Histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical characterization of NANOULCOR nanostructured fibrin-agarose human cornea substitutes generated by tissue engineering.

Background: Human artificial corneas (HAC) generated by tissue engineering recently demonstrated clinical usefulness in the management of complex corneal diseases. However, the biological mechanisms associated to their regenerative potential need to be elucidated.

Methods: In the present work, we generated HAC using nanostructured fibrin-agarose biomaterials with cultured corneal epithelial and stromal cells, and we compared the structure and histochemical and immunohistochemical profiles of HAC with control native corneas (CTR-C) and limbus (CTR-L) to determine the level of biomimicry of the HAC with these two native organs.

A Novel In Vitro Pathological Model for Studying Neural Invasion in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer.

Neural Invasion (NI) is a key pathological feature of cancer in the colonization of distant tissues, and its underlying biological mechanisms are still scarcely known. The complex interactions between nerve and tumor cells, along with the stroma, make it difficult to reproduce this pathology in effective study models, which in turn has limited the understanding of NI pathogenesis. In this study, we have designed a three-dimensional model of NI squamous cell carcinoma combining human epidermoid carcinoma cells (hECCs) with a complete peripheral nerve segment encapsulated in a fibrine-agarose hydrogel.

A novel 3D biofabrication strategy to improve cell proliferation and differentiation of human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells for cell therapy and tissue engineering.

Obtaining sufficient numbers of cells in a short time is a major goal of cell culturing in cell therapy and tissue engineering. However, current bidimensional (2D) culture methods are associated to several limitations, including low efficiency and the loss of key cell differentiation markers on cultured cells. In the present work, we have designed a novel biofabrication method based on a three-dimensional (3D) culture system (FIBRIAGAR-3D).

Development of stromal differentiation patterns in heterotypical models of artificial corneas generated by tissue engineering.

We carried out a histological characterization analysis of the stromal layer of human heterotypic cornea substitutes generated with extra-corneal cells to determine their putative usefulness in tissue engineering. Human bioartificial corneas were generated using nanostructured fibrin-agarose biomaterials with corneal stromal cells immersed within. To generate heterotypical corneas, umbilical cord Wharton's jelly stem cells (HWJSC) were cultured on the surface of the stromal substitutes to obtain an epithelial-like layer.