Johns Hopkins Research Data Repository
Not a member yet
553 research outputs found
Sort by
Data associated with: Functional surfaces for high-resolution analysis of cancer cell interactions on exogenous hyaluronic acid
No full textDatasets, imagery, and supplementary files associated primarily with selected figures from the title publication. From the abstract: Hyaluronic acid, a nonsulfated, linear glycosaminoglycan, is ubiquitously distributed in the extracellular matrix and is known to facilitate tumor progression by enhancing invasion, growth, and angiogenesis. Native HA has been attached to substrates to create patterned surfaces resistant to cell adhesion, and has been utilized in a variety of cell adhesion studies using either non covalently bound layers patterned by soft lithography or related methods. We use a new approach to study cell interactions with HA-presenting regions, by covalently linking HA adjacent to PEG-ylated regions, which resist cell adhesion. Colon and breast cancer cells seeded on the patterned HA surfaces adhere preferentially on HA-presenting regions and proliferate there. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cell adhesion is inhibited with the blocking of HA receptor, CD44, and that cellular adhesive processes, through protrusions spreading onto the HA surface, enhance spreading and movement outside the HA-presenting regions. Overall, this approach allows high-resolution analysis of cancer cell attachment, growth, and migration on exogenous native HA
Data associated with: Guiding endothelial progenitor cell tube formation using patterned fibronectin surfaces
No full textEngineering vascular networks is a key initiative in regenerative medicine. Moreover, control over the formation of organized vascular networks in vitro may facilitate their rapid and functional integration with the host vasculature after implantation. The extracellular matrix provides a structural platform for endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to differentiate and assemble into a tubular structure. We demonstrate that optimized, patterned fibronectin surfaces guide the ordered adhesion of human EPCs, maintain EPC responsiveness to tumor necrosis factor-α, support their elongation along the culture period, and enhance vo
n Willebrand factor expression. Using fibrin gel as the three-dimensional milieu allows the assembly of unidirectional chains and formation of tubular structures. High-resolution analysis shows a distinctive lumen, as well as numerous Weibel Palade bodies and caveolae, all indicating a typical progression in vascular morphogenesis and the angiogenic process. Altogether, this approach allows us to engineer the formation of well-organized vascular structures in vitro
Data associated with: Controlled activation of morphogenesis to generate a functional human microvasculature in a synthetic matrix
No full textUnderstanding the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vascular morphogenesis has been possible using natural ECMs as in vitro models to study the underlying molecular mechanisms. However, little is known about vascular morphogenesis in synthetic matrices where properties can be tuned toward both the basic understanding of tubulogenesis in modular environments and as a clinically relevant alternative to natural materials for regenerative medicine. We investigated synthetic, tunable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels and determined both the adhesion and degradation parameters that enable human endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) to form efficient vascular networks. Entrapped ECFCs underwent tubulogenesis dependent on the cellular interactions with the HA hydrogel during each stage of vascular morphogenesis. Vacuole and lumen formed through integrins α5β1 and αVβ3, while branching and sprouting were enabled by HA hydrogel degradation. Vascular networks formed within HA hydrogels containing ECFCs anastomosed with the host's circulation and supported blood flow in the hydrogel after transplantation. Collectively, we show that the signaling pathways of vascular morphogenesis of ECFCs can be precisely regulated in a synthetic matrix, resulting in a functional microvasculature useful for the study of 3-dimensional vascular biology and toward a range of vascular disorders and approaches in tissue regeneration. The zipped files found under "Data & Analysis" are organized by figures in the publication