AUTHOR=Shanbhag Siddharth , Rashad Ahmad , Nymark Ellen Helgeland , Suliman Salwa , de Lange Davies Catharina , Stavropoulos Andreas , Bolstad Anne Isine , Mustafa Kamal 

TITLE=Spheroid Coculture of Human Gingiva-Derived Progenitor Cells With Endothelial Cells in Modified Platelet Lysate Hydrogels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.739225

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2021.739225

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>Cell coculture strategies can promote angiogenesis within tissue engineering constructs. This study aimed to test the angiogenic potential of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cocultured with gingiva-derived progenitor cells (GPC) as spheroids in a xeno-free environment. Human platelet lysate (HPL) was used as a cell culture supplement and as a hydrogel matrix (HPLG) for spheroid encapsulation. HUVEC and HUVEC + GPC (1:1 or 5:1) spheroids were encapsulated in various HPLG formulations. Angiogenesis was assessed via <italic>in vitro</italic> sprouting and <italic>in vivo</italic> chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays. HUVEC revealed characteristic <italic>in vitro</italic> sprouting in HPL/HPLG and this was significantly enhanced in cocultures with GPC (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). A trend for greater sprouting was observed in 5:1 vs 1:1 HUVEC + GPC spheroids and in certain HPLG formulations (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05). Both HUVEC and HUVEC + GPC spheroids in HPLG revealed abundant and comparable neoangiogenesis in the CAM assay (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05). Spheroid coculture of HUVEC + GPC in HPLG represents a promising strategy to promote angiogenesis.</p>