Developing a Novel Platelet-Rich Plasma-Laden Bioadhesive Hydrogel Contact Lens for the Treatment of Ocular Surface Chemical Injuries.

Permanent injury to corneal limbal stem cells after ocular surface chemical and thermal injuries is a major cause of corneal blindness. In this study, a PRP-laden GelMA hydrogel contact lens is manufactured which is aimed to support the limbal niche after ocular surface insults thereby preventing limbal stem cell failure. GelMA with varying platelet-rich plasma (PRP) concentrations (5%, 10%, and 20%) is photopolymerized using a visible light crosslinking system followed by characterizations of mechanical properties, growth factor release, enzymatic degradation, and in vitro cytotoxicity.

Dynamics of chromosome compaction during mitosis.

We have quantitatively studied the space-time dynamics of mitotic chromosome compaction in cultured amphibian cells. After collecting digital phase-contrast images we have done digital image analysis to study spatial correlations in density. We find a characteristic distance at which the strongest correlations occur, which provides a quantitative measure of the size of patches of dense chromatin during interphase and early prophase.

The bending rigidity of mitotic chromosomes.

The bending rigidities of mitotic chromosomes isolated from cultured N. viridescens (newt) and Xenopus epithelial cells were measured by observing their spontaneous thermal bending fluctuations. When combined with simultaneous measurement of stretching elasticity, these measurements constrain models for higher order mitotic chromosome structure.