Synthesis, Photo- and Electroluminescence of New Polyfluorene Copolymers Containing Dicyanostilbene and 9,10-Dicyanophenanthrene in the Main Chain.

Using palladium-catalyzed Suzuki polycondensation, we synthesized new light-emitting fluorene copolymers containing the dicyano derivatives of stilbene and phenanthrene and characterized them by gel permeation chromatography, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, spectrofluorimetry, and cyclic voltammetry. The photoluminescence spectra of the synthesized polymers show significant energy transfer from the fluorene segments to the dicyanostilbene and 9,10-dicyanophenanthrene units, which is in agreement with the data of theoretical calculations. OLEDs based on these polymers were fabricated with an ITO/PEDOT-PSS (35 nm)/p-TPD (30 nm)/PVK (5 nm)/light emitting layer (70-75 nm)/PF-PO (20 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (80 nm) configuration.

Role of Angiopoietic Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The angiopoietic endothelial dysfunction in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP) remains unexplored.

Aim: The identification of the imbalance of endothelial dysfunction mediators and the number of endothelial progenitor (EPC) and desquamated (EDC) cells in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) with and without ICMP.

Methods: A total of 87 patients (47 with ICMP and 40 without ICMP) were observed.

Morphofunctional reaction of leukocytes and platelets in in vitro contact with a-C:H:SiO -coated Ti-6Al-4V substrate.

The article deals with the plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition of 0.3-1.4 μm thick a-C:H:SiO films in a mixture of argon and polyphenylmethylsiloxane vapor onto the Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate, which is often used as an implant material.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide films fabricated via magnetron sputtering for vascular stent biocompatibility improvement.

Nowadays, vascular stents are commonly used to treat cardiovascular diseases. This article focuses on the influence of nitrogen doping of titanium dioxide thin films, utilized for coating metallic stents to improve their biological properties and biocompatibility. The hereby-investigated titanium oxide thin films are fabricated by magnetron sputtering in a reactive gas atmosphere consisting of argon and oxygen in the first case and argon, nitrogen and oxygen in the second case.

Amorphous-Crystalline Calcium Phosphate Coating Promotes In Vitro Growth of Tumor-Derived Jurkat T Cells Activated by Anti-CD2/CD3/CD28 Antibodies.

A modern trend in traumatology, orthopedics, and implantology is the development of materials and coatings with an amorphous-crystalline structure that exhibits excellent biocopatibility. The structure and physico-chemical and biological properties of calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings deposited on Ti plates using the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) method under different voltages (200, 250, and 300 V) were studied. Amorphous, nanocrystalline, and microcrystalline statesof CaHPO and β-CaPO were observed in the coatings using TEM and XRD.

Osteogenic Differentiation Factors of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in the Current Understanding.

Background: Molecular genetic mechanisms, signaling pathways, conditions, factors, and markers of the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being actively studied and are among the most studied areas in the field of cellular technology. This attention is largely due to the mounting contradictions in the seemingly classical knowledge and the constant updating of results in the analyzed areas. In this regard, we focus on the main classical concepts and some new factors and mechanisms that have a noticeable regulatory effect on the differentiation potential of postnatal MSCs.

The effects of human pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein preparation on Th17 polarization of CD4 cells and their cytokine profile.

Background: Pregnancy-specific β1-glycoproteins are capable of regulating innate and adaptive immunity, exerting predominantly suppressive effects. In this regard, they are of interest in terms of their pharmacological potential for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and post-transplant complications. The effect of these proteins on the main pro-inflammatory subpopulation of T lymphocytes, IL-17-producing helper T cells (Th17), has not been comprehensively studied.

Costimulatory Effect of Rough Calcium Phosphate Coating and Blood Mononuclear Cells on Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro as a Model of In Vivo Tissue Repair.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials do not always induce ectopic vascularization and bone formation; the reasons remain unclear, and there are active discussions of potential roles for post-implantation hematoma, circulating immune and stem cells, and pericytes, but studies on adipose-derived stem cells (AMSCs) in this context are lacking. The rough (average surface roughness = 2-5 µm) scaffold-like CaP coating deposited on pure titanium plates by the microarc oxidation method was used to investigate its subcutaneous vascularization in CBA/CaLac mice and in vitro effect on cellular and molecular crosstalk between human blood mononuclear cells (hBMNCs) and AMSCs (hAMSCs). Postoperative hematoma development on the CaP surface lasting 1-3 weeks may play a key role in the microvessel elongation and invasion into the CaP relief at the end of the 3rd week of injury and BMNC migration required for enhanced wound healing in mice.

Zn- or Cu-containing CaP-Based Coatings Formed by Micro-Arc Oxidation on Titanium and Ti-40Nb Alloy: Part II-Wettability and Biological Performance.

This work describes the wettability and biological performance of Zn- and Cu-containing CaP-based coatings prepared by micro-arc oxidation on pure titanium (Ti) and novel Ti-40Nb alloy. Good hydrophilic properties of all the coatings were demonstrated by the low contact angles with liquids, not exceeding 45°. An increase in the applied voltage led to an increase of the coating roughness and porosity, thereby reducing the contact angles to 6° with water and to 17° with glycerol.

Calcium Phosphate Coating Prepared by Microarc Oxidation Affects Expression, Molecular Presentation, and Cytokine Secretion in Tumor-Derived Jurkat T Cells.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials are among the best bone graft substitutes, but their use in the repair of damaged bone in tumor patients is still unclear. The human Jurkat T lymphoblast leukemia-derived cell line (Jurkat T cells) was exposed in vitro to a titanium (Ti) substrate (10 × 10 × 1 mm) with a bilateral rough (average roughness index () = 2-5 μm) CaP coating applied via the microarc oxidation (MAO) technique, and the morphofunctional response of the cells was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX) analyses showed voltage-dependent (150-300 V) growth of structural ( index, mass, and thickness) and morphological surface and volume elements, a low Ca/P ratio (0.

Effect of the deuterium on efficiency and type of adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells in vitro.

In this study, we performed an adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in vitro with different deuterium content (natural, low and high) in the culture medium during differentiation process with parallel analysis of the gene expression, metabolic activity and cell viability/toxicity. After ADSCs differentiation into adipocytes we have done the analysis of differentiation process efficiency and determined a type of resulting adipocytes (by morphology, gene expression, UCP1 protein detection and adipokine production analysis). We have found that high (5 × 10 ppm) deuterium content significantly inhibit in vitro adipogenic differentiation of human ADSCs compared to the groups with natural (150 ppm) and low (30 ppm) deuterium content.

Epigenetic regulation as a promising tool for treatment of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) that primarily involves  mid size and large arteries. Atherosclerosis is associated with disruption of lipid metabolism and chronic inflammatory processes. One approach for treatment of atherosclerosis is by virtue of epigenetic control by noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) including miRNA, siRNA and lncRNA,  commonly employing miRNA antagonists and mimic compounds.

Cellular and Molecular Basis of Osteoblastic and Vascular Niches in the Processes of Hematopoiesis and Bone Remodeling (A Short Review of Modern Views).

In evolutionary processes, human bone marrow has formed as an organ depot of various types of cells that arise from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Vital HSC activity is controlled through molecular interactions with the niche microenvironment. The review describes current views on the formation of key molecular and cellular components of the HSC niche, which ensure maintenance of home ostasis in stem cell niches, obtained from studies of their role in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of HSCs, including the physiological, reparative and pathological remodeling of bone tissue.

Comparative Analysis of Biological Properties of Large-Scale Expanded Adult Neural Crest-Derived Stem Cells Isolated from Human Hair Follicle and Skin Dermis.

Introduction: The adult neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) have significant perspectives for use in regenerative medicine. The most attractive sources for adult NCSC isolation are the hair follicles (HF) and skin dermis (SD) because of easy access and minimally invasive biopsy. The aim of this study was to compare the biological properties of HF- and SD-derived NCSCs after their large-scale expansion.

Concept of Hematopoietic and Stromal Niches for Cell-Based Diagnostics and Regenerative Medicine (a Review).

Background: R. Schofield (1978) proposed a hypothesis of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) niche (specialized cell microenvironment). An existence of osteoblastic and vascular niches for HSCs has been postulated since 2003.

Nanoscale Electrical Potential and Roughness of a Calcium Phosphate Surface Promotes the Osteogenic Phenotype of Stromal Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoblasts respond to the surface electrical charge and topography of biomaterials. This work focuses on the connection between the roughness of calcium phosphate (CP) surfaces and their electrical potential (EP) at the micro- and nanoscales and the possible role of these parameters in jointly affecting human MSC osteogenic differentiation and maturation in vitro. A microarc CP coating was deposited on titanium substrates and characterized at the micro- and nanoscale.

Water-Based Suspensions of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Electrostatic or Steric Stabilization by Chitosan: Fabrication, Characterization and Biocompatibility.

Present day biomedical applications, including magnetic biosensing, demand better understanding of the interactions between living systems and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). In this work spherical MNPs of maghemite were obtained by a highly productive laser target evaporation technique. XRD analysis confirmed the inverse spinel structure of the MNPs (space group Fd-3m).