Sequestered cell-secreted extracellular matrix proteins improve murine folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation for fertility preservation.

Synthetic matrices offer a high degree of control and tunability for mimicking extracellular matrix functions of native tissue, allowing the study of disease and development in vitro. In this study, we functionalized degradable poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels with extracellular matrix (ECM)-sequestering peptides aiming to recapitulate the native ECM composition for culture and maturation of ovarian follicular organoids. We hypothesized that ECM-sequestering peptides would facilitate deposition and retention of cell-secreted ECM molecules, thereby recreating cell-matrix interactions in otherwise bioinert PEG hydrogels.

The ovarian stroma as a new frontier.

Historically, research in ovarian biology has focused on folliculogenesis, but recently the ovarian stroma has become an exciting new frontier for research, holding critical keys to understanding complex ovarian dynamics. Ovarian follicles, which are the functional units of the ovary, comprise the ovarian parenchyma, while the ovarian stroma thus refers to the inverse or the components of the ovary that are not ovarian follicles. The ovarian stroma includes more general components such as immune cells, blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels, as well as ovary-specific components including ovarian surface epithelium, tunica albuginea, intraovarian rete ovarii, hilar cells, stem cells, and a majority of incompletely characterized stromal cells including the fibroblast-like, spindle-shaped, and interstitial cells.

Adipose-derived stem cell-secreted factors promote early stage follicle development in a biomimetic matrix.

Development of primary follicles in vitro benefits from a three-dimensional matrix that is enriched with paracrine factors secreted from feeder cells and mimics the in vivo environment. In this study, we investigated the role of paracrine signaling from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in supporting primary follicle development in a biomimetic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based matrix. Follicles co-cultured with ADSCs and follicles cultured in conditioned medium from ADSCs encapsulated in gels (3D CM) exhibited significantly (p < 0.

Correction to: Synergy of Paracrine Signaling During Early-Stage Mouse Ovarian Follicle Development .

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12195-018-0545-8.].

Uranium removal from seawater by means of polymeric fabrics grafted with diallyl oxalate through a single-step, solvent-free process.

In order to test the effectiveness of oxalate-based polymeric adsorbents in the recovery of uranium from seawater, diallyl oxalate (DAOx) was grafted onto nylon 6 fabrics by exposing the fabric, immersed in pure liquid DAOx or in a surfactant-stabilized dispersion of DAOx in water, to electron beam or gamma radiation. Following drying and weighing to determine the degree of grafting (DoG), the presence of oxalate in the fabrics was verified using XPS. Zeta potential measurements showed the fabric surfaces to be negatively charged.