Publications by authors named "Ruth Nickels"

Article Synopsis
  • Chronic wounds pose significant challenges for both patients and the healthcare system, highlighting the need for effective treatments.
  • Researchers tested a new method using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with microvascular fragments (MVF) to create a gel dressing that promotes wound healing.
  • The study found that this combination significantly accelerated healing, increased the number of blood and lymph vessels, and enhanced tissue formation compared to wounds treated with PRP alone or left empty.
  • This innovative approach could offer a promising solution for chronic wounds that struggle to heal.
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Adipose tissue-derived microvascular fragments (MVF) represent effective vascularization units for tissue engineering. Most experimental studies exclusively use epididymal fat tissue of male donor mice as a source for MVF isolation. However, in future clinical practice, MVF-based approaches may be applied in both male and female patients.

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Background: Adipose tissue-derived microvascular fragments (MVF) represent effective vascularization units for tissue engineering. Most experimental studies in rodents exclusively use epididymal adipose tissue as a visceral fat source for MVF isolation. However, in future clinical practice, MVF may be rather isolated from liposuctioned subcutaneous fat tissue of patients.

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Adipose tissue-derived microvascular fragments rapidly reassemble into microvascular networks within implanted scaffolds. Herein, we analyzed the contribution of macrophages to this process. C57BL/6 mice received clodronate (clo)-containing liposomes for macrophage depletion, whereas animals treated with phosphate-buffered-saline-containing liposomes served as controls.

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  • Porous polyethylene (pPE) is a common biomaterial used in craniofacial surgery, but it often fails due to poor blood vessel formation.
  • The study explores a new method of improving vascularization by coating pPE with microvascular fragments (MVF) from fat tissue combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
  • Results showed that this coating significantly enhanced blood vessel formation and tissue integration of pPE implants in mice, indicating a promising approach for improving biomaterial performance in surgical applications.
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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of using adipose tissue-derived microvascular fragments (ad-MVF) compared to the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for prevascularizing tissue engineering scaffolds.
  • The researchers found that ad-MVF exhibited higher viability and resulted in better vascularization, cellular infiltration, and incorporation into host tissue when implanted in mice.
  • Overall, the findings suggest that ad-MVF-based prevascularization is superior to the conventional SVF approach, leading to improved outcomes in tissue engineering applications.
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  • Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a key role in the formation of blood vessels in endometriotic lesions, and this study investigates how COX-2 signaling influences this process.
  • In a mouse model with induced endometriosis, researchers treated mice with the COX-2 inhibitor parecoxib and monitored various factors including EPC recruitment, lesion growth, vascularization, and immune cell infiltration.
  • Results showed that while circulating EPCs increased in parecoxib-treated mice, EPC recruitment to lesions decreased, leading to reduced vascularization, cell proliferation, and increased apoptosis, suggesting that COX-2 inhibition hampers blood vessel formation and lesion growth in endometriosis.
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Micro (mi)RNAs are short, noncoding RNAs and deregulation of miRNAs and their targets are implicated in tumor generation and progression in many cancers. Meningiomas are mostly benign, slow growing tumors of the central nervous system with a small percentage showing a malignant phenotype.Following prediction of potential targets of miR-34a-3p, , , and have been confirmed as targets by dual luciferase assays with co-expression of miR-34a-3p and reporter gene constructs containing the respective 3'UTRs.

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The incorporation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into microvessels contributes to the vascularization of endometriotic lesions. Herein, we analyzed whether this vasculogenic process is regulated by estrogen. Estrogen- and vehicle-treated human EPCs were analyzed for migration and tube formation.

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In a previous study, we identified thioredoxin domain containing 16 (TXNDC16) as a meningioma-associated Ag by protein macroarray screening. Serological screening detected autoantibodies against TXNDC16 exclusively in meningioma patients' sera and not in sera of healthy controls. TXNDC16 was previously found to be an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-luminal glycoprotein.

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Background: Macrophages are equipped with several receptors for the recognition of foreign particles and pathogens. Upon binding to these receptors, particles become internalized. An interaction of particles with macrophage surface receptors is accompanied by an increase in cytosolic calcium concentration.

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The chemokine CXCL12 has a decisive role in tumor progression by mediating pro-angiogenic and pro-metastatic effects through its receptor CXCR4. The CXCL12 pathway is connected with another chemokine, CXCL11, through its second receptor CXCR7. CXCL11 also binds to the CXCR3 receptor.

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  • Researchers developed a model to directly assess the sequestration of bone marrow cells (BMCs) in the heart after ischemic injury through intracoronary injection.
  • The study involved modified heart transplants in mice, utilizing intravital microscopy (IVM) to track BMCs and analyze coronary microcirculation.
  • Results revealed that BMCs exclusively sequestered in capillaries of the heart muscle, highlighting the impact of ischemia and atherosclerosis on blood flow and cell retention.
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  • Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition involving abnormal growth of tissue similar to the uterine lining, leading to the formation of lesions in the peritoneal cavity.
  • The study examined whether circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are recruited to these lesions and incorporated into their blood vessels, using mice models with surgically induced endometriosis.
  • Results showed that about 15% of the blood vessel cells in these lesions came from EPCs, indicating that the formation of new blood vessels from these cells is a key mechanism in the development of endometriosis.
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Background: This study was aimed to assess the pleiotropic effects of non-hematopoietic doses of erythropoietin (Epo) on post-ischemic microcirculatory dysfunction and inflammation in murine cardiac allografts.

Methods: Epo was given intraperitoneally 2 hours prior to explantation (Epo-donor) or 2 hours prior to the onset of reperfusion (Epo-recipient). Controls were not treated.

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Background: Liver insufficiency after major hepatectomy still represents a serious challenge in liver surgery. Although some previous studies indicate that erythropoietin (EPO) and its analogue darbepoetin-alpha (DPO) may improve liver function and liver regeneration, little is known on their effect on tumor growth after hepatectomy. Because EPO may promote tumor progression, we herein studied the effect of DPO on tumor growth after major hepatectomy.

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Recent studies have shown that the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1 and its receptor CXCR4 are involved in the metastatic process of colorectal cancer. The impact of SDF-1 on the stimulated metastatic growth during hepatectomy-associated liver regeneration is unknown. With the use of a heterotopic murine colon cancer model, we analyzed whether blockade of SDF-1 inhibits angiogenesis and extrahepatic growth of colorectal cancer after liver resection.

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Ebselen, a seleno-organic compound showing glutathione per-oxidase-like activity, has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Since selenium deficiency is thought to be associated with an increased incidence of vascular thrombosis, we studied the effect of ebselen on blood cell aggregate formation and vessel occlusion in vivo. In individual microvessels of rat cremaster muscle preparations, photochemically induced thrombus formation was analyzed in detail using intravital fluorescence microscopy.

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Objective: In vitro and in vivo studies using isolated platelets require that the cells used for testing are not activated by the isolation procedure. This ensures that the effects measured by the test are the result of the environment or the applied stimulus, but is not an artifact resulting from activation by cell isolation.

Methods: Herein, we analyzed two different platelet isolation procedures (i.

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Elderly patients have a higher incidence of morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. Because most immune functions in the elderly differ compared with those in younger subjects, we studied the effect of the immunomodulating agent G-CSF on endotoxic liver injury and cytokine release in an aging animal model of acute sepsis. Young (3-month-old), mature (12-month-old), and senescent (24-month-old) male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6 each) were treated with bacterial endotoxin for 6 h.

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