Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University ›› 2014, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (09): 1257-1262.

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Study of Signal Pathways in 3D Cell-Scaffold SystemsBased on Image Informatics Framework

GUO Jin 1,TZERANIS Dimitrios S2,SO Peter T C2,WEI Xunbin3   

  1. (1. Department of Chemistry, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; 2. Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA; 3. MedX Research Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China)
  • Received:2013-09-29

Abstract:

Stable protein expression interference of key components of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway in fibroblasts was achieved by transfection with a shRNA lentivirus. Two-photon microscopy, combined with an image informatics framework that suitable for 3D cellmatrix system, was used to study the TGF-β signaling in fibroblasts inside porous collagen scaffolds. It is concluded that, compared with TGF-β3, TGF-β1 plays a more important role in mediating myofibroblast differentiation, and that SMAD1 and SMAD3 play key roles in TGF-β1 mediated myofibroblast differentiation but in different ways. These conclusions were consistent with the results obtained by using biochemical or genetic methods.

Key words: image informatics, two-photon fluorescence microscopy, transforming growth factor (TGF)β, fibroblasts, porous collagen scaffolds

CLC Number: