Dasatinib Inhibits Peripapillary Scleral Myofibroblast Differentiation

This study identified dasatinib as a potent inhibitor of cyclic mechanical stretch-induced myofibroblast differentiation in vitro.

Originally Published in: Experimental Eye Research (2020) (Link to Paper)

Curi CytostretcherArianna KieserMarch 13, 2020Eye Tissue

Engineering Anisotropic 3D Tubular Tissues with Flexible Thermoresponsive Nanofabricated Substrates

Developed a novel method for patterning and layering individual cell sheets and casting them into 3D tubular geometries with curved surfaces.

(Link to Paper)

Switch-like Enhancement of Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition by YAP Through Feedback Regulation of WT1 and Rho-family GTPases

The integrity of the expanding epithelial sheets depends on extracellular cues, including cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Researchers show that the nano-scale topography of the extracellular matrix underlying epithelial cell layers can strongly affect the speed and morphology of the fronts of the expanding sheet which is dependent on expression of the transcription factor YAP. This process is integral to epithelial to mesenchymal transitions which is a key stage of cancer progression and metastasis.

Originally Published in: Nature Communications (2019) (Link to Paper)

NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserFebruary 10, 2020

NanoMEA: A Tool for High-Throughput, Electrophysiological Phenotyping of Patterned Excitable Cells

Alec S. T. Smith, Eunpyo Choi, Kevin Gray, Jesse Macadangdang, Eun Hyun Ahn, Elisa C. Clark, Michael A. Laflamme, Joseph C. Wu, Charles E. Murry, Leslie Tung, Deok-Ho Kim* Nano Lett. 2020, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 1561-1570, Publication Date: December 17, 2019 (Link to Paper)

NanoSurface Plates, NanoMEAArianna KieserFebruary 10, 2020

Evolution of Placental Invasion and Cancer Metastasis are Causally Linked

Kshitiz, Afzal, J., Maziarz, J.D. et al. Nat Ecol Evol 3, pp. 1743–1753, Publication Date: 2019 (Link to Paper)

Cancer Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserJanuary 17, 2020Melanoma Cancer Cells

Superresolution Architecture of Cornerstone Focal Adhesions in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

This study aims to elucidate the role of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix plays in maintenance of pluripotency. Researchers used superresolution two-color interferometric photo-activated localization microscopy to examine the three-dimensional architecture of cornerstone adhesions and report vertical lamination of FA proteins. Nanopatterned plates were used to accelerate differentiation of stem cell cultures to help examine the roles of these structural elements.

Originally Published in: Nature Communications (2019) (Link to Paper)

Stem Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserOctober 18, 2019Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Matrix Topography Regulates Synaptic Transmission at the Neuromuscular Junction

Recreation of a muscle that can be controlled by the nervous system would provide a major breakthrough for treatments of injury and diseases. However, the underlying basis of how neuron–muscle interfaces are formed is still not understood sufficiently. Here, it is hypothesized that substrate topography regulates neural innervation and synaptic transmission by mediating the cross-talk between neurons and muscles. This hypothesis is examined by differentiating neural stem cells on the myotubes, formed on the substrate with controlled groove width. The substrate with the groove width of 1600 nm, a similar size to the myofibril diameter, serves to produce larger and aligned myotubes than the flat substrate. The myotubes formed on the grooved substrate display increases in the acetylcholine receptor expression. Reciprocally, motor neuron progenitor cells differentiated from neural stem cells innervate the larger and aligned myotubes more actively than randomly oriented myotubes. The results of this study will be broadly useful for improving the quality of engineered muscle used in a series of applications including drug screening, regeneration therapies, and biological machinery assembly.

Originally Published in: Advanced Science (2019) (Link to Paper)

pHluo_M153R-CD63, a Bright, Versatile Live Cell Reporter of Exosome Secretion and Uptake, Reveals Pathfinding Behavior of Migrating Cells

Bong Hwan Sung, Roxanne Pelletier, Alissa M. Weaver, bioRxiv 577346, Publication Date: 2019 (Link to Paper)

Fibroblast Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserMarch 14, 2019

Microtubule-Actomyosin Mechanical Cooperation During Contact Guidance Sensing

Cancer cell migration through and away from tumors is driven in part by migration along aligned extracellular matrix, a process known as contact guidance (CG). To concurrently study the influence of architectural and mechanical regulators of CG sensing, we developed a set of CG platforms. Using flat and nanotextured substrates with variable architectures and stiffness, we show that CG sensing is regulated by substrate stiffness and define a mechanical role for microtubules and actomyosin-microtubule interactions during CG sensing. Furthermore, we show that Arp2/3-dependent lamellipodia dynamics can compete with aligned protrusions to diminish the CG response and define Arp2/3- and Formins-dependent actin architectures that regulate microtubule-dependent protrusions, which promote the CG response. Thus, our work represents a comprehensive examination of the physical mechanisms influencing CG sensing.

Originally Published in: Cell Reports (2018) (Link to Paper)

Cancer Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserOctober 9, 2018Human Breast Cancer Cells

Biomechanical Interplay Between Anisotropic Re-organization of Cells and the Surrounding Matrix Underlies Transition to Invasive Cancer Spread

Kim, D., Ewald, A.J., Park, J. et al. Sci Rep 8, 14210, Publication Date: 2018 (Link to Paper)

Cancer Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserSeptember 21, 2018Melanoma

Conductive Silk–polypyrrole Composite Scaffolds with Bioinspired Nanotopographic Cues for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Jonathan H. Tsui et al. J. Mater. Chem. B, 6, 7185-7196, Publication Date: 2018 (Link To Paper)

Evaluation of the Periodontal Regenerative Properties of Patterned Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Sheets

Joong-Hyun Kim et al. J Periodontal Implant Sci. , 47(6): 402–415, Publication Date: December 2017 (Link To Paper)

Stem Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserDecember 31, 2017Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells

Harnessing Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Signaling and Nanotopographical Cues To Regulate Skeletal Muscle Maturation and Vascularization

Jonathan H. Tsui et al. ACS Nano, 11, 12, 11954-11968, Publication Date: November 20, 2017 (Link To Paper)

Muscle Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserNovember 20, 2017Hind Limb Muscle Cells

3D High-Content Screening of Organoids for Drug Discovery

Li, Linfeng & LaBarbera, D.V. 10.1016/B978-0-12-409547-2.12329-7., Publication Date: 2016 (Link To Paper)

NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserJune 13, 2017

Anisotropic Forces from Spatially Constrained Focal Adhesions Mediate Contact Guidance Directed Cell Migration

Ray, A., Lee, O., Win, Z. et al. Nat Commun 8, 14923, Publication Date: 2017 (Link To Paper)

Cancer Cells, NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserApril 12, 2017

Nanotopography-Induced Structural Anisotropy and Sarcomere Development in Human Cardiomyocytes Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Source: Nisa P. Williams, Marcus Rhodehamel, Calysta Yan, Alec S.T. Smith, Alex Jiao, Charles E. Murry, Marta Scatena, Deok-Ho Kim, Engineering anisotropic 3D tubular tissues with flexible thermoresponsive nanofabricated substrates, Biomaterials, Volume 240, 2020, 119856, ISSN 0142-9612.
(Link to Paper)

NanoSurface PlatesArianna KieserFebruary 11, 2016Cardiac Tissue