Protein Precoating of Elastomeric Tissue-Engineering Scaffolds Increased Cellularity, Enhanced Extracellular Matrix Protein Production, and Differentially Regulated the Phenotypes of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Abstract

Background-Optimal cell sources and scaffold-cell interactions remain unanswered questions for tissue engineering of heart valves. We assessed the effect of different protein precoatings on a single scaffold type (elastomeric poly (glycerol sebacate)) with a single cell source (endothelial progenitor cells). Methods and Results-Elastomeric poly (glycerol sebacate) scaffolds were precoated with laminin, fibronectin, fibrin, collagen types I/III, or elastin. Characterized ovine peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells were seeded onto scaffolds for 3 days followed by 14 days incubation. Endothelial progenitor cells were CD31 ϩ , vWF ϩ , and ␣-SMA

The influence of heart valve leaflet matrix characteristics on the interaction between human mesenchymal stem cells and decellularized scaffolds

“…the compressive resistance offered by hyaluronan, the critical roles performed by decorin and biglycan in tension and elastogenesis and yet the important contribution of decorin in collagen fibrillogenesis [25]. In this regard, Sales and colleagues [26] also found that cells expressing markers of SMC lineages segregate in the ventricularis of engineered porcine pulmonary valve leaflets [27]. Elastic fibers, which are insoluble in the valvular ECM, consist of macromolecules of cross-linked elastin surrounded by fibrillin-rich microfibrils, containing the RGD cell adhesion motif, which is capable of interacting with cell integrins, thus regulating cytoskeleton reorganization, cell proliferation and synthetic activities [28].…”

How to Make a Heart Valve: From Embryonic Development to Bioengineering of Living Valve Substitutes

“…Commonly used biomaterials are different copolymers and derivatives thereof, whereas, more recently, elastomeric materials have gained attention (Courtney et al 2006;Sales et al 2007;Stella et al 2010). Compared with decellularized xenogenic and allogenic matrices, these materials avoid the risk of disease transfer and immunological complications.…”

Cyclic Stretch Affects Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Control of Pulmonary Smooth Muscle Cell Growth

“…Fibronectin (Sigma-Aldrich Corp., St. Louis, MO) at 1.7 mg/ml in Hanks' buffered salt solution (Cambrex Corp.) was placed in the dishes at 48C overnight. Different protein precoatings clearly affect endothelial cell function (21). We chose fibronectin as the precoating agent for our experiments due to its ability to maintain cells attached to the silastic membrane for 6 hours at 15% strain.…”