Quantifying Vascular Changes Surrounding Bone Regeneration in a Porcine Mandibular Defect Using Computed Tomography.

Angiogenesis is a critical process essential for optimal bone healing. Several in vitro and in vivo systems have been previously used to elucidate some of the mechanisms involved in the process of angiogenesis, and at the same time, to test potential therapeutic agents and bioactive factors that play important roles in neovascularization. Computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive imaging technique that has recently allowed investigators to obtain a diverse range of high-resolution, three-dimensional characterization of structures, such as bone formation within bony defects. Unfortunately, to date, angiogenesis evaluation relies primarily on histology, or ex vivo imaging and few studies have utilized CT to qualitatively and quantitatively study the vascular response during bone repair. In the current study a clinical CT-based technique was used to evaluate the effects of rhBMP-2 eluting graft treatment on soft tissue vascular architecture surrounding a large segmental bone defect model in the minipig mandible. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of contrast-enhanced, clinical 64-slice CT technology in extracting quantitative metrics of vascular architecture over a 12-week period. The results of this study show that the presence of rhBMP-2 had a positive effect on vessel volume from 4 to 12 weeks, which was explained by a concurrent increase in vessel number, which was also significantly higher at 4 weeks for the rhBMP-2 treatment. More importantly, analysis of vessel architecture showed no changes throughout the duration of the study, indicating therapeutic safety. This study validates CT analysis as a relevant imaging method for quantitative and qualitative analysis of morphological characteristics of vascular tissue around a bone healing site. Also important, the study shows that CT technology can be used in large animal models and potentially be translated into clinical models for the development of improved methods to evaluate tissue healing and vascular adaptation processes over the course of therapy. This methodology has demonstrated sensitivity to tracking spatial and temporal changes in vascularization and has the potential to be applied to studying changes in other high-contrast tissues as well. Impact Statement Tissue engineering solutions depend on the surrounding tissue response to support regeneration. The inflammatory environment and surrounding vascular supply are critical to determining if therapies will survive, engraftment occurs, and native physiology is restored. This study for the first time evaluates the blood vessel network changes in surrounding soft tissue to a bone defect site in a large animal model, using clinically available computed tomography tools and model changes in vessel number, size, and architecture. While this study focuses on rhBMP2 delivery impacting surrounding vasculature, this validated method can be extended to studying the vascular network changes in other tissues as well.

Are critical size bone notch defects possible in the rabbit mandible?

OBJECTIVES: Small animal maxillofacial models, such as non-segmental critical size defects (CSDs) in the rabbit mandible, need to be standardized for use as preclinical models of bone regeneration to mimic clinical conditions such as maxillofacial trauma. The objective of this study is the establishment of a mechanically competent CSD model in the rabbit mandible to allow standardized evaluation of bone regeneration therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three sizes of bony defect were generated in the mandibular body of rabbit hemi-mandibles: 12 mm×5 mm, 12 mm×8 mm, and 15 mm×10 mm. The hemi-mandibles were tested to failure in 3-point flexure. The 12 mm×5 mm defect was then chosen for the defect size created in the mandibles of 26 rabbits with or without cautery of the defect margins and bone regeneration was assessed after 6 and 12 weeks. Regenerated bone density and volume were evaluated using radiography, micro-computed tomography, and histology. RESULTS: Flexural strength of the 12 mm×5 mm defect was similar to its contralateral; whereas the 12 mm×8 mm and 15 mm×10 mm groups carried significantly less load than their respective contralaterals (P<0.05). This demonstrated that the 12 mm×5 mm defect did not significantly compromise mandibular mechanical integrity. Significantly less (P<0.05) bone was regenerated at 6 weeks in cauterized defect margins compared to controls without cautery. After 12 weeks, the bone volume of the group with cautery increased to that of the control without cautery after 6 weeks. CONCLUSION: An empty defect size of 12 mm×5 mm in the rabbit mandibular model maintains sufficient mechanical stability to not require additional stabilization. However, this defect size allows for bone regeneration across the defect. Cautery of the defect only delays regeneration by 6 weeks suggesting that the performance of bone graft materials in mandibular defects of this size should be considered with caution.

Localized low-dose rhBMP-2 is effective at promoting bone regeneration in mandibular segmental defects.

At least 26% of recent battlefield injuries are to the craniomaxillofacial (CMF) region. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) is used to treat CMF open fractures, but several complications have been associated with its use. This study tested the efficacy and safety of a lower (30% recommended) dose of rhBMP-2 to treat mandibular fractures. rhBMP-2 delivered via a polyurethane (PUR) and hydroxyapatite/ß-tricalcium phosphate (Mastergraft®) scaffold was evaluated in a 2 cm segmental mandibular defect in minipigs. Bone regeneration was analyzed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks postsurgery using clinical computed tomography (CT) and rhBMP-2, and inflammatory marker concentrations were analyzed in serum and surgery-site drain effluent. CT scans revealed that pigs treated with PUR-Mastergraft® + rhBMP-2 had complete bone bridging, while the negative control group showed incomplete bone-bridging (n = 6). Volumetric analysis of regenerated bone showed that the PUR-Mastergraft® + rhBMP-2 treatment generated significantly more bone than control by 4 weeks, a trend that continued through 12 weeks. Variations in inflammatory analytes were detected in drain effluent samples and saliva but not in serum, suggesting a localized healing response. Importantly, the rhBMP-2 group did not exhibit an excessive increase in inflammatory analytes compared to control. Treatment with low-dose rhBMP-2 increases bone regeneration capacity in pigs with mandibular continuity defects and restores bone quality. Negative complications from rhBMP-2, such as excessive inflammatory analyte levels, were not observed. Together, these results suggest that treatment with low-dose rhBMP-2 is efficacious and may improve safety when treating CMF open fractures. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 1491-1503, 2019.

Investigation of a pre-clinical mandibular bone notch defect model in miniature pigs: clinical computed tomography, micro-computed tomography, and histological evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: To validate a critical-size mandibular bone defect model in miniature pigs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral notch defects were produced in the mandible of dentally mature miniature pigs. The right mandibular defect remained untreated while the left defect received an autograft. Bone healing was evaluated by computed tomography (CT) at 4 and 16 weeks, and by micro-CT and non-decalcified histology at 16 weeks. RESULTS: In both the untreated and autograft treated groups, mineralized tissue volume was reduced significantly at 4 weeks post-surgery, but was comparable to the pre-surgery levels after 16 weeks. After 16 weeks, CT analysis indicated that significantly greater bone was regenerated in the autograft treated defect than in the untreated defect (P=0.013). Regardless of the treatment, the cortical bone was superior to the defect remodeled over 16 weeks to compensate for the notch defect. CONCLUSION: The presence of considerable bone healing in both treated and untreated groups suggests that this model is inadequate as a critical-size defect. Despite healing and adaptation, the original bone geometry and quality of the pre-injured mandible was not obtained. On the other hand, this model is justified for evaluating accelerated healing and mitigating the bone remodeling response, which are both important considerations for dental implant restorations.

Expression of UME6, a key regulator of Candida albicans hyphal development, enhances biofilm formation via Hgc1- and Sun41-dependent mechanisms.

Biofilm formation is associated with the ability of Candida albicans, the major human fungal pathogen, to resist antifungal therapies and grow on tissues, catheters, and medical devices. In order to better understand the relationship between C. albicans morphology and biofilm formation, we examined biofilms generated in response to expression of UME6, a key filament-specific transcriptional regulator. As UME6 levels rise, C. albicans cells are known to transition from yeast to hyphae, and we also observed a corresponding increase in the level of biofilm formation in vitro. In addition to forming a biofilm, we observed that a C. albicans strain expressing constitutive high levels of UME6 promoted tissue invasion in a reconstituted human three-dimensional model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Confocal microscopy indicated that both the top and bottom layers of the biofilm generated upon high-level constitutive UME6 expression consist primarily of hyphal cells. UME6-driven biofilm formation was reduced upon deletion of Hgc1, a cyclin-related protein important for hyphal development, as well as Sun41, a putative cell wall glycosidase. Constitutive high-level UME6 expression was also able to completely bypass both the filamentation and biofilm defects of a strain deleted for Efg1, a key transcriptional regulator of these processes. Finally, we show that both Sun41 and Efg1 affect the ability of UME6 to induce certain filament-specific transcripts. Overall, these findings indicate a strong correlation between increased C. albicans hyphal growth and enhanced biofilm formation and also suggest functional relationships between UME6 and other regulators of biofilm development.

A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of morphology determination in Candida albicans.

Candida albicans, the most common cause of human fungal infections, undergoes a reversible morphological transition from yeast to pseudohyphal and hyphal filaments, which is required for virulence. For many years, the relationship among global gene expression patterns associated with determination of specific C. albicans morphologies has remained obscure. Using a strain that can be genetically manipulated to sequentially transition from yeast to pseudohyphae to hyphae in the absence of complex environmental cues and upstream signaling pathways, we demonstrate by whole-genome transcriptional profiling that genes associated with pseudohyphae represent a subset of those associated with hyphae and are generally expressed at lower levels. Our results also strongly suggest that in addition to dosage, extended duration of filament-specific gene expression is sufficient to drive the C. albicans yeast-pseudohyphal-hyphal transition. Finally, we describe the first transcriptional profile of the C. albicans reverse hyphal-pseudohyphal-yeast transition and demonstrate that this transition involves not only down-regulation of known hyphal-specific, genes but also differential expression of additional genes that have not previously been associated with the forward transition, including many involved in protein synthesis. These findings provide new insight into genome-wide expression patterns important for determining fungal morphology and suggest that in addition to similarities, there are also fundamental differences in global gene expression as pathogenic filamentous fungi undergo forward and reverse morphological transitions.

Coevolution of morphology and virulence in Candida species.

Many of the major human fungal pathogens are known to undergo morphological changes, which in certain cases are associated with virulence. Although there has been an intense research focus on morphology in fungi, very little is known about how morphology evolved in conjunction with a variety of other virulence properties. However, several recent important discoveries, primarily in Candida species, are beginning to shed light on this important area and answer many longstanding questions. In this minireview, we first provide a description of the major fungal morphologies, as well as the roles of morphology and morphology-associated gene expression in virulence. Next, focusing largely on Candida species, we examine the evolutionary relationships among specific morphological forms. Finally, drawing on recent findings, we begin to address the question of how specific morphological changes came to be associated with virulence of Candida species during evolution.

Candida albicans Ume6, a filament-specific transcriptional regulator, directs hyphal growth via a pathway involving Hgc1 cyclin-related protein.

The ability of Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, to transition from yeast to hyphae is essential for pathogenicity. While a variety of transcription factors important for filamentation have been identified and characterized, links between transcriptional regulators of C. albicans morphogenesis and molecular mechanisms that drive hyphal growth are not well defined. We have previously observed that constitutive expression of UME6, which encodes a filament-specific transcriptional regulator, is sufficient to direct hyphal growth in the absence of filament-inducing conditions. Here we show that HGC1, encoding a cyclin-related protein necessary for hyphal growth under filament-inducing conditions, is specifically important for agar invasion, hyphal extension, and formation of true septa in response to constitutive UME6 expression under non-filament-inducing conditions. HGC1-dependent inactivation of Rga2, a Cdc42 GTPase activating protein (GAP), also appears to be important for these processes. In response to filament-inducing conditions, HGC1 is induced prior to UME6 although UME6 controls the level and duration of HGC1 expression, which are likely to be important for hyphal extension. Interestingly, an epistasis analysis suggests that UME6 and HGC1 play distinct roles during early filament formation. These findings establish a link between a key regulator of filamentation and a downstream mechanism important for hyphal formation. In addition, this study demonstrates that a strain expressing constitutive high levels of UME6 provides a powerful strategy to specifically dissect downstream mechanisms important for hyphal development in the absence of complex filament-inducing conditions.

Expression levels of a filament-specific transcriptional regulator are sufficient to determine Candida albicans morphology and virulence.

Candida albicans, the major human fungal pathogen, undergoes a reversible morphological transition from single yeast cells to pseudohyphal and hyphal filaments (elongated cells attached end-to-end). Because typical C. albicans infections contain a mixture of these morphologies it has, for many years, been difficult to assess the relative contribution of each form to virulence. In addition, the regulatory mechanisms that determine growth in pseudohyphal and hyphal morphologies are largely unknown. To address these questions we have generated a C. albicans strain that can be genetically manipulated to grow completely in the hyphal form under non-filament-inducing conditions in vitro. This was achieved by inducing high-level constitutive expression of UME6, a recently identified filament-specific transcriptional regulator of C. albicans hyphal extension. We show that high-level UME6 expression significantly increases hyphal formation and promotes virulence in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. Our results strongly suggest that shifting the morphology of a C. albicans population toward the hyphal form, and/or increasing hyphal-specific gene expression, during the course of infection is sufficient to improve virulence potential. We also demonstrate that lower levels of UME6 expression specify growth largely in the pseudohyphal form and that increasing UME6 levels is sufficient to cause cells to gradually shift from pseudohyphal to hyphal morphology. In addition, we show that UME6 levels differentially induce the expression of several known filament-specific transcripts. These findings suggest that a common transcriptional regulatory mechanism functions to specify both pseudohyphal and hyphal morphologies in a dosage-dependent manner.

UME6, a novel filament-specific regulator of Candida albicans hyphal extension and virulence.

The specific ability of the major human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, as well as many other pathogenic fungi, to extend initial short filaments (germ tubes) into elongated hyphal filaments is important for a variety of virulence-related processes. However, the molecular mechanisms that control hyphal extension have remained poorly understood for many years. We report the identification of a novel C. albicans transcriptional regulator, UME6, which is induced in response to multiple host environmental cues and is specifically important for hyphal extension. Although capable of forming germ tubes, the ume6Delta/ume6Delta mutant exhibits a clear defect in hyphal extension both in vitro and during infection in vivo and is attenuated for virulence in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. We also show that UME6 is an important downstream component of both the RFG1-TUP1 and NRG1-TUP1 filamentous growth regulatory pathways, and we provide evidence to suggest that Nrg1 and Ume6 function together by a negative feedback loop to control the level and duration of filament-specific gene expression in response to inducing conditions. Our results suggest that hyphal extension is controlled by a specific transcriptional regulatory mechanism and is correlated with the maintenance of high-level expression of genes in the C. albicans filamentous growth program.