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Biomedical subjects

Carsten Werner

Publications and source records attributed to Carsten Werner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A pancreatic cancer organoid-macrophage co-culture using starPEG-heparin hydrogel deciphers tumor-immune cell interactions.

Macrophages are among the most abundant immune cells in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor microenvironment (TME) and play a key role in regulating the immunosuppressive niche that facilitates tumor growth. Although recent three-dimensional (3D) culture systems using patient-derived materials have advanced our understanding of tumor biology, most models lack key cellular TME components and thus fail to capture tumor-immune cell interactions. To address this gap, we developed an in-vitro 3D co-culture model incorporating PDAC patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and macrophages within a synthetic hydrogel matrix. We optimized culture conditions by tuning medium and matrix conditions to support both cell lineages. Flow cytometry and transcriptomic analyses revealed that initially undifferentiated macrophages adopt an M2-like profile upon exposure to PDAC PDOs in starPEG-heparin hydrogels, mirroring the macrophage phenotypes observed by multiplex immunohistochemistry in the matched primary PDAC tissues. Cytokine secretome profiling revealed PDO-specific differences, indicating distinct underlying macrophage polarization subtypes. Collectively, our starPEG-heparin hydrogel-based 3D co-culture enables hypothesis-driven and physiologically relevant studies of tumor-macrophage interactions and may advance immune-modulatory treatment strategies in patients with PDAC.

Journal Article↗

Thermo-responsive poly(NiPAAm-co-DEGMA) substrates for gentle harvest of human corneal endothelial cell sheets.

Gentle harvesting of corneal endothelial cell sheets grown in culture is of interest for the development of cornea replacement strategies. Thin films of a fast responding copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPAAm) and diethyleneglycol methacrylate (DEGMA) with a phase transition temperature of 32 degrees C were prepared and evaluated for that purpose. The polymer layers were immobilized onto fluorocarbon substrates using low pressure argon plasma treatment. Cell culture and detachment experiments were performed with L929 mouse fibroblasts and human corneal endothelial cells (HCEC) at standard conditions. The hydrogel-coated supports were found to permit adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of both cell types. Harvesting of cell sheets was achieved upon lowering the temperature to about 30 degrees C. The formation of a closed monolayer as a crucial prerequisite for maintaining ionic pump function in HCEC was proven by ZO-1 immunostainung. Labeling of fibronectin indicated that the vast majority of the extracellular matrix is detached from the hydrogel coatings together with the cell layer. Inspired by this result, the reuse of the hydrogel-coated culture carriers was investigated confirming the suitability of the substrates for repeated cell harvesting. Altogether, the introduced thermoresponsive coating was found advantageous for the efficient generation of HCEC sheets and will be further utilized in transplantation strategies.

Animals↗

Electrostatic interactions modulate the conformation of collagen I.

The pH- and electrolyte-dependent charging of collagen I fibrils was analyzed by streaming potential/streaming current experiments using the Microslit Electrokinetic Setup. Differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism spectroscopy were applied in similar electrolyte solutions to characterize the influence of electrostatic interactions on the conformational stability of the protein. The acid base behavior of collagen I was found to be strongly influenced by the ionic strength in KCl as well as in CaCl(2) solutions. An increase of the ionic strength with KCl from 10(-4) M to 10(-2) M shifts the isoelectric point (IEP) of the protein from pH 7.5 to 5.3. However, a similar increase of the ionic strength in CaCl(2) solutions shifts the IEP from 7.5 to above pH 9. Enhanced thermal stability with increasing ionic strength was observed by differential scanning calorimetry in both electrolyte systems. In line with this, circular dichroism spectroscopy results show an increase of the helicity with increasing ionic strength. Better screening of charged residues and the formation of salt bridges are assumed to cause the stabilization of collagen I with increasing ionic strength in both electrolyte systems. Preferential adsorption of hydroxide ions onto intrinsically uncharged sites in KCl solutions and calcium binding to negatively charged carboxylic acid moieties in CaCl(2) solutions are concluded to shift the IEP and influence the conformational stability of the protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Engineered matrix coatings to modulate the adhesion of CD133+ human hematopoietic progenitor cells.

Interactions of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) with their local microenvironments in the bone marrow are thought to control homing, differentiation, and self-renewal of the cells. To dissect the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) components of the niche microenvironment, a set of well-defined ECM coatings including fibronectin, heparin, heparan sulphate, hyaluronic acid, tropocollagen I, and co-fibrils of collagen I with heparin or hyaluronic acid was prepared and analysed with respect to the attachment of human CD133+ HPC in vitro. The extension of the adhesion areas of individual cells as well as the fraction of adherent cells were assessed by reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM). Intense cell-matrix interactions were found on surfaces coated with fibronectin, heparin, heparan sulphate, and on the collagen I based co-fibrils. Insignificant adhesion was found for tropocollagen I and hyaluronic acid. The strongest adhesion of HPC was observed on fibronectin with contact areas of about 7 microm(2). Interaction of HPC with coatings consisting of heparin, heparan sulphate, and co-fibrils result in small circular shaped contact zones of 3 microm(2) pointing to another, less efficient, adhesion mechanism. Analysing the specificity of cell-matrix interaction by antibody blocking experiments suggests an integrin(alpha(5)beta(1))-specific adhesion on fibronectin, while adhesion on heparin was shown to be mediated by selectins (CD62L). Taken together, our data provide a basis for the design of advanced culture carriers supporting site-specific proliferation or differentiation of HPC.

AC133 Antigen↗

Surface modification of poly(hydroxybutyrate) films to control cell-matrix adhesion.

Tailoring surface properties of degradable polymer scaffolds is key to progress in various tissue engineering strategies. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) thin films were modified by low pressure ammonia plasma, low pressure water vapour plasma, or immersion in a sodium hydroxide solution to elaborate means to control the cell-matrix adhesion of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells grown on these materials. Fibronectin (FN) heteroexchange and cell adhesion were correlated to the physicochemical characteristics of the modified polymer surfaces which were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning force microscopy (SFM), electrokinetic measurements, and contact angle measurements. All treatments increased the hydrophilicity of the polymer samples, which could be accounted to newly created amine or carboxyl functionalities for ammonia plasma or water vapour plasma treatments, respectively, and ester hydrolysis for treatments with alkaline aqueous solutions. Main features of cell adhesion and FN reorganisation-evaluated after 1h and after 5 days-could be attributed to the anchorage strength of pre-coated FN layers at the polymer surface, which was, in turn found to be triggered by the type of modification applied. In line with earlier studies referring to different materials cell adhesion and matrix reorganisation were shown to be sensitively controlled through the physicochemical profile of poly(hydroxybutyrate) surfaces.

Cell Adhesion↗

Electrostatic switching of biopolymer layers. Insights from combined electrokinetics and reflectometric interference.

Structural integrity and functional characteristics of biomacromolecules are largely defined by electrostatic forces between ionized moieties, which are often altered at interfaces. Unraveling these changes requires access to charge state and structure of surface-confined biopolymers in aqueous environments. We therefore combined electrokinetic measurements of interfacial electrical potentials with the simultaneous determination of the optical layer thickness by reflectometric interference spectroscopy. Two examples are summarized to demonstrate the resulting options: The pH-switching of grafted poly(l-glutamic acid) layers caused by dissociation-dependent helix-coil transitions was studied; potential distribution and ion mobility within the grafted polyelectrolyte were unraveled using an new theoretical model for the charging of polyelectrolyte layers. The charge-driven modulation of biopolymers at interfaces was furthermore analyzed in the adsorption of fibronectin onto polymer substrates with varied charge density; the results permit us to reach a conclusion about the relevance of electrostatic matching for orientation and anchorage of the protein. Altogether, the introduced methodology was found suitable to follow the electrosurface characteristics of biomacromolecules in situ.

Biopolymers↗

Electrokinetic fingerprinting of grafted polyelectrolyte layers--a theoretical approach.

Electrokinetic fingerprinting (EF) was introduced by Marlow and Rowell [Marlow BJ, Rowel RL. Langmuir 1990;6:1088] for the comprehensive characterization of charged particle surfaces. Afterwards, EF was applied by many groups for the characterization of "hard" (i.e. non-swelling) surfaces. However, the advantages of EF could not yet utilized for the characterization of grafted polyelectrolyte layers (PL) since the theoretical background was not yet elaborated. A theory for the characterization of PL at complete dissociation of the functional groups was developed by Ohshima [Adv Colloid Interface Sci 1995;62:189] and later extended by Dukhin et al. [Dukhin S, Zimmermann R, Werner C. J Colloid Interface Sci 2005;286:761] for any degree of dissociation. Further progress in the characterization of soft surfaces may be achieved by combining EF and surface conductivity (SC) measurements. Both theory and experiment demonstrate that integrated measurements of SC and apparent zeta potential zeta(a) in broad ranges of pH and ionic strength provide information about Donnan potential Psi(D), surface charge, pK and surface potential Psi(0), while the interpretation is more uncertain, when only zeta(a) is measured. This advanced method of PL characterization is established for PL grafted on flat surfaces. When PL are formed on spherical particles, the SC may be measured by means of conductometry and/or dielectric spectroscopy. However, the current theories can only be applied within a rather narrow range of the practically relevant conditions. To overcome this limitation, an unified approach to the theory of electrophoresis for spherical particles with grafted PL was elaborated taking into account the existence of two different electrokinetic models for soft surfaces. While one model is focused on hydrodynamic permeability of soft surface and disregards surface current, another model considers the surface current and disregards electrokinetic water transport within the soft surface layer. Unification became possible through generalization of the capillary osmosis theory over soft surfaces.

Electric Conductivity↗

Immobilized hyperbranched glycoacrylate films as bioactive supports.

[Image: see text] We report on the low-pressure plasma immobilization, characterization and application of thin films of hyperbranched glycoacrylates, poly(3-O-acryloyl-alpha,beta-D-glucopyranoside) (AGlc), on PTFE-like fluorocarbon surfaces. This method is an efficient and versatile way to immobilize sugar-carrying branched acrylates as thin films of approximately 5 nm thickness on polymeric substrates while the functional groups and properties of the immobilized molecules are largely retained. The extent of poly(AGlc) degradation during plasma immobilization was investigated using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and XPS. The thickness and topography of the immobilized films were characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry and SFM, respectively. Studies of protein adsorption, as well as cell adhesion and proliferation on the poly(AGlc) surfaces, showed that these materials are suitable for the control of biointerfacial phenomena. Fluorescence images of fibronectin adsorbed on to the branched glycoacrylate with a mask.

Acrylates↗

Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions in the adsorption of fibronectin at maleic acid copolymer films.

Adsorption and desorption of fibronectin (FN) were investigated at thin films of alternating maleic acid copolymers with octadecene (POMA) and with propene (PPMA). The hydrophobicity and charge density of the polymers were modulated by the choice of the comonomer. In consequence, the dominant forces between the substrate and the protein were specified as hydrophobic interaction for POMA and electrostatic interaction for PPMA. The adsorption kinetics were investigated in situ as variations of the optical thickness, adsorbed mass, and viscoelastic properties (detected by reflectometric interference spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance technique, respectively) while alterations of the electrosurface properties were derived from surface conductivity data and isoelectric points (by streaming potential/current measurements using a microslit electrokinetic setup). The results demonstrate that the interfacial mode of adsorbed FN depends on the predominant interactions: large amounts of FN were tightly bound to POMA by hydrophobic interactions. In contrast, FN adsorbed on PPMA was concluded to attain an unfolded structure allowing for the "electrostatic matching" of positively charged residues on FN with the maleic acid groups. This conclusion was supported by the acidic IEP of 3.2 found for FN on PPMA and a significant reduction of the surface conductivity of the FN-covered polymer film, whereas FN on POMA showed an IEP of 4.2 (close to the intrinsic IEP of FN), indicating a stochastic orientation of the adsorbed protein.

Adsorption↗

Protein adsorption from flowing solutions on pure and maleic acid copolymer modified glass particles.

The adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA) and lysozyme (LSZ) on pure as well as maleic acid (MA) copolymer coated spherical soda lime glass particles was investigated under flowing conditions. Coating the glass particles with two different maleic acid copolymers alters the properties of the particle surface concerning its charge and hydrophobicity in a well-defined gradation. Frontal chromatography was used to determine the surface concentration of the adsorbed proteins and to establish adsorption isotherms. The introduced methodology was demonstrated to provide a powerful means to study protein adsorption at solid/liquid interfaces. Investigations with virginal and protein-preadsorbed glass particles revealed that even under streaming conditions HSA is irreversibly adsorbed, whereas LSZ partially desorbs. For LSZ and HSA the adsorbed amounts and the isotherms strongly depend on the surface "history", i.e. the presence or absence of preadsorbed protein layers, and the kind of surface modification of the glass. Compared to the soda lime glass surface the adsorption of HSA was strongly increased on surfaces modified with a hydrophobic maleic acid copolymer indicating a strong hydrophobic protein-surface interaction. By coating the surface with a hydrophilic and more negatively charged maleic acid copolymer the adsorption of HSA to that surface was lower and comparable to the adsorption onto plain glass due to the electrostatic repulsion between HSA and the modified surface. In contrast the affinity to any of the investigated particle surfaces was generally higher for LSZ than for HSA which can be mainly attributed to the electrostatic attraction between LZS and the surface. The adsorbed amount of LSZ on the copolymer coated particle surfaces was much higher than on the pure soda lime glass particles indicating superposed hydrophobic interactions in the case of the hydrophobic MA copolymer layer and an increased density of anionic sites as well as interactions of LSZ within the three-dimensional (swollen), hydrophilic MA copolymer layer.

Adsorption↗

In vitro hemocompatibility of albumin-heparin multilayer coatings on polyethersulfone prepared by the layer-by-layer technique.

Polyethersulfone foils (PES)--a unique material for blood purification membranes--were coated with a multilayer assembly of heparin (unfractionated or high anticoagulant activity fraction heparin) and albumin (albumin-heparin coatings), or with a multilayer of albumin (albumin coating), using the layer-by-layer technique. The coatings combine advantages of albumin (reduction of nonspecific interactions) and heparin (specific interactions with blood coagulation proteins). The differences between the two heparins, while significant for their biological activity, had only a minor effect on the multilayer assembly with albumin monitored in situ by reflection infrared spectroscopy (FTIR MIRS). Uncoated as well as modified PES surfaces were evaluated using an in vitro assay with freshly drawn, slightly heparinized (1.5 IU heparin/mL) human whole blood. The blood was circulated with a roller pump over the sample surfaces in shear flow across rectangular slit channels ( app. 6 mL/min and 120 s(-1)) for 1.5 h at 37 degrees C. All coatings effectively reduced platelet adhesion and activation according to the PF4 release. The activation of coagulation evaluated as TAT generation was significantly lowered for the coating composed of albumin and high activity heparin. A further beneficial effect of the heparin containing coatings was reduced complement activation as determined by different complement fragments.

Albumins↗

Adsorption-induced conformational changes of proteins onto ceramic particles: differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR analysis.

Three model proteins, bovine serum albumin, hen's egg lysozyme and bovine serum fibrinogen, were adsorbed from aqueous solution onto finely dispersed ceramic particles, namely different kinds of alumina and hydroxyapatite particles. The influence of adsorption on protein secondary structure was investigated. The FTIR spectroscopic findings were compared with the results of DSC measurements. In almost all cases it was found that adsorption results in destabilisation and structural loss of the bound protein. A decrease in transition enthalpy is correlated with a loss in alpha-helical structure, which seems to be the most sensitive structure on adsorption-induced rearrangements. A total collapse of structure in the adsorbed proteins was not determined on any ceramic surface. Some residual structure is always retained. Structural changes in the D- or E-domains of fibrinogen could be independently observed by two different calorimetric signals. The two techniques applied in the present study -- micro-DSC and FTIR spectroscopy -- can be concluded to provide complementary information on adsorption-induced structural changes on both the molecular (thermal stability, overall structure) and the sub-molecular level (secondary structure).

Adsorption↗

Ectopic bone formation in nude rats using human osteoblasts seeded poly(3)hydroxybutyrate embroidery and hydroxyapatite-collagen tapes constructs.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ectopic bone formation using tissue engineered cell-seeded constructs with two different scaffolds and primary human maxillary osteoblasts in nude rats over an implantation period of up to 96 days. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Collagen I-coated Poly(3)hydroxybutyrate (PHB) embroidery and hydroxyapatite (HAP) collagen tapes were seeded with primary human maxillary osteoblasts (hOB) and implanted into athymic rnu/run rats. A total of 72 implants were placed into the back muscles of 18 rats. 24, 48 and 96 days after implantation, histological and histomorphometric analyses were made. The osteoblastic character of the cells was confirmed by immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR for osteocalcin. RESULTS: Histological analysis demonstrated that all cell-seeded constructs induced ectopic bone formation after 24, 48 and 96 days of implantation. There was more mineralized tissue in PHB constructs than in HAP-collagen tapes (at day 24; p < 0.05). Bone formation decreased with the increasing length of the implantation period. Osteocalcin expression verified the osteoblastic character of the cell-seeded constructs after implantation time. No bone formation and no osteocalcin expression were found in the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cell-seeded constructs either with PHB embroidery or HAP-collagen tapes can induce ectopic bone formation. However, the amount of bone formed decreased with increasing length of implantation.

Animals↗

Functional films of maleic anhydride copolymers under physiological conditions.

Reactivity and swelling of nanometer films of alternating maleic anhydride copolymers were investigated in dependence on the kind of comonomer and molar mass of copolymer in aqueous solution at pH 7.4 and pH 3.0 in order to reveal their characteristics under physiological conditions. Fully hydrolyzed (maleic acid) chains of the copolymers with styrene, propene, and ethylene comonomers covalently bound to SiO2 substrates showed a "mushroom" swelling behavior at pH 7.4 with a layer thickness scaling of N3/5. Decreasing the environmental pH was found to induce a comonomer-dependent shrinking or collapse of the immobilized polymers due to the change in ionization. From the swelling kinetics of non-hydrolyzed chains, the time constants and characteristics of swelling and anhydride hydrolysis were determined and found to depend on the type of comonomer. The short- and long-term swelling kinetics [l approximately t and approximately ln(t)1/2] were found to be in agreement with theoretical models of polymer swelling, while at intermediate time scales enhanced swelling was observed due to hydrolysis reaction of maleic anhydride groups. The findings elucidate the variety of properties of maleic anhydride copolymer films under physiological conditions, which can advantageously be applied for biofunctionalization of different templates.

Alkenes↗

Gene-expression profiling of CD34+ hematopoietic cells expanded in a collagen I matrix.

CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs) reside in the bone marrow in close proximity to the endosteal bone surface, surrounded by osteoblasts, stromal cells, and various extracellular matrix molecules. We used a bioartificial matrix of fibrillar collagen I, the major matrix component of bone, as a scaffold for ex vivo expansion of HSCs. CD34+ HSCs were isolated from umbilical cord blood and cultivated within reconstituted collagen I fibrils in the presence of fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 ligand, stem cell factor, and interleukin (IL)-3. After 7 days of culture, the cell number, number of colony-forming units (CFU-C), and gene-expression profile of the cultured cells were assessed. Although the total expansion factor of CD34+ cells was slightly lower when cells were cultivated in the collagen I gel, the frequency of CFU-C was greater than in control suspension cultures. Gene-expression analysis with microarray chip technology revealed the upregulation of more than 50 genes in the presence of collagen I. Among these, genes for several growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines (e.g., IL-8 and macrophage inhibitory protein 1alpha) could be confirmed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, greater expression levels of the negative cell-cycle regulator BTG2/TIS21 and an inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, DUSP2, underline the regulatory role of the extracellular matrix. Together, these data show that the expansion of CD34+ cord blood cells in a culture system containing a three-dimensional collagen I matrix induces a qualitative change in the gene-expression profile of cultivated HSCs.

Antigens, CD34↗

Fibronectin fibril pattern displays the force balance of cell-matrix adhesion.

Formation of fibrillar patterns of fibronectin on polymer substrates with gradated physicochemical surface properties was analysed during early stages of endothelial cell adhesion. Fibronectin was pre-adsorbed onto three maleic anhydride copolymer thin films with distinct differences in the protein adsorption strength as verified by heteroexchange experiments. The evolved micrometer scale fibrillar patterns of fibronectin on the compared polymer surfaces were characterized after 50 min of cellular reorganization by an auto-correlation analysis using fluorescence microscopy data. Statistical analysis revealed a decrease of the typical spacings of the fibronectin fibrils from 2.6 to 1.8 mum with decreasing fibronectin adsorption strength to the substrate. Size and density of focal adhesions correlated with this dependence of the fibronectin fibril pattern. From these data a model was developed relating the fibronectin fibril pattern to the fibronectin-substrate adsorption strength through the cytoskeletal force regulation mechanism of the cell.

Adhesiveness↗

Characterization of maleic acid/anhydride copolymer films by low-rate dynamic liquid-fluid contact angle measurements using axisymmetric drop shape analysis.

Thin films of alternating maleic acid/anhydride copolymers (poly(octadecene-alt-maleic acid/anhydride), POMA; poly(propene-alt-maleic acid/anhydride), PPMA; poly(styrene-alt-maleic acid/anhydride), PSMA) were studied to unravel the influence of the comonomer characteristics in the backbone on the surface-energetic properties of the copolymer films in the dry state and in contact with aqueous solutions. Water contact angle measurements revealed a graduation of the wettability of the dry hydrolyzed and annealed copolymer films that was dependent on the comonomer unit. It ranged from moderately hydrophilic (PPMA, annealed gamma(sv) = 39.9 mJ/m2) to very hydrophobic (POMA, annealed, gamma(sv) = 18.4 mJ/m2) surfaces. Liquid-fluid contact angle measurements using captive air bubbles were performed in different aqueous media (pure water, phosphate-buffered saline, and 10(-)(3) M KCl of two different pH values (pH = 3 and pH = 10) to study the copolymer films in their hydrated states relevant for biointerfacial phenomena. It was found that the graduation of the wettability of the copolymer films in the dry state is overall maintained upon immersion in aqueous solutions. The dependence of the wettability on the pH value of the aqueous medium could be related to the (de)protonation of the carboxylic groups.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗

Electrokinetic phenomena at grafted polyelectrolyte layers.

During the last decades the electrokinetic theory of Smoluchowski (Z. Phys. Chem. 92 (1918) 129) was extended to be applicable for soft surfaces (grafted polyelectrolyte layers (PL), biological and artificial membranes, etc.) by either using the Debye approximation or numerical solutions. In the theory of Ohshima (Colloids Surf. A 103 (1995) 249) the nonlinearized Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation for thick and uniform PL is solved analytically and a general hydrodynamic equation is derived in an integral form. These advantages in the theory of Ohshima provided a base for the further development of a generalized electrokinetic theory for soft surfaces. In his theory the final equation for the electroosmotic (electrophoretic) velocity is specified for the case of the complete dissociation of ionic sites within PL. Accordingly, the equation may be used only if the difference between pK and pH is very large. However, it turned out that an analytical solution of the nonlinearized PB equation for thick PL is possible for any degree of dissociation. This was achieved using the approximation of excluded coions if the absolute value of the reduced Donnan potential is larger than 2 and due to the simplification in the case of weak dissociation, when the absolute value of the reduced Donnan potential is less than 2. Combining this generalized double layer (DL) theory for PL and the theory of Ohshima enables to obtain an analytical equation for electroosmosis for the general case of any degree of dissociation. This equation creates for the first time a theoretical base for the interpretation of electrokinetic fingerprinting (EF) for the characterization of soft surfaces.

Algorithms↗