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C05 |Ultraweak hydrogels for molecular and biological functional analyses of cell-matrix and cell-cell 3D networks in neuronal cell culture systems

Within the first grant period of the SFB, 3D Matrix-scaffold composites were established composed of ultra-weak hydrogels (100-150 Pa), MEW scaffolds and single cell types (neurons, astrocytes, Glioblastoma cells). In the new grant period, we will further develop this model system to understand cell-cell interactions between primary neuronal and tumor cells. The focus of the project will be to study the influence of the extracellular environment, such as matrix, scaffold and the resulting biomechanics on tumor progression using co-cultures as well as spheroids of primary neuronal cells and tumor cells.

Prof. Dr. Reiner Strick
Prof. Dr. Carmen Villmann


Mateo S. Andrade Mier

Previous academic education: M.Sc. Translational Neuroscience
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Carmen Villmann
Location: University Hospital of Würzburg, Institute for Clinical Neurobiology
Topic of thesis: 3D cultures and co-cultures of astrocytes, neurons and GBM cells in HA-SH gel: cell viability and interactions
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: 3D cell culture, Electrophysiology, Calcium Imaging, Microscopy

Contact: andrade_m@ukw.de

Vanessa Mößler

Previous academic education: M.Sc. Bioanalytik
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Reiner Strick
Location: University Hospital Erlangen (UKER), Department of OB/GYN, Lab for Molecular Medicine
Topic of thesis: 3D tumor structures in a neuronal network with emphasis on hydrogel, cell-cell and cell-matrix functional interactions.
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: 3D co-culture of brain and tumor cells, cell spheroids, functionalized and PCL stabilized hydrogels, gene- and protein-expression analysis, proliferation- and migration-assays

Contact: vanessa.moessler@uk-erlangen.de

2024

Gupta R, Dittmeier M, Wohlleben G, Nickl V, Bischler T, Luzak V, Wegat V, Doll D, Sodmann A, Bady E, Langlhofer G, Wachter B, Havlicek S, Gupta J, Horn E, Luningschror P, Villmann C, Polat B, Wischhusen J, Monoranu CM, Kuper J, Blum R. Atypical cellular responses mediated by intracellular constitutive active TrkB (NTRK2) kinase domains and a solely intracellular NTRK2-fusion oncogene. Cancer Gene Therapy, doi: 10.1038/s41417-024-00809-0 (2024).  (C05)

Wiessler A-L, Hasenmüller A-S, Fuhl I, Mille C, Cortes Campo O, Reinhard N, Schenk J, Heinze KG, Schäfer N, Specht C, Villmann C. Role of the glycine receptor beta subunit in synaptic localization and pathogenicity in severe startle disease. J Neurosci doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.0837-23.2023 (2024). (C05, Z02, A07)

Türker E, Andrade Mier MS, Faber J, Padilla Padilla SJ, Murenu N, Stahlhut P, Lang G, Lamberger Z, Weigelt J, Schaefer N, Tessmar J, Strissel PL, Blunk T, Budday S, Strick R, Villmann C. Breast tumor cell survival and morphology in a brain-like extracellular matrix depends onmatrix composition and mechanical properties. Adv Biol doi: 10.1002/adbi.202400184. (2024) (A02, A07, B09, C02, C05) (COVER IMAGE)

2023

Andrade Mier MS, Dalton PD, Stahlhut P, Bakirci E, Blum R, Villmann C, Primary Glial Cell and Glioblastoma Morphology in Cocultures Depends on Scaffold Design and Hydrogel Composition, Adv Biol (Weinh) doi:10.1002/adbi.202300029  (2023) e2300029. (B01, C05)

Böhringer D, Bauer A, Moravec I, Bischof L, Kah D, Mark C, Grundy TJ, Görlach E, Neill GMO, Budday S, Strissel P, Strick R, Malandrino A, Mak M, Rausch M, Fabry B. Fiber alignment in 3D collagen networks as a biophysical marker for cell contractility. Matrix Biology doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2023.11.004 (2023). (A01, B09, C02, C05)

Schaefer N, Andrade Mier MS, Sonnleitner D, Murenu N, Ng XJ, Lamberger Z, Buechner M, Trossmann VT, Schubert DW, Scheibel T, Lang G, Rheological and Biological Impact of Printable PCL-Fibers as Reinforcing Fillers in Cell-Laden Spider-Silk Bio-Inks, Small Methods doi:10.1002/smtd.202201717  (2023) e2201717. (A07, C01, C05)

Wiessler AL, Hasenmüller AS, Fuhl I, Mille C, Cortes Campo O, Reinhard N, Schenk J, Heinze KG, Schaefer N, Specht CG, Villmann C. Role of the glycine receptor ß subunit in synaptic localization and 4 pathogenicity in severe startle disease. J. Neurosci., doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0837-23.2023 (2023). (A07, C05, Z02)

2022

An R, Strissel PL, Al-Abboodi M, Robering JW, Supachai R, Eckstein M, Peddi A, Hauck T, Bäuerle T, Boccaccini AR, Youssef A, Sun J, Strick R, Horch RE, Boos AM, Kengelbach-Weigand A, An Innovative Arteriovenous (AV) Loop Breast Cancer Model Tailored for Cancer Research, Bioengineering 9(7) (2022). (C03, B01, A01)

Janzen D, Bakirci E, Faber J, Mier MA, Hauptstein J, Pal A, Forster L, Hazur J, Boccaccini AR, Detsch R, Tessmar J, Budday S, Blunk T, Dalton PD, Villmann C, Reinforced Hyaluronic acid-based Matrices promote 3D Neuronal Network Formation, Adv Healthc Mater doi:10.1002/adhm.202201826  (2022) e2201826. (A01, A02, B06, B09, B01/C05)

Schaefer N, Harvey RJ, Villmann C, Startle Disease: New Molecular Insights into an Old Neurological Disorder, Neuroscientist doi:10.1177/10738584221104724  (2022) 10738584221104724. (B01, A07, C05)

Sivakumar S, Schmid R, Wieland A, Strissel PL, Strick R, Fischer L, Thievessen I, Kataev E, Arkudas A, Horch RE, Schubert DW, Kengelbach‐Weigand A, Role of Fiber Thickness and Surface Treatment of Electrospun Polycaprolactone Matrices on the Growth of Different Breast Cancer‐Associated Cells, Advanced Materials Interfaces doi:10.1002/admi.202101808  (2022). (B01, B06, C03)

2021

Fischhaber N, Faber J, Bakirci E, Dalton PD, Budday S, Villmann C, Schaefer N, Spinal Cord Neuronal Network Formation in a 3D Printed Reinforced Matrix-A Model System to Study Disease Mechanisms, Adv Healthc Mater doi:10.1002/adhm.202100830  (2021) e2100830. (B01, Z01)

Kim J, Bakirci E, O’Neill KL, Hrynevich A, Dalton PD, Fiber Bridging during Melt Electrowriting of Poly(ε‐Caprolactone) and the Influence of Fiber Diameter and Wall Height, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 306(3) (2021). (B01)

Wieland A, Strissel PL, Schorle H, Bakirci E, Janzen D, Beckmann MW, Eckstein M, Dalton PD, Strick R, Brain and Breast Cancer Cells with PTEN Loss of Function Reveal Enhanced Durotaxis and RHOB Dependent Amoeboid Migration Utilizing 3D Scaffolds and Aligned Microfiber Tracts, Cancers (Basel) 13(20) (2021). (B01)

2020

Bakirci E, Schaefer N, Dahri O, Hrynevich A, Strissel P, Strick R, Dalton PD, Villmann C, Melt Electrowritten In Vitro Radial Device to Study Cell Growth and Migration, Adv Biosyst 4(10) (2020) 2000077. (B01)

Janzen D, Bakirci E, Wieland A, Martin C, Dalton PD, Villmann C, Cortical Neurons form a Functional Neuronal Network in a 3D Printed Reinforced Matrix, Adv Healthc Mater 9(9) (2020) 1901630. (B01)

Mark C, Grundy TJ, Strissel PL, Bohringer D, Grummel N, Gerum R, Steinwachs J, Hack CC, Beckmann MW, Eckstein M, Strick R, O’Neill GM, Fabry B, Collective forces of tumor spheroids in three-dimensional biopolymer networks, eLife 9 (2020) 51912. (C02, B01)

2019

Schaefer N, Janzen D, Bakirci E, Hrynevich A, Dalton PD, Villmann C, 3D Electrophysiological Measurements on Cells Embedded within Fiber-Reinforced Matrigel, Adv Healthc Mater 8(5) (2019) 1801226. (B01)

2024

Carmen Villmann
Glioblastoma in a biomimetic brainlike ECM – a 3D cellular disease model
Talk at Seminar, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Australia, 01.02.2024                   C05

2022

Dieter Janzen, Ezgi Bakirci, Leonard Forster, Jörg Teßmar, Paul D. Dalton, Carmen Villmann
Neuronal network formation in 3D reinforced hyaluronic-based hydrogels using MEW frames
6th Bioinspired Materials, Kloster Kostenz 2022                     C05, A02

2021

Bakirci E, Janzen D, Wieland A, Hrynevich A, Tandon B, Schaefer N, Strissel PL, Strick R, Villmann C, Dalton PD (2021)
Melt electrowritten fiber scaffolds as in vitro culture systems for nervous tissue engineering
31st Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2021), 5 to 9 September 2021 (B01)

Janzen D, Bakirci E, Hauptstein J, Forster L, Teßmar J, Blunk T, Dalton PD, Villmann C (2021)
Neuronal Networks in a Fiber-Reinforced Hyaluronic Acid-Based Matrix
31st Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2021), 5 to 9 September 2021 (B01)

Wieland A, Strissel PL, Schorle H, Bakirci E, Dalton PD, Janzen D, Eckstein M, Villmann C, Strick R (2021)
Aligned melt electrowritten fiber tracts and PTEN dysfunction reveal an alternating morphology mechanism for migrating brain tumor cells
31st Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2021), 5 to 9 September 2021 (B01)

2020

Janzen D, Bakirci E, Wieland A, Strissel PL, Strick R, Dalton PD, VIllmann C (2020)
Neural networks in 3D printed fiber-reinforced hydrogels
5th Bioinspired Materials 2020 Conference, 16 – 19 March 2020 – Web conference

2019

Wieland A, Strissel PL, Bakirci E, Dalton PD, Feigenspan A, Villmann C, Strick R (2019)
Soft matrix composites as three-dimensional models mimicking Glioblastoma in vitro
30th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials in tandem with the 26thAnnual Conference of the German Society for Biomaterials (DGBM); September 9 to 13, 2019 (Dresden, Germany)

2024

Esra Tuerker, Jessica Faber, Mateo S. Andrade Mier, Nicoletta Murenu, Philipp Stahlhut, Gregor Lang, Silvia Budday, Natascha Schaefer, Pamela Strissel, Reiner Strick, Carmen Villmann
Understanding cell-matrix interactions between primary neurons and breast tumor cells in a brain-like 3D microenvironment
3 Bs Materials 2024 International Conference, Sevilla, Spain in March 2024

2023

Mateo S. Andrade Mier, Torsten Blunk, Carmen Villmann
Glioma and Native CNS cells Co-culture in Ultraweak Hydrogels: Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions
Gottingen Neuroscience meeting 2023 on 22nd March 2023

Mateo S. Andrade Mier, Joachim Schenk, Katrin G. Heinze, Torsten Blunk, Carmen Villmann
Glioblastoma multiforme cells generate functional cell-cell interactions with native CNS cells in 3D in vitro ultra soft hydrogels
Neuroscience 2023 SFN on 13th November 2023

2022

Raymund Horch, Harald Wajant, Isabell Lang, Yvonne Kulicke
SFB/TRR 225 Project C05: Ultraweak hydrogels for molecular and biological functional analyses of cell-matrix and cell-cell 3D networks in neuronal cell culture systems
Symposium “Biofabrication meets Infection” Würzburg on 25-28- September 2022         C05

Mateo Andrade Mier
Scaffold design and matrix composition affect the cellular morphology of native glial cells and glioma cells IVM_008
Meeting of The International Society for Biofabrication 2022, Montecatini Terme (Italy) on 25-28- September 2022 https://www.biofabrication2022.org/         C05

2019

Janzen D, Bakirci E, Wieland A, Strissel PL, Strick R, Dalton PD, Villmann C (2019)
Neuronal Networks in 3D Matrix Composites
30th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials in tandem with the 26thAnnual Conference of the German Society for Biomaterials (DGBM); September 9 to 13, 2019 (Dresden, Germany)

Bakirci E, Dahri O, Ceballos E, Hrynevich A, Groll J, Schäfer N, Villmann C, Dalton PD(2019)
Design and Development of a Melt Electrowritten in vitro Radial Migration Assay
TeRMIS European Chapter Meeting 2019 27th-31st May 2019, Tissue Engineering Therapies: From Concept to Clinical Translation & Commercialisation (Rhodes, Greece)

2018

Janzen D, Schaefer N, Bakirci E, Dalton PD, Strissel PL, Villmann C (2018)
3D Electrophysiology in Matrix Composites
Annual Conference of the International Society for Biofabrication (ISBF), 28 – 31 October 2018 (Würzburg, Germany)

Wieland A, Janzen D, Bakirci E, Schäfer N, Strissel PL, Strick R, Villmann C, Dalton P (2018)
Ultra-soft Matrix Composites for 3D Neuroglia in vitro Research
Summer School “3D Printing Technologies”, 16 – 20 Jul 2018 (Würzburg, Germany)

Anna Reinert

Previous academic education: Master Molecular and Developmental Stem Cell Biology
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Reiner Strick
Location: University Hospital Erlangen (UKER), Department of OB/GYN, Lab for Molecular Medicine
Topic of thesis: 3D tumor structures in a neuronal network with emphasis on hydrogel, cell-cell and cell-matrix functional interactions.
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: 3D co-culture of brain and tumor cells, cell spheroids, functionalized and PCL stabilized hydrogels, gene- and protein-expression analysis, proliferation- and migration-assays

Contact: anna.reinert@fau.de

Dieter Janzen

Previous academic education: Master-Thesis
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Carmen Villmann
Location: University Hospital of Würzburg, Institute for Clinical Neurobiology
Topic of thesis: 3D electrophysiology in ultra-soft matrices
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: Primary cell culture, 3D electrophysiology, Immunocytochemistry

Contact: janzen_d@ukw.de

Annalena Wieland

Previous academic education: Master of Science in Molecular Medicine
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Reiner Strick
Location: University Hospital Erlangen, Department of Molecular Medicine
Topic of thesis: Ultra-soft matrix composites as three-dimensional models mimicking 3D glioblastoma in vitro.
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: Isolation and fractionation of human primary cells, cell culture, gene- and protein- expression analysis (ECM), proliferation- and migration assays.

Contact: Annalena.Wieland@uk-erlangen.de

Ezgi Bakirci

Previous academic education: Yildiz Technical University-Bioengineering, Sabanci University- Material Sciences and Engineering
Academic Advisor within SFB TRR225: Prof. Dr. Paul Dalton
Subproject: Ultra-soft matrix composite for 3D Neuroglia in vitro Research
Location: University of Würzburg, Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry
Topic of thesis: Developing in vitro Culture System for Nerve Tissue Engineering Application using Melt Electrospinning Writing
Main techniques and methodologies to be used: Melt Electrospinning Writing, Hydrogel, Cell Culture

Contact: ezgi.bakirci@fmz.uni-wuerzburg.de
Awards: IOP Biofabrication Best Presentation Award 2018 at the @utrechtsummer course 3D Printing & Biofabrication.
ISBF Young Scientist Award 2021 at the Biofabrication 2021 conference.

Verfahren und Messanordnung zum Ermitteln einer Fließeigenschaft eines Fluids “BERIT” (Best Elongation Rheology Investigative Testing), inventors: Dirk W. Schubert (A07), Paul Dalton (A04 and B01), Stefan Schrüfer (A07), DE application number: DE 10 2020 216 545.9., applicant FAU

Prof. Dr. Carmen Villmann

  • Speaker Elitenetzwerk Bayern Master Programme Translational Neuroscience
  • Member of the International Society for Neuroscience
  • Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM)
  • Frontiers in Neuroscience (Associate Editor)
  • German University Association (DHV)
  • Society for Neuroscience (Washington / DC, USA)
  • Member society for Biofabrication
  • Member Neurowissenschaftliche Gesellschaft
  • Mentor for young scientists SFB

Prof. Dr. Reiner Strick

  • Member of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federation of European Biochemical Sciences (FEBS), International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)
  • Member of the Academy of European Tumour Immunology (EATI)
  • Member of the “Bladder Cancer Research Initiative for Drug Targets Germany” (BRIDGE)
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