A translação da regeneração pulpar com células tronco para a clinica requerirá o uso de scaffolds injetáveis. O objetivo foi estudar o comportamento de células tronco obtidas de dentes decíduos exfoliados (SHED) injetados em canais radiculares de pré-molares humanos com ápice aberto com scaffold de colágeno recombinante humano tipo I (rhC-I) e a base de nanofibras auto-organizáveis (SA). Para determinar a viabilidade e potencial de diferenciação de SHED in vitro, raízes nao instrumentadas foram posicionadas com o ápice em meio de cultura. SHED ressuspendida em rhC e SA foram injetadas nos canais (n=24, 5X105 células/mL). Os controles foram SHED e scaffolds sozinhos. Marcadores para diferenciação odontoblastica (DSPP, DMP-1 e MEPE) foram avaliados semanalmente por RT-PCR por 28 dias. Para avaliar a diferenciação odontoblástica e formação de tecido in vivo, SHED transuzida com GFP foram injetadas em canais radiculares (n=8, 106 célulass/mL) utilizando os mesmos grupos e implantadas subcutaneamente em camundongos imunodeprimidos. O controle (C+) foi um pré-molar humano extraído. Analise estatística foi feita com ANOVA (=0.05). Os marcadores de diferenciação odontoblástica aumentaram para SA e rhC-I mas nao nos controles. Crescimento de tecido pulpar-símile ( do que 60% do comprimento da raiz) foi observado em 75% dos implantes para SA e rhC-I e 0% nos controles. Analise de imunohistoquimica para GFP confirmou a origem tecidual a partir de SHED. PCNA e ensaio de TUNEL mostraram alta ativiade proliferativa e poucas células apoptóticas. Injeções de tetraciclina evidenciaram neoformação de dentina. A densidade microvascular e nomero de odontoblastos delineando a dentinta foi similar em rhC-I, SA e C+. A associação de SHED com scaffolds injetáveis foi capaz de originar um tecido pulpar capaz de produzir dentina e constitui um passo a mais frente ao objetivo de regeneração pulpar em pacientes humanos. / The translation of dental pulp regeneration with stem cells to the clinic will require the use of injectable scaffolds. The aim was to study the behavior of stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) injected in the root canal of opened-apex human premolars with either recombinant human collagen I (rhC-I) or selfassembling nanofiber (SA) scaffolds. To assess in vitro SHED viability and differentiative potential, non-instrumented roots were set with the apex in culture media. SHED were mixed in rhC-I or SA and injected into canals (n=24, 5X105 cells/mL). Controls were SHED or scaffolds alone. Odontoblastic differentiation markers (DSPP, DMP-1 and MEPE) were assessed weekly by RT-PCR for 28 days. To evaluate odontoblast differentiation and tissue formation in vivo, SHED transduced with GFP were injected in canals (n=8, 106 cells/mL) using same groups and implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Positive control (C+) was extracted premolar. Statistic was done with ANOVA (=0.05). Odontoblastic differentiation markers increased in SA and rhC-I but not in controls. Pulp-like tissue growth ( than 60% of root length) was observed in 75% of implants for SA and rhC-I and 0% in controls. GFP staining confirmed SHEDs tissue origin. PCNA staining and TUNEL assay showed high proliferative activity and few apoptotic cells. Tetracycline injections showed newly formed dentin. Microvessel density and odontoblastic-like cell number lining dentin were similar in rhC-I, SA and C+. Injectable scaffolds and SHED allowed for the engineering of a pulp-like tissue and constitute one step forward towards the goal of dental p ulp regeneration in human patients.

A translação da regeneração pulpar com células tronco para a clinica requerirá o uso de scaffolds injetáveis. O objetivo foi estudar o comportamento de células tronco obtidas de dentes decíduos exfoliados (SHED) injetados em canais radiculares de pré-molares humanos com ápice aberto com scaffold de colágeno recombinante humano tipo I (rhC-I) e a base de nanofibras auto-organizáveis (SA). Para determinar a viabilidade e potencial de diferenciação de SHED in vitro, raízes nao instrumentadas foram posicionadas com o ápice em meio de cultura. SHED ressuspendida em rhC e SA foram injetadas nos canais (n=24, 5X105 células/mL). Os controles foram SHED e scaffolds sozinhos. Marcadores para diferenciação odontoblastica (DSPP, DMP-1 e MEPE) foram avaliados semanalmente por RT-PCR por 28 dias. Para avaliar a diferenciação odontoblástica e formação de tecido in vivo, SHED transuzida com GFP foram injetadas em canais radiculares (n=8, 106 célulass/mL) utilizando os mesmos grupos e implantadas subcutaneamente em camundongos imunodeprimidos. O controle (C+) foi um pré-molar humano extraído. Analise estatística foi feita com ANOVA (=0.05). Os marcadores de diferenciação odontoblástica aumentaram para SA e rhC-I mas nao nos controles. Crescimento de tecido pulpar-símile ( do que 60% do comprimento da raiz) foi observado em 75% dos implantes para SA e rhC-I e 0% nos controles. Analise de imunohistoquimica para GFP confirmou a origem tecidual a partir de SHED. PCNA e ensaio de TUNEL mostraram alta ativiade proliferativa e poucas células apoptóticas. Injeções de tetraciclina evidenciaram neoformação de dentina. A densidade microvascular e nomero de odontoblastos delineando a dentinta foi similar em rhC-I, SA e C+. A associação de SHED com scaffolds injetáveis foi capaz de originar um tecido pulpar capaz de produzir dentina e constitui um passo a mais frente ao objetivo de regeneração pulpar em pacientes humanos. / The translation of dental pulp regeneration with stem cells to the clinic will require the use of injectable scaffolds. The aim was to study the behavior of stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) injected in the root canal of opened-apex human premolars with either recombinant human collagen I (rhC-I) or selfassembling nanofiber (SA) scaffolds. To assess in vitro SHED viability and differentiative potential, non-instrumented roots were set with the apex in culture media. SHED were mixed in rhC-I or SA and injected into canals (n=24, 5X105 cells/mL). Controls were SHED or scaffolds alone. Odontoblastic differentiation markers (DSPP, DMP-1 and MEPE) were assessed weekly by RT-PCR for 28 days. To evaluate odontoblast differentiation and tissue formation in vivo, SHED transduced with GFP were injected in canals (n=8, 106 cells/mL) using same groups and implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Positive control (C+) was extracted premolar. Statistic was done with ANOVA (=0.05). Odontoblastic differentiation markers increased in SA and rhC-I but not in controls. Pulp-like tissue growth ( than 60% of root length) was observed in 75% of implants for SA and rhC-I and 0% in controls. GFP staining confirmed SHEDs tissue origin. PCNA staining and TUNEL assay showed high proliferative activity and few apoptotic cells. Tetracycline injections showed newly formed dentin. Microvessel density and odontoblastic-like cell number lining dentin were similar in rhC-I, SA and C+. Injectable scaffolds and SHED allowed for the engineering of a pulp-like tissue and constitute one step forward towards the goal of dental p ulp regeneration in human patients.

<p>Breast cancer remains the leading cause of death among females worldwide. While systemic therapy for breast cancer may work effectively in the early phases, for more than 10% of primary and 50% of metastatic cases, the disease eventually progresses, resisting treatments. To overcome this issue, recognizing markers of resistance as early as possible is critical. However, the underlying mechanisms of resistance remains elusive. The influence of microenvironmental factors of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on tumor behavior has been revealed relatively recently and increased stiffness of ECM is associated with cancer progression. Additionally, impacts of other matrix components such as non-neoplastic epithelial cells (that may constitute an important portion of the tumor microenvironment -TME) are suspected to influence tumors but they have not been investigated in detail. Besides, it is not known whether the response to increasing stiffness depends on the subtypes of breast cancer. Here, using breast models in 3D cell culture we have shown that the non-neoplastic epithelial compartment can influence the effect of matrix stiffness even for tumors recognized as highly aggressive. The degree of tumor aggressiveness recognizable via tumor architecture is associated with a differential behavior when ECM stiffness changes. In a 3D microenvironmental context, which provides an optimal level of constraints for tumors to display their phenotype, we report stiffness and paracrine influence impact on cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity, which correlates with distinct nuclear morphometry and distribution pattern associated with population heterogeneity. The response pattern varies across cell lines representing higher and lower levels of aggressiveness in the basal-like subtypes of breast cancer. Our results also highlight the need for integrating biochemical and physical components of the TME in future designs of <i>in vitro</i> drug screening platforms.</p>

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, even optimal medical therapies do not attenuate deterioration of the left ventricular (LV) function completely. Stem cell therapies, and recently cardiac stem cell therapies, have emerged as potential novel treatments for IHD. However, clinical evidence from randomised controlled studies has shown mixed results. Thus understanding what patient-related factors may affect the therapeutic performance of the cells may help improving treatment outcomes. The studies described in this thesis aim to understand how cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) can re-vascularise ischaemic myocardium and promote functional repair of the heart. Resident CPCs were isolated and expanded from the right atrial appendage of 68 patients following the ‘cardiosphere’ method (cardiosphere-derived cells or CDCs). They resemble mesenchymal progenitors as they lack the expression of endothelial and haematopoietic cell surface markers but express mesenchymal progenitor cell markers (e.g. CD105, CD90). Cell function was evaluated by support of angiogenesis, mesenchymal lineage differentiation potential in vitro, and improvement in heart function in vivo. Notably in vitro, CDC from different patients differed in their angiogenic supportive and differentiation potentials. In a rodent model of myocardial infarction (MI), transplantation of CDC reduced infarct size significantly (p<0.05). However, only those CDCs with a robust pro-angiogenic ability in vitro improved vessel density and heart systolic function (p<0.05) in vivo. A multiple regression model, which accounted for 51% of the variability observed, identified New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, smoking, hypertension, type of ischaemic disease and diseased vessel as independent predictors of angiogenesis. In addition, gene expression analyses revealed that differential gene expression of several extracellular matrix components (e.g. CUX1, COL1A2, BMP1 genes and microRNA-29b) could explain the differences observed in CDC’s vascular supportive function. In summary, this is the first description of variability in the pro-angiogenic and differentiation potential of CDCs and its correlation with their therapeutic potential. This study indicates that patient stratification may need to be included in the design of future trials to improve the efficacy of cell-based therapies.

The aim of the work described in this thesis was to explore the synthesis of glycosidase inhibitors and to evaluate their potential as anti-cancer agents. Glycosidases catalyze the fission of glycosidic bonds and are involved in vital biological functions. With regard to their potential for anti-cancer therapy, two glycosidases were identified: α-N-acetyl-galactosaminidase and β-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase. The former has been implicated in causing immunosuppression in advanced cancer patients by negating the effect of the macrophage activating factor (MAF), while the latter is secreted by invading cancer cells and hence associated with metastasis formation. The synthetic focus was on generating piperidine and azetidine iminosugars, carbohydrate mimetics with their endocylic oxygen replaced by nitrogen. Their structural similarity to carbohydrates make iminosugars excellent inhibitors of glycosidases. Following synthesis of a pipecolic amide, its previously reported potent β-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase inhibition was confirmed. This data, along with inhibition profiles of several pyrrolidines, allowed the generation of a molecular model for predicting activity of β-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase inhibitors. The model was used to select azetidines in the D/L-ribo and D-lyxo configuration as suitable candidates to be explored in novel chemical space, leading to the first synthesis of a fully unprotected 3-hydroxy-2-carboxy-azetidine. The potent α-N-acetyl-galactosamindase inhibitor 2-acetamido-1,2-dideoxy-D-galacto-nojirimycin (DGJNAc) was successfully derivatised via N-alkylation. Important structural discoveries with regard to glycosylation of vitamin D₃-binding protein, the precursor of MAF, were made using MALDI mass-spectrometry. By comparing the enzymatic and cellular inhibition of N-alkylated derivatives of DGJNAc and a pyrrolidine the following generalization on iminosugar biodistribution was found: N-butylation promotes uptake into the cell/organelles, while hydrophilic side-chains restrict cellular access. An in vitro assay evaluating cancer cell invasion was devised and β-N-acetyl-hexoamindase inhibitors were shown to retard cell migration, including with the highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Additive effects where found when the iminosugar was combined with a protease inhibitor, suggesting potential for future combination therapy.

Models using 3D cell culture techniques are increasingly accepted as the most biofidelic in vitro representations of tissues for research. These models are generated using biomatrices and bulk populations of cells derived from tissues or cell lines. This thesis study focuses on an alternate method to culture individually selected cells in relative isolation from the rest of the population under physiologically relevant matrix conditions. Matrix gel islands are spotted on a cell culture dish to act as support for receiving and culturing individual single cells; a glass capillary-based microfluidic setup is used to extract each desired single cell from a population and seed it on top of an island. Using examples of breast and colorectal cancers, we show that individual cells evolve into tumors or aspects of tumors displaying different characteristics of the initial cancer type and aggressiveness. By implementing a morphometry assay with luminal A breast cancer, we demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to studying phenotypic heterogeneity. Results reveal that intertumor heterogeneity increases with time in culture and that varying degrees of intratumor heterogeneity may originate from individually seeded cells. Moreover, we observe a positive correlation between fast-growing tumors and the size and heterogeneity of their nuclei.