Biocompatibility and characterization of a peptide amphiphile hydrogel for applications in peripheral nerve regeneration.

Peripheral nerve injury is a debilitating condition for which new bioengineering solutions are needed. Autografting, the gold standard in treatment, involves sacrifice of a healthy nerve and results in loss of sensation or function at the donor site. One alternative solution to autografting is to use a nerve guide conduit designed to physically guide the nerve as it regenerates across the injury gap.

Tissue engineering.

Ultimately much work remains to be done in the companion fields of biomaterials and stem cells. Nonetheless, the monumental progress in TE that has been reported in the studies summarized here demonstrates that regenerative approaches to problems in general surgery need to be explored in more depth. Furthermore, the surgical disciplines of reconstruction and transplantation need to recognize their research counterparts in TE, given its potential to actualize freedom from immunosuppression, one of the most elusive goals in modern surgery.

Osseus metaplasia in kidney allografts as a paradigm of regenerative medicine principles.

We report the sixth case of osseous metaplasia that has occurred in the last 5 years, after a deceased-donor renal transplant was performed on a young man. While its clinical significance is unclear and probably irrelevant, osseous metaplasia is one of the most relevant principles of regenerative medicine, where every bodily district contains progenitor cells that can generate cells specific to the germ layer from which they come. After the Case Report, we review the literature and speculate on the underlying pathophysiology of osseous metaplasia.

2,4(5)-diarylimidazoles as inhibitors of hNaV1.2 sodium channels: pharmacological evaluation and structure-property relationships.

Sodium (Na) channels continue to represent an important target for the development of novel anticonvulsants. We have synthesized and evaluated a series of 2,4(5)-diarylimidazoles for inhibition of the human neuronal Na(V)1.2 Na channel isoform.