Robin and Orégane join us to develop a microfluidic system for mechanical sollicitation of cancer spheroids

As part of their engineering studies at ISEN Lille for a master’s degree specialized in Bionanotechnologies, Robin and Orégane arrived in HCS Pharma in May 2021 for a 4-month internship. Their work in HCS Pharma follows a student project during which they designed and computationally simulated a microfluidic device capable Read more…

Impact of neurodegenerative diseases on extracellular space organization and diffusion through hyaluronan remodeling

Soria et al. has published this year an interesting study about the modification leading by synucleopathy on the nanoscale organization and diffusivity of the extracellular space, through hyaluronan remodeling. Indeed the extracellular space (ECS), composed by the interstitial fluid and the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays several roles in health and Read more…

The ExtraCellular Matrix: a focus on GlycosAminoGlycans and Hyaluronan

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a three-dimensional macromolecular network composed of structural proteins (collagens, elastin), adhesion/signalling proteins (fibronectin, laminins), different proteoglycans, glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). GAGs are structurally complex, but their structure is simply made up of repeating disaccharide building blocks composed of alternating uronic acid and hexosamine units. GAGs Read more…

BIOMIMESYS® Oncology is a relevant hydroscaffold for cancer-related in vitro studies

BIOMIMESYS® Oncology is mostly composed of hyaluronic acid (HA), biofunctionnalized with undenaturated collagen I. HA, by interacting with its binding proteins (CD44, RHAMM, ICAM-1), is an active participant in inflammatory, angiogenic, fibrotic and cancer-promoting processes (Figure 1). We are currently looking at the effect of different elastic moduli of BIOMIMESYS® Read more…

Cell hyaluronan

Breakdown of the extracellular matrix (ECM) promotes increased cell migration via upregulation of glycolysis

Cells have diverse circuitry to sense and respond to extrinsic metabolic signals. Extracellular matrix (ECM) reorganization which is central to both tissue expansion and regeneration. ECM remodeling is also a signature of pathological processes, such as tumorigenesis. In this study from Sullivan et al., they show that increased migration in Read more…

A biomimetic hydrogel functionalized with adipose ECM components as a microenvironment for the 3D culture of human and murine adipocytes

Abstract The lack of relevant in vitro models for adipose tissue makes necessary the development of a more physiological environment providing spatial and chemical cues for the effective maturation of adipocytes. We developed a biofunctionalized hydrogel with components of adipose extracellular matrix: collagen I, collagen VI, and the cell binding Read more…