Non-invasive detection of early retinal neuronal degeneration by ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has revolutionises the diagnosis of retinal disease based on the detection of microscopic rather than subcellular changes in retinal anatomy. However, currently the technique is limited to the detection of microscopic rather than subcellular changes in retinal anatomy. However, coherence based imaging is extremely sensitive to both changes in optical contrast and cellular events at the micrometer scale, and can generate subtle changes in the spectral content of the OCT image.

Chondroitin sulfate sulfation motifs as putative biomarkers for isolation of articular cartilage progenitor cells.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, debilitating joint disease characterized by progressive destruction of articular cartilage. Recently, a number of studies have identified a chondroprogenitor cell population within articular cartilage with significant potential for repair/regeneration. As yet, there are few robust biomarkers of these cells.

Differential expression of the keratan sulphate proteoglycan, keratocan, during chick corneal embryogenesis.

Keratan sulphate (KS) proteoglycans (PGs) are key molecules in the connective tissue matrix of the cornea of the eye, where they are believed to have functional roles in tissue organisation and transparency. Keratocan, is one of the three KS PGs expressed in cornea, and is the only one that is primarily cornea-specific. Work with the developing chick has shown that mRNA for keratocan is present in early corneal embryogenesis, but there is no evidence of protein synthesis and matrix deposition.

Atypical composition and ultrastructure of proteoglycans in the mouse corneal stroma.

Purpose: Recently, gene-targeted strains of mice with null mutations for specific proteoglycans (PGs) have been used for investigations of the functional role of these molecules. In the present study, the corneal stroma of the mouse was examined to provide some baseline PG morphologies in this species.

Methods: Monoclonal antibodies to specific glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain sulfation patterns were used to characterize PG composition in corneal extracts by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis and to identify their tissue distribution by immunofluorescence microscopy.

Intrinsic patterns of behavior of epithelial stem cells.

The early concepts concerning hematopoietic and epithelial stem cells that were derived from kinetic studies have been greatly enhanced by new information about a range of other properties of somatic and embryonic stem cells. Firstly, the stem and amplifying pattern characteristically established by epithelial lineages has been found to represent an intrinsic pattern that is generated by somatic epithelial stem cells without the need for additional environmental information. Secondly, it is now apparent that somatic epithelial stem cells are plastic and can be directed into a range of new pathways of differentiation by heterotypic interactions.

Immunolocalisation and expression of proteoglycan 4 (cartilage superficial zone proteoglycan) in tendon.

Cartilage superficial zone protein/proteoglycan (SZP) or proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), has been demonstrated to have the potential for several distinct biological functions including cytoprotection, lubrication and matrix binding. In the present study, we have examined both the immunolocalisation and the mRNA expression pattern of PRG4 in tissue harvested from the compressed and tensional regions of young and mature bovine tendons. Immunohistochemical analyses, utilizing monoclonal antibody 3-A-4 which recognizes a conformational-dependent epitope on native PRG4, demonstrated that PRG4 is present predominantly at the surface of fibrocartilaginous regions of tendon, with the intensity of immunoreactivity in this region increasing with age.