Cannabidiol reshapes the gut microbiome to promote endurance exercise in mice.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound from Cannabis, has various bioactive functions in humans and animals. Evidence suggests that CBD promotes muscle injury recovery in athletes, but whether and how CBD improves endurance performance remains unclear. Here we investigated the effects of CBD treatment on exercise performance in mice and assessed whether this effect involves the gut microbiome.

Interspecies transcriptome profiles of human T cell activation and liver inflammation in a xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease model.

Background: Xenogeneic transplantation induces acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) and subsequent vital organ damage. Herein, we aimed to examine hepatic damage associated with aGvHD using histopathology and gene expression profiles.

Methods: A xenografic GvHD model was established by engrafting human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into immunodeficient NOD-scid IL2Rγnull (NSG) mice after busulfan conditioning.

The unique role of fluoxetine in alleviating depression and anxiety by regulating gut microbiota and the expression of vagus nerve-mediated serotonin and melanocortin-4 receptors.

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) widely used for depression, but its potential effects on gut microbiota regulation and vagus nerve-mediated serotonin receptor expression have not been well studied. We investigated changes in the gut microbiome regulated by fluoxetine and vagus nerve-mediated expression of several serotonin (5-HT) receptor types associated with anxiety and depression. Oral administration of fluoxetine alleviated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depressive and anxiety behaviors, increased 5-HT1A, 2 C, and melanocortin 4 (MC4) receptor expression, and the composition of Lactobacillus in mice's gut microbiome.

Combination of Milk Polar Lipids and Casein Hydrolysate as a Healthy Emulsifier for Ice Cream.

The demand for healthy ingredients in food products including ice cream, is continuously increasing. The potential of a combination of milk polar lipids (MPL) and casein hydrolysate (CH) to replace synthetic emulsifiers such as diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides (DATEM), in ice cream production was investigated. Changes in particle size, emulsion stability, and interfacial tension of model emulsions (milk protein, casein:whey=8:2, w/v) were analyzed after the addition of MPL, CH, and their combination (MPL+CH).

Amplified response of drug-induced liver fibrosis immune cell co-culture in a 3D hepatic fibrosis model.

Liver fibrosis, a critical consequence of chronic liver diseases, is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition driven by inflammation. This process involves complex interactions among hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and Kupffer cells, the liver's resident macrophages. Kupffer cells are essential in initiating fibrosis through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that activate HSCs.

Lactobacillus plantarum NCHBL-004 modulates high-fat diet-induced weight gain and enhances GLP-1 production for blood glucose regulation.

Objectives: This study investigated the therapeutic potential of Lactobacillus plantarum NCHBL-004 (NCHBL-004) in the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

Methods: Mice were fed either a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) with oral administration of NCHBL-004. After euthanasia, blood, liver and adipose tissue were collected.

Development and evaluation of an injectable ChitHCl-MgSO-DDA hydrogel for bone regeneration: In vitro and in vivo studies on cell migration and osteogenesis enhancement.

Nonunion and delayed union of the bone are situations in orthopedic surgery that can occur even if the bone alignment is correct and there is sufficient mechanical stability. Surgeons usually apply artificial bone grafts in bone fracture gaps or in bone defect sites for osteogenesis to improve bone healing; however, these bone graft materials have no osteoinductive or osteogenic properties, and fit the morphology of the fracture gap with difficulty. In this study, we developed an injectable chitosan-based hydrogel with MgSO and dextran oxidative, with the purpose to improve bone healing through introducing an engineered chitosan-based hydrogel.

In Vitro Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Model Elucidating the Effect of Immune Environment on Disease Progression and Alleviation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a major cause of chronic liver disease, is characterized by fat accumulation in the liver. Existing models struggle to assess medication effects on liver function in the context of NAFLD's unique inflammatory environment. We address this by developing a 3D in vitro NAFLD model using HepG2 and THP-1 cells (mimicking liver and Kupffer cells) cocultured using transwell and hydrogel system.

Injectable ChitHCl-DDA tissue adhesive with high adhesive strength and biocompatibility for torn meniscus repair and regeneration.

Suture pull-through is a clinical problem in meniscus repair surgery due to the sharp leading edge of sutures. Several tissue adhesives have been developed as an alternative to traditional suturing; however, there is still no suitable tissue adhesive specific for meniscus repair treatment due to unsatisfactory biosafety, biodegradable, sterilizable, and tissue-bonding characteristics. In this study, we used a tissue adhesive composed of chitosan hydrochloride reacted with oxidative periodate-oxidized dextran (ChitHCl-DDA) combined with a chitosan-based hydrogel and oxidative dextran to attach to the meniscus.

cell condensation-based cartilage tissue engineering via immediately implantable high-density stem cell core and rapidly degradable shell microgels.

Formation of chondromimetic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) condensations typically required culture in defined environments. In addition, extended culture in differentiation media over several weeks is usually necessary prior to implantation, which is costly, time consuming and delays clinical treatment. Here, this study reports on immediately implantable core/shell microgels with a high-density hMSC-laden core and rapidly degradable hydrogel shell.

Development of an In Vitro Model for Inflammation Mediated Renal Toxicity Using 3D Renal Tubules and Co-Cultured Human Immune Cells.

Background: The emergence of various infectious diseases and the toxic effects of hyperinflammation by biotherapeutics have highlighted the need for in vitro preclinical models mimicking the human immune system. In vitro models studying the relationship between hyperinflammation and acute renal injury mainly rely on 2D culture systems, which have shown limitations in recapitulating kidney function. Herein, we developed an in vitro kidney toxicity model by co-culturing 3D engineered kidney proximal tubules cells (RPTEC/TERT1) with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).

Harvest of Cell-Only Muscle Fibers Using Thermally Expandable Hydrogels with Adhesive Patterns.

Muscle tissue engineering has been the focus of extensive research due to its potential for numerous medical applications, including actuator development and clinical treatments. In this study, we developed a method for harvesting muscle fiber in a floatable and translocatable manner utilizing thermally expandable hydrogels with a chemically patterned polydopamine (PD) layer generated by microcontact printing (μCP). The μCP of PD on the hydrogel facilitated the formation of stripe patterns with varying widths of printed/nonprinted area (50/50, 100/100, and 200/200 μm).

Decellularized Human Adipose Tissue as an Alternative Graft Material for Bone Regeneration.

Background: Tissue engineering approaches to treat damaged bone include various tissue transplants such as autologous, allogeneic, and xenografts. Artificial materials have been widely introduced to meet the demand for graft materials, but insufficiency in supply is still not resolved. In this study, human adipose tissue, easily obtained from the human body, was harvested, and the tissue was decellularized to fabricate a decellularized human adipose tissue matrix (DM) as an alternative graft material.

Stem cell-laden hydrogel bioink for generation of high resolution and fidelity engineered tissues with complex geometries.

Recently, 3D bioprinting has been explored as a promising technology for biomedical applications with the potential to create complex structures with precise features. Cell encapsulated hydrogels composed of materials such as gelatin, collagen, hyaluronic acid, alginate and polyethylene glycol have been widely used as bioinks for 3D bioprinting. However, since most hydrogel-based bioinks may not allow rapid stabilization immediately after 3D bioprinting, achieving high resolution and fidelity to the intended architecture is a common challenge in 3D bioprinting of hydrogels.

Spontaneously promoted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts on ultrathin layers of black phosphorus.

Recently, black phosphorus (BP) has garnered great attention as one of newly emerging two-dimensional nanomaterials. Especially, the degraded platelets of BP in the physiological environment were shown to be nontoxic phosphate anions, which are a component of bone tissue and can be used for mineralization. Here, our study presents the potential of BP as biofunctional and biocompatible nanomaterials for the application to bone tissue engineering and regeneration.

Induction of 4D spatiotemporal geometric transformations in high cell density tissues via shape changing hydrogels.

Developing and healing tissues begin as a cellular condensation. Spatiotemporal changes in tissue geometry, transformations in the spatial distribution of the cells and extracellular matrix, are essential for its evolution into a functional tissue. 4D materials, 3D materials capable of geometric changes, may have the potential to recreate the aforementioned biological phenomenon.

Nucleocapsid and Spike Proteins of SARS-CoV-2 Drive Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation.

Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) demonstrate dysregulated immune responses including exacerbated neutrophil functions. Massive neutrophil infiltrations accompanying neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formations are also observed in patients with severe COVID-19. However, the mechanism underlying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced NET formation has not yet been elucidated.

Cell-Laden Multiple-Step and Reversible 4D Hydrogel Actuators to Mimic Dynamic Tissue Morphogenesis.

Shape-morphing hydrogels bear promising prospects as soft actuators and for robotics. However, they are mostly restricted to applications in the abiotic domain due to the harsh physicochemical conditions typically necessary to induce shape morphing. Here, multilayer hydrogel actuator systems are developed using biocompatible and photocrosslinkable oxidized, methacrylated alginate and methacrylated gelatin that permit encapsulation and maintenance of living cells within the hydrogel actuators and implement programmed and controlled actuations with multiple shape changes.

Extracellular vesicles from dHL-60 cells as delivery vehicles for diverse therapeutics.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-derived heterogeneous vesicles that mediate intercellular communications. They have recently been considered as ideal vehicles for drug-delivery systems, and immune cells are suggested as a potential source for drug-loaded EVs. In this study, we investigated the possibility of neutrophils as a source for drug-loaded EVs.

3D bioprinting of prevascularised implants for the repair of critically-sized bone defects.

For 3D bioprinted tissues to be scaled-up to clinically relevant sizes, effective prevascularisation strategies are required to provide the necessary nutrients for normal metabolism and to remove associated waste by-products. The aim of this study was to develop a bioprinting strategy to engineer prevascularised tissues in vitro and to investigate the capacity of such constructs to enhance the vascularisation and regeneration of large bone defects in vivo. From a screen of different bioinks, a fibrin-based hydrogel was found to best support human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) sprouting and the establishment of a microvessel network.

Neutrophil-derived trail is a proinflammatory subtype of neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-derived vesicles that mediate intercellular communications. Neutrophils produce different subtypes of EVs during inflammatory responses. Neutrophil-derived trails (NDTRs) are generated by neutrophils migrating toward inflammatory foci, whereas neutrophil-derived microvesicles (NDMVs) are thought to be generated by neutrophils that have arrived at the inflammatory foci.

Combinatorial screening of biochemical and physical signals for phenotypic regulation of stem cell-based cartilage tissue engineering.

Despite great progress in biomaterial design strategies for replacing damaged articular cartilage, prevention of stem cell-derived chondrocyte hypertrophy and resulting inferior tissue formation is still a critical challenge. Here, by using engineered biomaterials and a high-throughput system for screening of combinatorial cues in cartilage microenvironments, we demonstrate that biomaterial cross-linking density that regulates matrix degradation and stiffness-together with defined presentation of growth factors, mechanical stimulation, and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides-can guide human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation into articular or hypertrophic cartilage phenotypes. Faster-degrading, soft matrices promoted articular cartilage tissue formation of hMSCs by inducing their proliferation and maturation, while slower-degrading, stiff matrices promoted cells to differentiate into hypertrophic chondrocytes through Yes-associated protein (YAP)-dependent mechanotransduction.

Multi-peptide presentation and hydrogel mechanics jointly enhance therapeutic duo-potential of entrapped stromal cells.

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) contains a host of matricellular proteins and bioactive factors that regulate cell behavior, and many ECM components have been leveraged to guide cell fate. However, the large size and chemical characteristics of these constituents complicate their incorporation into biomaterials without interfering with material properties, motivating the need for alternative approaches to regulate cellular responses. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can promote osseous regeneration in vivo directly or indirectly through multiple means including (1) secretion of proangiogenic and mitogenic factors to initiate formation of a vascular template and recruit host cells into the tissue site or (2) direct differentiation into osteoblasts.