Mechanical, Biological and In Vitro Degradation Investigation of Braided Scaffolds for Tendon and Ligament Tissue Engineering Based on Different Polycaprolactone Materials with Chitosan-Graft-PCL Surface Modification.

Injuries to tendons and ligaments are highly prevalent in the musculoskeletal system. Current treatments involve autologous transplants with limited availability and donor site morbidity. Tissue engineering offers a new approach through temporary load-bearing scaffolds.

Release of TGF-β from Surface-Modified PCL Fiber Mats Triggers a Dose-Dependent Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

The design of implants for tissue transitions remains a major scientific challenge. This is due to gradients in characteristics that need to be restored. The rotator cuff in the shoulder, with its direct osteo-tendinous junction (enthesis), is a prime example of such a transition.

Polycaprolactone-Based 3D-Printed Scaffolds as Potential Implant Materials for Tendon-Defect Repair.

Chronic tendon ruptures are common disorders in orthopedics. The conventional surgical methods used to treat them often require the support of implants. Due to the non-availability of suitable materials, 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds were designed from two different starting materials as suitable candidates for tendon-implant applications.

Refolding, purification, and characterization of constitutive-active human-Smad8 produced as inclusion bodies in ClearColi® BL21 (DE3).

Smad8 is a transcriptional regulator that participates in the intracellular signaling pathway of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family. Full-length Smad8 is an inactive protein in the absence of ligand stimulation. The expression of a truncated version of the protein lacking the MH1 domain (cSmad8) revealed constitutive activity in genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells and, in combination with BMP-2, exhibited a tendon cell-inducing potential.

Cell culture media notably influence properties of human mesenchymal stroma/stem-like cells from different tissues.

Background Aims: Mesenchymal stroma/stem-like cells (MSCs) are a popular cell source and hold huge therapeutic promise for a broad range of possible clinical applications. However, to harness their full potential, current limitations in harvesting, expansion and characterization have to be overcome. These limitations are related to the heterogeneity of MSCs in general as well as to inconsistent experimental protocols.

Regeneration of Damaged Tendon-Bone Junctions (Entheses)-TAK1 as a Potential Node Factor.

Musculoskeletal dysfunctions are highly prevalent due to increasing life expectancy. Consequently, novel solutions to optimize treatment of patients are required. The current major research focus is to develop innovative concepts for single tissues.

Heparin Anticoagulant for Human Bone Marrow Does Not Influence In Vitro Performance of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In our lab, we found that MSC preparations from bone marrow of many different donors had a limited capacity of in vitro differentiation into osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages-a capacity claimed to be inherent to MSCs. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that the amount of heparin used as anticoagulant during bone marrow harvest had an inhibitory influence on the in vitro differentiation capacity of isolated MSCs.

Sustained release of TGF-β from polysaccharide nanoparticles induces chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stromal cells.

Medical treatment of certain diseases and biomedical implants are tending to use delivery systems on the nanoscale basis for biologically active factors including drugs (e. g. antibiotics) or growth factors.

Attachment of nanoparticulate drug-release systems on poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers via a graftpolymer as interlayer.

Electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber mats are modified using a chitosan grafted with PCL (CS-g-PCL), to improve the biological performance and to enable further modifications. The graft copolymer is immobilized by the crystallization of the PCL grafts on the PCL fiber surface as binding mechanism. In this way, the surface of the fibers is covered with chitosan bearing cationic amino groups, which allow adsorption of oppositely charged nanoparticulate drug-delivery systems.

Differential Expression of Cholinergic System Components in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Bone Marrow-Derived Multipotent Stromal Cells, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Multipotent Stromal Cells.

The components of the cholinergic system are evolutionary very old and conserved molecules that are expressed in typical spatiotemporal patterns. They are involved in signaling in the nervous system, whereas their functions in nonneuronal tissues are hardly understood. Stem cells present an attractive cellular system to address functional issues.

Grid-like surface structures in thermoplastic polyurethane induce anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic processes in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

The use of autologous cells for the coating of implant surfaces presents a promising tool to attenuate foreign body reaction and inflammation. However, insertion forces that occur especially during implantation of electrodes into the narrow cochlea may strip off cells from the surface. Thus, implant surfaces should be ideally structured in a way that protects the cell coating from mechanical removal during implantation.

Hook is an adapter that coordinates kinesin-3 and dynein cargo attachment on early endosomes.

Bidirectional membrane trafficking along microtubules is mediated by kinesin-1, kinesin-3, and dynein. Several organelle-bound adapters for kinesin-1 and dynein have been reported that orchestrate their opposing activity. However, the coordination of kinesin-3/dynein-mediated transport is not understood.

Early endosome motility spatially organizes polysome distribution.

Early endosomes (EEs) mediate protein sorting, and their cytoskeleton-dependent motility supports long-distance signaling in neurons. Here, we report an unexpected role of EE motility in distributing the translation machinery in a fungal model system. We visualize ribosomal subunit proteins and show that the large subunits diffused slowly throughout the cytoplasm (Dc,60S = 0.

Kinesin-3 and dynein cooperate in long-range retrograde endosome motility along a nonuniform microtubule array.

The polarity of microtubules (MTs) determines the motors for intracellular motility, with kinesins moving to plus ends and dynein to minus ends. In elongated cells of Ustilago maydis, dynein is thought to move early endosomes (EEs) toward the septum (retrograde), whereas kinesin-3 transports them to the growing cell tip (anterograde). Occasionally, EEs run up to 90 μm in one direction.