Biomechanical properties of retina and choroid: a comprehensive review of techniques and translational relevance.

Studying the biomechanical properties of biological tissue is crucial to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis. The biomechanical characteristics of the cornea, sclera and the optic nerve head have been well addressed with an extensive literature and an in-depth understanding of their significance whilst, in comparison, knowledge of the retina and choroid is relatively limited. Knowledge of these tissues is important not only to clarify the underlying pathogenesis of a wide variety of retinal and vitreoretinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, hereditary retinal dystrophies and vitreoretinal interface diseases but also to optimise the surgical handling of retinal tissues and, potentially, the design and properties of implantable retinal prostheses and subretinal therapies.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields improve the healing process of Achilles tendinopathy: a pilot study in a rat model.

Aims: In the context of tendon degenerative disorders, the need for innovative conservative treatments that can improve the intrinsic healing potential of tendon tissue is progressively increasing. In this study, the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) in improving the tendon healing process was evaluated in a rat model of collagenase-induced Achilles tendinopathy.

Methods: A total of 68 Sprague Dawley rats received a single injection of type I collagenase in Achilles tendons to induce the tendinopathy and then were daily exposed to PEMFs (1.

Tendon Cells Derived From The Long Head Of The Biceps And The Supraspinatus Tendons Of Patients Affected By Rotator Cuff Tears Show Different Expression Of Inflammatory Markers.

Aim Of The Study: Tendons are exposed to mechanical stress constantly during movements and thus they are frequently subjected to injuries. Rotator cuff tears are common musculoskeletal disorders, mainly involving the supraspinatus tendon. The characterization of the tenocytes derived from this tendon and the comparison to cells isolated from the long head of the biceps tendon obtained from donors affected by rotator cuff disease may improve the knowledge of the cellular mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of the pathology.

Autologous microfragmented adipose tissue reduces inflammatory and catabolic markers in supraspinatus tendon cells derived from patients affected by rotator cuff tears.

Purpose: Rotator cuff tears are common musculoskeletal disorders, and surgical repair is characterized by a high rate of re-tear. Regenerative medicine strategies, in particular mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies, have been proposed to enhance tendon healing and reduce the re-tear rate. Autologous microfragmented adipose tissue (μFAT) allows for the clinical application of cell therapies and showed the ability to improve tenocyte proliferation and viability in previous in vitro assessments.

and computational modelling of drug delivery across the outer blood-retinal barrier.

The ability to produce rapid, cost-effective and human-relevant data has the potential to accelerate the development of new drug delivery systems. Intraocular drug delivery is an area undergoing rapid expansion, due to the increase in sight-threatening diseases linked to increasing age and lifestyle factors. The outer blood-retinal barrier (OBRB) is important in this area of drug delivery, as it separates the eye from the systemic blood flow.

Autologous Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Reduces the Catabolic and Fibrosis Response in an In Vitro Model of Tendon Cell Inflammation.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerged as a promising therapy for tendon pathologies. Microfragmented adipose tissue (FAT) represents a convenient autologous product for the application of MSC-based therapies in the clinical setting. In the present study, the ability of FAT to counteract inflammatory processes induced by IL-1 on human tendon cells (TCs) was evaluated.

Evaluation of Different Seeding Methods for Cell-Seeded Collagen Matrix-Supported Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation.

 The aim of the present study was to evaluate different methods for the intraoperative seeding of chondrocytes on commercially available collagen I/III matrix, in the context of cell-seeded collagen matrix-supported autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT-CS).  Human chondrocytes were enzymatically isolated from cartilage portion of discarded femoral heads of patients who underwent total hip replacement. Chondrocytes were cultured until passage 3, and then used for the experiments.

miR-22-5p and miR-29a-5p Are Reliable Reference Genes for Analyzing Extracellular Vesicle-Associated miRNAs in Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Are Stable under Inflammatory Priming Mimicking Osteoarthritis Condition.

During the last two decades, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) gained a place of privilege in the field of regenerative medicine. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as major mediators of MSCs immunosuppressive as well as pro-regenerative activities in many disease models, including inflammatory/degenerative conditions as joint diseases and osteoarthritis. In order to shed light on EVs potential, a rigorous profiling of embedded proteins, lipids and nucleic acids (mRNA/miRNA) is mandatory.

Insights into Inflammatory Priming of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Validation of Extracellular Vesicles-Embedded miRNA Reference Genes as A Crucial Step for Donor Selection.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising tools for cell-based therapies due to their homing to injury sites, where they secrete bioactive factors such as cytokines, lipids, and nucleic acids, either free or conveyed within extracellular vesicles (EVs). Depending on the local environment, MSCs' therapeutic value may be modulated, determining their fate and cell behavior. Inflammatory signals may induce critical changes on both the phenotype and secretory portfolio.

Interaction with hyaluronan matrix and miRNA cargo as contributors for in vitro potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles in a model of human osteoarthritic synoviocytes.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease, and to date, no options for effective tissue repair and restoration are available. With the aim of developing new therapies, the impact of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been explored, and the efficacy of MSCs started to be deciphered. A strong paracrine capacity relying on both secreted and vesicle-embedded (EVs) protein or nucleic acid-based factors has been proposed as the principal mechanism that contributes to tissue repair.

Identification of miRNA Reference Genes in Extracellular Vesicles from Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Studying Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) leads to chronic pain and disability, and traditional conservative treatments are not effective in the long term. The intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is considered a novel therapy for OA whose efficacy mainly relies on the adaptive release of paracrine molecules which are either soluble or extracellular vesicles (EVs) embedded. The correct quantification of EV-miRNAs using reliable reference genes (RGs) is a crucial step in optimizing this future therapeutic cell-free approach.