Enhancing the Biomechanical Performance of Anisotropic Nanofibrous Scaffolds in Tendon Tissue Engineering: Reinforcement with Cellulose Nanocrystals.

Anisotropically aligned electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds based on natural/synthetic polymer blends have been established as a reasonable compromise between biological and biomechanical performance for tendon tissue engineering (TE) strategies. However, the limited tensile properties of these biomaterials restrict their application in this field due to the load-bearing nature of tendon/ligament tissues. Herein, the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as reinforcing nanofillers in aligned electrospun scaffolds based on a natural/synthetic polymer blend matrix, poly-ε-caprolactone/chitosan (PCL/CHT) is reported.

Development of Injectable Hyaluronic Acid/Cellulose Nanocrystals Bionanocomposite Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications.

Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels compose a promising class of materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. However, their limited mechanical properties restrict the potential range of application. In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were employed as nanofillers in a fully biobased strategy for the production of reinforced HA nanocomposite hydrogels.

Long-term simulated microgravity causes cardiac RyR2 phosphorylation and arrhythmias in mice.

Background: Long-term exposure to microgravity during space flight may lead to cardiac remodeling and rhythm disturbances. In mice, hindlimb unloading (HU) mimics the effects of microgravity and stimulates physiological adaptations, including cardiovascular deconditioning. Recent studies have demonstrated an important role played by changes in intracellular Ca handling in the pathogenesis of heart failure and arrhythmia.