Mechanical assessment and odontogenic behavior of a 3D-printed mesoporous calcium silicate/calcium sulfate/poly-ε-caprolactone composite scaffold.

Background/purpose: Tissue engineering in dentistry has fundamentally changed the way endodontists assess treatment options. Our previous study found that quercetin-contained mesoporous calcium silicate/calcium sulfate (MSCSQ) could induce hard tissue defect region regeneration. This study focused on whether the MSCSQ scaffold could also be effective in regulating odontogenesis and dentin regeneration.

Human transferrin receptor gene as a marker gene for MR imaging.

Purpose: To quantitate and characterize the expression of an engineered human transferrin receptor (ETR) as a marker gene by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: Rat gliosarcoma 9L cells stably expressing ETR (ETR+) were used, with nontransfected (ETR-) cells serving as controls. A conjugate of transferrin and monocrystalline iron oxide (Tf-MION) nanoparticles was synthesized to probe for the activity of ETR.

Macrocyclic chelators with paramagnetic cations are internalized into mammalian cells via a HIV-tat derived membrane translocation peptide.

A major obstacle to using paramagnetic MR contrast agents for in vivo cell tracking or molecular sensing is their generally low cellular uptake. In this study, we show that a paramagnetically labeled DOTA chelator derivatized with a 13-mer HIV-tat peptide is efficiently internalized into mammalian cells. Intracellular concentrations were attained that were readily detectable by MR imaging using both gadolinium and dysprosium chelates.