Towards control of smooth muscle cell differentiation in synthetic 3D scaffolds

TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards control of smooth muscle cell differentiation in synthetic 3D scaffolds

AU - Baker, Simon C.

AU - Southgate, Jennifer

PY - 2008/8

Y1 - 2008/8

N2 - A central tenant of tissue engineering is that cells should be able to recapitulate full functional tissue capability when placed within an appropriate architecture or scaffold. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three-dimensional (3D) architecture on the differentiated phenotype of human smooth muscle cells derived from the stroma of the lower urinary tract. Stromal cell cultures were established from surgical specimens and the differentiated smooth muscle cell phenotype was monitored by gene expression, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Expression of contractile proteins, including smooth muscle myosin and smoothelin, was lost by cultures grown on two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture polystyrene, but was regained to some extent by the removal of serum and by the addition of TGF beta(1). Stromal cells were seeded onto plasma-coated electrospun polystyrene scaffolds to examine the influence of 3D architecture on smooth muscle cell phenotype, but differentiation was inhibited by serum proteins that adsorbed non-specifically onto the large surface area of the scaffold. Stromal cells failed to adhere to the scaffold in serum-free conditions, but laminin pre-coating of the scaffold prevented serum adsorption and promoted cell attachment and differentiation. The study highlights how non-specific factors, such as serum adsorption, may confound the development of materials for tissue engineering. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - A central tenant of tissue engineering is that cells should be able to recapitulate full functional tissue capability when placed within an appropriate architecture or scaffold. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three-dimensional (3D) architecture on the differentiated phenotype of human smooth muscle cells derived from the stroma of the lower urinary tract. Stromal cell cultures were established from surgical specimens and the differentiated smooth muscle cell phenotype was monitored by gene expression, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Expression of contractile proteins, including smooth muscle myosin and smoothelin, was lost by cultures grown on two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture polystyrene, but was regained to some extent by the removal of serum and by the addition of TGF beta(1). Stromal cells were seeded onto plasma-coated electrospun polystyrene scaffolds to examine the influence of 3D architecture on smooth muscle cell phenotype, but differentiation was inhibited by serum proteins that adsorbed non-specifically onto the large surface area of the scaffold. Stromal cells failed to adhere to the scaffold in serum-free conditions, but laminin pre-coating of the scaffold prevented serum adsorption and promoted cell attachment and differentiation. The study highlights how non-specific factors, such as serum adsorption, may confound the development of materials for tissue engineering. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - bladder

KW - tissue culture

KW - smooth muscle cell

KW - differentiation

KW - electrospinning

KW - polystyrene

KW - scaffold

KW - TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-BETA(1)

KW - CARBOXYPEPTIDASE-LIKE PROTEIN

KW - BLADDER CONTRACTILE FUNCTION

KW - FETAL EXCISIONAL WOUNDS

KW - HEAVY-CHAIN ISOFORMS

KW - IN-VITRO

KW - DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS

KW - MYOFIBROBLAST INDUCTION

KW - FACTOR-BETA

KW - EXPRESSION

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=44349160000&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2008.04.033

DO - 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2008.04.033

M3 - Article

C2 - 18485473

SN - 0142-9612

VL - 29

SP - 3357

EP - 3366

JO - Biomaterials

JF - Biomaterials

IS - 23

ER -