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Updated: May 13, 2026
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Tissue Engineering: Construction of a Multicellular 3D Scaffold for the Delivery of Layered Cell Sheets
Published on: October 3, 2014
Keratinocyte cytoskeletal roles in cell sheet engineering.
Qi Wei1, Daniel Reidler, Min Ye Shen
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace, 500 W 120th Street, MC 8904, New York, NY 10027, USA.
BMC Biotechnology
|February 28, 2013
Summary
The cytoskeleton, including actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments, is crucial for maintaining cell sheet cohesion and contraction. Disrupting these elements significantly impacts cell-cell interactions in substrate-free cultures.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Understanding cell-cell interactions is vital for tissue engineering and studying adhesion disorders.
- Cell sheets in suspension are prone to contraction and fragility, posing challenges for applications.
- The role of the cytoskeleton in substrate-free cell sheets remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of different cytoskeletal components in regulating cell sheet contraction and cohesion.
- To assess the impact of disrupting actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments on cell-cell interactions in the absence of a substrate.
Main Methods:
- Keratinocytes were cultured to form confluent cell sheets.
- Dispase was used to detach cell sheets from the substrate.
- Cell sheet cohesion and contraction were measured after disrupting cytoskeletal elements (actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments).
Main Results:
- Disruption of keratin intermediate filaments affected cell sheet cohesion and contraction similarly to actin or microtubule disruption.
- Interfering with actomyosin contraction also led to diminished cell cohesion.
- All cytoskeletal components play a role in maintaining cell sheet integrity.
Conclusions:
- The cytoskeleton network's integrity is essential for the biomechanical properties of substrate-free cell sheets.
- Actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments collectively contribute to cell sheet cohesion and contraction.
- Findings highlight the importance of cytoskeletal regulation in cell sheet engineering.
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