A vascularized 3D model of the human pancreatic islet forstudy of immune cell-islet interaction.

Insulin is an essential regulator of blood glucose homeostasis that is produced exclusively bycells within the pancreatic islets of healthy individuals. In those affected by diabetes, immune inflammation, damage, and destruction of isletcells leads to insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Current efforts to understand the mechanisms underlyingcell damage in diabetes rely on-cultured cadaveric islets.

Aberrant Expression of and in Infrapatellar Fat Pad-Derived ASCs from Pre-Diabetic Donors.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease resulting in limited mobility and severe disability. Type II diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a weight-independent risk factor for OA, but a link between the two diseases has not been elucidated. Adipose stem cells (ASCs) isolated from the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) may be a viable regenerative cell for OA treatment.

Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Retain Their Adipocyte Differentiation Potential in Three-Dimensional Hydrogels and Bioreactors .

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder with a significant economic and healthcare impact. The knee joint is composed of cartilage and the adjoining bone, a synovial capsule, the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP), and other connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Adipose tissue has recently been highlighted as a major contributor to OA through strong inflammation mediating effects.

Human Adipose-Derived Hydrogel Characterization Based on ASC Biocompatibility and Differentiation.

Hydrogels serve as three-dimensional scaffolds whose composition can be customized to allow attachment and proliferation of several different cell types. Extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels are considered close replicates of the tissue microenvironment. They can serve as scaffolds for tissue engineering and are a useful tool to study cell-scaffold interaction.

Beyond the Present Constraints That Prevent a Wide Spread of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Approaches.

Despite the success of tissue engineered medical products (TEMPs) in preclinical translational research, very few have had success in the clinical market place. This gap, referred to as the "valley of death" is due to the large number of ventures that failed to attract or retain investor funding, promotion, and clinical acceptance of their products. This loss can be attributed to a focus on a bench to bedside flow of ideas and technology, which does not account for the multitude of adoption, commercial, and regulatory constraints.