Quantifying heart valve interstitial cell contractile state using highly tunable poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Valve interstitial cells (VIC) are the primary cell type residing within heart valve tissues. In many valve pathologies, VICs become activated and will subsequently profoundly remodel the valve tissue extracellular matrix (ECM). A primary indicator of VIC activation is the upregulation of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) stress fibers, which in turn increase VIC contractility. Thus, contractile state reflects VIC activation and ECM biosynthesis levels. In general, cell contraction studies have largely utilized two-dimensional substrates, which are a vastly different micro mechanical environment than 3D native leaflet tissue. To address this limitation, hydrogels have been a popular choice for studying cells in a three-dimensional environment due to their tunable properties and optical transpar

SUBMITTER: Khang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6717677 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature