Journal: Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
Article Title: Fabricating Microfluidic Co‐Cultures of Immortalized Cell Lines Uncovers Robust Design Principles for the Simultaneous Formation of Patterned, Vascularized, and Stem Cell‐Derived Adipose Tissue
doi: 10.1002/smll.202501834
Figure Lengend Snippet: GFP‐hAECs and hAD‐MSCs spontaneously form robust and phenotypical 2D microvascular networks with a morphological dependence on cell seeding ratio. A) Fluorescence images of GFP‐hAEC microvascular networks formed after 7‐days culture in complete vascular cell media, with GFP‐hAEC:hAD‐MSC seeding ratios of 2:1 ( i ), 1:1 ( ii ), 1:2 ( iii ), 1:5 ( iv ) and 1:10 ( v , scale bars = 1 mm). B) Quantitative analysis of vessel network morphology at day‐7, detailing the number of network junctions ( i ), vessel end points ( ii ), total vessel length ( iii ) and total vessel area ( iv ) within a field of view 3.67 × 3.67 mm ( n = 3 biological replicas, mean ± standard deviation). Results were compared via an ordinary one‐way ANOVA followed by a Tukey multiple comparisons test (α = 0.05). p > 0.05 (ns), p ≤ 0.05 ( * ), p ≤ 0.01 ( ** ), p ≤ 0.001 ( *** ) and p ≤ 0.0001 ( **** ). C) Time lapse imaging of GFP‐hAECs in 7‐day vasculogenesis co‐culture with a seeding ratio of 1:5 (scale bars = 1 mm). D) Quantitative analysis of every tenth time‐lapse image (47 of 478 total images) over the entire 7‐day culture period with graphs depicting the number of network junctions ( i ), vessel end points ( ii ), total vessel length ( iii ) and total vessel area ( iv ) within a field of view 3.67 × 3.67 mm (n = 3 biological replicas, mean ± standard deviation). E) Immunocytochemical staining panel of a 1:2 seeding ratio sample after 7‐days culture detailing the nuclear counter stain DAPI ( i ), endogenous GFP expression ( ii ), and detection of CD31 ( iii ), αSMA ( iv ), CD90 ( v , false colored cyan) and F‐actin ( vi , false colored yellow, scale bars = 500 µm). Images i–iv, v and vi represent three independent replicate cultures. At times, the 2:1 and 1:1 seeding ratio conditions detached from culture surfaces. The minimum time directly before which a culture commenced detachment (2:1, 22‐h; 1:1, 82‐h; depicted as dotted lines in 1.B and D) was used for the analysis of that condition and therefore was not statistically compared to the cultures which remained attached for the culture duration. EC: endothelial cell, MSC: mesenchymal stem cell, DAPI: 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole, GFP: green fluorescent protein, CD31: cluster of differentiation 31, αSMA: alpha smooth muscle actin, CD90: cluster of differentiation 90, F‐actin: filamentous actin.
Article Snippet: Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) immortalized adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD‐MSCs; ASC52telo, SCRC‐4000, American Type Culture Collection ATCC) were routinely maintained as per manufacturer's instructions in MSC Basal Medium (#500‐040) supplemented with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Kit for Adipose and Umbilical‐derived MSCs – Low Serum (#500‐030), herein referred to as “complete MSC media”, and subcultured at a confluence of ≈80%. hTERT immortalized green fluorescent protein‐expressing human aortic endothelial cells (GFP‐hAECs; TeloHAEC‐GFP, CRL‐4054, ATCC) were routinely maintained as per manufacturers instruction in Vascular Cell Basal Medium (#100‐0303) supplemented with Endothelial Cell Growth Kit – VEGF (#100‐041) and 33 μM phenol red (#999‐001), herein referred to as “complete vascular cell media”, and subcultured at a confluence of ≈80%.
Techniques: Fluorescence, Standard Deviation, Imaging, Co-Culture Assay, Staining, Expressing