New remote-controlled 'smart' platform helps in cardiovascular disease treatment

A schematic illustration of the step-wise modulation of different behaviors of vascular endothelial cells by a NIR-controlled topographically dynamic platform Credit: DU Xuemin

Rapid endothelialization poses challenges, however, when using existing synthetic biomaterials, due to their static properties. Such materials cannot offer dynamic, on-demand means for manipulating specific vascular endothelial cell functions at different stages of endothelium remodeling.

A joint research group led by Dr. DU Xuemin at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently demonstrated a remote-controlled “smart” platform that effectively directs programmed vascular endothelium remodeling in a temporally controllable manner. The study was published in National Science Review [2019].

The researchers first prepared a bilayer platform with programmable surface topographies using a shape-memory polymer and gold nanorods acting as a photothermal agent. The bilayer platform allowed on-demand manipulation of vascular endothelial cell functions, thus meeting the requirements of endothelium remodeling.

During the endothelialization process of native blood vessels, vascular endothelial cells and progenitor cells are first recruited to regeneration sites. This is followed by the adhesion and spreading of the vascular endothelial cells to form a confluent vascular endothelial cell monolayer. In the human body, such a process is implemented through extracellular matrix (ECM)-mediated stepwise modulation of vascular endothelial cell functions at different stages.

“The new platform possesses originally stable anisotropic microgroove array topography. This topography can significantly direct cell polarization and thereby enhance the collective migration of vascular endothelial cells,” said ZHAO Qilong, first author of the study.

Upon 10 s of near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the heat generated on the bottom layer induced the surface topographies of the platform to change from their original anisotropic microgroove array to a permanent isotropic micropillar array.

The focal adhesion and spreading of vascular endothelial cells were subsequently promoted at the later stage of endothelialization by the platform after the topographies were changed. The remote-controlled “smart” platform promoted different functions of vascular endothelial cells in turn, thus mimicking dynamic ECM-mediated effects throughout the endothelialization process for the first time using synthetic biomaterials.

“Traditionally, biomaterials and tissue engineering scaffolds offer suitable platforms to support cell attachment and ingrowth. We aim to develop biomaterials with dynamic properties to actively modulate different cell functions in specific spatiotemporal manners, just like the native ECM in our bodies. We believe biomaterials with dynamic properties will contribute to the progress of wound healing and complex tissue/organ regeneration,” said Dr. DU Xuemin from SIAT.

Media Contact

ZHANG Xiaomin
xm.zhang@siat.ac.cn

http://english.cas.cn/ 

Media Contact

ZHANG Xiaomin EurekAlert!

All latest news from the category: Health and Medicine

This subject area encompasses research and studies in the field of human medicine.

Among the wide-ranging list of topics covered here are anesthesiology, anatomy, surgery, human genetics, hygiene and environmental medicine, internal medicine, neurology, pharmacology, physiology, urology and dental medicine.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors