Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells: Isolation, Expansion, and Differentiation.

Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC) are a promising alternative cell source to chondrocytes as well as to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC) in cartilage tissue engineering and repair. Here we describe ASC isolation from liposuction by-products by collagenase-based tissue digestion combined with cell filtration and followed by monolayer attachment and expansion culture. Quality control requires confirmation of correct surface marker expression and multilineage differentiation potential by a trilineage differentiation assay.

Stage-Dependent Activity and Pro-Chondrogenic Function of PI3K/AKT during Cartilage Neogenesis from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Differentiating mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into articular chondrocytes (ACs) for application in clinical cartilage regeneration requires a profound understanding of signaling pathways regulating stem cell chondrogenesis and hypertrophic degeneration. Classifying endochondral signals into drivers of chondrogenic speed versus hypertrophy, we here focused on insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)-induced phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling. Aware of its proliferative function during early but not late MSC chondrogenesis, we aimed to unravel the late pro-chondrogenic versus pro-hypertrophic PI3K/AKT role.

Rippled Sheets: The Early Polyglycine Days and Recent Developments in Nylons.

The rippled sheet structure is a remarkable insight due to Pauling and Corey, that supplements the pleated sheet structure of homochiral proteins introduced in 1951. Whereas the pleated sheet was immediately adopted by the scientific community, the rippled sheet has remained more confidential since it applies only to blends of poly(L-peptides) and poly(D-peptides). The present account tells the intimate but patchy relationship developed by the author with the rippled sheet.

[Arthrogryposis–renal dysfunction–cholestasis syndrome].

Összefoglaló. Az arthrogryposis-renalis diszfunkció-cholestasis (ARC) szindróma igen rossz prognózisú autoszomális recesszív kórkép. A három vezető tünethez társulhat központi idegrendszeri érintettség, siketség, cardiovascularis anomália (pitvari és kamrai sövényhiány), thrombocytafunkció-zavar, rekurrens szepszisek, ichthyosis, valamint súlyfejlődésben való elmaradás.

Preclinical Testing of New Hydrogel Materials for Cartilage Repair: Overcoming Fixation Issues in a Large Animal Model.

Reinforced hydrogels represent a promising strategy for tissue engineering of articular cartilage. They can recreate mechanical and biological characteristics of native articular cartilage and promote cartilage regeneration in combination with mesenchymal stromal cells. One of the limitations of models for testing the outcome of tissue engineering approaches is implant fixation.