long-term-intravital-immunofluorescence-imaging-tissue-matrix

Long-term Intravital Immunofluorescence Imaging of Tissue Matrix Components with Epifluorescence and Two-photon Microscopy

Besides being a physical scaffold to maintain tissue morphology, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is actively involved in regulating cell and tissue ...

quantifying-leukocyte-egress-via-lymphatic-vessels-from-murine-skin

Quantifying Leukocyte Egress via Lymphatic Vessels from Murine Skin and Tumors

Leukocyte egress from peripheral tissues to draining lymph nodes is not only critical for immune surveillance and initiation but also contributes to the ...

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health and Science University

Reliable control over the process of cell differentiation is a major challenge in moving stem cell-based therapies forward. The composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is known to play an important role in modulating differentiation. We have developed a system to encapsulate adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) within spherical three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments consisting of a defined mixture of collagen Type I and agarose polymers. These protein-based beads were produced by emulsification of liquid hMSC-matrix suspensions in a silicone fluid phase and subsequent gelation to form hydrogel beads, which were collected by centrifugation and placed in culture. Bead size and size distribution could be varied by changing the encapsulation parameters (impeller speed and blade separation), and beads in the range of 30-150 microns in diameter were reliably produced. Collagen concentrations up to 40% (wt/wt) could be incorporated into the bead matrix. Visible light and fluorescence microscopy confirmed that the collagen matrix was uniformly distributed throughout the beads. Cell viability post-encapsulation was in the range of 75-90% for all bead formulations (similar to control slab gels) and remained at this level for 8 days in culture. Fluorescent staining of the actin cytoskeleton revealed that hMSC spreading increased with increasing collagen concentration. This system of producing 3D microenvironments of defined matrix composition therefore offers a way to control cell-matrix interactions and thereby guide hMSC differentiation. The bead format allows the use of small amounts of matrix proteins, and such beads can potentially be used as a cell delivery vehicle in tissue repair applications.

Encapsulation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells within collagen-agarose microenvironments.

There is a need to develop improved methods for directing and maintaining the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) for regenerative medicine. Here, we present a method for embedding cells in defined protein microenvironments for the directed osteogenic differentiation of hMSC. Composite matrices of collagen I and agarose were produced by emulsification and simultaneous polymerization in the presence of hMSC to produce 30-150 mum diameter hydrogel "beads." The proliferation, morphology, osteogenic gene expression, and calcium deposition of hMSC in bead environments were compared to other two- and three-dimensional culture environments over 14-21 days in culture. Cells embedded within 40% collagen beads exhibited equivalent proliferation rates to those in gel disks, but showed upregulation of bone sialoprotein and increased calcium deposition over 2D controls. Osteocalcin gene expression was not changed in 3D beads and disks, while collagen type I gene expression was downregulated relative to cells in 2D culture. The hydrogel bead format allows controlled cell differentiation and is a cell delivery vehicle that may also enhance vascular invasion and host incorporation. Our results indicate that the application of such beads can be used to promote the osteogenic phenotype in hMSC, which is an important step toward using them in bone repair applications.

Osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in defined protein beads.

Tissue morphogenesis remains one of the least understood problems in cell and developmental biology. There is a disconnect between the mechanisms that apply to two-dimensional (2D) cultures and those seen in vivo. Three-dimensional (3D) culture presents a complex stimulus triggering cellular responses that are only partially understood. We compared 2D and 3D cultures of human mesenchymal stem cells in the presence of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, PD98059, to determine the role of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) in collagen-induced differentiation. 3D collagen I culture enhanced and accelerated the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Contrary to 2D results, the addition of PD98059 induced a significant amplification of osteogenic gene expression and matrix mineralization in 3D cultures. The inhibition of ERK altered cell-mediated compaction, proliferation, and resulted in the development of distinct tissue microstructure. Therefore, we suggest that the ability to reorganize collagen in 3D is an important step in ERK-mediated osteogenic differentiation. This work aims to propose a correlation between osteogenic differentiation and hMSC-directed collagen I remodeling. We present a potential mechanistic link (ERK) through which the three dimensionality of an engineered tissue acts to differentially induce and maintain cellular phenotype during tissue development.

Inhibition of ERK promotes collagen gel compaction and fibrillogenesis to amplify the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells in three-dimensional collagen I culture.

The concept of using stem cells as self-renewing sources of healthy cells in regenerative medicine has existed for decades, but most applications have yet to achieve clinical success. A main reason for the lack of successful stem cell therapies is the difficulty in fully recreating the maintenance and control of the native stem cell niche. Improving the performance of transplanted stem cells therefore requires a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms guiding stem cell behavior in both native and engineered three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments. Most techniques, however, for uncovering mechanisms controlling cell behavior in vitro have been developed using 2D cell cultures and are of limited use in 3D environments such as engineered tissue constructs. Deciphering the mechanisms controlling stem cell fate in native and engineered 3D environments, therefore, requires rigorous quantitative techniques that permit mechanistic, hypothesis-driven studies of cell-microenvironment interactions. Here, we review the current understanding of 2D and 3D stem cell control mechanisms and propose an approach to uncovering the mechanisms that govern stem cell behavior in 3D.

The natural and engineered 3D microenvironment as a regulatory cue during stem cell fate determination.

Research in lymphatic biology and cancer immunology may soon intersect as emerging evidence implicates the lymphatics in the progression of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity as well as in tumor metastasis and immune escape. Like the blood vasculature, the lymphatic system comprises a highly dynamic conduit system that regulates fluid homeostasis, antigen transport and immune cell trafficking, which all play important roles in the progression and resolution of inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This review presents emerging evidence that lymphatic vessels are active modulators of immunity, perhaps fine-tuning the response to adjust the balance between peripheral tolerance and immunity. This suggests that the tumor-associated lymphatic vessels and draining lymph node may be important in tumor immunity which in turn governs metastasis.

Role of lymphatic vessels in tumor immunity: passive conduits or active participants?

A main challenge in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is achieving local and efficient growth factor release to guide cell function. Gelatin is a denatured form of collagen that cells can bind to and degrade through enzymatic action. In this study, gelatin microspheres were used to release bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). Spherical microparticles with diameters in the range of 2-6 µm were created by an emulsification process and were stabilized by crosslinking with the small molecule genipin. The degree of crosslinking was varied by controlling the incubation time in genipin solution. Loading rate studies, using soy bean trypsin inhibitor as a model protein, showed rapid protein uptake over the first 24 h, followed by a levelling off and then a further increase after approximately 3 days, as the microspheres swelled. Growth factor release studies using microspheres crosslinked to 20%, 50% and 80% of saturation and then loaded with BMP2 showed that higher degrees of crosslinking resulted in higher loading efficiency and slower protein release. After 24 h, the concentration profiles produced by all microsphere formulations were steady and approximately equal. Microspheres incubated with adult human mesenchymal stem cells accumulated preferentially on the cell surface, and degraded over time in culture. BMP2-loaded microspheres caused a three- to eight-fold increase in expression of the bone sialoprotein gene after 14 days in culture, with more crosslinked beads producing a greater effect. These results demonstrate that genipin-crosslinked gelatin microspheres can be used to deliver growth factors locally to cells in order to direct their function.

Gelatin microspheres crosslinked with genipin for local delivery of growth factors.

Cell cooperation is a critical event during tissue development. We present the first precise metrics to quantify the interaction between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and extra cellular matrix (ECM). In particular, we describe cooperative collagen alignment process with respect to the spatio-temporal organization and function of mesenchymal stem cells in three dimensions.

Quantification of three-dimensional cell-mediated collagen remodeling using graph theory.

Tumours often engage the lymphatic system in order to invade and metastasize. The tumour-draining lymph node may be an immune-privileged site that protects the tumour from host immunity, and lymph flow that drains tumours is often increased, enhancing communication between the tumour and the sentinel node. In addition to increasing the transport of tumour antigens and regulatory cytokines to the lymph node, increased lymph flow in the tumour margin causes mechanical stress-induced changes in stromal cells that stiffen the matrix and alter the immune microenvironment of the tumour. We propose that synergies between lymphatic drainage and flow-induced mechanotransduction in the stroma promote tumour immune escape by appropriating lymphatic mechanisms of peripheral tolerance.

Lymphatic and interstitial flow in the tumour microenvironment: linking mechanobiology with immunity.

Tumor expression of the lymphangiogenic factor VEGF-C is correlated with metastasis and poor prognosis, and although VEGF-C enhances transport to the draining lymph node (dLN) and antigen exposure to the adaptive immune system, its role in tumor immunity remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that VEGF-C promotes immune tolerance in murine melanoma. In B16 F10 melanomas expressing a foreign antigen (OVA), VEGF-C protected tumors against preexisting antitumor immunity and promoted local deletion of OVA-specific CD8(+) T cells. Naive OVA-specific CD8(+) T cells, transferred into tumor-bearing mice, were dysfunctionally activated and apoptotic. Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in dLNs cross-presented OVA, and naive LECs scavenge and cross-present OVA in vitro. Cross-presenting LECs drove the proliferation and apoptosis of OVA-specific CD8(+) T cells ex vivo. Our findings introduce a tumor-promoting role for lymphatics in the tumor and dLN and suggest that lymphatic endothelium in the local microenvironment may be a target for immunomodulation.

VEGF-C promotes immune tolerance in B16 melanomas and cross-presentation of tumor antigen by lymph node lymphatics.

Visualizing the dynamic behaviors of immune cells in living tissue has dramatically increased our understanding of how cells interact with their surroundings, contributing important insights into mechanisms of leukocyte trafficking, tumor cell invasion, and T cell education by dendritic cells, among others. Despite substantial advances with various intravital imaging techniques including two-photon microscopy and the generation of multitudes of reporter mice, there is a growing need to assess cell interactions in the context of specific extracellular matrix composition and microvascular functions, and as well, simpler and more widely accessible methods are needed to image cell behaviors in the context of living tissue physiology. Here we present an antibody-based method for intravital imaging of cell interactions with the blood, lymphatic, and the extracellular matrix compartments of the living dermis while simultaneously assessing capillary permeability and lymphatic drainage function. Using the exposed dorsal ear of the anesthetized mouse and a fluorescence stereomicroscope, such events can be imaged in the context of specific extracellular matrix proteins, or matrix-bound chemokine stores. We developed and optimized the method to minimize tissue damage to the ear, rapidly immunostain for multiple extracellular or cell surface receptors of interest, minimize immunotoxicity with pre-blocking Fcγ receptors and phototoxicity with extracellular antioxidants, and highlight the major dermal tissue structures with basement membrane markers. We demonstrate differential migration behaviors of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, blood-circulating leukocytes, and dermal dendritic cells, with the latter entering sparse CCL21-positive areas of pre-collecting lymphatic vessels. This new method allows simultaneous imaging of cells and tissue structures, microvascular function, and extracellular microenvironment in multiple skin locations for 12 hours or more, with the flexibility of immunolabeling in addition to genetic-based fluorescent reporters.

Intravital immunofluorescence for visualizing the microcirculatory and immune microenvironments in the mouse ear dermis.

Accumulating evidence implicates the tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) in tumor-induced immune escape, as it drains regulatory molecules and leukocytes from the tumor microenvironment. We asked whether targeted delivery of adjuvant to the TDLN, presumably already bathed in tumor antigens, could promote anti-tumor immunity and hinder tumor growth. To this end, we used 30 nm polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) that effectively target dendritic cells (DCs, CD11c(+)) within the lymph node (LN) after intradermal administration. These NPs accumulated within the TDLN when administered in the limb ipsilateral (i.l.) to the tumor or in the non-TDLN when administered in the contralateral (c.l.) limb. Incorporating the adjuvants CpG or paclitaxel into the NPs (CpG-NP and PXL-NP) induced DC maturation in vitro. When administered daily i.l. and thus targeting the TDLN of a B16-F10 melanoma, adjuvanted NPs induced DC maturation within the TDLN and reshaped the CD4(+) T cell distribution within the tumor towards a Th1 (CXCR3(+)) phenotype. Importantly, this also led to an increase in the frequency of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells within the tumor. This correlated with slowed tumor growth, in contrast to unhindered tumor growth after c.l. delivery of adjuvanted NPs (targeting a non-TDLN) or i.l. delivery of free adjuvant. CpG-NP treatment in the i.l. limb also was associated with an increase in CD8(+)/CD4(+) T cell ratios and frequencies of activated (CD25(+)) CD8(+) T cells within the TDLN whereas PXL-NP treatment reduced the frequency of regulatory T (FoxP3(+) CD4(+)) cells in the TDLN. Together, these data implicate the TDLN as a delivery target for adjuvant therapy of solid tumors.

Targeting the tumor-draining lymph node with adjuvanted nanoparticles reshapes the anti-tumor immune response.

Lymphatic vessels facilitate fluid homeostasis, immune cell trafficking, and lipid transport, and contribute to solid tumor progression as routes of metastasis. Given new evidence that lymphatic vessels both correlate with intratumoral lymphocytes and directly suppress immune function, I reevaluate the passive lymphatic vessel paradigm and discuss its relevance to antitumor immunity.

Rethinking Lymphatic Vessels and Antitumor Immunity.

Lymphatic vessels lie at the interface between peripheral sites of pathogen entry, adaptive immunity, and the systemic host. Though the paradigm is that their open structure allows for passive flow of infectious particles from peripheral tissues to lymphoid organs, virus applied to skin by scarification does not spread to draining lymph nodes. Using cutaneous infection by scarification, we analyzed the effect of viral infection on lymphatic transport and evaluated its role at the host-pathogen interface. We found that, in the absence of lymphatic vessels, canonical lymph-node-dependent immune induction was impaired, resulting in exacerbated pathology and compensatory, systemic priming. Furthermore, lymphatic vessels decouple fluid and cellular transport in an interferon-dependent manner, leading to viral sequestration while maintaining dendritic cell transport for immune induction. In conclusion, we found that lymphatic vessels balance immune activation and viral dissemination and act as an "innate-like" component of tissue host viral defense.

Lymphatic Vessels Balance Viral Dissemination and Immune Activation following Cutaneous Viral Infection.

Mechanisms of immune suppression in peripheral tissues counteract protective immunity to prevent immunopathology and are coopted by tumors for immune evasion. While lymphatic vessels facilitate T cell priming, they also exert immune suppressive effects in lymph nodes at steady-state. Therefore, we hypothesized that peripheral lymphatic vessels acquire suppressive mechanisms to limit local effector CD8 T cell accumulation in murine skin. We demonstrate that nonhematopoietic PD-L1 is largely expressed by lymphatic and blood endothelial cells and limits CD8 T cell accumulation in tumor microenvironments. IFNγ produced by tissue-infiltrating, antigen-specific CD8 T cells, which are in close proximity to tumor-associated lymphatic vessels, is sufficient to induce lymphatic vessel PD-L1 expression. Disruption of IFNγ-dependent crosstalk through lymphatic-specific loss of IFNγR boosts T cell accumulation in infected and malignant skin leading to increased viral pathology and tumor control, respectively. Consequently, we identify IFNγR as an immunological switch in lymphatic vessels that balances protective immunity and immunopathology leading to adaptive immune resistance in melanoma.

ArticleTotal : 2	Year
Publication title Cited by 21	2014
Publication title Cited by 22	2019

Article	Year
Encapsulation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells within collagen-agarose microenvironments. Biotechnology and bioengineering\| PubMed ID: 16080186	2005
Osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in defined protein beads. Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 18431753	2008
Inhibition of ERK promotes collagen gel compaction and fibrillogenesis to amplify the osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells in three-dimensional collagen I culture. Stem cells and development\| PubMed ID: 18491946	2009
The natural and engineered 3D microenvironment as a regulatory cue during stem cell fate determination. Tissue engineering. Part B, Reviews\| PubMed ID: 19505193	2009
Role of lymphatic vessels in tumor immunity: passive conduits or active participants? Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia\| PubMed ID: 20835756	2010
Gelatin microspheres crosslinked with genipin for local delivery of growth factors. Journal of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine\| PubMed ID: 20872738	2010
Quantification of three-dimensional cell-mediated collagen remodeling using graph theory. PloS one\| PubMed ID: 20927339	2010
Lymphatic and interstitial flow in the tumour microenvironment: linking mechanobiology with immunity. Nature reviews. Cancer\| PubMed ID: 22362216	2012
VEGF-C promotes immune tolerance in B16 melanomas and cross-presentation of tumor antigen by lymph node lymphatics. Cell reports\| PubMed ID: 22832193	2012
Intravital immunofluorescence for visualizing the microcirculatory and immune microenvironments in the mouse ear dermis. PloS one\| PubMed ID: 23451163	2013
Targeting the tumor-draining lymph node with adjuvanted nanoparticles reshapes the anti-tumor immune response. Biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 24144906	2014
Rethinking Lymphatic Vessels and Antitumor Immunity. Trends in cancer\| PubMed ID: 28741486	2016
Lymphatic Vessels Balance Viral Dissemination and Immune Activation following Cutaneous Viral Infection. Cell reports\| PubMed ID: 28954233	2017
IFNγ-activated dermal lymphatic vessels inhibit cytotoxic T cells in melanoma and inflamed skin. The Journal of experimental medicine\| PubMed ID: 30381467	2018

Amanda W. Lund

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