A Tissue-Engineered Construct Based on a Decellularized Scaffold and the Islets of Langerhans: A Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model.

Producing a tissue-engineered pancreas based on a tissue-specific scaffold from a decellularized pancreas, imitating the natural pancreatic tissue microenvironment and the islets of Langerhans, is one of the approaches to treating patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The aim of this work was to investigate the ability of a fine-dispersed tissue-specific scaffold (DP scaffold) from decellularized human pancreas fragments to support the islets' survival and insulin-producing function when injected in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. The developed decellularization protocol allows us to obtain a scaffold with a low DNA content (33 [26; 38] ng/mg of tissue, < 0.

Cartilage-Specific Gene Expression and Extracellular Matrix Deposition in the Course of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Chondrogenic Differentiation in 3D Spheroid Culture.

Articular cartilage damage still remains a major problem in orthopedical surgery. The development of tissue engineering techniques such as autologous chondrocyte implantation is a promising way to improve clinical outcomes. On the other hand, the clinical application of autologous chondrocytes has considerable limitations.

Decellularization of Human Pancreatic Fragments with Pronounced Signs of Structural Changes.

A significant lack of donor organs restricts the opportunity to obtain tissue-specific scaffolds for tissue-engineering technologies. One of the acceptable solutions is the development of decellularization protocols for a human donor pancreas unsuitable for transplantation. A protocol of obtaining a biocompatible tissue-specific scaffold from decellularized fragments with pronounced human pancreas lipomatosis signs with preserved basic fibrillary proteins of a pancreatic tissue extracellular matrix was developed.

Decellularization of cartilage microparticles: Effects of temperature, supercritical carbon dioxide and ultrasound on biochemical, mechanical, and biological properties.

One of the approaches to restoring the structure of damaged cartilage tissue is an intra-articular injection of tissue-engineered medical products (TEMPs) consisting of biocompatible matrices loaded with cells. The most interesting are the absorbable matrices from decellularized tissues, provided that the cellular material is completely removed from them with the maximum possible preservation of the structure and composition of the natural extracellular matrix. The present study investigated the mechanical, biochemical, and biological properties of decellularized porcine cartilage microparticles (DCMps) obtained by techniques, differing only in physical treatments, such as freeze-thaw cycling (Protocol 1), supercritical carbon dioxide fluid (Protocol 2) and ultrasound (Protocol 3).

Experimental Study of the Effects of Nanodispersed Ceria on Wound Repair.

We studied the effects of nanodispersed ceria on wound healing in vitro and in vivo. It was found that cerium dioxide stimulated wound healing, which manifested in shrinkage of burn wound area (by 1.5 times) and intensification (by 2.

Might ART Adherence Estimates Be Improved by Combining Biomarker and Self-Report Data?

Background: As we endeavour to examine rates of viral suppression in PLHIV, reliable data on ART adherence are needed to distinguish between the respective contributions of poor adherence and treatment failure on high viral load. Self-reported data are susceptible to response bias and although biomarker data on drug presence and concentration can provide a superior, alternative method of measurement, complications due to drug-drug interactions and genetic variations can cause some inaccuracies. We investigate the feasibility of combining both biomarker and self-report data to produce a potentially more accurate measure of ART adherence.

Evaluation of the interaction between LRRK2 and PARK16 loci in determining risk of Parkinson's disease: analysis of a large multicenter study.

A recent study MacLeod et al. has shown that an interaction between variants at the LRRK2 and PARK16 loci influences risk of development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Our study examines the proposed interaction between LRRK2 and PARK16 variants in modifying PD risk using a large multicenter series of PD patients (7715) and controls (8261) from sites participating in the Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease Consortium.

The cell-engineered construct of cartilage on the basis of biopolymer hydrogel matrix and human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (in vitro study).

The study results of in vitro formation of tissue-engineered cartilage construct on the basis of cell-engineered construct composed of biopolymer hydrogel matrix and human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hADSCs) are presented. It was revealed that hADSCs in biopolymer hydrogel matrix Sphero®GEL under chondrogenic conditions generate three-dimensional structures and produce cartilaginous extracellular matrix components: collagen type II and glycosaminoglycans.

An association study between hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) polymorphisms and osteonecrosis.

Bone hypoxia resulting from impaired blood flow is the final pathway for the development of osteonecrosis (ON). The aim of this study was to evaluate if HIF-1α, the major transcription factor triggered by hypoxia, is genetically implicated in susceptibility to ON. For this we analyzed frequencies of three known HIF-1α polymorphisms: one in exon 2 (C111A) and two in exon 12 (C1772T and G1790A) and their association with ON in a Greek population.

Early results of a novel technique using multiple small tantalum pegs for the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a case series involving 26 hips.

The introduction of a trabecular tantalum rod has been proposed for the management of early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head but serves as a single-point of support of the necrotic lesion. We describe a technique using two or three 4.2 mm (or later 4.

Alpha-actinin: a multidisciplinary protein with important role in B-cell driven autoimmunity.

Alpha-actinin (α-actinin) is a ubiquitous cytoskeletal protein, which belongs to the superfamily of filamentous actin (F-actin) crosslinking proteins. It is present in multiple subcellular regions of both muscle and non-muscle cells, including cell-cell and cell-matrix contact sites, cellular protrusions and stress fiber dense regions and thus, it seems to bear multiple important roles in the cell by linking the cytoskeleton to many different transmembrane proteins in a variety of junctions. Four isoforms of human α-actinin have already been identified namely, the "muscles" α-actinin-2 and α-actinin-3 and the "non-muscles" α-actinin-1 and α-actinin-4.

Mycophenolate for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis: prospective assessment of its efficacy and safety for induction and maintenance of remission in a large cohort of treatment-naïve patients.

Background & Aims: Standard therapy for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is corticosteroids with or without azathioprine. However, 20% of patients do not respond or are intolerant to conventional treatment. Therefore, we evaluated prospectively the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in inducing and/or maintaining remission in treatment-naïve AIH patients.

Lipid metabolism and osteoarthritis: lessons from atherosclerosis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related degenerative disease comprising the main reason of handicap in the Western world. Interestingly, to date, there are neither available biomarkers for early diagnosis of the disease nor any effective therapy other than symptomatic treatment and joint replacement surgery. OA has long been associated with obesity, mainly due to mechanical overload exerted on the joints.

A newly described vancomycin-resistant ST412 Enterococcus faecium predominant in Greek hospitals.

A total of 359 vancomycin-resistant enterococci (344 Enterococcus faecium and 15 E. faecalis) collected during 2007 from eight tertiary-care hospitals in Greece were analysed for genotypic characteristics. Four common clones, ST412, ST203, ST16 and ST17, were identified among E.

Correlation of promoter hypermethylation in hTERT, DAPK and MGMT genes with cervical oncogenesis progression.

DNA hypermethylation occurs during the multistep process of cervical carcinogenesis. We investigated whether the methylation status in the promoter region of a potential oncogene, the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and the tumor suppressor genes death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), were able to distinguish the early from late stages of cervical oncogenesis. The methylation status in the promoter of these genes was analyzed using real-time MethyLight analysis in 115 cervical specimens, including normal, premalignant [atypical squamous epithelial cells (ASCUS), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL)] and cancer specimens.

Epigenetic regulation of hTERT promoter in hepatocellular carcinomas.

Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, the molecular pathogenesis of the disease has not been elucidated. Several studies have shown that telomerase activity and hTERT expression are increased in HCCs. In the present study we tried to elucidate hTERT transcriptional and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in HCC.

Integrative microRNA and proteomic approaches identify novel osteoarthritis genes and their collaborative metabolic and inflammatory networks.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a multifactorial disease characterized by destruction of the articular cartilage due to genetic, mechanical and environmental components affecting more than 100 million individuals all over the world. Despite the high prevalence of the disease, the absence of large-scale molecular studies limits our ability to understand the molecular pathobiology of osteoathritis and identify targets for drug development.

Methodology/principal Findings: In this study we integrated genetic, bioinformatic and proteomic approaches in order to identify new genes and their collaborative networks involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis.

Atypical CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal mediates regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha by MAPK.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is the key transcriptional activator of hypoxia-inducible genes and an important anti-cancer target. Its regulated subunit, HIF-1alpha, is controlled by oxygen levels and major signaling pathways. We reported previously that phosphorylation of Ser(641/643) by p42/44 MAPK is essential for HIF-1alpha nuclear accumulation and activity.

Lack of association of single nucleotide polymorphism in LRCH1 with knee osteoarthritis susceptibility.

A genetic association of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and a C/T transition single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs912428) located in intron 1 of the LRCH1 gene has recently been reported in European Caucasians; however, the results are inconsistent. Our objective was to evaluate the association in different knee OA populations. Three case-control association studies were conducted in Han Chinese, Japanese, and Greek Caucasian populations.