#fibroblasts

[dr-archeville]

Yarn grown from human skin cells could be woven or knitted

A French team of researchers say it could be used to make implantable 'human textiles' for tissue grafts or organ repair in future.

Scientists have created flexible yarn from human skin cells, which can be knitted, crocheted or weaved into unique patterns for medical purposes.  

The French researchers have already used the material in operations on animals, and say it could be used to make 'human textiles' for tissue grafts or organ repair in future.

Cells called fibroblasts are used to make the versatile skin in a laboratory, which is then twisted to form threads that are can be turned into various structures.

'We can sew pouches, create tubes, valves and perforated membranes,' lead author of the study Nicholas L'Heureux from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux told New Scientist.

'With the yarn, any textile approach is feasible: knitting, braiding, weaving, even crocheting.'

Unlike synthetic 'skin', which can trigger inflammation that hinders the healing process, skin made from fibroblasts is not rejected by the human immune system, making it perfect for medical procedures.

Tzimisce-approved

[studydev]

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Signs in Surroundings

Single-cell mapping of lung cancer samples reveals presence of a distinct subset of connective tissue cells called fibroblasts in the tumour surroundings (microenvironment) is associated with different outcomes for the patient – tumour-like fibroblasts with poor prognosis and inflammatory type with longer survival

Read the published research article here

Image from work by Lena Cords and colleagues

Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial – NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Published in Cancer Cell, January 2024

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Squeezed into Shape

Contractility of fibroblasts – cells of the connective tissue – sculpts the shapes and branching of epithelial cells in developing mammary glands

Read the published research article here

Image from work by Jakub Sumbal, Silvia Fre and Zuzana Sumbalova Koledova

Masaryk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Brno, Czech Republic

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Biology, January 2024

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Brain Bug

Bacterial meningitis is life-threatening. Caused by infection of the brain coverings (meninges) with bacteria, such as E.coli, it's especially deadly in infants. Using mice, researchers investigate how cells in the meninges respond to E.coli infection soon after birth. Upon infection, single nucleus RNA sequencing revealed macrophages, fibroblasts and endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, significantly changed their gene activity. Endothelial cells increased the activity of TLR4, a signalling protein. In mice lacking TLR4, the response to infection was weakened. Next, the team dissected different layers of the meninges – the dura (pictured, top left) and leptomeninges (top right, bottom) – to image cell junction (green, red) and blood-brain barrier proteins (pink). Infection caused proteins normally found at cell junctions in leptomeninges endothelial cells to redistribute elsewhere and leptomeninges capillaries to become disorganised and leaky. This provides insights into how the meninges blood vessel network responds to infection.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Image from work by Jie Wang, Amir Rattner and Jeremy Nathans

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in eLife, June2023

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Reprogramming Scars

After a heart attack, cardiac fibroblasts (shown) immediately patch up the damage to save the tissue. But, the scar they form is tough and non-contractile meaning the heart’s pumping function is compromised, which can ultimately result in its failure. To improve outcomes of patients after heart attacks, scientists are investigating in mice ways to reprogram the fibroblasts into muscle. The problem is, adult fibroblasts are particularly reluctant to change – in part, it seems, because of a transcription factor called Epas1 (stained red). But, a cocktail of RNA molecules that block Epas1 and promote muscle identity seems to do the trick. When scientists packaged this cocktail into membrane-bound droplets (called exosomes) and delivered them to the injured hearts of mice, the fibroblasts reprogrammed, scarring was reduced and heart function improved. If such an approach can be adapted for humans, it may help to maintain heart function and prolong life after a heart attack.

Written by Ruth WIlliams

Image from work by Hualing Sun and colleagues

Mandel Center for Heart and Vascular Research, and the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Journal of Biological Chemistry, April 2023

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Protective Partnership

If a house on your street was attacked, would you join forces with your neighbours to repair the damage and fend off the intruders? That, it seems, is what two cell types in your gut do. The intestine lining faces a constant barrage of physical forces and biological material, so regular maintenance and repairs are essential. Researchers investigating this regulation, and how inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis arise when it goes wrong, looked at the role of interleukin-11, a product of the immune system. Without it, colitis in mice worsened and more cells of the gut lining died. Interleukin-11 (green, present in damaged areas of tissue) is produced by connective cells called fibroblasts, but the researchers found that other immune cells also regulate its levels by releasing highly reactive molecules. Interleukin-11 protects the lining during inflammation, and the collaboration that produces it must be considered in any potential treatments.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Takashi Nishina and colleagues

Department of Biochemistry, Toho University School of Medicine, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in iScience, January 2023

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Lining Up

Just as fastidious gardeners might erect a trellis to guide their plants, tissue engineers build microscopic scaffolds to support and steer cell development. To overcome the challenges of precise construction at tiny scales, researchers have been experimenting with imbuing the materials with magnetic properties, which might mean the pieces could be aligned by an external magnetic field. A new study aimed to develop a form of injectable 3D hydrogel (a material that supports cell growth), with rod-shaped microgels containing magnetic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles, made of an iron oxide called maghemite, let researchers create a carefully aligned structure of rods (red in the video, with both parallel and perpendicular arrangements) over which mouse fibroblasts (connective tissue, green and blue) can grow. Tweaking the magnetic field strength or orientation enabled control over the scaffold setup, highlighting the potential of this approach for steering the growth of cells for regeneration and repair.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Video from work by Dominik L. Braunmiller and colleagues

Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Advanced Functional Materials, September 2022

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