Publications by authors named "Sara Lopez-Martinez"

Transplantation of decellularized uterus tissue showed promise in supporting regeneration following uterine injury in animal models, suggesting an alternative to complete uterus transplantation for uterine factor infertility treatment. However, most animal studies utilized small grafts, limiting their clinical relevance. Hence, we used larger grafts (20 × 10 mm), equivalent to nearly one uterine horn in rats, to better evaluate the bioengineering challenges associated with structural support, revascularization, and tissue regeneration.

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Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) aims to preserve organs ex vivo by simulating physiological conditions such as body temperature. Recent advancements in NMP system design have prompted the development of clinically effective devices for liver, heart, lung, and kidney transplantation that preserve organs for several hours/up to 1 d. In preclinical studies, adjustments to circuit structure, perfusate composition, and automatic supervision have extended perfusion times up to 1 wk of preservation.

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The vagina is a fibromuscular elastic tubular tract that connects the cervix with the outer genitals and has an important function discharging uterine secretions, sexual intercourse and acts as the passage for the full-term fetus. Currently, a new field of investigation which aims to design tissues and organs similar to their native origin has been developed recently and was named regenerative medicine (tissue engineering and bioengineering). Malformations in cervix tissue represent a hard challenge for medicine.

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A new field of investigation which aims to design tissues and organs similar to their native origin has been developed recently, named as regenerative medicine (tissue engineering and bio-engineering). Uterus is the main organ for regeneration and contributes in the fertility. At an ultimate level, the uterus plays a role in embryo implantation, sperm migration and fetal nutrition.

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The ovaries or female gonads are situated in the ovarian fossa of the abdominal cavity. These are paired, almond-shaped organs measuring about 3.5 cm long and 1.

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Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels obtained from decellularized tissues are promising biocompatible materials for tissue regeneration. These biomaterials may provide important options for endometrial pathologies such as Asherman's syndrome and endometrial atrophy, which lack effective therapies thus far. First, we performed a proteomic analysis of a decellularized endometrial porcine hydrogel (EndoECM) to describe the specific role of ECM proteins related to regenerative processes.

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Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tissue models that mimic their corresponding in vivo tissue. Successful efforts have derived organoids from primary tissues such as intestine, liver, and pancreas. For human uterine endometrium, the recent generation of 3D structures from primary endometrial cells is inspiring new studies of this important tissue using precise preclinical models.

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Adult stem cells (ASCs) were long suspected to exist in the endometrium. Indeed, several types of endometrial ASCs were identified in rodents and humans through diverse isolation and characterization techniques. Putative stromal and epithelial stem cell niches were identified in murine models using label-retention techniques.

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Decellularization techniques support the creation of biocompatible extracellular matrix hydrogels, providing tissue-specific environments for both cell culture and tissue regeneration. We obtained endometrium derived from porcine decellularized uteri to create endometrial extracellular matrix (EndoECM) hydrogels. After decellularization and detergent removal, we investigated the physicochemical features of the EndoECM, including gelation kinetics, ultrastructure, and proteomic profile.

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The oviducts (fallopian tubes in mammals) function as the site of fertilization and provide necessary support for early embryonic development, mainly via embryonic exposure to the tubal microenvironment. The main objective of this study was to create an oviduct-specific extracellular matrix (oviECM) hydrogel rich in bioactive components that mimics the native environment, thus optimizing the developmental trajectories of cultured embryos. Rabbit oviducts were decellularized through SDS treatment and enzymatic digestion, and the acellular tissue was converted into oviductal pre-gel extracellular matrix (ECM) solutions.

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Objective: To study the effect of human plasma from different sources, namely, umbilical cord blood and adult blood platelet-rich plasma (PRP), on the regeneration of endometrial damage.

Design: Composition analysis, in vitro approaches, and a preclinical murine model using plasma to promote endometrial regeneration.

Setting: Hospital and university laboratories.

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In the last decades, the decellularization (DC) of organs has become an established technique in the field of regenerative medicine to yield complex and vascularized bioscaffolds. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated in vitro that these decellularized scaffolds retain their native tissue-specificity. This is also the case when this tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) is solubilized and used as hydrogels or coatings to create a biomimetic environment.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was done on 712 schoolchildren in Spain to see if a physical activity program could help reduce body fat and improve health.
  • The program included fun, non-competitive activities and took place several times a week for several months.
  • Results showed that girls lost some body fat and improved certain health markers, while boys also had some waist reduction and improved muscle mass, but overall weight issues didn't change much.
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Purpose: Our objective was to analyze the association between different intensities of physical activity (PA), physical fitness, and metabolic syndrome (MS) in young adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional study including 275 university students, 18-30 years old, from Cuenca, Spain. We evaluated (a) physical activity using accelerometry, (b) aerobic capacity (VO2max), and (c) muscle strength, by a muscle strength index calculated as the sum of the standardized z score of handgrip dynamometry/weight and standing broad jump.

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Introduction And Objectives: The MOVI physical activity program has been shown to reduce adiposity and to improve serum lipid profiles in schoolchildren. However, MOVI may have not achieved its maximum potential effectiveness, as increased physical activity on weekdays may have been offset by more sedentary behavior at weekends. We therefore developed the MOVI-2 program, which includes physical activity at weekends as well.

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Introduction And Objectives: To determine by confirmatory factor analysis whether a model of the metabolic syndrome including waist circumference-to-height ratio, as a measure of adiposity, has better goodness of fit than that based on waist circumference alone and, on the basis of the data of the best-fit model, to develop an index of global cardiometabolic risk in young adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational study involving 683 university students aged 18 to 30 years, in their first year at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, during the 2009-10 academic year. We compared the best fit of 2 models of the metabolic syndrome, both of which included the triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, HOMA-IR index, and mean arterial blood pressure, but differed in that one of them used waist circumference, whereas the other used the waist circumference-to-height ratio.

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