Development of a Platform for Studying 3D Astrocyte Mechanobiology: Compression of Astrocytes in Collagen Gels: Compression of Astrocytes in Collagen Gels

John Mulvihill, Julia Raykin, Eric J. Snider, Lisa A. Schildmeyer, Irsham Zaman, Manu O. Platt, Daniel J. Kelly, C. Ross Ethier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Glaucoma is a common optic neuropathy characterized by retinal ganglion cell death. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), a key risk factor for glaucoma, leads to significant biomechanical deformation of optic nerve head (ONH) cells and tissues. ONH astrocytes respond to this deformation by transforming to a reactive, proliferative phenotype, which has been implicated in the progression of glaucomatous vision loss. However, little is known about the mechanisms of this transformation. In this study, we developed a 3D collagen gel culture system to mimic features of ONH deformation due to elevated IOP. Compressive loading of astrocyte-seeded collagen gels led to cell alignment perpendicular to the direction of strain, and increased astrocyte activation, as assayed by GFAP, vimentin, and s100β levels, as well as MMP activity. This proof-of-concept study shows that this system has potential for studying mechanisms of astrocyte mechanobiology as related to the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Further work is needed to establish the possible interplay of mechanical stimulation, matrix properties, and hypoxia on the observed response of astrocytes.

Original languageEnglish (Ireland)
Pages (from-to)365-374
Number of pages10
JournalAnnals of Biomedical Engineering
Volume46
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2018

Keywords

  • 3D culture model
  • Astrocyte mechanobiology
  • Glaucoma
  • Mechanical conditioning
  • Optic nerve head

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Development of a Platform for Studying 3D Astrocyte Mechanobiology: Compression of Astrocytes in Collagen Gels: Compression of Astrocytes in Collagen Gels'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this