title: Co-Culture of Human Endothelial Cells and Foreskin Fibroblasts on 3D Silk-Fibrin Scaffolds Supports Vascularization.
abstract: A successful strategy to enhance the in vivo survival of engineered tissues would be to prevascularize them. In this study, fabricated silk fibroin scaffolds from mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms are investigated and compared for supporting the co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human foreskin fibroblasts. Scaffolds are cytocompatible and when combined with fibrin gel support capillary-like structure formation. Density and interconnectivity of the formed structures are found to be better in mulberry scaffolds. ELISA shows that levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) released in co-cultures with fibrin gel are significantly higher than in co-cultures without fibrin gel. RT PCR shows an increase in VEGFR2 expression in mulberry scaffolds indicating these scaffolds combined with fibrin provide a suitable microenvironment for the development of capillary-like structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721 302, India.
authors.forename: Juhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Samal
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Engineering, UKA, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weinandy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University and JARA-BRAIN Translational Medicine, Pauwelsstraβe 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinandy
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Engineering, UKA, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helmedag
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Engineering, UKA, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rongen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital Aachen, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Benita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermanns-Sachweh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721 302, India. kundu@hijli.iitkgp.ernet.in.
authors.forename: Subhas C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Engineering, UKA, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany. jockenhoevel@hia.rwth-aachen.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jockenhoevel
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005337:Fibrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D052816:Foreskin / Q000166:cytology*; D005782:Gels / Q000494:pharmacology; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D016062:Porosity; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D047011:Silk / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D047011:Silk; D005337:Fibrin
keywords: fibrin; foreskin fibroblasts; human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs); silk fibroin; vascularization