Publications by authors named "Alejandro Alonso Calleja"
Aging is the major risk factor for most human diseases and represents a major socio-economical challenge for modern societies. Despite its importance, the process of aging remains poorly understood. Epigenetic dysregulation has been proposed as a key driver of the aging process.
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- Aging is the main cause of many diseases and is a big challenge for society because we don't fully understand how it works.
- A specific change in how our genes are controlled, called H3K9me3, might play a big role in aging, but we don't know exactly how yet.
- Research using special mice showed that losing H3K9me3 leads to faster aging, less lifespan, and health problems, suggesting that fixing epigenetic changes could help slow down aging.
Article Synopsis
- Adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) usually reside in the bone marrow, where the microenvironment regulates their activity, but simpler extramedullary niches also exist.
- The study suggests that the adult adrenal gland can be manipulated into a supportive environment for HSPCs through splenectomy and hormonal stimulation, leading to new stromal formations capable of hosting these stem cells.
- Created niches in the adrenal gland utilize the CXCR4-CXCL12 signaling pathway for HSPC homing, and similar cells were found in human adrenal tumors, indicating potential for further research and therapeutic strategies in hematopoiesis.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have proven their clinical relevance in stem cell transplantation to cure patients with hematological disorders. Key to their regenerative potential is their natural microenvironment - their niche - in the bone marrow (BM). Developments in the field of biomaterials enable the recreation of such environments with increasing preciseness in the laboratory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite advances in biomaterials research, there is no ideal device for replacing weight-bearing soft tissues like menisci or intervertebral discs due to poor integration with tissues and mechanical property mismatch. Designing an implant with a soft and porous tissue-contacting structure using a material conducive to cell attachment and growth could potentially address these limitations. Polycarbonate urethane (PCU) is a soft and tough biocompatible material that can be 3D printed into porous structures with controlled pore sizes.
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