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Nanoarchitectonics of a Microsphere-Based Scaffold for Modeling Neurodevelopment and Neurological Disease
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Nanoarchitectonics of a Microsphere-Based Scaffold for Modeling Neurodevelopment and Neurological Disease

Eric S. Sandhurst, Sharad Jaswandkar, Krishna Kundu, Dinesh R. Katti, Kalpana S. Katti, Hongli Sun, Daniel Engebretson and Kevin R. Francis
ACS applied bio materials, Vol.5(2), pp.528-544
01/19/2022
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.1c01012
PMCID: PMC8865216
PMID: 35045249
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8865216View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Three-dimensional cellular constructs derived from pluripotent stem cells allow the ex vivo study of neurodevelopment and neurological disease within a spatially organized model. However, the robustness and utility of three-dimensional models is impacted by tissue self-organization, size limitations, nutrient supply, and heterogeneity. In this work, we have utilized the principles of nanoarchitectonics to create a multifunctional polymer/bioceramic composite microsphere system for stem cell culture and differentiation in a chemically defined micro-environment. Microspheres could be customized to produce three-dimensional structures of defined size (ranging from 100 to <350 mu m) with lower mechanical properties compared with a thin film. Furthermore, the microspheres softened in solution, approaching more tissue-like mechanical properties over time. With neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, microsphere-cultured NSCs were able to utilize multiple substrates to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Prolonged culture of NSC-bound microspheres under differentiating conditions allowed the formation of both neural and glial cell types from control and patient-derived stem cell models. Human NSCs and differentiated neurons could also be cocultured with astrocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, demonstrating application for tissue-engineered modeling of development and human disease. We further demonstrated that microspheres allow the loading and sustained release of multiple recombinant proteins to support cellular maintenance and differentiation. While previous work has principally utilized self-organizing models or protein-rich hydrogels for neural culture, the three-dimensional matrix developed here through nanoarchitectonics represents a chemically defined and robust alternative for the in vitro study of neurodevelopment and nervous system disorders.
Materials Science Materials Science, Biomaterials Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Technology

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