The Effect of Cell Geometry on the Phenotypic Behavior of Valvular Interstitial Cells

The
Effect of Cell Geometry on the Phenotypic Behavior of Valvular Interstitial
Cells

Derek M. Montoya^1,2,
Olivia A. Bell^1,2, Matthew N. Rush^1,3, and Elizabeth
Hedberg-Dirk^1,2

¹Center
for Biomedical Engineering, ²Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering,

 ³Nanoscience and Microsystems
Engineering,

University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, NM

Valvular
Interstitial Cells (VICs) are the primary cells of the aortic heart valves responsible
for valve formation, maintenance, and disease progression. Using well-defined surface
chemistries, our lab has established two distinct VIC phenotypes for study of heathy/activated
and diseased behavior. When activated, elongated VICs may spontaneously undergo
differentiation into an osteoblast-like phenotype, with a rhomboidal geometry,
which is responsible for calcification of the heart valve.¹ It has
previously been shown that changes in cell geometry, such as those exhibited
during healthy and diseased states in VICs, can affect cell fate through
changes in cytoskeletal signaling.² To better understand which
factors, surface chemistry or cell geometry, provide greater influence to
activated or osteoblastic VIC phenotypes, we will examine the effect of pattern
geometry on the phenotypic behavior of VICs grown on functionalized surfaces. Using
micro contact printing (μCP), we can pattern surfaces which control the shapes,
sizes, and spacing between cells to test for changes in the VIC phenotype. Additionally,
we wish to further explore the relationship between the focal adhesions and
integrin expression present in healthy vs diseased VICs and the influence on
cytoskeletal changes; specifically, we wish to examine how these cytoskeletal
changes influence cell geometry.

References: 1) Rush, M.N., Acta Biomaterialia, 28 (2015), 76-85. 2)
Chen, C.S., Science, 276 (1997),
1425-1438.