Development of chondrocyte-laden alginate hydrogels with modulated microstructure and properties for cartilage regeneration.

Alginate hydrogel is an attractive biomaterial for cell microencapsulation. The microarchitecture of hydrogels can regulate cellular functions. This study aims to investigate the applicability of sodium citrate buffer (SCB) as a culture medium supplement for modulating the microstructure of alginate microbeads to provide a favorable microenvironment for chondrogenic induction.

Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Macrophage Polarization on 3D-Printed Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) Blended Scaffolds with Different Secondary Porous Structures.

This study was aimed to evaluate the chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and polarization of THP-1-derived macrophages cultured on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PC)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PH) blended scaffolds with dual primary (PP) and secondary (SP) pores, which were fabricated via a 3D printing technique, i.e., fused deposition modeling, followed by a salt-leaching process at 50 °C for varied times, i.

A novel modified culture medium for enhancing redifferentiation of chondrocytes for cartilage tissue engineering applications.

The dedifferentiation of articular chondrocytes during in vitro expansion deteriorates the hyaline cartilage regeneration. Many approaches have been developed to enhance the redifferentiation of chondrocytes. In this study, a new and effective protocol to improve the redifferentiation of porcine chondrocytes in a pellet form was established.

Hyaluronic acid-coated gold nanorods enhancing BMP-2 peptide delivery for chondrogenesis.

Bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) knuckle epitope peptide has been recently discovered and known to activate chondrogenesis. However, the applications of this soluble peptide remain very limited due to rapid diffusion resulting in poor cellular uptake into target cells. We herein designed nanoparticles made from hyaluronic acid functionalized gold nanorods (GNRs) to conjugate with thiolated BMP-2 knuckle epitope peptide via a two-step reaction.

Perfluorinated chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, enhance the estrogenic effects of 17β-estradiol in T47D human breast cancer cells.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the two most popular surfactants among perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), with a wide range of uses. Growing evidence suggests that PFCs have the potential to interfere with estrogen homeostasis, posing a risk of endocrine-disrupting effects. This in vitro study aimed to investigate the estrogenic effect of these compounds on T47D hormone-dependent breast cancer cells.