pérez-Silos, Alberto Camacho, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Chemistry ,Regeneration (biology) ,Ossos -- Regeneració ,InformationSystems_INFORMATIONSTORAGEANDRETRIEVAL ,biofunctionalization ,Vascularization ,Articular cartilage ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Biomaterials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Teixits ,Osteochondral regeneration ,Multiphasic designs ,Cartilage tissue engineering ,Bone regeneration ,Tissues ,Tissue engineering ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Articular cartilage tissue possesses poor ability to regenerate; as the lesion progresses, it extends to the underlying subchondral bone and an osteochondral (OC) defect appears complicating the therapeutic approaches. Cartilage tissue engineering has become a very active research area capable of contributing to medical technology innovation. In this regard, the development of new biomaterials in combination with cells represents one of the best alternatives for the treatment of OC injuries. In the last decades, the strategies have been designed without considering the cartilage as a complex tissue with a functionally stratified three-dimensional structure. Today, efforts are focused on creating a starting point in the process of cartilage formation with the development of a multiphase implants that recapitulates the cartilage as an OC unit, which improves its integration. This chapter will focus on a review of tissue engineering based on multiphase designs for cartilage and OC injuries, highlighting the importance of the biomaterial selection, and also the relevance of a biomimetic approach to reach a suitable microenvironment for the differentiation and maturation of the chondral tissue. more...
- Published
- 2019
45. List of contributors
- Author
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Sarah Al-Maawi, Luigi Ambrosio, Serena M. Best, Owen Brown, Phil Chambers, Natalia Pajares Chamorro, Xanthippi Chatzistavrou, SC Cifuentes Cuellar, Roberto De Santis, JM Delgado López, Nicholas J. Dunne, Elisabeth Engel, Whit Froehlich, Robyn K. Fuchs, Maurizio Genitiempo, Shahram Ghanaati, Maria-Pau Ginebra, JL González-Carrasco, Vincenzo Guarino, Wolfram Höland, Damien Lacroix, M Lieblich Rodríguez, Adam C. Marsh, MA Mateos-Timoneda, Helen O. McCarthy, Antonio Merolli, Edgar B. Montufar, Anders Palmquist, TMF Patrício, Kendell M. Pawelec, GB Ramírez Rodríguez, Markus Rampf, Sergi Rey-Vinolas, Antonio J. Salinas, Furqan A. Shah, William R. Thompson, Margarita Trobos, María Vallet-Regí, Christian Vercler, Stuart J. Warden, Ashley A. White, and Magdalena Zaborowska more...
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- 2019
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46. Feasible and pure P2O5-CaO nanoglasses: An in-depth NMR study of synthesis for the modulation of the bioactive ion release
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Elena Xuriguera, John W. Layton, Joan Marti-Munoz, Oscar Castaño, Josep A. Planell, Elisabeth Engel, Stephen E. Rankin, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Enginyeria Metal·lúrgica, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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Reaction mechanism ,Chemical structure ,0206 medical engineering ,Biomedical Engineering ,Nanoparticle ,chemistry.chemical_element ,02 engineering and technology ,Calcium ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Biochemistry ,Bone cements ,Biomaterials ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,NMR spectroscopy ,Espectroscopia de ressonància magnètica nuclear ,Tissue engineering ,Sol-gel process ,Solubility ,Molecular Biology ,Dissolution ,Sol-gel ,General Medicine ,Calcium phosphate glasses ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Phosphate ,020601 biomedical engineering ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Enginyeria de teixits ,Materials biomèdics ,Ion release ,Ciments ossis ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical materials ,Biotechnology - Abstract
The use of bioactive glasses (e.g. silicates, phosphates, borates) has demonstrated to be an effective therapy for the restoration of bone fractures, wound healing and vascularization. Their partial dissolution towards the surrounding tissue has shown to trigger positive bioactive responses, without the necessity of using growth factors or cell therapy, which reduces money-costs, side effects and increases their translation to the clinics. However, bioactive glasses often need from stabilizers (e.g. SiO44−, Ti4+, Co2+, etc.) that are not highly abundant in the body and which metabolization is not fully understood. In this study, we were focused on synthesizing pure calcium phosphate glasses without the presence of such stabilizers. We combined a mixture of ethylphosphate and calcium 2-methoxyethoxide to synthesize nanoparticles with different compositions and degradability. Synthesis was followed by an in-depth nuclear magnetic resonance characterization, complemented with other techniques that helped us to correlate the chemical structure of the glasses with their physiochemical properties and reaction mechanism. After synthesis, the organically modified xerogel (i.e. calcium monoethylphosphate) was treated at 200 or 350 °C and its solubility was maintained and controlled due to the elimination of organics, increase of phosphate-calcium interactions and phosphate polycondensation. To the best of our knowledge, we are reporting the first sol-gel synthesis of binary (P2O5-CaO) calcium phosphate glass nanoparticles in terms of continuous polycondensated phosphate chains structure without the addition of extra ions. The main goal is to straightforward the synthesis, to get a safer metabolization and to modulate the bioactive ion release. Additionally, we shed light on the chemical structure, reaction mechanism and properties of calcium phosphate glasses with high calcium contents, which nowadays are poorly understood. Statement of Significance The use of bioactive inorganic materials (i.e. bioactive ceramics, glass-ceramics and glasses) for biomedical applications is attractive due to their good integration with the host tissue without the necessity of adding exogenous cells or growth factors. In particular, degradable calcium phosphate glasses are completely resorbable, avoiding the retention in the body of the highly stable silica network of silicate glasses, and inducing a more controllable degradability than bioactive ceramics. However, most calcium phosphate glasses include the presence of stabilizers (e.g. Ti4+, Na+, Co2+), which metabolization is not fully understood and complicates their synthesis. The development of binary calcium phosphate glasses with controlled degradability reduces these limitations, offering a simple and completely metabolizable material with higher transfer to the clinics. more...
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- 2019
47. Catheter tip distensibility substantially influences the aspiration force of thrombectomy devices
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Marta de Dios Lascuevas, Marc Ribo, Pere Canals, Alejandro Tomasello, Elisabeth Engel, Oscar Castaño, Jiahui Li, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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First pass ,Electronics in cardiology ,Catheters ,business.industry ,Carotid arteries ,Electrònica en cardiologia ,General Medicine ,Aspiration force ,Enginyeria biomèdica::Electrònica biomèdica::Electrònica en cardiologia [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Catheter ,Medicine ,Inner diameter ,Endovascular treatment ,Surgery ,Stroke treatment ,Neurology (clinical) ,business ,Thrombectomy ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
BackgroundA direct aspiration first pass thrombectomy (ADAPT) is a fast-growing technique for which a broad catalog of catheters that provide a wide range of aspiration forces can be used. We aimed to characterize different catheters' aspiration performance on stiff clots in an in vitro vascular model. We hypothesized that labeled catheter inner diameter (labeled-ID) is not the only parameter that affects the aspiration force (asp-F) and that thrombus–catheter tip interaction and distensibility also play a major role.MethodsWe designed an experimental setup consisting of a 3D-printed carotid artery immersed in a water deposit. We measured asp-F and distensibility of catheter tips when performing ADAPT on a stiff clot analog larger than catheter labeled-ID. Correlations between asp-F, catheter ID, and tip distensibility were statistically assessed.ResultsExperimental asp-F and catheter labeled-ID were correlated (r=0.9601; PConclusionsCatheter tip distensibility can induce a significant impact on ADAPT performance when retrieving a stiff clot larger than the device ID. Our findings might contribute to optimizing thrombectomy strategies and the design of novel aspiration catheters. more...
- Published
- 2021
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48. Development and Angiogenic Potential of Cell-Derived Microtissues Using Microcarrier-Template
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Irene Cano-Torres, Miguel A. Mateos-Timoneda, Soledad Pérez-Amodio, Gerard Rubí-Sans, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Elisabeth Engel, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Biomèdica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies more...
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0301 basic medicine ,Scaffold ,Cultispher® S ,Angiogenesis ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Bioengineering ,Cell-derived matrix ,02 engineering and technology ,Matrix (biology) ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Regenerative medicine ,Article ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Extracellular matrix ,angiogenesis ,03 medical and health sciences ,Medicina regenerativa ,Tissue engineering ,Bioenginyeria ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Neovascularization ,poly-lactic acid microcarriers ,Chemistry ,Mesenchymal stem cell ,Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ,Microcarrier ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Angiogènesi ,Cell biology ,030104 developmental biology ,Enginyeria de teixits ,rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,Poly-lactic acid microcarriers ,Materials biomèdics ,microtissue ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical materials ,cell-derived matrix ,Microtissue - Abstract
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches use biomaterials in combination with cells to regenerate lost functions of tissues and organs to prevent organ transplantation. However, most of the current strategies fail in mimicking the tissue’s extracellular matrix properties. In order to mimic native tissue conditions, we developed cell-derived matrix (CDM) microtissues (MT). Our methodology uses poly-lactic acid (PLA) and Cultispher® S microcarriers’ (MCs’) as scaffold templates, which are seeded with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBM-MSCs). The scaffold template allows cells to generate an extracellular matrix, which is then extracted for downstream use. The newly formed CDM provides cells with a complex physical (MT architecture) and biochemical (deposited ECM proteins) environment, also showing spontaneous angiogenic potential. Our results suggest that MTs generated from the combination of these two MCs (mixed MTs) are excellent candidates for tissue vascularization. Overall, this study provides a methodology for in-house fabrication of microtissues with angiogenic potential for downstream use in various tissue regenerative strategies. more...
- Published
- 2021
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49. Chitosan/PEGDA based scaffolds as bioinspired materials to control in vitro angiogenesis
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Alessandra Soriente, Luigi Ambrosio, Christian Demitri, Elisabeth Engel, Ines Fasolino, Maria Grazia Raucci, Soledad Pérez Amodio, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IMEM-BRT- Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Soriente, A., Amodio, S. P., Fasolino, I., Raucci, M. G., Demitri, C., Engel, E., and Ambrosio, L. more...
- Subjects
Chitosan/PEGDA based scaffolds ,Materials science ,Human umbilical vein endothelial cells HUVECs ,Angiogenesis ,Neovascularization, Physiologic ,Bioengineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Enginyeria dels materials [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Regenerative medicine ,Umbilical vein ,Polyethylene Glycols ,Human umbilical vein endothelial cells HUVEC ,Biomaterials ,Chitosan ,Neovascularization ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Osteogenesis ,Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ,medicine ,Humans ,BMP-2 peptide ,Tube formation ,Tissue Engineering ,Tissue Scaffolds ,Cell growth ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,0104 chemical sciences ,Cell biology ,Angiogenesi ,Durapatite ,chemistry ,Chitosan/PEGDA based scaffold ,Materials biomèdics ,Mechanics of Materials ,medicine.symptom ,0210 nano-technology ,Biomedical materials ,Ethylene glycol - Abstract
In the current work, our purpose was based on the assessment of bioactive chitosan (CS)/Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) based scaffolds ability to stimulate in vitro angiogenesis process. The bioactivation of the scaffolds was accomplished by using organic (BMP-2 peptide) and inorganic (hydroxyapatite nanoparticles) cues. In particular, the properties of the materials in terms of biological response promotion on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were studied by using in vitro angiogenesis tests based on cell growth and proliferation. Furthermore, our interest was to examine the scaffolds capability to modulate two important steps involved in angiogenesis process: migration and tube formation of cells. Our data underlined that bioactive signals on CS/PEGDA scaffolds surface induce a desirable effect on angiogenic response concerning angiogenic marker expression (CD-31) and endothelial tissue formation (tube formation). Taken together, the results emphasized the concept that bioactive CS/PEGDA scaffolds may be novel implants for stimulating neovascularization of tissue-engineered constructs in regenerative medicine field. more...
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Correction: Gross anatomy, histology and blood vessel topography of the alimentary canal of the Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).
- Author
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Elisabeth Engelke, Christiane Pfarrer, Katharina Radelof, Michael Fehr, and Karina A Mathes
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234736.].
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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