Cell interactions with the extracellular matrix play important roles in guiding tissue morphogenesis. The matrix stimulates cells to influence such things as differentiation and the cells actively remodel the matrix via local proteolytic activity. We have designed synthetic hydrogel networks that participate in this interplay: They signal cells via bound adhesion and growth factors, and they also respond to the remodeling influence of cell-associated proteases. Poly(ethylene glycol)-bis-vinylsulfone was crosslinked by a Michael-type addition reaction with a peptide containing three cysteine residues, the peptide sequence being cleavable between each cysteine residue by the cell-associated protease plasmin. Cells were able to invade gel networks that contained adhesion peptides and were crosslinked by plasmin-sensitive peptides, while materials lacking either of these two characteristics resisted cell infiltration. Incorporated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) induced bone healing in a rat model in materials that were both adhesive and plasmin-sensitive, while materials lacking plasmin sensitivity resisted formation of bone within the material. Furthermore, when a heparin bridge was incorporated as a BMP-2 affinity site, mimicking yet another characteristic of the extracellular matrix, statistically improved bone regeneration was observed.
Low back pain (LBP) caused by nucleus pulposus degeneration and calcification leads to great economic and social burden worldwide. Unexpectedly, no previous studies have demonstrated the association and the underlying mechanism between nucleus pulposus tissue degeneration and calcification formation. Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) exerts crucial functions in bone matrix mineralization and calcium deposition.
Department of Occupational Medical and Environmental Health, Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Silicosis is a fatal occupational pulmonary disease that is characterized by irreversible replacement of lung parenchyma by aberrant Exracellular matrix (ECM). Metabolic reprogramming is a crucial mechanism for fibrosis. However, how the metabolic rewiring shifts the ECM homeostasis toward overaccumulation remains unclear.
Macrophages are versatile myeloid leukocytes with flexible cellular states to perform diverse tissue functions beyond immunity. This plasticity is however often hijacked by diseases to promote pathology. Scanning kinetics of macrophage states by single-cell transcriptomics and flow cytometry, we observed atopic dermatitis drastically exhausted a resident subtype S1.
Real-world data are a highly valuable resource in determining the efficacy of novel products in challenging populations, especially in wound care. This study retrospectively analyzed the real-world performance of porcine placental extracellular matrix (PPECM; InnovaMatrix® AC, Convatec Triad Life Sciences, LLC, Memphis, TN, USA), a novel cellular, acellular, and matrix-like product for the management of hard-to-heal wounds. The US Wound Registry (USWR), which comprises aggregated and structured electronic health records from 502 wound practices, provided a deidentified dataset collected from October 10, 2022 to March 25, 2024, containing 76,278 patients (248,278 wounds).
The aim of the present study was to explore the role of ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1) in osteoclast differentiation and activity induced by extracellular acid. The impact of extracellular acidification on osteoclasts was investigated. Briefly, osteoclasts were generated from RAW 264.
