Cellular response of blood-borne immune cells to PEEU fiber meshes

Issue title: 40th Conference of the German Society for Clinical Microcirculation and Hemorheology, 5-6 November 2021, Senftenberg, Germany

Guest editors: J.-H. Küpper, A. Krüger-Genge and F. Jung

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Maring, Janita A.^{a; 1} | Becker, Matthias^{d; 1} | Tung, Wing Tai^{a; b; 1} | Stamm, Christof^{a; d; e; f; *} | Ma, Nan^{a; c; *} | Lendlein, Andreas^{a; b; c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Institute of Active Polymers and Berlin-Brandenburg Centre for Regenerative Therapies, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Teltow, Germany | [b] Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany | [c] Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany | [d] Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany | [e] German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany | [f] Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité –Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding authors. Prof. Dr. Christof Stamm, Prof. Dr. Nan Ma and Prof. Dr. Andreas Lendlein, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, 14513 Teltow, Kantstraße 55, Germany. E-mail: christof.stamm@hereon.de (Christof Stamm); nan.ma@hereon.de (Nan Ma); andreas.lendlein@hereon.de (Andreas Lendlein).

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Polymeric materials have been widely used as artificial grafts in cardiovascular applications. These polymeric implants can elicit a detrimental innate and adaptive immune response after interacting with peripheral blood. A surface modification with components from extracellular matrices (ECM) may minimize the activation of immune cells from peripheral blood. The aim of this study is to compare the cellular response of blood-born immune cells to the fiber meshes from polyesteretherurethane (PEEUm) and PEEUm with ECM coating (PEEUm + E). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Electrospun PEEUm were used as-is or coated with human cardiac ECM. Different immune cells were isolated form human peripheral blood. Cytokine release profile from naïve and activated monocytes was assessed. Macrophage polarization and T cell proliferation, as indication of immune response were evaluated. RESULTS:There was no increase in cytokine release (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10) from activated monocytes, macrophages and mononuclear cells on PEEUm; neither upon culturing on PEEUm + E. Naïve monocytes showed increased levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, which were not present on PEEUm + E. There was no difference on monocyte derived macrophage polarization towards pro-inflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory M2 on PEEUm and PEEUm + E. Moreover, T cell proliferation was not increased upon interacting with PEEUm directly. CONCLUSION:As PEEUm only elicits a minimal response from naïve monocytes but not from monocytes, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or T cells, the slight improvement in response to PEEUm + E might not justify the additional effort of coating with a human ECM.

Keywords: Immune response, cardiovascular, polymer, ECM, cytokine

DOI: 10.3233/CH-219114

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 79, no. 1, pp. 205-216, 2021