Multi-dimensional bioinspired tactics using an engineered mussel protein glue-based nanofiber conduit for accelerated functional nerve regeneration.

Limited regenerative capacity of the nervous system makes treating traumatic nerve injuries with conventional polymer-based nerve grafting a challenging task. Consequently, utilizing natural polymers and biomimetic topologies became obvious strategies for nerve conduit designs. As a bioinspired natural polymer from a marine organism, mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) fused with biofunctional peptides from extracellular matrix (ECM) were engineered for accelerated nerve regeneration by enhancing cell adhesion, proliferation, neural differentiation, and neurite formation.

Prolonged cell persistence with enhanced multipotency and rapid angiogenesis of hypoxia pre-conditioned stem cells encapsulated in marine-inspired adhesive and immiscible liquid micro-droplets.

Stem cell therapies are emerging regenerative treatments for ischemic and chronic diseases. Although high cell retention and prompt angiogenesis are prerequisites to improving efficacy, advancements have not yet been developed. Here, we proposed long-term surviving and angiogenesis-inducing stem cell with high cell retention thanks to fluid immiscible liquid micro-droplets bio-inspired by a glue modality 'complex coacervate' found in the sandcastle worm.

Diatom-Inspired Silica Nanostructure Coatings with Controllable Microroughness Using an Engineered Mussel Protein Glue to Accelerate Bone Growth on Titanium-Based Implants.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been utilized to construct bioactive nanostructures comprising surface topographic features and bioactivity that enhances the activity of bone cells onto titanium-based implants. However, there have been no previous attempts to create microrough surfaces based on SiNP nanostructures even though microroughness is established as a characteristic that provides beneficial effects in improving the biomechanical interlocking of titanium implants. Herein, a protein-based SiNP coating is proposed as an osteopromotive surface functionalization approach to create microroughness on titanium implant surfaces.

Natural healing-inspired collagen-targeting surgical protein glue for accelerated scarless skin regeneration.

Skin scarring after deep dermal injuries is a major clinical problem due to the current therapies limited to established scars with poor understanding of healing mechanisms. From investigation of aberrations within the extracellular matrix involved in pathophysiologic scarring, it was revealed that one of the main factors responsible for impaired healing is abnormal collagen reorganization. Here, inspired by the fundamental roles of decorin, a collagen-targeting proteoglycan, in collagen remodeling, we created a scar-preventive collagen-targeting glue consisting of a newly designed collagen-binding mussel adhesive protein and a specific glycosaminoglycan.

Sandcastle Worm-Inspired Blood-Resistant Bone Graft Binder Using a Sticky Mussel Protein for Augmented In Vivo Bone Regeneration.

Xenogenic bone substitutes are commonly used during orthopedic reconstructive procedures to assist bone regeneration. However, huge amounts of blood accompanied with massive bone loss usually increase the difficulty of placing the xenograft into the bony defect. Additionally, the lack of an organic matrix leads to a decrease in the mechanical strength of the bone-grafted site.

Accelerated skin wound healing using electrospun nanofibrous mats blended with mussel adhesive protein and polycaprolactone.

Nanofibrous scaffolds have been assessed as one of many promising tissue engineering scaffolds to be utilized for wound-healing applications. Previously, we reported multi-functionalized electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds blended with mussel adhesive protein (MAP) and polycaprolactone (PCL), which provide durable mechanical strength, cell-friendly environments, and a substantial ability to capture diverse bioactive molecules without any surface modifications. In the present work, we applied the blended nanofibrous mats of MAP and PCL for in vivo skin wound healing.

Heavy-ion injector based on an electron cyclotron ion source for the superconducting linear accelerator of the Rare Isotope Science Project.

The injector for the main driver linear accelerator of the Rare Isotope Science Project in Korea, has been developed to allow heavy ions up to uranium to be delivered to the inflight fragmentation system. The critical components of the injector are the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources, the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), and matching systems for low and medium energy beams. We have built superconducting magnets for the ECR ion source, and a prototype with one segment of the RFQ structure, with the aim of developing a design that can satisfy our specifications, demonstrate stable operation, and prove results to compare the design simulation.

Bioengineered mussel glue incorporated with a cell recognition motif as an osteostimulating bone adhesive for titanium implants.

Successful titanium implantation strongly depends on early fixation through an osseointegration between the titanium fixture and adjacent bone tissue. From a clinical perspective, rapid recruitment of functional biomolecules from the blood and osteogenic cell binding is critical for osseointegration immediately after implant insertion. Thus, surface modifications aiming to improve the interactions between the blood and implant and to enhance the binding of osteogenic cells onto the implant surface can contribute to successful osseointegration.

Mechanically Durable and Biologically Favorable Protein Hydrogel Based on Elastic Silklike Protein Derived from Sea Anemone.

As biodegradable scaffolds, protein hydrogels have considerable potential, particularly for bioartificial organs and three-dimensional space-filling materials. However, their low strength and stiffness have been considered to be limitations for enduring physiological stimuli. Therefore, protein hydrogels have been commonly utilized as delivery vehicles rather than as supporting materials.

Mussel adhesion-employed water-immiscible fluid bioadhesive for urinary fistula sealing.

Urinary fistulas, abnormal openings of a urinary tract organ, are serious complications and conventional management strategies are not satisfactory. For more effective and non-invasive fistula repair, fluid tissue adhesives or sealants have been suggested. However, conventional products do not provide a suitable solution due to safety problems and poor underwater adhesion under physiological conditions.

Rapidly light-activated surgical protein glue inspired by mussel adhesion and insect structural crosslinking.

Currently approved surgical tissue glues do not satisfy the requirements for ideal bioadhesives due to limited adhesion in wet conditions and severe cytotoxicity. Herein, we report a new light-activated, mussel protein-based bioadhesive (LAMBA) inspired by mussel adhesion and insect dityrosine crosslinking chemistry. LAMBA exhibited substantially stronger bulk wet tissue adhesion than commercially available fibrin glue and good biocompatibility in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Engineered mussel bioglue as a functional osteoinductive binder for grafting of bone substitute particles to accelerate in vivo bone regeneration.

Xenograft bone substitutes, such as deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM), have been widely employed as osteoconductive structural materials for bone tissue engineering. However, the loss of xenograft bone substitute particles in defects has been a major limitation, along with a lack of osteoinductive function. Mussel adhesive protein (MAP), a remarkable and powerful adhesive biomaterial in nature, can attach to various substrates, even in wet environments.

Surface-independent antibacterial coating using silver nanoparticle-generating engineered mussel glue.

During implant surgeries, antibacterial agents are needed to prevent bacterial infections, which can cause the formation of biofilms between implanted materials and tissue. Mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) derived from marine mussels are bioadhesives that show strong adhesion and coating ability on various surfaces even in wet environment. Here, we proposed a novel surface-independent antibacterial coating strategy based on the fusion of MAP to a silver-binding peptide, which can synthesize silver nanoparticles having broad antibacterial activity.

Highly purified mussel adhesive protein to secure biosafety for in vivo applications.

Background: Unique adhesive and biocompatibility properties of mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) are known for their great potential in many tissue engineering and biomedical applications. Previously, it was successfully demonstrated that redesigned hybrid type MAP, fp-151, mass-produced in Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, could be utilized as a promising adhesive biomaterial. However, purification of recombinant fp-151 has been unsatisfactory due to its adhesive nature and polarity which make separation of contaminants (especially, lipopolysaccharide, a toxic Gram-negative cell membrane component) very difficult.

Multifunctional adhesive silk fibroin with blending of RGD-bioconjugated mussel adhesive protein.

Silk has recently been exploited in various fields due to its superior mechanical properties. However, this material's lack of biological functions and relatively poor biodegradation have hindered its wide use in applications related to cells and tissues. Here, we improved the overall characteristics of silkworm silk fibroin (SF) by introduction of RGD peptide-fused recombinant mussel adhesive protein (MAP-RGD).

Mussel adhesive protein-based whole cell array biosensor for detection of organophosphorus compounds.

A whole cell array biosensor for the efficient detection of neurotoxic organophosphate compounds (OPs) was developed through the immobilization of recombinant Escherichia coli cells containing periplasmic-expressing organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) onto the surface of a 96-well microplate using mussel adhesive protein (MAP) as a microbial cell-immobilizing linker. Both the paraoxon-hydrolyzing activity and fluorescence microscopy analyses demonstrated that the use of MAP in a whole cell biosensor increased the cell-immobilizing efficiency and enhanced the stability of immobilized cells compared to a simple physical adsorption-based whole cell system. Scanning electron microscopic analyses also showed that the E.

Facile surface functionalization with glycosaminoglycans by direct coating with mussel adhesive protein.

The use of mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) as a surface coating for cell adhesion has been suggested due to their unique properties of biocompatibility and effective adhesion on diverse inorganic and organic surfaces. The surface functionalization of scaffolds or implants using extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules is important for the enhancement of target cell behaviors such as proliferation and differentiation. In the present work, we suggest a new, simple surface functionalization platform based on the charge interactions between the positively charged MAP linker and negatively charged ECM molecules, such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).

Cell behavior on extracellular matrix mimic materials based on mussel adhesive protein fused with functional peptides.

Adhesion of cells to surfaces is a basic and important requirement in cell culture and tissue engineering. Here, we designed artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) mimics for efficient cellular attachment, based on mussel adhesive protein (MAP) fusion with biofunctional peptides originating from ECM materials, including fibronectin, laminin, and collagen. Cellular behaviors, including attachment, proliferation, spreading, viability, and differentiation, were investigated with the artificial ECM material-coated surfaces, using three mammalian cell lines (pre-osteoblast, chondrocyte, and pre-adipocyte).

Mussel adhesive protein fused with cell adhesion recognition motif triggers integrin-mediated adhesion and signaling for enhanced cell spreading, proliferation, and survival.

Adhesion of cells to a surface is a basic and important requirement in the fields of cell culture and tissue engineering. Previously, we constructed the cell adhesive, fp-151-RGD, by fusion of the hybrid mussel adhesive protein, fp-151, and GRGDSP peptide, one of the major cell adhesion recognition motifs; fp-151-RGD efficiently immobilized cells on coated culture surfaces with no protein and surface modifications, and apparently enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and spreading abilities. In the present study, we investigated the potential use of fp-151-RGD as a biomimetic extracellular matrix material at the molecular level by elucidating its substantial effects on integrin-mediated adhesion and signaling.

The inhibition of inflammatory molecule expression on 3T3-L1 adipocytes by berberine is not mediated by leptin signaling.

In our previous study, we have shown that berberine has both anti-adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects on 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and the anti-adipogenic effect is due to the down-regulation of adipogenic enzymes and transcription factors. Here we focused more on anti-inflammatory effect of berberine using real time RT-PCR and found it changes expressions of adipokines. We hypothesized that anti-adipogenicity of berberine mediates anti-inflammtory effect and explored leptin as a candidate mediator of this signaling.

B cell activation factor (BAFF) is a novel adipokine that links obesity and inflammation.

B cell activation factor (BAFF) is a novel member of the TNF ligand superfamily, mainly produced by myeloid cells. BAFF has been shown to participate in B-cell survival and B- and T-cell maturation. BAFF expression in adipocytes has been recently demonstrated.

Berberine reduces the expression of adipogenic enzymes and inflammatory molecules of 3T3-L1 adipocyte.

Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid, has a wide range of pharmacological effects, yet its exact mechanism is unknown. In order to understand the anti-adipogenic effect of BBR, we studied the change of expression of several adipogenic enzymes of 3T3-L1 cells by BBR treatment. First, we measured the change of leptin and glycerol in the medium of 3T3-L1 cells treated with 1 micrometer, 5 micrometer and 10 micrometer concentrations of BBR.

Inflammatory gene expression patterns revealed by DNA microarray analysis in TNF-alpha-treated SGBS human adipocytes.

We report here the use of human inflammation arrays to study the inflammatory gene expression profile of TNF-alpha- treated human SGBS adipocytes. Human preadipocytes (SGBS) were induced to differentiate in primary culture, and adipocyte differentiation was confirmed, using Oil Red O staining. We treated the differentiated adipocytes with TNF-alpha, and RNA from differentiated adipocytes with or without TNF-alpha treatment was hybridized to MWG human inflammation arrays to compare expression profiles.

Isomer-specific effect of conjugated linoleic acid on inflammatory adipokines associated with fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the isomer-specific effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on inflammatory markers associated with fat accumulation in cultures of differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes. trans-10,cis-12 CLA (t10c12 CLA) reduced leptin secretion and fat accumulation. Linoleic acid (LA) and cis-9,trans-11 CLA (c9t11 CLA) increased them, but not significantly.