Recommendations by a UK expert panel on an aflibercept treat-and-extend pathway for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Objectives: This report aims to provide clear recommendations and practical guidance from a panel of UK retinal experts on an aflibercept treat-and-extend (T&E) pathway that can be implemented in clinical practice. These recommendations may help service providers across the NHS intending to implement a T&E approach, with the aim of effectively addressing the capacity and resource issues putting strain on UK neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) services while promoting patients' best interests throughout.

Methods: Two structured roundtable meetings of retinal specialists were held in London, UK on 7 December 2018 and 1 March 2019.

Biomaterials for hollow organ tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering is a rapidly advancing field that is likely to transform how medicine is practised in the near future. For hollow organs such as those found in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems or gastrointestinal tract, tissue engineering can provide replacement of the entire organ or provide restoration of function to specific regions. Larger tissue-engineered constructs often require biomaterial-based scaffold structures to provide support and structure for new tissue growth.

Women's views on autologous cell-based therapy for post-obstetric incontinence.

Aim: Fecal and urinary incontinence are devastating consequences of obstetric-related perineal injury. The aim of the present study is to determine acceptability to parous women of autologous cell-based therapy for fecal and urinary incontinence that arises due to pelvic diaphragm tearing during vaginal childbirth.

Materials & Methods: A multiple choice questionnaire survey was offered to 76 parous women at the Maternity Unit, University College Hospital, London, UK.

A simple and robust method for pre-wetting poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres.

Poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres are amenable to a number of biomedical procedures that support delivery of cells, drugs, peptides or genes. Hydrophilisation or wetting of poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid are an important pre-requisites for attachment of cells and can be achieved via exposure to plasma oxygen or nitrogen, surface hydrolysis with NaOH or chloric acid, immersion in ethanol and water, or prolonged incubation in phosphate buffered saline or cell culture medium. The aim of this study is to develop a simple method for wetting poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid microspheres for cell delivery applications.

Prospective regenerative medicine therapies for obstetric trauma-induced fecal incontinence.

Fecal incontinence is a major public health issue that has yet to be adequately addressed. Obstetric trauma and injury to the anal sphincter muscles are the most common cause of fecal incontinence. New therapies are emerging aimed at repair or regeneration of sphincter muscle and restoration of continence.

A novel method for differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into smooth muscle-like cells on clinically deliverable thermally induced phase separation microspheres.

Muscle degeneration is a prevalent disease, particularly in aging societies where it has a huge impact on quality of life and incurs colossal health costs. Suitable donor sources of smooth muscle cells are limited and minimally invasive therapeutic approaches are sought that will augment muscle volume by delivering cells to damaged or degenerated areas of muscle. For the first time, we report the use of highly porous microcarriers produced using thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) to expand and differentiate adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) into smooth muscle-like cells in a format that requires minimal manipulation before clinical delivery.