Type I collagen extracellular matrix facilitates nerve regeneration via the construction of a favourable microenvironment.

Background: The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides essential physical support and biochemical cues for diverse biological activities, including tissue remodelling and regeneration, and thus is commonly applied in the construction of artificial peripheral nerve grafts. Nevertheless, the specific functions of essential peripheral nerve ECM components have not been fully determined. Our research aimed to differentially represent the neural activities of main components of ECM on peripheral nerve regeneration.

Piezo1 Mediates Glycolysis-Boosted Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Chemoresistance within a Biomimetic Three-Dimensional Matrix Stiffness.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer with a very low 5-year survival rate, which is partially attributed to chemoresistance. Although the regulation of chemoresistance through biochemical signaling is well-documented, the influence of three-dimensional (3D) matrix stiffness is poorly understood. In this study, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels were reconstructed with stiffnesses spanning the range from normal to cancerous PDAC tissues, which are termed as the soft group and stiff group.

Multifunctional double-network hydrogel with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory synergistic effects contributes to wound healing of bacterial infection.

Wound infection not only hinders the time sequence of tissue repair, but also may lead to serious complications. Multifunctional wound dressings with biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties and antibacterial properties can promote wound healing during skin infection and reduce the use of antibiotics. In this study, a multifunctional dual-network antibacterial hydrogel was constructed based on the electrostatic interaction of two polyelectrolytes, hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) and sodium alginate (SA).

Correction: Innovative wound management: creating dynamic Alg-Mg/SF hydrogels for controlled Mg release in wound healing.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D4RA00793J.].

Cell culture on suspended fiber for tissue regeneration: A review.

Cell culturing is a cornerstone of tissue engineering, playing a crucial role in tissue regeneration, drug screening, and the study of disease mechanisms. Among various culturing techniques, 3D culture systems, particularly those utilizing suspended fiber scaffolds, offer a more physiologically relevant environment than traditional 2D monolayer cultures. These 3D scaffolds enhance cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation by mimicking the in vivo cellular milieu.

Innovative wound management: creating dynamic Alg-Mg/SF hydrogels for controlled Mg release in wound healing.

Antibacterial hydrogels have gained considerable attention for soft tissue repair, particularly in preventing infections associated with wound healing. However, developing an antibacterial hydrogel that simultaneously possesses excellent cell affinity and controlled release of metal ions remains challenging. This study introduces an antibacterial hydrogel based on alginate modified with bisphosphonate, forming a coordination complex with magnesium ions.

Progress in methods for evaluating Schwann cell myelination and axonal growth in peripheral nerve regeneration via scaffolds.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a neurological disorder caused by trauma that is frequently induced by accidents, war, and surgical complications, which is of global significance. The severity of the injury determines the potential for lifelong disability in patients. Artificial nerve scaffolds have been investigated as a powerful tool for promoting optimal regeneration of nerve defects.

Skin derived precursors induced Schwann cells mediated tissue engineering-aided neuroregeneration across sciatic nerve defect.

A central question in neural tissue engineering is how the tissue-engineered nerve (TEN) translates detailed transcriptional signals associated with peripheral nerve regeneration into meaningful biological processes. Here, we report a skin-derived precursor-induced Schwann cell (SKP-SC)-mediated chitosan/silk fibroin-fabricated tissue-engineered nerve graft (SKP-SCs-TEN) that can promote sciatic nerve regeneration and functional restoration nearly to the levels achieved by autologous nerve grafts according to behavioral, histological, and electrophysiological evidence. For achieving better effect of neuroregeneration, this is the first time to jointly apply a dynamic perfusion bioreactor and the ascorbic acid to stimulate the SKP-SCs secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM).

Leveraging artificial intelligence to identify high-risk patients for postoperative sore throat: An observational study.

Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a prevalent complication after general anesthesia and targeting high-risk patients helps in its prevention. This study developed and validated a machine learning model to predict POST. A total number of 834 patients who underwent general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation were included in this study.

Fibroblast exosomal TFAP2C induced by chitosan oligosaccharides promotes peripheral axon regeneration via the miR-132-5p/CAMKK1 axis.

Chitosan and its degradation product, oligosaccharides, have been shown to facilitate peripheral nerve regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we analyzed the protein expression profiles in sciatic nerves after injury using proteomics.

Experimental Investigation on the Diffusion Law of Polymer Slurry Grouted in Sand.

Polymer slurry is widely used in underground engineering treatment, but due to the concealed nature of underground projects, the diffusion pattern of slurry in the sand has been little studied. In this study, the basic physical properties of water-based polyurethane, oil-based polyurethane, and acrylate and epoxy resin were compared, and the performance of chemical grouted sands with different polymer slurry/sand mass ratios (PS/S) was tested. The higher the PS/S, the better the mechanical and impermeability properties of the chemical grouted sands.

Study of the Structural Mechanical Properties of Drainage Canals Rehabilitated by Spraying Method.

A large number of drainage pipes and canals in China have been in disrepair for a long time and there have been problems such as leakage and corrosion. In response to these problems, this paper studies a non-excavation technology for repairing the arched canal structure-the in-situ spraying method. To study the influence of the original canal structure on the mechanical characteristics of the lining structure by in-situ spraying and the restraint effect on the lining structure, a field model test with a similar ratio of 1:2 was conducted in the field test pit.

Proteomic Analysis of Silk Fibroin Reveals Diverse Biological Function of Different Degumming Processing From Different Origin.

Silk, as a kind of natural fibrin, has been prepared into various biomaterials due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanicalness. However, there are some controversies on the biocompatibility of silk fibroin (SF), especially when it coexists with sericin. In this study, two kinds of silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang were degummed with two concentrations of NaCO solution, respectively, to obtain four kinds of silk fibroin.

Conductive biocomposite hydrogels with multiple biophysical cues regulate schwann cell behaviors.

Peripheral nerve injuries are serious clinical events, and surgical treatment has certain limitations. Conductive hydrogels are promising biomaterials for neural tissue engineering, as they can enhance the functionality of neurons and Schwann cells (SCs) by mimicking the biophysical and biochemical cues existing in the natural extracellular matrix. It remains unexplored, however, whether there is a connection between the effects of different cues, such as hydrogel elasticity and conductivity, on SC fate.

Exosomal miR-673-5p from fibroblasts promotes Schwann cell-mediated peripheral neuron myelination by targeting the TSC2/mTORC1/SREBP2 axis.

Peripheral myelination is a complicated process, wherein Schwann cells (SCs) promote the formation of the myelin sheath around the axons of peripheral neurons. Fibroblasts are the second resident cells in the peripheral nerves; however, the precise function of fibroblasts in SC-mediated myelination has rarely been examined. Here, we show that exosomes derived from fibroblasts boost myelination-related gene expression in SCs.

Durability Study on High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Mortar under Simulated Wastewater Pipeline Environment.

The acid-alkaline-inducd corrosive environments inside wastewater concrete pipelines cause concrete structural deterioration and substantial economic losses all over the world. High-performance concrete/mortar (HPC) was designed to have better resistance to corrosive environments, with enhanced service life. However, the durability of HPC in wastewater pipeline environments has rarely been studied.

Pancreatic Extracellular Matrix/Alginate Hydrogels Provide a Supportive Microenvironment for Insulin-Producing Cells.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), as an autoimmune deficiency disease, is associated with an absolute deficiency of insulin subject to islet β-cell destruction. Insulin-producing cells (IPCs) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells are an ideal replacement origin of β-cells, which can be applied for cell transplantation therapies in T1DM. At present, more strategies focus on inducing and differentiating to obtain IPCs; however, the unsatisfactory differentiation efficiency and the lack of ideal carriers for transplantation limited their application.

Association Between rs13216675 T>C Polymorphism and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rs13216675 T>C polymorphism, an SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) close to the gap junction protein alpha 1 () gene, has been reported to be associated with risk of atrial fibrillation (AF); however, the results remained inconclusive. We aimed to perform a systematic review to clarify the relationship between rs13216675 and risk of AF. We systematically searched the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure up to July 15, 2020.

Biomimetic hybrid scaffold of electrospun silk fibroin and pancreatic decellularized extracellular matrix for islet survival.

Islet transplantation is considered as one of the promising treatment options for curing diabetes. However, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is destroyed during the process of islet isolation and extraction, which leads to decreased islet activity . ECM-based biomaterials which used to reconstruct the microenvironment of cells have been applied in various fields.

Application of conductive PPy/SF composite scaffold and electrical stimulation for neural tissue engineering.

Electrical stimulation (ES) with conductive polymers can dramatically enhance neurite outgrowth and promote neural regeneration. However, besides ES, the practical applications of neural repair is also highly dependent on the nerve cell functionality and response to substrate conductivity. Therefore, the combination of the ES and suitable materials, such as tissue scaffolds, has been applied to facilitate treatment of neural injuries and demonstrated great potential in peripheral nerve regeneration.

Bone marrow-derived neural crest precursors improve nerve defect repair partially through secreted trophic factors.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that neural crest-derived cells (NCCs) present important functions in peripheral nerve regeneration to correct the insufficiency of autogenous Schwann cells. Postmigratory NCCs have been successfully isolated from adult rat bone marrow in our previous work. In this study, we aim to provide neural crest-derived Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) for repair of nerve defects in adult rats, and partially reveal the mechanisms involved in neuroregeneration of cell therapy.

Tubular scaffold with microchannels and an H-shaped lumen loaded with bone marrow stromal cells promotes neuroregeneration and inhibits apoptosis after spinal cord injury.

As a result of its complex histological structure, regeneration patterns of grey and white matter are quite different in the spinal cord. Therefore, tissue engineering scaffolds for repairing spinal cord injury must be able to adapt to varying neural regeneration patterns. The aim of the present study was to improve a previously reported spinal cord-mimicking partition-type scaffold by adding microchannels on a single tubular wall along its longitudinal axis, thus integrating the two architectures of a single H-shaped central tube and many microchannels.