Macromolecular Crowding as a Tool to Screen Anti-fibrotic Drugs: The Scar-in-a-Jar System Revisited

Frontiers in Medicine

Miriam Boersema¹  Emilia Bigaeva¹  Peter Olinga¹  Nataly Puerta Cavanzo²  Ruud A. Bank³ 

[1] Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;MATRIX Research Group, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;MATRIX Research Group, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands;

关键词: macromolecular crowding;    drug testing;    fibrosis;    collagen;    myofibroblast;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2020.615774

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

An unsolved therapeutic problem in fibrosis is the overproduction of collagen. In order to screen the effect of anti-fibrotic drugs on collagen deposition, the Scar-in-a-Jar approach has been introduced about a decade ago. With macromolecular crowding a rapid deposition of collagen is seen, resulting in a substantial decrease in culture time, but the system has never been tested in an adequate way. We therefore have compared six different macromolecular crowders [Ficoll PM 70 (Fc70), Ficoll PM 400 (Fc400), a mixture of Ficoll 70 and 400 (Fc70/400), polyvinylpyrrolidone 40 (PVP40), polyvinylpyrrolidone 360 (PVP360), neutral dextran 670 (ND670), dextran sulfate 500 (DxS500), and carrageenan (CR)] under profibrotic conditions (addition of TGFβ1) with primary human adult dermal fibroblasts in the presence of 0.5 and 10% FBS. We found that (1) collagen deposition and myofibroblast formation was superior with 0.5% FBS, (2) DxS500 and CR results in an aberrant collagen deposition pattern, (3) ND670 does not increase collagen deposition, and (4) CR, DxS500, and Fc40/700 affected important phenotypical properties of the cells when cultured under pro-fibrotic conditions, whereas PVP40 and PVP360 did less or not. Because of viscosity problems with PVP360, we conclude that PVP40 is the most optimal crowder for the screening of anti-fibrotic drugs. Finally, the effect of various concentrations of Imatinib, Galunisertib, Omipalisib or Nintedanib on collagen deposition and myofibroblast formation was tested with PVP40 as the crowder.

【 授权许可】

CC BY