Publications by authors named "Alini M"

Fracture non-unions affect many patients worldwide, however, known risk factors alone do not predict individual risk. The identification of novel biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and timely patient treatment. This study focused on the identification of microRNA (miRNA) related to the process of fracture healing.

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Physiochemical tissue inducers and mechanical stimulation are both efficient variables in cartilage tissue fabrication and regeneration. In the presence of biomolecules, decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) may trigger and enhance stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Here, we investigated the controlled release of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) as an active mediator of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in a biocompatible scaffold and mechanical stimulation for cartilage tissue engineering.

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Spatial cell organization and biofabrication of microcapillary networks in vitro has a great potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This study explores the impact of local cell density enhancement achieved through an innovative sound-based patterning on microcapillary networks formation and their proteomic profile. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human pericytes from placenta (hPC-PL) were mixed in a fibrin suspension.

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Study Design: Methodological study for guideline development.

Objective: AO Spine Guideline for Using Osteobiologics (AO-GO) project for spine degenerative pathologies was an international, multidisciplinary collaborative initiative to identify and evaluate evidence on existing use of osteobiologics in Anterior Cervical Fusion and Decompression (ACDF). The aim was to formulate precisely defined, clinically relevant and internationally applicable guidelines ensuring evidence-based, safe and effective use of osteobiologics, considering regional preferences and cost-effectiveness.

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Discogenic pain is associated with deep nerve ingrowth in annulus fibrosus tissue (AF) of intervertebral disc (IVD). To model AF nerve ingrowth, primary bovine dorsal root ganglion (DRG) micro-scale tissue units are spatially organised around an AF explant by mild hydrodynamic forces within a collagen matrix. This results in a densely packed multicellular system mimicking the native DRG tissue morphology and a controlled AF-neuron distance.

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Osteochondral (OC) disorders such as osteoarthritis (OA) damage joint cartilage and subchondral bone tissue. To understand the disease, facilitate drug screening, and advance therapeutic development, in vitro models of OC tissue are essential. This study aims to create a bioprinted OC miniature construct that replicates the cartilage and bone compartments.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mechanical overloading of intervertebral discs (IVDs) may initiate a degenerative cascade and potentially influence pain-sensing neurons (nociceptors).
  • In a study, different loading conditions were applied to IVDs to assess the impact on nociceptor activation, utilizing methods such as calcium imaging and immunofluorescent labeling.
  • Results indicated that force-controlled and high-frequency dynamic loading resulted in increased cell death in IVDs and heightened activation of nociceptors, suggesting a link between IVD overload and discogenic pain mechanisms.
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Herein we show an accessible technique based on Faraday waves that assist the rapid assembly of osteoinductive β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) particles as well as human osteoblast pre-assembled in spheroids. The hydrodynamic forces originating at 'seabed' of the assembly chamber can be used to tightly aggregate inorganic and biological entities at packing densities that resemble those of native tissues. Additionally, following a layer-by-layer assembly procedure, centimeter scaled osteoinductive three-dimensional and cellularized constructs have been fabricated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how pro-inflammatory cytokines affect human annulus fibrosus cells (hAFCs) and their ability to sensitize dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells.
  • Celecoxib (cxb) was tested to see if it could inhibit this sensitization, with results showing that it effectively reduced PGE-2 production in hAFCs and lowered DRG cell sensitivity to bradykinin.
  • Overall, the findings suggest that cxb may be beneficial in minimizing nerve sensitization related to inflamed hAFCs.
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  • Cell transplantation using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) shows potential for repairing intervertebral discs (IVDs) but faces issues such as needle-related damage and low nutrient availability.
  • A study using female rats tested MSC transplantation into vertebrae next to healthy or damaged IVDs, measuring disc height and tissue integrity over time. Results indicated that MSCs led to better maintenance of disc height and overall integrity compared to saline treatments.
  • The findings suggest that transplanting MSCs vertebrally improves IVD repair by leveraging natural cell migration, making it a potentially effective alternative to direct disc injections for addressing disc degeneration.
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Animal models have been invaluable in the identification of molecular events occurring in and contributing to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and important therapeutic targets have been identified. Some outstanding animal models (murine, ovine, chondrodystrophoid canine) have been identified with their own strengths and weaknesses. The llama/alpaca, horse and kangaroo have emerged as new large species for IVD studies, and only time will tell if they will surpass the utility of existing models.

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Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, mainly affecting the elderly worldwide, for which the drug treatment remains a major challenge. Low-grade inflammation plays a pivotal role in OA onset and progression. Exploration of notable anti-inflammatory and disease-modifying drugs on human samples could facilitate the evaluation of therapeutic strategies for OA.

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Low back pain is a clinically highly relevant musculoskeletal burden and is associated with inflammatory as well as degenerative processes of the intervertebral disc. However, the pathophysiology and cellular pathways contributing to this devastating condition are still poorly understood. Based on previous evidence, we hypothesize that tissue renin-angiotensin system (tRAS) components, including the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), are present in human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and associated with inflammatory and degenerative processes.

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The 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay enables the detection of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs). This assay can be used to quickly quantify the sGAG content in a large number of samples using spectrophotometry. While this widespread assay appears straightforward, there are certain pitfalls that need to be considered.

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Background: During the intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration process, initial degenerative events occur at the extracellular matrix level, with the appearance of neoepitope peptides formed by the cleavage of aggrecan and collagen. This study aims to elucidate the spatial and temporal alterations of aggrecan and collagen neoepitope level during IVD degeneration.

Methods: Bovine caudal IVDs were cultured under four different conditions to mimic different degenerative situations.

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Diarthrodial joint diseases, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide, mainly include osteoarthritis and cartilage injuries. No consensus on joint disease models has been achieved so far owing to the complex aetiologies, pathophysiological mechanisms and heterogeneity of disorders. The disease models established using isolated chondrocytes or small animals have the weaknesses of lacking native extracellular matrix and inter-species differences in anatomical and biomechanical cartilage properties.

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Article Synopsis
  • A new generation of bioreactors with 6 degrees of freedom (6 DOF) was developed to better simulate the natural loading of intervertebral discs (IVD).
  • In a study, they compared a 6 DOF model with a standard 1 DOF model, showing that both maintained cell viability during cyclic loading for 3 weeks and exhibited similar IVD height changes.
  • The mechanical stability of the 6 DOF model was validated under various loading conditions, indicating that the new holding system is both reliable and biologically compatible for future bioreactor applications.
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: Commonly being the first step in trauma routine imaging, up to 67% fractures are missed on plain radiographs of the thoracolumbar (TL) spine. The aim of this study was to develop a deep learning model that detects traumatic fractures on sagittal radiographs of the TL spine. Identifying vertebral fractures in simple radiographic projections would have a significant clinical and financial impact, especially for low- and middle-income countries where computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not readily available and could help select patients that need second level imaging, thus improving the cost-effectiveness.

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The tumor microenvironment (TME), consisting of extracellular matrix, proteins, stromal cells, and a vascular system, is reported to have a key role in cancer progression and prognosis. Thereby, the interaction between the vascular network and tumor mass is an important feature of the TME since the anticancer agents which are delivered to the TME can trigger the vascular response and influence the therapeutic outcome of the treatment. To identify and develop new therapeutic strategies, 3D models that recapitulate the complexity of the TME are urgently needed.

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