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New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour

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A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2020) | Viewed by 22151

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Oleg Lunov

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Guest Editor

Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 182 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: nanotoxicology; cell biophysics; cell mechanics; molecular biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mounting evidence suggests that standard monolayer cell culturing conditions do not faithfully reflect the situation in vivo. Indeed, during process development, normal physiology, and pathology of multicellular animals, cells encounter a broad range of extracellular environments, including surfaces with varied biochemical properties and a range of topologies. Thus, there is the need for the next generation of materials, surface modifications, tools, and even improved culturing conditions that would better mimic in vivo conditions. This Special Issue will provide a timely update on current and potential in vitro models, platforms, improved culturing conditions, including dynamic 3D culture systems, and critically appraise their strengths and limitations. We invite the submission of manuscripts (both original research manuscripts and reviews) that not only cover any aspect of research devoted to manipulation of living cell behavior but also reveal underlying mechanism(s) by which external cues drive cell behavior and functionality. New insights into innovative, more accurate, more reliable, and cost-effective models, platforms, and tools for in vitro control of cell function will enable novel therapeutic approaches (methods).

We look forward to reading your contributions.

Dr. Oleg Lunov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

2D and 3D cell culturing
biomaterials
cell mechanics
extracellular matrix
cell culture methods
physical cues in cell culturing

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Culture Substrates on Morphology and Function of Pulmonary Alveolar Cells In Vitro

by Chiara Emma Campiglio, Marina Figliuzzi, Sara Silvani, Matteo Tironi, Sara Conti, Federica Boschetti and Andrea Remuzzi

Biomolecules 2021, 11(5), 675; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11050675 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3060

Abstract

Cell’s microenvironment has been shown to exert influence on cell behavior. In particular, matrix-cell interactions strongly impact cell morphology and function. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of different culture substrate materials on phenotype and functional properties of lung epithelial adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. A549 cells were seeded onto two different biocompatible, commercially available substrates: a polyester coverslip (Thermanox™ Coverslips), that was used as cell culture plate control, and a polydimethylsiloxane membrane (PDMS, Elastosil^® Film) investigated in this study as alternative material for A549 cells culture. The two substrates influenced cell morphology and the actin cytoskeleton organization. Further, the Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its transcriptional coactivator PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) were translocated to the nucleus in A549 cells cultured on polyester substrate, yet it remained mostly cytosolic in cells on PDMS substrate. By SEM analysis, we observed that cells grown on Elastosil^® Film maintained an alveolar Type II cell morphology. Immunofluorescence staining for surfactant-C revealing a high expression of surfactant-C in cells cultured on Elastosil^® Film, but not in cells cultured on Thermanox™ Coverslips. A549 cells grown onto Elastosil^® Film exhibited morphology and functionality that suggest retainment of alveolar epithelial Type II phenotype, while A549 cells grown onto conventional plastic substrates acquired an alveolar Type I phenotype. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour)

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14 pages, 1469 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Functionalizable Antifouling Coatings as Tunable Platforms for the Stress-Driven Manipulation of Living Cell Machinery

by Ivana Víšová, Barbora Smolková, Mariia Uzhytchak, Markéta Vrabcová, Djamel Eddine Chafai, Milan Houska, Matěj Pastucha, Petr Skládal, Zdeněk Farka, Alexandr Dejneka and Hana Vaisocherová-Lísalová

Biomolecules 2020, 10(8), 1146; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10081146 - 05 Aug 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2971

Abstract

Cells are continuously sensing their microenvironment and subsequently respond to different physicochemical cues by the activation or inhibition of different signaling pathways. To study a very complex cellular response, it is necessary to diminish background environmental influences and highlight the particular event. However, surface-driven nonspecific interactions of the abundant biomolecules from the environment influence the targeted cell response significantly. Yes-associated protein (YAP) translocation may serve as a marker of human hepatocellular carcinoma (Huh7) cell responses to the extracellular matrix and surface-mediated stresses. Here, we propose a platform of tunable functionable antifouling poly(carboxybetain) (pCB)-based brushes to achieve a molecularly clean background for studying arginine, glycine, and aspartic acid (RGD)-induced YAP-connected mechanotransduction. Using two different sets of RGD-functionalized zwitterionic antifouling coatings with varying compositions of the antifouling layer, a clear correlation of YAP distribution with RGD functionalization concentrations was observed. On the other hand, commonly used surface passivation by the oligo(ethylene glycol)-based self-assembled monolayer (SAM) shows no potential to induce dependency of the YAP distribution on RGD concentrations. The results indicate that the antifouling background is a crucial component of surface-based cellular response studies, and pCB-based zwitterionic antifouling brush architectures may serve as a potential next-generation easily functionable surface platform for the monitoring and quantification of cellular processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour)

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18 pages, 6896 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Is a Potent Tool to Improve Chemotherapy in Melanoma In Vitro and In Vivo

by Mina Alimohammadi, Monireh Golpour, Farshad Sohbatzadeh, Seyedehniaz Hadavi, Sander Bekeschus, Haleh Akhavan Niaki, Reza Valadan and Alireza Rafiei

Biomolecules 2020, 10(7), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10071011 - 08 Jul 2020

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 4121

Abstract

Malignant melanoma is a devastating disease. Because of its aggressiveness, it also serves as a model tumor for investigating novel therapeutic avenues. In recent years, scientific evidence has shown that cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) might be a promising modality in cancer therapy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of CAP generated by an argon plasma jet alone or in combination with dacarbazine (DAC) on melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The effects of the CAP on inducing lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide production were higher in B16 melanoma cells in comparison to non-malignant L929 cells. Assays on cell growth, apoptosis, and expression of genes related to, e.g., autophagic processes, showed CAP to have a substantial impact in melanoma cells while there were only minoreffects in L929 cells. In vivo, both CAP monotherapy and combination with DAC significantly decreased tumor growth. These results suggest that CAP not only selectively induces cell death in melanoma but also holds promises in combination with chemotherapy that might lead to improved tumor control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour)

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Review

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12 pages, 1480 KiB

Open AccessReview

Encapsulins—Bacterial Protein Nanocompartments: Structure, Properties, and Application

by Anna N. Gabashvili, Nelly S. Chmelyuk, Maria V. Efremova, Julia A. Malinovskaya, Alevtina S. Semkina and Maxim A. Abakumov

Biomolecules 2020, 10(6), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10060966 - 26 Jun 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6189

Abstract

Recently, a new class of prokaryotic compartments, collectively called encapsulins or protein nanocompartments, has been discovered. The shell proteins of these structures self-organize to form icosahedral compartments with a diameter of 25–42 nm, while one or more cargo proteins with various functions can be encapsulated in the nanocompartment. Non-native cargo proteins can be loaded into nanocompartments and the surface of the shells can be further functionalized, which allows for developing targeted drug delivery systems or using encapsulins as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Since the genes encoding encapsulins can be integrated into the cell genome, encapsulins are attractive for investigation in various scientific fields, including biomedicine and nanotechnology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour)

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19 pages, 2812 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Extracellular Vesicles: Current Analytical Techniques for Detection and Quantification

by Esther Serrano-Pertierra, Myriam Oliveira-Rodríguez, María Matos, Gemma Gutiérrez, Amanda Moyano, María Salvador, Montserrat Rivas and María Carmen Blanco-López

Biomolecules 2020, 10(6), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10060824 - 28 May 2020

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 5012

Abstract

Since their first observation, understanding the biology of extracellular vesicles (EV) has been an important and challenging field of study. They play a key role in the intercellular communication and are involved in important physiological and pathological functions. Therefore, EV are considered as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring the response to treatment in some diseases. In addition, due to their properties, EV may be used for therapeutic purposes. In the study of EV, three major points have to be addressed: 1. How to isolate EV from cell culture supernatant/biological fluids, 2. how to detect them, and 3. how to characterize and quantify. In this review, we focus on the last two questions and provide the main analytical techniques up-to-date for detection and profiling of EV. We critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each one, aimed to be of relevance for all researchers working on EV biology and their potential applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Manipulation of Living Cells Behaviour)

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