3D morphometry of endothelial cells angiogenesis in an extracellular matrix composite hydrogel
Faranak Heidari,
Parisa Shamshiripour,
Mehrana Rahnama,
Maryam Saadatmand,
Davoud Ahmadvand,
Sara Simorgh,
Ali-Reza Moradi
Affiliations
Faranak Heidari
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Parisa Shamshiripour
Department of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran; Department of Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
Mehrana Rahnama
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Saadatmand
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Davoud Ahmadvand
Department of Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
Sara Simorgh
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1591639675, Iran; Corresponding author at: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ali-Reza Moradi
Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran; School of Nano Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, 19395-5531, Iran; Corresponding author at: Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran.
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) play a fundamental role in angiogenesis. Herein, we introduce digital holographic microscopy (DHM) for the 3D quantitative morphological analysis of HUVECs in extracellular matrix (ECM)-based biomaterials as an angiogenesis model. The combination of volumetric information from DHM and the physicochemical and cytobiocompatibility data provided by fluorescence microscopy and cytology offers a comprehensive understanding of the angiogenesis-related parameters of HUVECs within the ECM. DHM enables label-free, non-contact, and non-invasive 3D monitoring of living samples in real time, in a quantitative manner. In this study, the human amniotic membrane (HAM) is decellularized, pulverized, and combined with sodium alginate hydrogel to provide an in vitro substrate for modeling HUVEC angiogenesis. Our results demonstrate that modifying alginate hydrogel with HAM enhances its biofunctionality due to the presence of ECM components. Moreover, the DHM results reveal an increase in its porous properties, which, in turn, aids in interpreting the tubulation results.
