Composite Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Nanofiber Membrane Scaffolds for Mesothelial Cell Culture and Delivery in Mesothelium Repair.

To repair damaged mesothelium tissue, which lines internal organs and cavities, a tissue engineering approach with mesothelial cells seeded to a functional nanostructured scaffold is a promising approach. Therefore, this study explored the uses of electrospun nanofiber membrane scaffolds (NMSs) as scaffolds for mesothelial cell culture and transplantation. We fabricated a composite NMS through electrospinning by blending polycaprolactone (PCL) with gelatin.

Injectable Thermosensitive Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Chondrocyte Delivery in Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

In this study, we synthesize a hyaluronic acid--poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (HPN) copolymer by grafting the amine-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM-NH) to hyaluronic acid (HA). The 5% PNIPAM-NH and HPN polymer solution is responsive to temperature changes with sol-to-gel phase transition temperatures around 32 °C. Compared with the PNIPAM-NH hydrogel, the HPN hydrogel shows higher water content and mechanical strength, as well as lower volume contraction, making it a better choice as a scaffold for chondrocyte delivery.

Bioactive Nanostructured Scaffold-Based Approach for Tendon and Ligament Tissue Engineering.

An effective therapeutic strategy to treat tendon or ligament injury continues to be a clinical challenge due to the limited natural healing capacity of these tissues. Furthermore, the repaired tendons or ligaments usually possess inferior mechanical properties and impaired functions. Tissue engineering can restore the physiological functions of tissues using biomaterials, cells, and suitable biochemical signals.

PLGA/Gelatin/Hyaluronic Acid Fibrous Membrane Scaffold for Therapeutic Delivery of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells to Promote Wound Healing.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has been suggested to be a preferential material for the delivery of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in wound healing. By incorporating HA in electrospun poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/gelatin (PG) fibrous membrane scaffolds (FMS), we aim to fabricate PLGA/gelatin/HA (PGH) FMS to provide a milieu for 3D culture and delivery of ASCs. The prepared FMS shows adequate cytocompatibility and is suitable for attachment and growth of ASCs.

Polycaprolactone/Chitosan Composite Nanofiber Membrane as a Preferred Scaffold for the Culture of Mesothelial Cells and the Repair of Damaged Mesothelium.

Mesothelial cells are specific epithelial cells lining the serosal cavity and internal organs. Nonetheless, few studies have explored the possibility to culture mesothelial cells in a nanostructure scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Therefore, this study aims to fabricate nanofibers from a polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL/chitosan (CS) blend by electrospinning, and to elucidate the effect of CS on the cellular response of mesothelial cells.

Development of high resilience spiral wound suture-embedded gelatin/PCL/heparin nanofiber membrane scaffolds for tendon tissue engineering.

This study develops a spiral wound scaffold based on gelatin/PCL/heparin (GPH) nanofiber membranes for tendon tissue engineering. By embedding sutures in dual layers of aligned GPH nanofiber membranes, prepared from mixed electrospinning of gelatin and PCL/heparin solutions, we fabricate a high resilience scaffold intended for the high loading environment experienced by tendons. The basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was anchored to GPH scaffold through bioaffinity between heparin and bFGF, aim to provide biological cues for maintenance of tenogenic phenotype.

Effective Preventive Strategies to Prevent Secondary Transmission of COVID-19 in Hemodialysis Unit: The First Month of Community Outbreak in Taiwan.

Background: Dialyzed patients are vulnerable to coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19). The incidence and outcome of COVID-19 in hemodialysis (HD) patients in Taiwan remain unclear. A series of preventive measures were executed to combat COVID-19 transmission among HD patients.

Preparation of Gelatin and Gelatin/Hyaluronic Acid Cryogel Scaffolds for the 3D Culture of Mesothelial Cells and Mesothelium Tissue Regeneration.

Mesothelial cells are specific epithelial cells that are lined in the serosal cavity and internal organs. Nonetheless, few studies have explored the possibility to culture mesothelial cells in a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Towards this end, we fabricated macroporous scaffolds from gelatin and gelatin/hyaluronic acid (HA) by cryogelation, and elucidated the influence of HA on cryogel properties and the cellular phenotype of mesothelial cells cultured within the 3D scaffolds.

Utilization of Signal-to-Cutoff Ratio of Hepatitis C Virus Antibody Assay in Predicting HCV Viremia among Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common cause of acute and chronic hepatitis among the hemodialysis population. To prevent cross infection between hemodialysis patients during the hemodialysis procedure, routine screening of anti-HCV antibody is recommended. However, a reactive anti-HCV EIA test is not equal to active HCV infection.