26 Development of human amniotic membrane products for regenerative medicine applications.

Introduction: Human amniotic membrane (HAM) has important biological properties that make this tissue an ideal substrate for regenerative medicine applications, including treatment of ocular diseases and wound healing. NHSBT can successfully decellularise HAM for promoting enhancement of limbal stem cell expansion in vitro more efficiently than the cellular HAM. In this study we present new formulations of decellularised HAM as freeze-dried powder and derived natural hydrogel.

Optimizing Attachment of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Poly(ε-caprolactone) Electrospun Yarns.

Research into biomaterials and tissue engineering often includes cell-based in vitro investigations, which require initial knowledge of the starting cell number. While researchers commonly reference their seeding density this does not necessarily indicate the actual number of cells that have adhered to the material in question. This is particularly the case for materials, or scaffolds, that do not cover the base of standard cell culture well plates.

Cyclic tensile strain upon human mesenchymal stem cells in 2D and 3D culture differentially influences CCNL2, WDR61 and BAHCC1 gene expression levels.

It has been shown that tensile strain can alter cell behaviour. Evidence exists to confirm that human mesenchymal stem cells can be encouraged to differentiate in response to tensile loading forces. We have investigated the short-term effects of cyclic tensile strain (3%, 1 Hz) on gene expression in primary human mesenchymal stem cells in monolayer and whilst encapsulated in a self-assembled peptide hydrogel.

Most british surgeons would consider using a tissue-engineered anterior cruciate ligament: a questionnaire study.

Donor site morbidity, poor graft site integration, and incorrect mechanical performance are all common problems associated with autografts for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions. A tissue-engineered (TE) ligament has the potential to overcome these problems. We produced an online questionnaire relating to tissue engineering of the ACL to obtain input from practising clinicians who currently manage these injuries.

3D sample preparation for orthopaedic tissue engineering bioreactors.

There are several types of bioreactors currently available for the culture of orthopaedic tissue engineered constructs. These vary from the simple to the complex in design and culture. Preparation of samples for bioreactors varies depending on the system being used.

Long-term relationships among atmospheric CO2, stomata, and intrinsic water use efficiency in individual trees.

Leaf-level responses to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentrations could have large implications for water and carbon cycles. We investigated whether stomatal density, guard cell length, and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) of 27 individual trees growing at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts have responded to changing environmental conditions over the last 100 years. We examined leaves from 74 herbarium specimens collected from three genera-Acer (maples), Quercus (oaks), and Carpinus (hornbeams)-from 1893 to 2006.