Murine models of orthopedic infection featuring biofilm.

: Osteomyelitis remains a major clinical challenge. Many published rodent fracture infection models are costly compared with murine models for rapid screening and proof-of-concept studies. We aimed to develop a dependable and cost-effective murine bone infection model that mimics bacterial bone infections associated with biofilm and metal implants.

Modeling anabolic and antiresorptive therapies for fracture healing in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic bone fragility disorder that features frequent fractures. Bone healing outcomes are contingent on a proper balance between bone formation and resorption, and drugs such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and bisphosphonates (BPs) have shown to have utility in modulating fracture repair. While BPs are used for OI to increase BMD and reduce pain and fracture rates, there is little evidence for using BMPs as local agents for fracture healing (alone or with BPs).

Modulation of spine fusion with BMP-2, MEK inhibitor (PD0325901), and zoledronic acid in a murine model of NF1 double inactivation.

Background: Spine fusion is a common procedure for the treatment of severe scoliosis, a frequent and challenging deformity associated with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Moreover, deficiencies in NF1-Ras-MEK signaling affect bone formation and resorption that in turn impacts on spine fusion outcomes.

Methods: In this study we describe a new model for AdCre virus induction of Nf1 deficiency in the spines of Nf1 mice.

A novel task for examining the neural basis of Theory of Mind deficits in bipolar disorder.

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) processing have been observed in people with bipolar disorder (BD), but the neural basis of these deficits remains unclear. Here, we studied the relations between neural activation, dysfunctional beliefs and behavioral responses in people with BD during a second-order ToM task. Twenty-five patients and 25 healthy-control participants (HC) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a novel ToM task.

Preclinical models for orthopedic research and bone tissue engineering.

In this review, we broadly define and discuss the preclinical rodent models that are used for orthopedics and bone tissue engineering. These range from implantation models typically used for biocompatibility testing and high-throughput drug screening, through to fracture and critical defect models used to model bone healing and severe orthopedic injuries. As well as highlighting the key methods papers describing these techniques, we provide additional commentary based on our substantive practical experience with animal surgery and in vivo experimental design.