Publications by authors named "Rozanne Mungai"
Multicellular spheroids embedded in 3D hydrogels are prominent in vitro models for 3D cell invasion. Yet, quantification methods for spheroid cell invasion that are high-throughput, objective and accessible are still lacking. Variations in spheroid sizes and the shapes of the cells within render it difficult to objectively assess invasion extent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMulticellular spheroids embedded in 3D hydrogels are prominent models for 3D cell invasion. Yet, quantification methods for spheroid cell invasion that are high throughput, objective and accessible are still lacking. Variations in spheroid sizes and the shapes of the cells within render it difficult to objectively assess invasion extent.
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- Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a prevalent heart valve condition in older populations, with two main pathways: osteogenic and dystrophic; the latter is more common.
- The study aims to develop a new 3D dystrophic calcification model that reflects cell interactions better than existing 2D models and shows that programmed cell death (apoptosis) is crucial for calcification.
- By using porcine valvular interstitial cell spheroids, researchers found that inhibiting apoptosis reduced calcification, and the addition of antioxidants (like ascorbic acid) further decreased calcification, indicating the importance of extracellular matrix production and oxidative stress in this process.
Heart valve disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, resulting in hundreds of thousands of heart valve replacements each year. Tissue engineered heart valves (TEHVs) have the potential to overcome the major limitations of traditional replacement valves; however, leaflet retraction has led to the failure of TEHVs in preclinical studies. Sequentially varying growth factors over time has been utilized to promote maturation of engineered tissues and may be effective in reducing tissue retraction, yet it is difficult to predict the effects of such treatments due to complex interactions between the cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), biochemical environment, and mechanical stimuli.
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