Fabricating polyacrylamide microbeads by inverse emulsification to mimic the size and elasticity of living cells

Labriola, Nicholas R.; Mathiowitz, Edith; Darling, Eric M.

doi:10.1039/c6bm00692b

Cited by 19 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…A major contributor to the presence of elastomers in the marine environment being tyre wear particles, with the majority of emission coming from road side run‐off (Wagner et al, ). Polyacrylamide microbeads described in our Pacific samples have been used in the past in drug delivery (El‐Samaligy & Rohdewald, ) and more recently for a number of biomedical applications such as encapsulation (Labriola, Mathiowitz, & Darling, ). Alternatively, these could originate from exfoliating agents in cosmetic products (Napper et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles

Duncan

Broderick

Fuller

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

245

100

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Despite concerns regarding the environmental impacts of microplastics, knowledge of the incidence and levels of synthetic particles in large marine vertebrates is lacking. Here, we utilize an optimized enzymatic digestion methodology, previously developed for zooplankton, to explore whether synthetic particles could be isolated from marine turtle ingesta. We report the presence of synthetic particles in every turtle subjected to investigation (n = 102) which included individuals from all seven species of marine turtle, sampled from three ocean basins (Atlantic [ATL]: n = 30, four species; Mediterranean (MED): n = 56, two species; Pacific (PAC): n = 16, five species). Most particles (n = 811) were fibres (ATL: 77.1% MED: 85.3% PAC: 64.8%) with blue and black being the dominant colours. In lesser quantities were fragments (ATL: 22.9%: MED: 14.7% PAC: 20.2%) and microbeads (4.8%; PAC only; to our knowledge the first isolation of microbeads from marine megavertebrates). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) of a subsample of particles (n = 169) showed a range of synthetic materials such as elastomers (MED: 61.2%; PAC: 3.4%), thermoplastics (ATL: 36.8%: MED: 20.7% PAC: 27.7%) and synthetic regenerated cellulosic fibres (SRCF; ATL: 63.2%: MED: 5.8% PAC: 68.9%). Synthetic particles being isolated from species occupying different trophic levels suggest the possibility of multiple ingestion pathways. These include exposure from polluted seawater and sediments and/or additional trophic transfer from contaminated prey/forage items. We assess the likelihood that microplastic ingestion presents a significant conservation problem at current levels compared to other anthropogenic threats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles

Duncan

Broderick

Fuller

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

245

100

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“…Hence, in order to make the results comparable between different research groups, the measurement procedure needs to be defined and standard samples are also required for calibration. Recently, Labriola et al [162] developed a method to fabricate polyacrylamide (PAAm) microbeads by inverse emulsification. The size (∼ 10μm) and Young's modulus (∼1 kPa) of microbeads is similar to typical mammalian cells, providing a new idea to fabricate standard samples mimicking living cells.…”

Section: Discussion and Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Force Microscopy in Characterizing Cell Mechanics for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Dang

Liu

et al. 2017

IEEE Trans.on Nanobioscience

104

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-Cell mechanics is a novel label-free biomarker for indicating cell states and pathological changes. The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a powerful tool for quantifying the mechanical properties of single living cells in aqueous conditions. The wide use of AFM in characterizing cell mechanics in the past two decades has yielded remarkable novel insights in understanding the development and progression of certain diseases, such as cancer, showing the huge potential of cell mechanics for practical applications in the field of biomedicine. In this paper, we reviewed the utilization of AFM to characterize cell mechanics. First, the principle and method of AFM single-cell mechanical analysis was presented, along with the mechanical responses of cells to representative external stimuli measured by AFM. Next, the unique changes of cell mechanics in two types of physiological processes (stem cell differentiation, cancer metastasis) revealed by AFM were summarized. After that, the molecular mechanisms guiding cell mechanics were analyzed. Finally the challenges and future directions were discussed.

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“…Previous research by Labriola et al has demonstrated that hyper‐compliant CMMPs (<1 kPa) deform substantially within microtissue constructs in response to the contractile forces of surrounding cells (Fig. A) . Since the material properties of CMMPs can be tightly controlled, it is feasible for them to be used as a tool for measuring intratissue forces that cells exert within 3D constructs.…”

Section: Current and Potential Applications Of Cmmpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While all of these materials can be fabricated in ways that replicate cell properties in regard to size, protein coating, and topography, only a few are suitable for achieving physiologically relevant mechanical properties (i.e., Young's modulus < 10 kPa). Cell mimicking stiffness has been demonstrated using CS , HA , gelatin , agarose , and PAAm , while materials such as PLGA are orders of magnitude stiffer than cells, even when hybridized with more compliant materials . Characteristics such as biodegradability and biocompatibility can be incorporated into all of these materials through chemical modification or copolymerization; however, the simplicity of these chemistries depends on the molecular composition of the materials.…”

Section: Materials Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Concise Review: Fabrication, Customization, and Application of Cell Mimicking Microparticles in Stem Cell Science

Labriola

Azagury

Gutierrez

et al. 2018

Stem Cells Translational Medicine

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Stem and non‐stem cell behavior is heavily influenced by the surrounding microenvironment, which includes other cells, matrix, and potentially biomaterials. Researchers have been successful in developing scaffolds and encapsulation techniques to provide stem cells with mechanical, topographical, and chemical cues to selectively direct them toward a desired differentiation pathway. However, most of these systems fail to present truly physiological replications of the in vivo microenvironments that stem cells are typically exposed to in tissues. Thus, cell mimicking microparticles (CMMPs) have been developed to more accurately recapitulate the properties of surrounding cells while still offering ways to tailor what stimuli are presented. This nascent field holds the promise of reducing, or even eliminating, the need for live cells in select, regenerative medicine therapies, and diagnostic applications. Recent, CMMP‐based studies show great promise for the technology, yet only reproduce a small subset of cellular characteristics from among those possible: size, morphology, topography, mechanical properties, surface molecules, and tailored chemical release to name the most prominent. This Review summarizes the strengths, weaknesses, and ideal applications of micro/nanoparticle fabrication and customization methods relevant to cell mimicking and provides an outlook on the future of this technology. Moving forward, researchers should seek to combine multiple techniques to yield CMMPs that replicate as many cellular characteristics as possible, with an emphasis on those that most strongly influence the desired therapeutic effects. The level of flexibility in customizing CMMP properties allows them to substitute for cells in a variety of regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and diagnostic systems. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:232–240

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Fabricating polyacrylamide microbeads by inverse emulsification to mimic the size and elasticity of living cells

Cited by 19 publications

References 36 publications

Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles

Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles

Atomic Force Microscopy in Characterizing Cell Mechanics for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Concise Review: Fabrication, Customization, and Application of Cell Mimicking Microparticles in Stem Cell Science

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