Publications by authors named "Natalie Sheng Jie Lim"

Granulation tissue formation requires a robust angiogenic response. As granulation tissue develops, collagen fibers are deposited and compacted. Forces generated in the wake of this process drive wound contraction to reduce the wound area.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Blend emulsion electrospinning is widely perceived to destroy the bioactivity of proteins, and a blend emulsion of water-soluble and nonsoluble molecules is believed to be thermodynamically unstable to electrospin smoothly. Here we demonstrate a method to retain the bioactivity of disparate fragile biomolecules when electrospun. Using bovine serum albumin as a carrier protein; water-soluble vitamin C, fat soluble vitamin D3, steroid hormone hydrocortisone, peptide hormone insulin, thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), and peptide epidermal growth factor (EGF) were simultaneously blend-spun into PLGA-collagen nanofibers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Macromolecular crowding (MMC) is a biophysical effect that governs biochemical processes inside and outside of cells. Since standard cell culture media lack this effect, the physiological performance of differentiated and progenitor cells, including extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, is impaired in vitro. To bring back physiological crowdedness to in vitro systems, we have previously introduced carbohydrate-based macromolecules to culture media and have achieved marked improvements with mixed MMC in terms of ECM deposition and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We evaluate the feasibility of applying polarized Raman spectroscopy in probing the early biochemical compositions and orientation changes in impacted porcine cartilage explants. We divide 100 fresh tibial cartilage explants into four groups: control (unimpacted) and 3 groups of single impact at 15, 20, and 25 MPa. Each group is examined for biochemical changes using Raman microscopy, cell viability changes using confocal fluorescence microscopy, and histological changes using the modified Mankin score.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF