A novel proteolytic cleavage of ROCK 1 in cell death: Not only by caspases 3 and 7 but also by caspase 2.

During apoptosis, myosin light chain phosphorylation induced by ROCK 1, activated by caspase 3-mediated cleavage, results in the formation of membrane blebs. Additionally, actin-myosin-based contraction induced by the activation of ROCK is involved in the apoptotic nuclear disintegration. In previous studies, it was reported that ROCK 1 was only cleaved by caspase 3 in cell death and caspase 7 was involved in truncation of ROCK 1 in in-vitro cell-free conditions.

Novel hybrid polyester-polyacrylate hydrogels enriched with platelet-derived growth factor for chondrogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro.

Background: The goal of the present study was to create a new biodegradable hybrid PCL-P (HEMA-NIPAAm) thermosensitive hydrogel scaffold by grafting PNIPAAm-based copolymers with biodegradable polyesters to promote the chondrogenic differentiation of human progenitor cells (adipose-derived stem cells-hASCs) in the presence of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB). Different mixture ratios including 50 mmol ε-caprolactone and 10 mmol HEMA (S-1), 30 mmol ε-caprolactone and 10 mmol HEMA (S-2), 10 mmol ε-caprolactone and 30 mmol HEMA (S-3) were copolymerized followed by the addition of NIPAAm.

Results: A mild to moderate swelling and wettability rates were found in S-2 group copmpared to the S-1 ans S-3 samples.