Valve Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition is Enhanced on Composite Collagen-Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels

摘要

Our studies show that AVC explants exhibit higher number of transformed, invaded cells when seeded on Coll-MeHA gels compared to collagen only controls after 4d in culture. The difference in cellular invasion is not explained solely by differences in mechanical properties, as Coll-MeHA gels of different compositions have drastically different moduli but the same level of invasion after 7d. Explants on Coll-MeHA gels exhibit higher contractile strains compared to controls, perhaps indicating that mechanical interactions between explants, cells, and the substrate are responsible for the increase in EMT observed on these gels. Taken together, these results illustrate that Coll-MeHA gels may provide a novel in vitro model for endocardial EMT as it relates to the formation of heart valves and VICs. Future studies will focus on the role of cell proliferation and matrix remodeling on EMT in Coll-MeHA gels.