Dynamic multicomponent engineered tissue reorganization and matrix deposition measured with an integrated nonlinear optical microscopy-optical coherence microscopy system

J Biomed Opt. 2014 Mar;19(3):36014. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.19.3.036014.

Abstract

Multicomponent tissue models are viable tools to better understand cell responses in complex environments, but present challenges when investigated with live cell microscopy noninvasively. In this study, integrated nonlinear optical microscopy-optical coherence microscopy (NLOM-OCM) was used to characterize cell interactions within three-dimensional (3-D), multicomponent extracellular matrices. In fibrin-collagen mixtures, 3T3 fibroblasts were observed to recruit both fibrin and collagen fibers while remodeling matrices. Also, NLOM-OCM was used to observe collagen deposition by neonatal human dermal fibroblasts within originally fibrin matrices over an extended time. It was observed that preferentially aligned collagen deposition could be achieved with aligned fibroblasts but that cell alignment could be achieved without aligning the extant extracellular matrix. In summary, this multimodel imaging system has potential for both real-time and longitudinal imaging of living 3-D cultures, which is particularly important for evaluating cell microenvironments in composite scaffolds or serial characterization of engineered tissue constructs during culture.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Collagen / chemistry
  • Extracellular Matrix / chemistry*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy / methods*
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*

Substances

  • Collagen