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Articles

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Biomaterials

Engineering Strategies To Recapitulate Epithelial Morphogenesis Within Synthetic Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix With Tunable Mechanical Properties, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Yekaterina Miroshnikova, D Jorgens, L Spirio, M Auer, V Weaver Apr 2012

Engineering Strategies To Recapitulate Epithelial Morphogenesis Within Synthetic Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix With Tunable Mechanical Properties, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Yekaterina Miroshnikova, D Jorgens, L Spirio, M Auer, V Weaver

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

The mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness) of the extracellular matrix (ECM) influence cell fate and tissue morphogenesis and contribute to disease progression. Nevertheless, our understanding of the mechanisms by which ECM rigidity modulates cell behavior and fate remains rudimentary. To address this issue, a number of two and three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel systems have been used to explore the effects of the mechanical properties of the ECM on cell behavior. Unfortunately, many of these systems have limited application because fiber architecture, adhesiveness and/or pore size often change in parallel when gel elasticity is varied. Here we describe the use of ECM-adsorbed, synthetic, …


Self-Assembling Short Oligopeptides And The Promotion Of Angiogenesis, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Daria Narmoneva, Olumuyiwa Oni, Shugang Zhang, Jonathan Gertler, Roger Kamm, Richard Lee Apr 2012

Self-Assembling Short Oligopeptides And The Promotion Of Angiogenesis, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Daria Narmoneva, Olumuyiwa Oni, Shugang Zhang, Jonathan Gertler, Roger Kamm, Richard Lee

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

Because an adequate blood supply to and within tissues is an essential factor for successful tissue regeneration, promoting a functional microvasculature is a crucial factor for biomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate that short self-assembling peptides form scaffolds that provide an angiogenic environment promoting long-term cell survival and capillary-like network formation in three-dimensional cultures of human microvascular endothelial cells. Our data show that, in contrast to collagen type I, the peptide scaffold inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis in the absence of added angiogenic factors, accompanied by enhanced gene expression of the angiogenic factor VEGF. In addition, our results suggest that the …


Primary Sequence Of Ionic Self-Assembling Peptide Gels Affects Endothelial Cell Adhesion And Capillary Morphogenesis, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, C. Semino, Haiyan Gong, Roger Kamm Apr 2012

Primary Sequence Of Ionic Self-Assembling Peptide Gels Affects Endothelial Cell Adhesion And Capillary Morphogenesis, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, C. Semino, Haiyan Gong, Roger Kamm

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

Appropriate choice of biomaterial supports is critical for the study of capillary morphogenesis in vitro as well as to support vascularization of engineered tissues in vivo. Self-assembling peptides are a class of synthetic, ionic, oligopeptides that spontaneously assemble into gels with an ECM-like microarchitecture when exposed to salt. In this paper, the ability of four different self-assembling peptide gels to promote endothelial cell adhesion and capillary morphogenesis is explored. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured within ionic self-assembling peptide family members, RAD16-I ((RADA)4), RAD16-II ((RARADADA)2), KFE-8 ((FKFE)2), or KLD-12 ((KLDL)3). …


Biomaterial-Microvasculature Interactions, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Keith Gooch Apr 2012

Biomaterial-Microvasculature Interactions, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Keith Gooch

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

The utility of implanted sensors, drug-delivery systems, immunoisolation devices, engineered cells, and engineered tissues can be limited by inadequate transport to and from the circulation. As the primary function of the microvasculature is to facilitate transport between the circulation and the surrounding tissue, interactionsbetween biomaterials and the microvasculature have been explored to understand the mechanisms controlling transport to implanted objects and ultimately improve it. This review surveys work on biomaterial-microvasculature interactions with a focus on the use of biomaterials to regulate the structure and function of the microvasculature. Several applications in which biomaterial-microvasculature interactions play a crucial role are briefly …


The Relative Magnitudes Of Endothelial Force Generation And Matrix Stiffness Modulate Capillary Morphogenesis In Vitro, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Robert Hebbel, Keith Gooch Apr 2012

The Relative Magnitudes Of Endothelial Force Generation And Matrix Stiffness Modulate Capillary Morphogenesis In Vitro, Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Robert Hebbel, Keith Gooch

Alisha L. Sarang-Sieminski

When suspended in collagen gels, endothelial cells elongate and form capillary-like networks containing lumens. Human blood outgrowth endothelial cells (HBOEC) suspended in relatively rigid 3 mg/ml floating collagen gels, formed in vivo-like, thin, branched multi-cellular structures with small, thick-walled lumens, while human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) formed fewer multi-cellular structures, had a spread appearance, and had larger lumens. HBOEC exert more traction on collagen gels than HUVEC as evidenced by greater contraction of floating gels. When the stiffness of floating gels was decreased by decreasing the collagen concentration from 3 to 1.5 mg/ml, HUVEC contracted gels more and formed …