Open AccessTrimers Conjugated to Fibrin Hydrogels Promote Salivary Gland Function
Author(s) -
Harim Tavares dos Santos,
Ki Woong Nam,
Callie Brown,
Spencer M. Dean,
S. E. Lewis,
Carmem S. Pfeifer,
Pedro Lei,
Michael J. Petris,
Stelios T. Andreadis,
Olga J. Baker
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of dental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1544-0591
pISSN - 0022-0345
DOI - 10.1177/0022034520964784
Subject(s) - saliva , salivary gland , in vivo , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , fibrin , secretion , acinar cell , in vitro , medicine , biochemistry , immunology , biology , pancreas
New strategies for tissue engineering have great potential for restoring and revitalizing impaired tissues and organs, including the use of smart hydrogels that can be modified to enhance organization and functionality of the salivary glands. For instance, monomers of laminin-111 peptides chemically conjugated to fibrin hydrogel (L 1p M-FH) promote cell cluster formation in vitro and salivary gland regeneration in vivo when compared with fibrin hydrogel (FH) alone; however, L 1p M-FH produce only weak expression of acinar differentiation markers in vivo (e.g., aquaporin-5 and transmembrane protein 16). Since previous studies demonstrated that a greater impact can be achieved when trimeric forms were used as compared with monomeric or dimeric forms, we investigated the extent to which trimers of laminin-111 chemically conjugated to FH (L 1p T-FH) can increase the expression of acinar differentiation markers and elevate saliva secretion. In vitro studies using Par-C10 acinar cells demonstrated that when compared with L 1p M-FH, L 1p T-FH induced similar levels of acinar-like cell clustering, polarization, lumen formation, and calcium signaling. To assess the performance of the trimeric complex in vivo, we compared the ability of L 1p M-FH and L 1p T-FH to increase acinar differentiation markers and restore saliva flow rate in a salivary gland wound model of C57BL/6 mice. Our results show that L 1p T-FH applied to wounded mice significantly improved the expression of the acinar differentiation markers and saliva secretion when compared with the monomeric form. Together, these positive effects of L 1p T-FH warrant its future testing in additional models of hyposalivation with the ultimate goal of applying this technology in humans.