Dynamic regulation of stem cell adhesion and differentiation on degradable piezoelectric poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibers.

Degradable piezoelectric materials possess significant potential for application in the realm of bone tissue regeneration. However, the correlation between cell regulation mechanisms and the dynamic variation caused by material degradation has not been explained, hindering the optimization of material design and its in vivo application. Herein, piezoelectric poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibers with different molecular weights (MW) were fabricated, and the effects of their piezoelectric properties, structural morphology, and material products during degradation on the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were investigated.

Neoteric Semiembedded β-Tricalcium Phosphate Promotes Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells under Cyclic Stretch.

β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is a bioactive material for bone regeneration, but its brittleness limits its use as a standalone scaffold. Therefore, continuous efforts are necessary to effectively integrate β-TCP into polymers, facilitating a sturdy ion exchange for cell regulation. Herein, a novel semiembedded technique was utilized to anchor β-TCP nanoparticles onto the surface of the elastic polymer, followed by hydrophilic modification with the polymerization of dopamine.

Infection of Common Marmosets with GB Virus B Chimeric Virus Encoding the Major Nonstructural Proteins NS2 to NS4A of Hepatitis C Virus.

Unlabelled: A lack of immunocompetent-small-primate models has been an obstacle for developing hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccines and affordable antiviral drugs. In this study, HCV/GB virus B (GBV-B) chimeric virus carrying the major nonstructural proteins NS2 to NS4A (HCV NS2 to -4A chimera) was produced and used to infect common marmosets, since HCV NS2 to NS4A proteins are critical proteases and major antigens. Seven marmosets were inoculated intrahepatically with HCV NS2 to -4A chimera RNA for primary infection or intravenously injected with chimera-containing serum for passage infection.

Infection of common marmosets with hepatitis C virus/GB virus-B chimeras.

Unlabelled: The development of vaccination and novel therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been hampered by the lack of suitable small-animal models. GB virus B (GBV-B), closely related to HCV, causes viral hepatitis in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchue jacchus) and might represent an attractive surrogate model for HCV infection. However, differences exist between GBV-B and HCV in spite of a short genetic distance between the two viruses.

Significance of monoclonal antibodies against the conserved epitopes within non-structural protein 3 helicase of hepatitis C virus.

Nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of hepatitis C virus (HCV), codes for protease and helicase carrying NTPase enzymatic activities, plays a crucial role in viral replication and an ideal target for diagnosis, antiviral therapy and vaccine development. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to NS3 helicase were characterized by epitope mapping and biological function test. A total of 29 monoclonal antibodies were produced to the truncated NS3 helicase of HCV-1b (T1b-rNS3, aa1192-1459).