MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Biomaterials' source. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:08:04 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623488&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22236829%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhou L, Liang D, He X, Li J, Tan H, Li J, Fu Q, Gu Q Abstract To obtain controllable stepwise biodegradable polymer for multifunctional antitumor drug carriers, pH-sensitive biodegradable polyurethanes were firstly synthesized using poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and pH-sensitive poly(ε-caprolactone)-hydrazone-poly(ethylene glycol)-hydrazone-poly(ε-caprolactone) macrodiol (PCLH) as soft segment; l-lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate (LDI), l-lysine derivative tripeptide and 1,4-butandiol (BDO) as hard segment; and hydrazone-linked methoxyl-poly(ethylene glycol)(m-PEG-Hyd) as end-capper. Then, an extensive degradation process of the prepared pH-sensitive polyurethanes was investigated in vitro with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra ((1)H NMR), gel permeation chromatogra... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623488 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:01:23 +0100 5623488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623487&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22236830%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kasuya J, Sudo R, Tamogami R, Masuda G, Mitaka T, Ikeda M, Tanishita K Abstract There is great demand for constructing well-organized three-dimensional (3D) tissues in vitro. Here, we developed a 3D stacked culture method using biodegradable poly(d,l-lactide-co- glycolide) (PLGA) membranes with defined topography. Pore size and porosity of the membranes can be controlled by changing the moisture content during fabrication. The optimized membrane served as a scaffold to manipulate small hepatocyte (SH) layers when they were stacked, while it degraded after stacking, resulting in the reorganization of the cells into a 3D stacked structure. Immunofluorescent staining for domain markers of cell polarity and electron microscopy confirmed that the cells in the 3D stacked struct... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623487 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:01:10 +0100 5623487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623486&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22240510%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that A. mylitta silk fibroin 3D scaffolds are suitable for the engineering of cardiac patches. PMID: 22240510 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623486 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:58 +0100 5623486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623485&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22240511%26dopt%3DAbstract We present the development and characterization of nanoparticles loaded with a custom phosphor; we exploit these nanoparticles to perform quantitative measurements of the concentration of oxygen within three-dimensional (3-D) tissue cultures in vitro and blood vessels in vivo. We synthesized a customized ruthenium (Ru)-phosphor and incorporated it into polymeric nanoparticles via self-assembly. We demonstrate that the encapsulated phosphor is non-toxic with and without illumination. We evaluated two distinct modes of employing the phosphorescent nanoparticles for the measurement of concentrations of oxygen: 1) in vitro, in a 3-D microfluidic tumor model via ratiometric measurements of intensity with an oxygen-insensitive fluorophore as a reference, and 2) in vivo, in mouse vasculature ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623485 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:45 +0100 5623485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623484&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22243797%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, two CdSe/ZnSe QDs modified with β-CD coupled to L-Arg or L-His were used to simultaneously deliver doxorubicin (Dox) and siRNA targeting the MDR1 gene to reverse the multidrug resistance of HeLa cells. In this co-delivery system, Dox was firstly encapsulated into the hydrophobic cavities of β-CD, resulting in bypass of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug efflux. After complex formation of the mdr1 siRNA with Dox-loaded QDs via electrostatic interaction, significant down-regulation of mdr1 mRNA levels and P-gp expression was achieved as shown by RT-PCR and Western blotting experiments, respectively. The number of apoptotic HeLa cells after treatment with the complexes substantially exceeded the number of apoptotic cells induced by free Dox only. The intrinsic fluorescence o... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623484 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:33 +0100 5623484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5623483&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22243802%26dopt%3DAbstract This study attempts to incorporate these benefits of DTPA in functional nanoparticles (NPs) for oral insulin delivery. To maintain the complexing agent concentrated on the intestinal mucosal surface, where the paracellular permeation enhancement and enzyme inhibition are required, DTPA was covalently conjugated on poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γPGA). The functional NPs were prepared by mixing cationic chitosan (CS) with anionic γPGA-DTPA conjugate. The γPGA-DTPA conjugate inhibited the intestinal proteases substantially, and produced a transient and reversible enhancement of paracellular permeability. The prepared NPs were pH-responsive; with an increasing pH, CS/γPGA-DTPA NPs swelled gradually and disintegrated at a pH value above 7.0. Additionally, the biodistribution of insulin orally del... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5623483 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:21 +0100 5623483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535647&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153019%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lim ME, Lee YL, Zhang Y, Chu JJ Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment modality that utilizes light of an appropriate wavelength to excite photosensitive materials called photosensitizers, which upon excitation, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are cytocidal and virucidal. However, problems such as hydrophobicity of photosensitizers and limited tissue penetration ability of the current light sources impeded its promotion as a mainstay in medical technology. Here, by using near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible upconversion nanoparticles (UCNs), we demonstrate UCN-based photodynamic inactivation as a potential antiviral strategy. These UCNs are nanotransducers which not only act as carriers of photosensitizers but also active participants in PDT by ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535647 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:13:08 +0100 5535647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535630&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153865%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Oh NM, Kwag DS, Oh KT, Youn YS, Lee ES Abstract One of the current challenges in cancer chemotherapy is the ultra-sensitive identification of in vivo tumors. Herein, we report a new class of tumor-identifying polypeptides that can home in on in vivo tumors via an electrostatic charge conversion process occurring in the acidic milieu of a verity of tumors, which can be distinguished from receptor-interacting conventional tumor-homing peptides. We exploit the chemical coupling between polypeptides and therapeutic objects (drugs or particles) to carry out an antitumor study in nude mice, and find a significant increase in the efficiency of polypeptide-tagged objects in tumor uptake and inhibition, which is more significant than any known tumor-homing peptide system thus far... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535630 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:58 +0100 5535630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535629&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153867%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim JH, Minai-Tehrani A, Kim YK, Shin JY, Hong SH, Kim HJ, Lee HD, Chang SH, Yu KN, Bang YB, Cho CS, Yoon TJ, Yu DY, Jiang HL, Cho MH Abstract Non-viral gene delivery systems based on polyethyleneimine (PEI) are efficient due to their proton-sponge effect within endosomes, but they have poor physical characteristics such as slow dissociation, cytotoxicity, and non targeted gene delivery. To overcome many of the problems associated with PEI, we synthesized a galactosylated poly(ethylene glycol)-chitosan-graft-spermine (GPCS) copolymer with low cytotoxicity and optimal gene delivery to hepatocytes using an amide bond between galactosylated poly(ethylene glycol) and chitosan-graft-spermine. The GPCS copolymer formed complexes with plasmid DNA, and the GPCS/DNA complexes had w... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535629 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:47 +0100 5535629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535628&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153868%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee SH, Kwon OS, Song HS, Park SJ, Sung JH, Jang J, Park TH Abstract Sensing smell is a highly complex biological process, and characterizing and mimicking the interaction between the olfactory receptor (OR) protein and its ligands is extremely challenging. Herein, we report a highly sensitive and selective human nose-like nanobioelectronic nose (nbe-nose), which responds to gaseous odorants sensitively and selectively, has a signal specificity pattern similar to that in the cellular signal transduction pathway, and maintains an antagonistic behavior similar to the human nose. The human olfaction mechanism was mimicked by using carboxylated polypyrrole nanotubes (CPNTs) functionalized with human OR protein. The nbe-nose was able to detect gaseous odorants at a concentratio... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535628 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:36 +0100 5535628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535627&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153869%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhao J, Mi Y, Liu Y, Feng SS Abstract There have been two strategies developed in the recent literature for quantitative control of the targeting effects for drug delivery by ligand-conjugated nanoparticles of biodegradable copolymer blend such as PLGA/PLGA-PEG, i.e. the pre-conjugation strategy and the post-conjugation strategy, in which the ligand conjugation was made before and after the nanoparticle formulation respectively. This research developed another drug delivery system of the PLA-TPGS/TPGS-COOH copolymer blend and further improved the post-conjugation strategy to precisely control the targeting effects by two ways: one is to adjust the PLA-TPGS:TPGS-COOH copolymer blend ratio in the nanoparticle formulation process, which provides a way for coarse control, and ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535627 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:25 +0100 5535627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5535626&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22153870%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, human ASCs spontaneously formed three-dimensional spheroids on chitosan films. Most ASCs within the spheroid were viable, and the cells produced more extracellular molecules, like laminin and fibronectin. Comparing to monolayer culture, ASC spheroids also exhibited enhanced cell survival in serum deprivation condition. Although cell proliferation was inhibited in spheroids, ASCs readily migrated out and proliferated upon transferring spheroids to another adherent growth surface. Moreover, spheroid-derived ASCs exhibited higher expansion efficiency and colony-forming activity. Importantly, we demonstrated that spheroid formation of human ASCs on chitosan films induced significant upregulation of pluripotency marker genes (Sox-2, Oct-4 and Nanog). By culturing the ASC spheroid... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5535626 Sat, 24 Dec 2011 03:12:14 +0100 5535626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5421960&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22054535%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the proposed encapsulation method enhances the viability and function of islet spheroids, and protects these spheroids from immune attack. PMID: 22054535 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5421960 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:08:26 +0100 5421960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5421959&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22054536%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe here an air-impedance process where the solid mandrel is replaced with a porous mandrel that has pressurized air exiting the pores to impede fiber deposition. The mandrel design, in terms of air-flow rate, pore size, and pore distribution, allows for control over fiber deposition and scaffold porosity, giving greater cell penetration without a detrimental loss of mechanical properties or structural integrity. PMID: 22054536 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5421959 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:08:16 +0100 5421959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5421958&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22056285%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Du F, Wang H, Zhao W, Li D, Kong D, Yang J, Zhang Y Abstract One of the major challenges of tissue-engineered small-diameter blood vessels is restenosis caused by thrombopoiesis. The goal of this study was to develop a 3D gradient heparinized nanofibrous scaffold, aiding endothelial cells lined on the lumen of blood vessel to prevent thrombosis. The vertical graded chitosan/poly ɛ-caprolactone (CS/PCL) nanofibrous vessel scaffolds were fabricated with chitosan and PCL by sequential quantity grading co-electrospinning. To mimic the natural blood vessel microenvironment, we used heparinization and immobilization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the gradient CS/PCL. The quantity of heparinized chitosan nanofibers increased gradually from the tunica adventitia ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5421958 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:08:06 +0100 5421958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5421957&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22079007%26dopt%3DAbstract This study concluded that cell-to-cell contact is beneficial in the maintenance of viability post-cryopreservation and that the vitrification approach was far superior to those of conventional freezing when applied to 2D and 3D hepatocyte based engineered cultures. PMID: 22079007 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5421957 Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:07:56 +0100 5421957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5380252&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22014945%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Luong LN, Ramaswamy J, Kohn DH Abstract Delivering growth factors from bone-like mineral combines osteoinductivity with osteoconductivity. The effects of individual and sequential exposure of BMP-2 and FGF-2 on osteogenic differentiation, and their release from apatite were studied to design a dual delivery system. Bone marrow stromal cells were seeded on TCPS with the addition of FGF-2 (2.5, 10, 40 ng/ml) or BMP-2 (50, 150, 450 ng/ml) for 6 days. DNA content and osteogenic response were examined weekly for 3 weeks. FGF-2 increased DNA content; however, high concentrations of FGF-2 inhibited/delayed osteogenic differentiation, while a threshold concentration of BMP-2 was required for significant osteogenic enhancement. The sequence of delivery of BMP-2 (300 ng/ml) and F... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5380252 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:40:41 +0100 5380252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5380251&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22018386%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Truong HH, de Sonneville J, Ghotra VP, Xiong J, Price L, Hogendoorn PC, Spaink HH, van de Water B, Danen EH Abstract Cell spheroids (CS) embedded in 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) serve as in vitro mimics for multicellular structures in vivo. Such cultures, started either from spontaneous cell aggregates or single cells dispersed in a gel are time consuming, applicable to restricted cell types only, prone to high variation, and do not allow CS formation with defined spatial distribution required for high-throughput imaging. Here, we describe a method where cell-polymer suspensions are microinjected as droplets into collagen gels and CS formation occurs within hours for a broad range of cell types. We have automated this method to produce CS arrays in fixed patterns with d... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5380251 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:40:32 +0100 5380251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5380250&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22019155%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of local inflammation suppression on the bone regeneration. Gelatin hydrogels incorporating mixed immunosuppressive triptolide-micelles and bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) were prepared. The controlled release of both the triptolide and BMP-2 from the hydrogels was observed under in vitro and in vivo conditions. When either J774.1 macrophage-like or MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were cultured in the hydrogels incorporating mixed 2.5, 5 or 10 mg of triptolide-micelles and BMP-2, the expression level of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 was down-regulated, but the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was promoted compared with those of hydrogels incorporating BMP-2 without triptolide-micelle... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5380250 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:40:23 +0100 5380250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5380249&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22027595%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Singh N, Jenkins GJ, Nelson BC, Marquis BJ, Maffeis TG, Brown AP, Williams PM, Wright CJ, Doak SH Abstract Ultrafine superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPION) hold great potential for revolutionising biomedical applications such as MRI, localised hyperthermia, and targeted drug delivery. Though evidence is increasing regarding the influence of nanoparticle physico-chemical features on toxicity, data however, is lacking that assesses a range of such characteristics in parallel. We show that iron redox state, a subtle though important physico-chemical feature of USPION, dramatically modifies the cellular uptake of these nanoparticles and influences their induction of DNA damage. Surface chemistry was also found to have an impact and evidence to support a potential ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5380249 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:40:14 +0100 5380249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329460&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21963156%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zoldan J, Karagiannis ED, Lee CY, Anderson DG, Langer R, Levenberg S Abstract Mechanical forces are critical to embryogenesis, specifically, in the lineage-specification gastrulation phase, whereupon the embryo is transformed from a simple spherical ball of cells to a multi-layered organism, containing properly organized endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm germ layers. Several reports have proposed that such directed and coordinated movements of large cell collectives are driven by cellular responses to cell deformations and cell-generated forces. To better understand these environmental-induced cell changes, we have modeled the germ layer formation process by culturing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) on three dimensional (3D) scaffolds with stiffness engineered to model t... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329460 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:26:08 +0100 5329460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329459&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21963157%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Qin G, Rivkin A, Lapidot S, Hu X, Preis I, Arinus SB, Dgany O, Shoseyov O, Kaplan DL Abstract Resilin is an elastomeric protein found in specialized regions of the cuticle of most insects, providing outstanding material properties including high resilience and fatigue lifetime for insect flight and jumping needs. Two exons (1 and 3) from the resilin gene in Drosophila melanogaster were cloned and the encoded proteins expressed as soluble products in Escherichia coli. A heat and salt precipitation method was used for efficient purification of the recombinant proteins. The proteins were solution cast from water and formed into rubber-like biomaterials via horseradish peroxidase-mediated cross-linking. Comparative studies of the two proteins expressed from the two different e... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329459 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:25:57 +0100 5329459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329458&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21963281%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a biodegradable hydrogel, poly-d,l-lactic acid-p-dioxanone-polyethylene glycol block co-polymer (PLA-DX-PEG), as a siRNA carrier. PLA-DX-PEG pellets with or without fluorescein-labeled dsRNA were implanted into mouse dosal muscle pouches. The cellular uptake of dsRNA surround the polymer was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy. The fluorescence intensity was dose-dependent of the dsRNA, and exhibited a time-dependent decrease. To investigate its biological efficiency, noggin (antagonoist to BMPs) gene-silencing with siRNA (siRNA/Noggin) was examined by the amount of suppression of BMP-2-induced noggin expression and the level of performance of BMP, indicated by ectopic bone formation. Noggin gene expression induced by BMP-2 was suppressed by a... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329458 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:25:45 +0100 5329458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329457&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21963282%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Foy SP, Labhasetwar V Abstract Iron-oxide nanoparticles facilitate cancer diagnosis through enhanced contrast, selectively enhance tumor cell death with magnetic hyperthermia, and improve drug delivery with magnetic drug targeting. One application that remains largely unexplored is using the iron-oxide nanoparticles themselves to selectively inhibit tumor growth. In this leading opinion paper, we propose that high doses of iron-oxide nanoparticles can be used as a treatment for cancer by generating an oxidative assault against cancer. This proposal may be met with resistance considering the controversy surrounding iron in the field of cancer. Iron generates reactive oxygen species through the Fenton reaction, which may both cause - or cure cancer. Additionally, high demand... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329457 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:25:34 +0100 5329457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329456&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21975460%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zou D, Zhang Z, He J, Zhu S, Wang S, Zhang W, Zhou J, Xu Y, Huang Y, Wang Y, Han W, Zhou Y, Wang S, You S, Jiang X, Huang Y Abstract Tissue engineering combined with gene therapy represents a promising approach for bone regeneration. The Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) gene is a pivotal regulator of vascular reactivity and angiogenesis. Our recent study has showed that HIF-1α could promote osteogenesis of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) using a gene point mutant technique. To optimize the function of HIF-1α on inducing stem cells, another constitutively active form of HIF-1α (CA5) was constructed with truncation mutant method and its therapeutic potential on critical-sized bone defects was evaluated with calcium-magnesium phosphate cement (CMPC) scaffold in a... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329456 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:25:23 +0100 5329456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5329455&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21978890%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weber B, Schoenauer R, Papadopulos F, Modregger P, Peter S, Stampanoni M, Mauri A, Mazza E, Gorelik J, Agarkova I, Frese L, Breymann C, Kretschmar O, Hoerstrup SP Abstract Interventional closure of intracardiac wall defects using occluder devices has evolved as a highly attractive treatment option. However, incomplete and delayed healing reactions often result in a major risk of residual defects, thromboembolism, or device fractures. Biodegradable living tissue engineered occluder membranes (TEOMs) could provide autologous thromboresistant implants with growth and remodeling capacities. PGA-P4HB composite matrices were seeded with human umbilical cord-derived cells or vascular-derived control cells and exposed to static (n = 19) or dynamic (n = 13) conditioning. Harves... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5329455 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:25:13 +0100 5329455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281536&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21864895%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we have developed a procedure to coat thermally hydrocarbonized-PSi microparticles with hydrophobin II (HFBII) in order to modify the particles' hydrophobicity and to improve their biocompatibility, while maintaining intact the advantageous drug releasing properties of the PSi. The HFBII content adsorbed onto the particles was successfully quantified by a protein assay. Drug dissolution and permeation across Caco-2 cell monolayers were also conducted, together with viability studies in AGS, Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. The characterization and coating stability assessment showed that the HFBII-coating desorbs partially from the particles' surface as the pH increases. The HFBII coating also improved the biocompatibility of the particles without compromising the enhanced drug perme... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281536 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:41:33 +0100 5281536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281535&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21864897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li N, Niu LN, Qi YP, Yiu CK, Ryou H, Arola DD, Chen JH, Pashley DH, Tay FR Abstract Biocalcification of collagen matrices with calcium phosphate and biosilicification of diatom frustules with amorphous silica are two discrete processes that have intrigued biologists and materials scientists for decades. Recent advancements in the understanding of the mechanisms involved in these two biomineralisation processes have resulted in the use of biomimetic strategies to replicate these processes separately using polyanionic, polycationic or zwitterionic analogues of extracellular matrix proteins to stabilise amorphous mineral precursor phases. To date, there is a lack of a universal model that enables the subtleties of these two apparently dissimilar biomineralisation processes to... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281535 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:41:23 +0100 5281535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281534&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21864898%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Takahashi H, Nakayama M, Shimizu T, Yamato M, Okano T Abstract Normal human dermal fibroblasts were aligned on micropatterned thermoresponsive surfaces simply by one-pot cell seeding. After they proliferated with maintaining their orientation, anisotropic cell sheets were harvested by reducing temperature to 20 °C. Surprisingly, the cell sheets showed different shrinking rates between vertical and parallel sides of the cell alignment (aspect ratio: approx. 3: 1), because actin fibers in the cell sheets were oriented with the same direction. The control of cell alignment provided not only a physical anisotropy but also biological impacts to the cell sheet. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secreted by aligned fibroblasts was increased significantly, whereas transf... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281534 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:41:12 +0100 5281534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281533&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21864900%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Iijima M, Matsuzaki T, Yoshimoto N, Niimi T, Tanizawa K, Kuroda S Abstract Simultaneous detection of multiple antigens by conventional immunological methods has been limited by the source of primary antibodies. Each antibody should be derived from a different host species (or subclass of immunoglobulin (Ig)) for suppressing the cross-reactions of secondary antibodies. Here we describe an innovative method for simultaneous, rapid, and sensitive detection of multiple antigens using ∼30-nm bio-nanocapsules (BNCs) displaying IgG Fc-binding Z domains derived from Staphylococcus aureus protein A (ZZ-BNC). When Cy2-labeled ZZ-BNC (Cy2-ZZ-BNC) was used instead of Cy2-labeled secondary antibody in western blot analysis, both sensitivity and signal intensity were significantly inc... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281533 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:41:02 +0100 5281533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281532&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21864903%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li Y, Li X, Wong YS, Chen T, Zhang H, Liu C, Zheng W Abstract Although cisplatin is still one of the most effective chemotherapy agents for human cancers, its clinical use is limited by serious side effects, especially nephrotoxicity. Oxidative stress is an important mediator of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. In the present study, a simple method for functionalization of selenium nanoparticles by self-assembly of 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (Se@MUN) to achieve enhanced antioxidant activity and antagonis against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity has been demonstrated. The chemical structure of the nanoparticles was characterized by various microscopic and spectroscopic methods. The results revealed that the spherical nanoparticles were capped with MUN on the surface through f... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281532 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:53 +0100 5281532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281531&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21868088%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: De Temmerman ML, Dewitte H, Vandenbroucke RE, Lucas B, Libert C, Demeester J, De Smedt SC, Lentacker I, Rejman J Abstract In cancer immunotherapy the immune system should be triggered to specifically recognize and eliminate tumor cells in the patient's body. This could be achieved by loading dendritic cells (DCs) with tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). This can be achieved by transfecting DCs with messenger RNA encoding a tumor-associated antigen. Here we demonstrate transient transfection of dendritic cells by means of mRNA-lipoplexes bound to microbubbles. Microbubble-attached lipoplexes were introduced into the cells by applying ultrasound. Our data demonstrate that ultrasound-mediated delivery of mRNA-complexes led to efficient transfection of DCs. When mRNA encoding lu... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281531 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:44 +0100 5281531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281530&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21868090%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Altmann B, Steinberg T, Giselbrecht S, Gottwald E, Tomakidi P, Bächle-Haas M, Kohal RJ Abstract Due to the architecture of solid body tissues including bone, three-dimensional (3D) in vitro microenvironments appear favorable, since herein cell growth proceeds under more physiological conditions compared to conventional 2D systems. In the present study we show that a 3D microenvironment comprising a fibronectin-coated PMMA/PC-based micro-chip promotes differentiation of primary human osteoblasts as reflected by the densely-packed 3D bone cell aggregates and expression of biomarkers indicating osteoblast differentiation. Morphogenesis and fluorescence dye-based live/dead staining revealed homogenous cell coverage of the microcavities of the chip array, whereat cells showed... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281530 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:34 +0100 5281530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281529&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21871658%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we developed liver organotypic co-culture systems by using synthetic and biodegradable membranes with primary human hepatocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Synthetic membranes prepared by a polymeric blend constituted of modified polyetheretherketone (PEEK-WC) and polyurethane (PU) and biodegradable chitosan membranes were developed by phase inversion technique and used in homotypic and organotypic culture systems. The morphological and functional characteristics of cells in the organotypic co-culture membrane systems were evaluated in comparison with homotypic cultures and traditional systems. Hepatocytes in the organotypic co-culture systems exhibit compact polyhedral cells with round nuclei and well demarcated cell-cell borders like in vivo, as a r... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281529 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:25 +0100 5281529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281528&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21871661%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, it was shown that PLGA microspheres have a strong capacity to induce fast degradation of injectable CPC and concomitant replacement by bone tissue by controlled release of acid polymeric degradation products without compromising the excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity of the CPC matrix. PMID: 21871661 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281528 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:16 +0100 5281528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281527&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872323%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gosso S, Gavello D, Giachello CN, Franchino C, Carbone E, Carabelli V Abstract Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) possess an enormous potential of applications in nanomedicine, drug delivery and bioimaging which derives from their unique photoemission and photostability characteristics. In spite of this, however, their interactions with biological systems and impact on human health are still largely unknown. Here we used neurosecretory mouse chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland for testing the effects of CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (5-36 nM) on Ca(2+) channels functionality and Ca(2+)-dependent neurosecretion. Prolonged exposure (24 h) to commonly used concentrations of CdSe-ZnS QDs (≥16 nM) showed that the semiconductor nanocrystal is effectively inte... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281527 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:40:06 +0100 5281527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281526&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872324%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fitzpatrick LE, Chan JW, Sefton MV Abstract Identifying the critical molecules associated with "biocompatibility" is a grand challenge. Poly(methacrylic acid -co- methyl methacrylate) (MAA) beads improve wound closure and wound vascularity in vivo, but the mechanism of this phenomenon is unknown. We used quantitative real-time PCR to identify the subtle changes in the expression of a small selection of molecules involved in wound healing and angiogenesis in a macrophage-like cell (dTHP-1) treated with the MAA beads (45 mol% methacrylic acid). MAA beads decreased the expression of osteopontin (OPN) compared to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and untreated cells, and increased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α over the 24-96 h of the experiment. Interestingly, mo... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281526 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:56 +0100 5281526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281525&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872325%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pei J, Hall H, Spencer ND Abstract Surface-density gradients of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were fabricated, in order to carry out a systematic study of the influence of PEG chain density on protein adsorption and cell-adhesion behavior, as well as the correlation between them. Gradients with a linear change in coverage of the polycationic polymer Poly(l-lysine)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) were prepared on titanium dioxide surfaces by a controlled dipping process and characterized by variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and fluorescence microscopy. The adsorption behavior of single proteins (fibrinogen and albumin) generally correlated with semiempirical geometric models, illustrating the effect of the PEG-chain surface distribution on the inhibition of protei... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281525 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:46 +0100 5281525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281524&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872326%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hu X, Park SH, Gil ES, Xia XX, Weiss AS, Kaplan DL Abstract The interactions of C2C12 myoblasts and human bone marrow stem cells (hMSCs) with silk-tropoelastin biomaterials, and the capacity of each to promote attachment, proliferation, and either myogenic- or osteogenic-differentiation were investigated. Temperature-controlled water vapor annealing was used to control beta-sheet crystal formation to generate insoluble silk-tropoelastin biomaterial matrices at defined ratios of the two proteins. These ratios controlled surface roughness and micro/nano-scale topological patterns, and elastic modulus, stiffness, yield stress, and tensile strength. A combination of low surface roughness and high stiffness in the silk-tropoelastin materials promoted proliferation and myogenic-... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281524 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:36 +0100 5281524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281523&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872328%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee JS, Groothuis T, Cusan C, Mink D, Feijen J Abstract Polymersomes (Ps) based on a biodegradable and biocompatible block copolymer of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) and poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) in which apeptide sequence, Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly-Phe (GFLGF), was introduced in between the two blocks(mPEG-pep-PDLLA) were developed. The peptide linker is cleavable by the lysosomal enzymecathepsin B (Cath B). Ps containing the peptide linker (Ps(pep)) with an average diameter of about 124 nm were prepared by injecting a THF solution of the block copolymer into DI water. The Ps had a membrane thickness of about 15 nm as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In order to investigate the enzymatic degradation of the Ps (pep), dynamic light scattering (DLS) measu... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281523 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:25 +0100 5281523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281522&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872923%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Oo ZY, Deng R, Hu M, Ni M, Kandasamy K, Bin Ibrahim MS, Ying JY, Zink D Abstract Bioartificial kidneys (BAKs) containing human primary renal proximal tubule cells (HPTCs) have been applied in clinical trials. The results were encouraging, but also showed that more research is required. Animal cells or cell lines are not suitable for clinical applications, but have been mainly used in studies on BAK development as large numbers of such cells could be easily obtained. It is difficult to predict HPTC performance based on data obtained with other cell types. To enable more extensive studies on HPTCs, we have developed a bioreactor containing single hollow fiber membranes that requires relatively small amounts of cells. Special hollow fiber membranes with the skin layer on the ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281522 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:15 +0100 5281522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281521&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872924%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hua MY, Yang HW, Liu HL, Tsai RY, Pang ST, Chuang KL, Chang YS, Hwang TL, Chang YH, Chuang HC, Chuang CK Abstract The aim of this study describes the creation of superhigh-magnetization nanocarriers (SHMNCs) comprised of a magnetic Fe(3)O(4) (SHMNPs) core and a shell of aqueous stable self-doped poly[N-(1-one-butyric acid)]aniline (SPAnH), which have a high drug loading capacity (∼27.1 wt%) of doxorubicin (DOX). The SHMNCs display superparamagnetic property with a magnetization of 89.7 emu/g greater than that of Resovist (a commercial contrast agent used for magnetic resonance imaging; 73.7 emu/g). Conjugating the anticancer drug DOX to these nanocarriers enhances the drug's thermal stability and maximizes the efficiency with which it is delivered by magnetic targeting... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281521 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:39:05 +0100 5281521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281520&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21872925%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schubert T, Xhema D, Vériter S, Schubert M, Behets C, Delloye C, Gianello P, Dufrane D Abstract Adipose tissue was only recently considered as a potential source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for bone tissue engineering. To improve the osteogenicity of acellular bone allografts, adipose MSCs (AMSCs) and bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) at nondifferentiated and osteogenic-differentiated stages were investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments demonstrated a superiority of AMSCs for proliferation (6.1±2.3 days vs. 9.0±1.9 days between each passage for BM-MSCs, respectively, P<0.001). A significantly higher T-cell depletion (revealed by mixed lymphocyte reaction, [MLR]) was found for AMSCs (vs. BM-MSCs) at both non- and differentiated stages. Although nondiff... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281520 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:54 +0100 5281520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281519&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21875748%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chen F, Huang P, Zhu YJ, Wu J, Zhang CL, Cui DX Abstract The design and synthesis of multifunctional systems with high biocompatibility are very significant for the future of clinical applications. Herein, we report a microwave-assisted rapid synthesis of multifunctional Eu(3+)/Gd(3+) dual-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods, and the photoluminescence (PL), drug delivery and in vivo imaging of as-prepared Eu(3+)/Gd(3+) doped HAp nanorods. The photoluminescent and magnetic multifunctions of HAp nanorods are realized by the dual-doping with Eu(3+) and Gd(3+). The PL intensity of doped HAp nanorods can be adjusted by varying Eu(3+) and Gd(3+) concentrations. The magnetization of doped HAp nanorods increases with the concentration of doped Gd(3+). The as-prepared Eu(3+)/Gd(3+... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281519 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:43 +0100 5281519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281518&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21875749%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we analyzed the effect of aECM on initial adhesion, proliferation, ECM synthesis and differentiation of human dermal fibroblasts (dFb) within 8-48 h. We show that initial adhesion and cell proliferation of dFb progressively increased in a sulfate dependent manner. In contrast, synthesis of ECM components coll and HA was decreased on high-sulfated aECM coll/HA3.0 and coll/CS3.1. Furthermore, the matrix metallo-proteinase-1 (MMP-1) was down-regulated on coll/HA3.0 and coll/CS3.1 on mRNA and protein level. The fibroblast differentiation marker α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) is not affected by aECM on mRNA level. Artificial ECM consisting of coll and high-sulfated GAGs proves to be a suitable biomaterial for dFb adhesion and proliferation that induces a "proliferative phenotype"... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281518 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:33 +0100 5281518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281517&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21880361%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Keem JO, Lee IH, Kim SY, Jung Y, Chung BH Abstract We introduce the strategic development of self-assembling peptide/protein fragments based on the far-red fluorescent protein mPlum. The first beta strand (mPlum 1, 18 amino acids) of mPlum was engineered to spontaneously bind with the rest of the protein (mPlum 2-11, next 10 beta strands) and to form a native chromophore. The target beta strand mPlum 1 was separated from mPlum 2-11 and linked via a flexible peptide linker, resulting in fluorescently inactive circularly permuted mPlum protein (CpmPlum). In vitro evolution of this CpmPlum to a fluorescently active form and the subsequent splitting of the engineered mPlum 1 peptide afforded self-assembling mPlum fragments. Recombinantly expressed and synthetically prepared b... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281517 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:23 +0100 5281517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281516&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21880362%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Caliari SR, Ramirez MA, Harley BA Abstract Current tissue engineering approaches for tendon defects require improved biomaterials to balance microstructural and mechanical design criteria. Collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds have shown considerable success as in vivo regenerative templates and in vitro constructs to study cell behavior. While these scaffolds possess many advantageous qualities, their mechanical properties are typically orders of magnitude lower than orthopedic tissues such as tendon. Taking inspiration from mechanically efficient core-shell composites in nature such as plant stems and porcupine quills, we have created core-shell CG composites that display high bioactivity and improved mechanical integrity. These composites feature integration of a ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281516 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:13 +0100 5281516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281515&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21880365%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhou JC, Yang ZL, Dong W, Tang RJ, Sun LD, Yan CH Abstract In vitro or in vivo bioimaging utilizing the upconversion (UC) luminescence of rare earth fluoride nanocrystals (NCs) has attracted much attention, especially for Yb(3+)/Tm(3+) doped NCs with a near-infrared (NIR) UC emission at 800 nm. Herein, water-soluble NaYF(4):Yb,Tm NCs with strong NIR UC emission were synthesized with a solvothermal method. In vitro and in vivo bioimaging and toxicity assessments were carried out with HeLa cell and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) cases, respectively. NaYF(4):Yb,Tm NCs afforded an efficient NIR image of the HeLa cells with an incubation concentration of 10 μg mL(-1), and CCK-8 assay revealed a low cytotoxicity. Fed with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and NCs togeth... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281515 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:38:05 +0100 5281515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281514&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21885114%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Barth HD, Zimmermann EA, Schaible E, Tang SY, Alliston T, Ritchie RO Abstract Bone comprises a complex structure of primarily collagen, hydroxyapatite and water, where each hierarchical structural level contributes to its strength, ductility and toughness. These properties, however, are degraded by irradiation, arising from medical therapy or bone-allograft sterilization. We provide here a mechanistic framework for how irradiation affects the nature and properties of human cortical bone over a range of characteristic (nano to macro) length-scales, following x-ray exposures up to 630 kGy. Macroscopically, bone strength, ductility and fracture resistance are seen to be progressively degraded with increasing irradiation levels. At the micron-scale, fracture properties, evalu... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281514 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:55 +0100 5281514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281513&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21885116%26dopt%3DAbstract This study presents a 3-D computational model that can be employed in designing and optimizing cell seeding techniques and corresponding technology. PMID: 21885116 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281513 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:45 +0100 5281513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281512&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21885117%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the cytoarchitectural polarization of dissociated hippocampal pyramidal neurons on guidance cues designed to promote rapid outgrowth of neurites onto continuous line features and delayed neurite outgrowth onto interrupted line features. An optimum distance of approximately 5 μm between the cell body attachment node and the first interrupted line guidance cue led to specific cytoarchitectural polarization of ≥60% of neurons by 3 days of culture in vitro. PMID: 21885117 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281512 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:35 +0100 5281512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281511&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21885121%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we developed self-assembled peptide nanofibers that mimic the native endothelium extracellular matrix and that are securely immobilized on stainless steel surface through mussel-inspired adhesion mechanism. We synthesized Dopa-conjugated peptide amphiphile and REDV-conjugated peptide amphiphile that are self-assembled at physiological pH. We report that Dopa conjugation enabled nanofiber coating on stainless steel surface, which is the most widely used backbone of the current stents. REDV functionalization provided selective growth of endothelial cells on the stainless steel surface. Our results revealed that adhesion, spreading, viability and proliferation rate of vascular endothelial cells are remarkably enhanced on peptide nanofiber coated stainless steel surface compared... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281511 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:25 +0100 5281511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281510&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21889204%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li S, Wang H, Qi Y, Tu J, Bai Y, Tian T, Huang N, Wang Y, Xiong F, Lu Z, Xiao Z Abstract The cytotoxicity of nanomaterials has become a major concern in the field of nanotechnology. The key challenge is the lack of reliable methods to examine the overall cellular effects of nanomaterials. Here, a new method is developed to assess the cytological effects of nanomaterial basing on miRNA expression profiling. The SOLiD sequencing is used to acquire the miRNAs expression profiling in NIH/3T3 cells after exposure to Fe(2)O(3) NPs, CdTe QDs and MW-CNTs, respectively. The systematic analysis of miRNAs expression profiling is established by taking account of all miRNAs into their regulatory networks. By affecting the output of targeted mRNAs, miRNAs widely regulated the KEGG pathw... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281510 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:15 +0100 5281510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281509&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21889206%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yang J, Liu W, Sui M, Tang J, Shen Y Abstract Platinum (IV)-coordinate polymers were synthesized by condensation polymerization using diamminedichlorodihydroxyplatinum (DHP) or its dicarboxyl derivative diamminedichlorodisuccinatoplatinum (DSP) as comonomers. Cyclic voltammogram study showed that Pt (IV) in the polymers was much easier reduced to Pt (II), particularly at the acidic pH, than that in the monomer DSP. Thus, these polymers were intracellular reduction-responsive backbone-type polymer conjugates that could be degraded and release Pt (II). These conjugates not only had high and fixed platinum contents (27.7% for P(DSP-EDA) and 29.6% for P(DSP-PA), respectively), but also showed increased cytotoxicity compared with corresponding Pt (IV) monomer DSP toward various... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281509 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:37:05 +0100 5281509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281508&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21889796%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated the effect of hybridizing DC with osteoinductive nano-sized bioactive glass (nBG) particles in order to potentially produce readily implantable, and mineralizable, cell seeded hydrogel scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Due to the high surface area of nBG and increased reactivity, calcium phosphate formation was immediately detected within as processed DC-nGB hybrid gel scaffolds. By day 3 in simulated body fluid, accelerated mineralization was confirmed through the homogeneous growth of carbonated hydroxylapatite on the nanofibrillar collagen framework. At day 7, there was a 13 fold increase in the hybrid gel scaffold compressive modulus. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts, three-dimensionally seeded at the point of nanocomposite self-assembly, were viable up to day 28 i... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281508 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:55 +0100 5281508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281507&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21890194%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Naeye B, Deschout H, Röding M, Rudemo M, Delanghe J, Devreese K, Demeester J, Braeckmans K, De Smedt SC, Raemdonck K Abstract Although the behavior of nanoscopic delivery systems in blood is an important parameter when contemplating their intravenous injection, this aspect is often poorly investigated when advancing from in vitro to in vivo experiments. In this paper, the behavior of siRNA loaded dextran nanogels in human plasma and blood is examined using fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy, platelet aggregometry, flow cytometry and single particle tracking. Our results show that, in contrast to their negatively charged counterparts, positively charged siRNA loaded dextran nanogels cause platelet aggregation and show increased binding to human blood cells. Although P... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281507 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:45 +0100 5281507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281506&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21890195%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Peng CH, Cherng JY, Chiou GY, Chen YC, Chien CH, Kao CL, Chang YL, Chien Y, Chen LK, Liu JH, Chen SJ, Chiou SH Abstract Cationic polyurethane, a biodegradable non-viral vector, protects DNA from nuclease degradation and helps to deliver genes efficiently. Oct4, a POU-domain transcription factor, is highly expressed in maintaining pluripotency and cellular reprogramming process in stem cells. SirT1, a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase, is an essential mediator of cellular longevity. Herein we demonstrated that both Oct4 and SirT1 (Oct4/SirT1) expression was decreased in an age-dependent manner in retina with aged-related macular degeneration and retinal pigment epithelium cells (RPEs). To investigate the possible rescuing role of Oct4/SirT1, polyurethane-short branch polyet... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281506 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:35 +0100 5281506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281505&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21890198%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu Z, Zheng M, Meng F, Zhong Z Abstract Reversibly hydrophobilized 10 kDa polyethylenimine (PEI) based on rapidly acid-degradable acetal-containing hydrophobe was designed for nontoxic and highly efficient non-viral gene transfer. Water soluble PEI derivatives with average 5, 9 and 14 units of pH-sensitive 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzylidene-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane (TMB-THME) hydrophobe per molecule, denoted as PEI-g-(TMB-THME)(n), were readily obtained by treating 10 kDa PEI with varying amounts of TMB-THME-nitrophenyl chloroformate. Gel retardation assays showed that all PEI-g-(TMB-THME)(n) derivatives could effectively condense DNA at an N/P ratio of 5/1. Notably, polyplexes of PEI-g-(TMB-THME)(n) derivatives had smaller sizes (about 100∼170 nm) and higher surface charg... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281505 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:25 +0100 5281505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281504&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21899881%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Evans MD, Chaouk H, Wilkie JS, Dalton BA, Taylor S, Xie RZ, Hughes TC, Johnson G, McFarland GA, Griesser HH, Steele JG, Meijs GF, Sweeney DF, McLean KM Abstract Design principles for corneal implants are challenging and include permeability which inherently involves pore openings on the polymer surface. These topographical cues can be significant to a successful clinical outcome where a stratified epithelium is needed over the device surface, such as with a corneal onlay or corneal repair material. The impact of polymer surface topography on the growth and adhesion of corneal epithelial tissue was assessed using porous perfluoropolyether membranes with a range of surface topography. Surfaces were characterised by AFM and XPS, and the permeability and water content of membr... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281504 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:15 +0100 5281504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281503&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21903257%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Behlau I, Mukherjee K, Todani A, Tisdale AS, Cade F, Wang L, Leonard EM, Zakka FR, Gilmore MS, Jakobiec FA, Dohlman CH, Klibanov AM Abstract The biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of N,N-hexyl,methyl-polyethylenimine (HMPEI) covalently attached to the Boston Keratoprosthesis (B-KPro) materials was evaluated. By means of confocal and electron microscopies, we observed that HMPEI-derivatized materials exert an inhibitory effect on biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates, as compared to the parent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and titanium. There was no additional corneal epithelial cell cytotoxicity of HMPEI-coated PMMA compared to that of control PMMA in tissue cultures in vitro. Likewise, no toxicity or adverse reactivity was detected wi... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281503 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:36:04 +0100 5281503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281502&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21903262%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim IL, Mauck RL, Burdick JA Abstract Hyaline cartilage serves as a low-friction and wear-resistant articulating surface in load-bearing, diarthrodial joints. Unfortunately, as the avascular, alymphatic nature of cartilage significantly impedes the body's natural ability to regenerate, damage resulting from trauma and osteoarthritis necessitates repair attempts. Current clinical methods are generally limited in their ability to regenerate functional cartilage, and so research in recent years has focused on tissue engineering solutions in which the regeneration of cartilage is pursued through combinations of cells (e.g., chondrocytes or stem cells) paired with scaffolds (e.g., hydrogels, sponges, and meshes) in conjunction with stimulatory growth factors and bioreactors. A ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281502 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:54 +0100 5281502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281501&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21906803%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wiradharma N, Khan M, Yong LK, Hauser CA, Seow SV, Zhang S, Yang YY Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have been proposed as blueprints for the development of new antimicrobial agents for the treatment of drug resistant infections. A series of synthetic AMPs capable of forming α-helical structures and containing free-sulfhydryl groups are designed in this study ((LLKK)(2)C, C(LLKK)(2)C, (LLKK)(3)C, C(LLKK)(3)C). In particular, the AMP with 2 cysteine residues at the terminal ends of the peptide and 2 repeat units of LLKK, i.e., C(LLKK)(2)C, has been demonstrated to have high selectivity towards a wide range of microbes from Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, and yeast Candida albicans over red blood cells. At the MI... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281501 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:45 +0100 5281501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281500&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21906805%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Talukdar S, Nguyen QT, Chen AC, Sah RL, Kundu SC Abstract The repair of articular cartilage defects poses a continuing challenge. Cartilage tissue engineering through the culture of chondrocytes seeded in 3D porous scaffolds has the potential for generating constructs that repair successfully. It also provides a platform to study scaffold-cell and cell-cell interactions. The scaffold affects the growth and morphology of cells growing on it, and concomitantly, cells affect the properties of the resultant tissue construct. Silk fibroin protein from Antheraea mylitta, a non-mulberry Indian tropical tasar silkworm, is a potential biomaterial for diverse applications due to its widespread versatility as a mechanically robust, biocompatible, tissue engineering material. Analysis... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281500 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:34 +0100 5281500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281499&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21911253%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated whether polymeric scaffolds that direct cultured myoblasts to migrate outwards and repopulate the host damaged tissue, in concert with release of angiogenic factors designed to enhance revascularizaton of the regenerating tissue, would enhance the efficacy of this cell therapy and lead to functional muscle regeneration. This was investigated in the context of a severe injury to skeletal muscle tissue involving both myotoxin-mediated direct damage and induction of regional ischemia. Local and sustained release of VEGF and IGF-1 from macroporous scaffolds used to transplant and disperse cultured myogenic cells significantly enhanced their engraftment, limited fibrosis, and accelerated the regenerative process. This resulted in increased muscle mass and, improved contr... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281499 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:24 +0100 5281499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5281498&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21911256%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee S, Kim J, Park TJ, Shin Y, Lee SY, Han YM, Kang S, Park HS Abstract The physical factors of cell-culture environment have received little attention despite their anticipated significant role in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) culture optimization. Here we show that hESC culture conditions can be optimized by utilizing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membranes whose defined pore densities (PDs) determine membrane surface hardness. The PET membranes with 1-4 × 10(6) pores/cm(2) (0.291-0.345 GPa) supported the adherence and survival of hESCs without matrix coating. Furthermore, PET membrane with 4 × 10(6) pores/cm(2) (0.345 GPa) supported optimal hESC self renewal as well as by the increase in cell proliferation. The expression level and activity of Rho-associ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5281498 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:35:14 +0100 5281498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141674&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21820172%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McNamara LE, Sjöström T, Burgess KE, Kim JJ, Liu E, Gordonov S, Moghe PV, Meek RM, Oreffo RO, Su B, Dalby MJ Abstract Functionalisation of the surface of orthopaedic implants with nanotopographies that could stimulate in situ osteogenic differentiation of the patient's stem or osteoprogenitor cells would have significant therapeutic potential. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) responses to titanium substrates patterned with nanopillar structures were investigated in this study. Focal adhesions were quantified in S-phase cells, the bone-related transcription factor Runx2 was examined, osteocalcin production was noted, and Haralick computational analysis was used to assess the relatedness of the cell responses to each of the titanium substrata based on cytoskeletal textural feat... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141674 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:42:07 +0100 5141674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4912883&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21612821%26dopt%3DAbstract This report shows the ability to promote angiogenesis in tissue engineered constructs using a covalently-bound small peptide rather than a large protein and may point to an advance in designing biomimetic cellular environments. PMID: 21612821 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4912883 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:30:22 +0100 4912883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4912882&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21612822%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we developed a new class of multimodal nanoplatform for dual single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and near-infrared fluorescence imaging of EphB4. EphB4-binding peptide TNYL-FSPNGPIARAW (TNYL-RAW) was conjugated to polyethylene glycol-coated, core-crosslinked polymeric micelles (CCPM) dually labeled with near-infrared fluorescence fluorophores (Cy7) and a radioisotope (indium 111). In vitro, TNYL-RAW-CCPM selectively bound to EphB4-positive PC-3M prostate cancer cells, but not to EphB4-negative A549 lung cancer cells. In vivo, PC-3M tumors were clearly visualized by both SPECT and near-infrared fluorescence tomography after intravenous administration of (111)In-labeled TNYL-RAW-CCPM. In contrast, there was little signal in A549 tumors of mice injected with (111... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4912882 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:30:18 +0100 4912882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4912881&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21616530%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of collagen matrix to enhance platelet-rich plasma (PRP) effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced arthritic model. We have previously demonstrated the highly regenerative roles of PRP to restore disc degeneration and osteoporosis. In this study, PRP modulated by collagen matrix was used as a regenerative and anti-inflammatory mediator to rescue the chondrocyte degeneration induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β (10 ng/ml)+TNF-α (20 ng/ml). First, the MTT result indicated that 1 ng/ml TGF-β1 in PRP showed an optimal dosage for chondrocytes proliferation. The chondrogenic-specific gene expressions were rescued by PRP from the inhibition of IL-1β+TNF-α, especially under the modulation of collagen matrix. The inflammatory molecule... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4912881 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:30:14 +0100 4912881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866138&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21561660%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yim H, Yang SG, Jeon YS, Park IS, Kim M, Lee DH, Bae YH, Na K The magnetic resonance (MR) functionalities of pullulan-conjugated gadolinium diethylene triamine pentaacetate (Gd-DTPA-Pullulan) as a new hepatocyte-specific contrast agent were evaluated. Pullulan, which specifically accumulates on hepatocytes via asialoglycoprotein receptors, was chemically linked with Gd-DTPA. Gd-DTPA-Pullulan displayed three times greater contrast enhancement than Gd-DTPA-BMA (Omniscan(®)) in delayed MR imaging (MRI) on orthotopic rat hepatocarcinoma (HCC). This contrast effect lasted up to 24h. In particular, Gd-DTPA-Pullulan displayed a discriminative MR contrast on the regenerative and malignant hepatic nodules sequentially observed during the progress of cirrhotic HCC. Approximately 50% of... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866138 Fri, 27 May 2011 09:32:23 +0100 4866138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866137&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21565400%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim HY, Kim S, Youn H, Chung JK, Shin DH, Lee K We show here, that the proapoptotic peptide, KLAKLAKKLAKLAK (KLA), which by itself does not penetrate cell membranes, can do so when fused to a protein transduction domain derived from NH(2)-terminus of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP-PTD, MIIYRDLISH). Once inside the cell, the conjugated KLA exerts its proapoptotic activity to inhibit tumor growth. We evaluated the cellular uptake of KLA fused to TCTP-PTD (hereafter called TCTP-KLA) and its effect on cancer cell viability. The IC(50) of TCTP-KLA was between 7 and 10 μmol/L. We also evaluated its anti-tumor activity in vivo by injecting it into xenografts of lung carcinoma in Balb/c nude mice. Tumor growth inhibition resulting from treatment with TCTP-KLA was be... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866137 Fri, 27 May 2011 09:32:19 +0100 4866137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866107&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21609850%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lewitus DY, Smith KL, Shain W, Bolikal D, Kohn J We have recently reported on an ultrafast degrading tyrosine-derived terpolymer that degrades and resorbs within hours, and is suitable for use in cortical neural prosthetic applications. Here we further characterize this polymer, and describe a new tyrosine-derived fast degrading terpolymer in which the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is replaced by poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC). This PTMC containing terpolymer showed similar degradation characteristics but its resorption was negligible in the same period. Thus, changes in the polymer chemistry allowed for the development of two ultrafast degrading polymers with distinct difference in resorption properties. The in vivo tissue response to both polymers used as intraparenchyma... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866107 Sat, 21 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866116&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601920%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Su Y, Peng F, Jiang Z, Zhong Y, Lu Y, Jiang X, Huang Q, Fan C, Lee ST, He Y Fluorescent Ⅱ-Ⅳ Quantum dots (QDs) have demonstrated to be highly promising biological probes for various biological and biomedical applications due to their many attractive merits, such as robust photostabilty, strong photoluminescence, and size-tunable fluorescence. Along with wide ranging bioapplications, concerns about their biosafety have attracted increasingly intensive attentions. In comparison to full investigation of in vitro toxicity, there has been only scanty information regarding in vivo toxicity of the QDs. Particularly, while in vivo toxicity of organic synthesized QDs (orQDs) have been investigated recently, there exist no comprehensive studies concerning in vivo behavior of aqu... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866116 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866114&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605896%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhao H, Dong W, Zheng Y, Liu A, Yao J, Li C, Tang W, Chen B, Wang G, Shi Z Hydroxyapatite-modified titanate nanowire scaffolds as alternative materials for tissue engineering have been developed via a titanate nanowire matrix assisted electrochemical deposition method. The macroporous titanate nanowire matrix on Ti metal was fabricated by a hydrothermal method, and then followed by an electrochemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on titanate nanowire. The incorporation of titanate nanowire matrix with high oriented hydroxyapatite nanoparticles generates hierarchical scaffolds with highly osteogenic, structural integrity and excellent mechanical performance. As-prepared porous three dimensional interconnected hydroxyapatite-modified titanate nanowire scaffolds, mimi... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866114 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866113&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605897%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Güven S, Mehrkens A, Saxer F, Schaefer DJ, Martinetti R, Martin I, Scherberich A We investigated whether the maintenance in culture of endothelial and mesenchymal progenitors from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of human adipose tissue supports the formation of vascular structures in vitro and thereby improves the efficiency and uniformity of bone tissue formation in vivo within critically sized scaffolds. Freshly-isolated human SVF cells were seeded and cultured into hydroxyapatite scaffolds (1 cm-diameter, 1 cm-thickness) using a perfusion-based bioreactor system, which resulted in maintenance of CD34(+)/CD31(+) endothelial lineage cells. Monolayer-expanded isogenic adipose stromal cells (ASC) and age-matched bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC), both lacking vasculogen... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866113 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866112&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605898%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe herein an approach for systemic siRNA delivery to tumors by combining the MEND system with shGALA, a fusogenic peptide. In cultured cell experiments, shGALA-modification enhanced the endosomal escape of siRNA encapsulated in a polyethylene glycol modified MEND (PEG-MEND), resulting in an 82% knockdown of the target gene. In vivo systemic administration clarified that the shGALA-modified MEND (shGALA-MEND) showed 58% gene silencing in tumor tissues at a dose of 4 mg of siRNA/kg body weight. In addition, a significant inhibition of tumor growth was observed only for the shGALA-MEND and no somatic or hepatic toxicity was observed. Given the above data, this peptide-modified delivery system, a shGALA-MEND has great potential for the systemic delivery of therapeutic siRNA aimed at... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866112 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866111&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605899%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the in vivo effectiveness of a 5 min treatment with actinomycin D and/or cycloheximid to prevent the development of capsular opacification after filling the capsular bag with a silicone polymer as an accommodating lens was studied. It was found that treating the inside of the capsular bag with a solution containing actinomycin D reduced the development of visible capsular opacification for three months. In some animals, the lens capsules were completely clear, indicating the potential of this method. Side effects of the treatment in the form of visible cornea opacification occurred and ranged from mild to severe in some animals, while in other animals no toxicity occurred. This indicates that a safe application of the cytotoxic substances is feasible. In view of the side e... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866111 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866110&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605900%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, cell sheet transplantation was performed using three kinds of mesenchymal tissue (periodontal ligament, alveolar periosteum, and bone marrow)-derived cells to compare the differences between cell sources in a canine severe defect model (one-wall intrabony defect). Periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs), iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSCs), and alveolar periosteal cells (APCs) were obtained from each dog; a total of four dogs were used. Three-layered cell sheets of each cell source supported with woven polyglycolic acid were autologously transplanted to the denuded root surface. One-wall intrabony defects were filled with a mixture of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and collagen. Eight weeks after the transplantation, periodontal regeneration was significantly o... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866110 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866109&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605901%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Watanabe K, Tsuchiya Y, Kawaguchi Y, Sawada SI, Ayame H, Akiyoshi K, Tsubata T Fusion proteins containing protein transduction domain (PTD) are widely used for intracellular delivery of exogenous proteins. PTD-mediated delivery requires expression of heparan sulfate on the surface of the target cells. However, some of metastatic tumor cells and primary lymphocytes poorly express heparan sulfate. Here we demonstrate that proteins complexed with nanosize hydrogels formed by cationic cholesteryl group-bearing pullulans (cCHP) are efficiently delivered to myeloma cells and primary CD4(+) T lymphocytes probably by induction of macropinocytosis, although these cells are resistant to PTD-mediated protein delivery as a consequence of poor heparan sulfate expression. The anti-apoptotic... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866109 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866108&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21605902%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jayapaul J, Hodenius M, Arns S, Lederle W, Lammers T, Comba P, Kiessling F, Gaetjens J Riboflavin is an essential vitamin for cellular metabolism and is highly upregulated in metabolically active cells. Consequently, targeting the riboflavin carrier protein (RCP) may be a promising strategy for labeling cancer and activated endothelial cells. Therefore, Ultrasmall SuperParamagnetic Iron Oxide nanoparticles (USPIO) were adsorptively coated with the endogenous RCP ligand flavin mononucleotide (FMN), which renders them target-specific and fluorescent. The core diameter, surface morphology and surface coverage of the resulting FMN-coated USPIO (FLUSPIO) were evaluated using a variety of physico-chemical characterization techniques (TEM, DLS, MRI and fluorescence spectroscopy). The... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866108 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866115&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601921%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, a self-assembling peptide hydrogel is demonstrated to be an effective vehicle for the localized delivery of curcumin over sustained periods of time. The curcumin-hydrogel is prepared in-situ where curcumin encapsulation within the hydrogel network is accomplished concurrently with peptide self-assembly. Physical and in vitro biological studies were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin-loaded β-hairpin hydrogels as injectable agents for localized curcumin delivery. Notably, rheological characterization of the curcumin-loaded hydrogel before and after shear flow have indicated solid-like properties even at high curcumin payloads. In vitro experiments with a medulloblastoma cell line confirm that the encapsulation of the curcumin within the hydrogel does not have... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866115 Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866126&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21600646%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Orlova Y, Magome N, Liu L, Chen Y, Agladze K This paper presents an in vitro system for cardiac tissue engineering based on cardiomyocytes cultured on electrospun polymethylglutarimide (PMGI) nanofibrous meshes either imprinted on solid substrate or suspended in space. Special care was taken over the ability to control the tissue architecture. The electrospinning process allowed nano-scale diameter PMGI fibers with different positioning density to be collected in a random or in an aligned way that defines the general configuration of the mesh. Micro-imprinted on solid substrate nanofibers guarantee aligned cell growth, when the distance between them is 30 μm or less. Suspended in 3D space, nanofibers define the overall architecture of the tissue, depending on orientation an... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866126 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866122&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601274%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: White CJ, McBride MK, Pate KM, Tieppo A, Byrne ME Symptoms of contact lenses induced dry eye (CLIDE) are typically treated through application of macromolecular re-wetting agents via eye drops. Therapeutic soft contact lenses can be formulated to alleviate CLIDE symptoms by slowly releasing comfort agent from the lens. In this paper, we present an extended wear silicone hydrogel contact lens with extended, controllable release of 120 kDa hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) using a molecular imprinting strategy. A commercial silicone hydrogel lens was tailored to release approximately 1000 μg of HPMC over a period of up to 60 days in a constant manner at a rate of 16 μg/day under physiological flowrates, releasing over the entire range of continuous wear. Release rates co... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866122 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866121&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601275%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Blit PH, McClung WG, Brash JL, Woodhouse KA, Santerre JP Platelet adhesion and activation are important early markers of biomaterial blood compatibility, while surfaces that promote enhanced endothelial cell adhesion and eNOS expression are strategic targets for long term vascular graft applications. Materials surface modified with fluorinated surface modifiers, containing peptides inspired from elastin cross-linking domains, have been used for the cross-linking of elastin-like polypeptide 4 (ELP4) macromolecules onto polyurethane surfaces. In the present study, ELP4 modified polyurethanes were evaluated in vitro to assess platelet adhesion, microparticle formation and bulk platelet activation following blood-material interactions. Reduced platelet adhesion and bulk platelet ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866121 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866120&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601276%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we cultured human mesenchymal stem cell on patterned thermo-responsive substrates. Cell alignment improved over time up to 2 wk in culture when sheets were ready for harvest. We then used cell sheets as "functional units" to build complex tissue structures that mimic native vascular smooth muscle cell organization in the medial layer of the artery. Cell sheets could be stacked using a gelatin stamp such that individual sheets in the construct were well aligned with each other (mimic of circumferential orientation) or at angles with respect to each other (mimic of herringbone structure). Controlling tissue organization layer-by-layer will be a powerful approach to building tissues with well defined and complex structure. PMID: 21601276 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866120 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866119&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601277%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, silk fibroin/chitosan blended scaffolds were fabricated and studied for cartilage tissue engineering. Silk fibroin served as a substrate for cell adhesion and proliferation while chitosan has a structure similar to that of glycosaminoglycans, and shows promise for cartilage repair. We compared the formation of cartilaginous tissue in silk fibroin/chitosan blended scaffolds seeded with bovine chondrocytes and cultured in vitro for 2 weeks. The constructs were analyzed for cell viability, histology, extracellular matrix components glycosaminoglycan and collagen types I and II, and biomechanical properties. Silk fibroin/chitosan scaffolds supported cell attachment and growth, and chondrogenic phenotype as indicated by Alcian Blue histochemistry and relative expression of type ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866119 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866118&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601278%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Luo X, Weaver CL, Zhou DD, Greenberg R, Cui XT The function and longevity of implantable microelectrodes for chronic neural stimulation depends heavily on the electrode materials, which need to present high charge injection capability and high stability. While conducting polymers have been coated on neural microelectrodes and shown promising properties for chronic stimulation, their practical applications have been limited due to unsatisfying stability. Here, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with pure carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was electrochemically deposited on Pt microelectrodes to evaluate its properties for chronic stimulation. The PEDOT/CNT coated microelectrodes demonstrated much lower impedance than the bare Pt, and the PEDOT/CNT film exhibited excellent stab... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866118 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866117&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21601279%26dopt%3DAbstract We report polymeric nanomicelles doped with organic fluorophores (StCN, (Z)-2,3-bis[4-(N-4-(diphenylamino)styryl)phenyl]-acrylonitrile), which have the property of aggregation-enhanced fluorescence. The fluorescent nanomicelles have two unique features: (1) They give much brighter fluorescence emission than mono-fluorophores. (2) The nanomicelles with amphiphilic copolymers [e.g., phospholipids-PEG (polyethylene glycol)] make the encapsulated fluorophores more stable in various bio-environments and easy for further conjugation with bio-molecules. After chemical and optical characterization, these fluorescent nanomicelles are utilized as efficient optical probes for in vivo sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping of mice. The StCN-encapsulated nanomicelles, as well as their bioconjugates with ar... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866117 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866125&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21600647%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Acharya S, Sahoo SK Chimeric Bcr-Abl oncoprotein is the molecular hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and hence a lucrative target for therapeutic intervention of CML.However, limited efficacy of current first line treatment for CML calls attention for further development of more efficient strategies. Recently, much attention has been given to nanoparticle (NP) based drug delivery systems loaded with dual drugs to improve current disease therapies by overcoming toxicity and other side effects associated with high doses of single drugs. In the present study, we document to explore an approach to simultaneously deliver two drugs at target sites (i.e. Bcr-Abl oncoprotein) using poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles. Preliminary study included screening six diffe... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866125 Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866124&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21600648%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, to drive efficient adipogenic differentiation, the adipogenic transcription factors C/EBP-α and C/EBP-β fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) or red fluorescent protein (RFP) were complexed with poly-ethyleneimine (PEI) coupled with biodegradable PLGA nanospheres and delivered to human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC). FACS analysis revealed that the transfection efficiency of C/EBP-α, C/EBP-β, or both genes complexed with PEI-coated PLGA nanospheres was 12.59%, 21.74%, and 28.96% of hMSCs. Expression and localization of C/EBP-α and C/EBP-β were confirmed by Western blotting and confocal laser microscopy. Overexpression of exogenous C/EBP-α and C/EBP-β significantly elevated adipogenic differentiation processes as indicated by RT-PCR, real-time PCR, Western blotting, ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866124 Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866123&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21600649%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we demonstrate that fibre structure of an engineered matrix suppresses the degradation of Runx2, a master transcription factor that can turn on to osteoblast differentiation. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts grown on a fibrous collagen matrix sustained a higher level of Runx2 protein than those on tissue culture dishes or on a collagenase-treated, non-fibrous collagen matrix. The ubiquitin-dependent degradation of Runx2 was profoundly decreased in cells grown on the fibrous collagen matrix. The forced expression of Smurf1, an ubiquitin ligase responsible for Runx2 degradation, abrogated the collagen fibre-induced increase of Runx2. We also prepared a polystyrene fibre matrix, and confirmed that the fibre matrix stabilised the Runx2 protein in MC3T3-E1. Furthermore, we genetically mo... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866123 Tue, 17 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866129&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21596430%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the feasibility of encapsulating siRNA and transfection reagent (TKO) complexes within nanofibers comprising of a copolymer of caprolactone and ethyl ethylene phosphate (PCLEEP, diameter ∼ 400 nm). Sustained release of bioactive naked siRNA and siRNA/TKO complexes were obtained for at least 28 days. By copolymerizing EEP with caprolactone, siRNA release was significantly enhanced (total siRNA that was released by day 49 was ∼ 89.3-97.2% as compared to previously reported 3% by plain PCL nanofiber delivery). Using GAPDH as the model protein, bioactivity analyses by supernatant transfection revealed the partial retention of bioactivity of naked siRNA and siRNA/TKO complexes for at least 30 days. In particular, GAPDH siRNA/TKO supernatant alone induced si... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866129 Mon, 16 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866128&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21596431%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Aldawsari H, Edrada-Ebel R, Blatchford DR, Tate RJ, Tetley L, Dufès C The possibility of using non-viral gene delivery systems for the treatment of cancer is currently limited by their lower transfection efficacy compared to viral systems. On the basis that amino acids such as arginine, lysine and leucine were involved in enhancing DNA transportation into cells, we hypothesized that the grafting of these amino acids to the highly promising generation 3 diaminobutyric polypropylenimine (DAB) dendrimer would improve its transfection efficacy in cancer cells. In this work we demonstrated that the conjugation of arginine, lysine and leucine to the dendrimer led to an enhanced anti-proliferative activity of the polyplexes, by up to 47-fold for DAB-Lys in T98G cancer cells compared... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866128 Mon, 16 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866127&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21596432%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang W, Shi Y, Chen Y, Hao J, Sha X, Fang X The increasing global incidence of malignant melanoma combined with the poor prognosis and low survival rates of patients necessitates the development of new chemotherapeutic strategies. Thus, the objective of this present study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Pluronic polymeric micelles encapsulating paclitaxel (PTX) in both B16F10 melanoma subcutaneous mice model and pulmonary metastatic mice model. Herein, we developed a PTX-loaded polymeric micelles (PF-PTX) consisting of Pluronic P 123 and F127 block copolymers with small particle size (∼25 nm), high encapsulation efficiency (>90%), good stability in lyophilized form and pH-dependent in vitro release. Furthermore, influence of PF-PTX on in vitro cytotoxic... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866127 Mon, 16 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866134&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21592562%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pearl JI, Ma T, Irani AR, Huang Z, Robinson WH, Smith RL, Goodman SB The inflammatory response to prosthetic implant-derived wear particles is the primary cause of bone loss and aseptic loosening of implants, but the mechanisms by which macrophages recognize and respond to particles remain unknown. Studies of innate immunity demonstrate that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPS). All TLRs signal through myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), except TLR3 which signals through TIR domain containing adapter inducing interferon-beta (TRIF), and TLR4 which signals through both MyD88 and TRIF. We hypothesized that wear-debris particles may act as PAMPs/DAMPs and activate macrophages vi... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866134 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866133&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21592563%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salzmann GM, Sauerschnig M, Berninger MT, Kaltenhauser T, Schönfelder M, Vogt S, Wexel G, Tischer T, Sudkamp N, Niemeyer P, Imhoff AB, Schöttle PB Matrix-assisted chondrocyte transplantation (m-ACI) still lacks any standardization in its execution in terms of cell passage (P), cell yield (C) and in vitro membrane-holding time (T). It was the goal of this study to analyze the effect of shifting cell culture parameters (P, C, T) on the in vitro as well as in vivo effort of a regulated animal m-ACI. Autologous rabbit knee articular chondrocytes were seeded within bilayer collagen I/III 3-D matrices in variation of P, C and T. Each time, 2 PCT-identical by 2 PCT-identical cell-matrix-constructs (CMC)/animal were created. Simultaneously 2 (PCT-distinct) were re-implanted (CMC-... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866133 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866132&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21592564%26dopt%3DAbstract We described here the 3D proliferation culture system for differentiated neurons. PMID: 21592564 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866132 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866131&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21592565%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tan GK, Dinnes DL, Myers PT, Cooper-White JJ Due to its limited healing potential within the inner avascular region, functional repair of the meniscus remains a significant challenge in orthopaedic surgery. Tissue engineering of a meniscus implant using meniscal cells offers the promise of enhancing the reparative process and achieving functional meniscal repair. In this work, using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, we show that human fibrochondrocytes rapidly dedifferentiate during monolayer expansion on standard tissue culture flasks, representing a significant limit to clinical use of this cell population for meniscal repair. Previously, we have characterized and described the feasibility of a tailored biomimetic surf... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866131 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866130&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21592566%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kinikoglu B, Rodríguez-Cabello JC, Damour O, Hasirci V Three-dimensional epithelial tissue equivalents tend to lose their self-renewing potential progressively during culture as their epithelial cells lose their proliferative capacity with time. Even though the tissue engineered construct can mimic the native tissue well, it rapidly degrades after implantation due to the insufficient number of proliferating cells in the equivalent. In the present study we demonstrate for the first time that the use of an elastin-like recombinant polymer (ELR) engineered to contain the cell adhesion peptide RGD can result in a 3D tissue equivalent with high self-renewing potential, containing as many proliferative cells as the native tissue itself. The 3D tissue equivalent was reconstructed by... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866130 Sun, 15 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866135&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21575987%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ulrich TA, Lee TG, Shon HK, Moon DW, Kumar S Cells are strongly influenced by the local structure and mechanics of the extracellular matrix (ECM). We recently showed that adding agarose to soft collagen ECMs can mechanically stiffen these hydrogels by two orders of magnitude while limiting 3D cell motility, which we speculated might derive from agarose-mediated inhibition of collagen fiber deformation and remodeling. Here, we directly address this hypothesis by investigating the effects of agarose on cell-collagen interactions at the microscale. Addition of agarose progressively restricts cell spreading, reduces stress fiber and focal adhesion assembly, and inhibits macroscopic gel compaction. While time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscop... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866135 Fri, 13 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4866136&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21571364%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yamanlar S, Sant S, Boudou T, Picart C, Khademhosseini A Hyaluronic acid (HA), an anionic polysaccharide, is one of the major components of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Although HA has been widely used for tissue engineering applications, it does not support cell attachment and spreading and needs chemical modification to support cellular adhesion. Here, we present a simple approach to functionalize photocrosslinked HA hydrogels by deposition of poly(l-lysine) (PLL) and HA multilayer films made by the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. PLL/HA multilayer film formation was assessed by using fluorescence microscopy, contact angle measurements, cationic dye loading and confocal microscopy. The effect of polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PEM) formation on the physicochemica... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4866136 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4866136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4814664&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fsites%2Fentrez%3Fcmd%3DSearch%26db%3Dpubmed%26term%3D%28%2520%28%2522Biomaterials%2522%255Bta%255D%29%2520AND%2520%25222011%252F03%252F30%252001.30%2522%255BEDAT%255D%253A%25222011%252F05%252F12%252014.30%2522%255BEDAT%255D%29 116 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: "Biomaterials"[ta] These pubmed results were generated on 2011/05/12PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4814664 Thu, 12 May 2011 18:30:02 +0100 4814664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585649&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21315444%26dopt%3DAbstract We report here a general approach to using multifunctional poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer-based platform to encapsulate a potential anticancer drug for targeted cancer therapy. In this approach, amine-terminated generation 5 (G5) PAMAM dendrimers were sequentially modified with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI) and folic acid (FA) via covalent conjugation, followed by an acetylation reaction to neutralize the remaining amines of the dendrimer surfaces. The synthesized multifunctional dendrimers (G5.NHAc-FI-FA) were then used to complex a potential anticancer drug, 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) for targeted delivery of the drugs to cancer cells overexpressing high-affinity folic acid receptors (FAR). We show that the formed G5.NHAc-FI-FA/2-ME complexes with each dendrimer encapsulating approx... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585649 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:46 +0100 4585649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585648&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21315445%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pouponneau P, Leroux JC, Soulez G, Gaboury L, Martel S Magnetic tumor targeting with external magnets is a promising method to increase the delivery of cytotoxic agents to tumor cells while reducing side effects. However, this approach suffers from intrinsic limitations, such as the inability to target areas within deep tissues, due mainly to a strong decrease of the magnetic field magnitude away from the magnets. Magnetic resonance navigation (MRN) involving the endovascular steering of therapeutic magnetic microcarriers (TMMC) represents a clinically viable alternative to reach deep tissues. MRN is achieved with an upgraded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. In this proof-of-concept preclinical study, the preparation and steering of TMMC which were designed by taking ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585648 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:41 +0100 4585648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585647&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21315446%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of calcium phosphate mineral content on the bone in-growth at the expense of composite of co-polylactide polymer charged with 2 different ratios of β-TCP granules (10 and 24 w-% of β-TCP). The evaluation was realized in a long term rabbit bone model. After 24, 48 and 76 weeks, the implants were examined by micro CT, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using backscattered electron (BSE) and light microscopy (polarized and blue light microscopy). No foreign body reaction was detected during the 76 weeks follow-up in any of the test samples. Polymer hydrolysis began at approximately 24 weeks, by 76 weeks, the pure polymer implant had begun to release P(96L/4D)LA particles and show signs of peripheral localized bone resorption. A decreas... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585647 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:34 +0100 4585647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585646&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21315447%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nishishita N, Ijiri H, Takenaka C, Kobayashi K, Goto K, Kotani E, Itoh T, Mori H, Kawamata S Human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was immobilized into insect virus-derived microcrystals (polyhedra) to generate LIF polyhedra (LIF-PH) that can slowly release LIF into embryonic stem (ES) cell culture media and thus maintain ES cells in an undifferentiated state. Assays of the biological activities of LIF-PH indicated that a single addition of LIF-PH to the ES cell culture medium can support the proliferation of mouse ES and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells continuously for 14 days, and suggest that LIF-PH can be successfully used in the place of a periodic addition of recombinant LIF to the media every 2-3 days. The release of LIF protein from LIF-PH was determined by enzym... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585646 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:30 +0100 4585646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585645&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21316755%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ker ED, Chu B, Phillippi JA, Gharaibeh B, Huard J, Weiss LE, Campbell PG The capability to engineer microenvironmental cues to direct a stem cell population toward multiple fates, simultaneously, in spatially defined regions is important for understanding the maintenance and repair of multi-tissue units. We have previously developed an inkjet-based bioprinter to create patterns of solid-phase growth factors (GFs) immobilized to an extracellular matrix (ECM) substrate, and applied this approach to drive muscle-derived stem cells toward osteoblasts 'on-pattern' and myocytes 'off-pattern' simultaneously. Here this technology is extended to spatially control osteoblast, tenocyte and myocyte differentiation simultaneously. Utilizing immunofluorescence staining to identify tendon-pr... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585645 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:27 +0100 4585645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585644&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21316756%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrates the use of Epi-1 to develop an inactivated vaccine can provide guidelines for the future design of Epi-1-virus formulations for various in vivo applications. PMID: 21316756 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Biomaterials) Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585644 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:23 +0100 4585644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585643&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21316757%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Reichl S, Borrelli M, Geerling G Human amniotic membrane (AM) is frequently used as a substrate for ocular surface reconstruction. Its disadvantages (e.g., reduced transparency and biomechanical strength, heterogeneity depending on donor) create the need for standardized alternatives. Keratin from hair or wool has been proposed as an appropriate material for producing films or cell cultivation scaffolds. The current study was performed to develop transparent, stable and transferable films based on human hair keratin that support cellular adhesion and proliferation. The films were engineered by a multi-step procedure including keratin extraction, neutral and alkaline dialysis, drying and a curing process. Keratin films were investigated by SDS-PAGE, SEM and X-ray analyses. Furt... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585643 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:19 +0100 4585643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585642&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21320724%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Turturro SB, Guthrie MJ, Appel AA, Drapala PW, Brey EM, Pérez-Luna VH, Mieler WF, Kang-Mieler JJ There is significant interest in biomaterials that provide sustained release of therapeutic molecules to the retina. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)-based materials have received significant attention as injectable drug delivery platforms due to PNIPAAm's thermo-responsive properties at approximately 32 °C. While the drug delivery properties of PNIPAAm materials have been studied extensively, there is a need to evaluate the safety effects of hydrogel injection on retinal function. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA) crosslinked PNIPAAm hydrogel injection on retinal function. Utilizing scanning laser ophthalmoscop... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585642 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:16 +0100 4585642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585641&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21320725%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Guan YQ, Li Z, Chen J, Tao H, Wang W, Zheng Z, Li L, Liu JM Synthesis of anticancer polymeric materials plus their biological applications is one of the most charming and active research areas in biological functional materials. However, the predominant mechanisms for controlling cancer cell viability are not yet clear. In this work, cell culture polymeric materials co-immobilized with death signal proteins interferon-γ (IFN-γ)/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on the surface were prepared by photochemical method to develop an anticancer polymeric drug model. Various characterizations on the microstructures and compositions, including the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence measurement, atomic force microscopy, and electron spect... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585641 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:12 +0100 4585641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585640&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21324402%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hinds S, Bian W, Dennis RG, Bursac N One of the obstacles to the potential clinical utility of bioengineered skeletal muscle is its limited force generation capacity. Since engineered muscle, unlike most native muscle tissue, is composed of relatively short myofibers, we hypothesized that, its force production and transmission would be profoundly influenced by cell-matrix interactions. To test this hypothesis, we systematically varied the matrix protein type (collagen I/fibrin/Matrigel) and concentration in engineered, hydrogel-based neonatal rat skeletal muscle bundles and assessed the resulting tissue structure, generation of contractile force, and intracellular Ca(2+) handling. After two weeks of culture, the muscle bundles consisted of highly aligned and cross-striated myo... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585640 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:08 +0100 4585640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585639&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21324403%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jurga M, Dainiak MB, Sarnowska A, Jablonska A, Tripathi A, Plieva FM, Savina IN, Strojek L, Jungvid H, Kumar A, Lukomska B, Domanska-Janik K, Forraz N, McGuckin CP Currently, there are no effective therapies to restore lost brain neurons, although rapid progress in stem cell biology and biomaterials development provides new tools for regeneration of central nervous system. Here we describe neurogenic properties of bioactive scaffolds generated by cryogelation of dextran or gelatin linked to laminin - the main component of brain extracellular matrix. We showed that such scaffolds promoted differentiation of human cord blood-derived stem cells into artificial neural tissue in vitro. Our experiments revealed that optimal range of scaffolds' pore size for neural tissue engineering... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585639 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:04 +0100 4585639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585638&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21324523%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vandamme K, Holy X, Bensidhoum M, Logeart-Avramoglou D, Naert IE, Duyck JA, Petite H Optimization of implant osseointegration in patients with reduced bone healing potential is a challenge remaining in implant dentistry. Identification of the genes that are modulated during implant osseointegration in normal versus osteopenic bone is needed to successfully address these pertinent clinical needs. The present study aimed to assess the initial and early molecular events following titanium implant installation in normal and compromised bone in a rat tibia model. Peri-implant tissue from a well-defined tissue regeneration compartment was analyzed at 2 and 7 days post-surgery for the expression of select markers of inflammation, angiogenesis, bone resorption and bone formation. Impa... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585638 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:01 +0100 4585638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585637&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21324524%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tsai LR, Chen MH, Chien CT, Chen MK, Lin FS, Lin KM, Hwu YK, Yang CS, Lin SY Polyethylenimines (PEIs) are commonly used as a vehicle to deliver and protect siRNA, but the strong interaction still remains to be modulated for efficient siRNA release and silencing. Herein, a single-monomer derived linear-like PEI-co-PEG (LPEI-co-PEG, P(2)) was synthesized to substantially enhance the siRNA release, but not affect the efficiency of protection. The linear-like copolymer (P(2)) was only synthesized from a single-monomer by intensive synchrotron X-ray irradiation within 5 min, randomly producing both PEI and PEG segments. The counterpart vehicle, LPEI (P(1)), was also synthesized for comparison. We found that the P(1) and P(2) were able to prevent siRNA against enzymatic degradation... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585637 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:54 +0100 4585637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585636&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21329973%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sheng R, Luo T, Zhu Y, Li H, Sun J, Chen S, Sun W, Cao A Stimuli-responsive biomaterials derived from natural products toward efficient drug/gene delivery have been attracting increasing attention in the past decade. In this work, we first designed and prepared a new series of cholesterol-disulfide lipids, namely CHOSS-N, CHOSS-N+, CHOSS-Lys and CHOSS-4N bearing cholesterol and a variety of headgroups via disulfide and carbonate bond linkages, and their molecular structures were characterized by NMR and ESI-MS. Furthermore, plasmid DNA binding affinity for these new CHOSS lipids was separately examined by ethidium bromide displacement and agarose-gel retardant assay. Average diameter sizes and surface potentials of the CHOSS/pDNA lipoplex particles prepared under various N/P c... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585636 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:48 +0100 4585636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585635&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21329974%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kim SJ, Ise H, Goto M, Komura K, Cho CS, Akaike T Gene and drug-delivery systems that use immobilization of carbohydrates are useful for the specific targeting of lectin-expressing tissues. Here, we report that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) with polyethylenimine (GlcNAc-PEI) specifically interacted with vimentin-expressing cells such as 293FT and HeLa cells. Recently, the intermediate filaments vimentin and desmin have been reported to have GlcNAc-binding lectin-like properties on the cell surface. Therefore, GlcNAc-conjugated agents can be targeted to vimentin- and desmin-expressing cells and tissues. Vimentin-expressing 293FT and HeLa cells were efficiently transfected with green fluorescent protein and luciferase genes by using GlcNAc-PEI; the expression of these genes in vi... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585635 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:43 +0100 4585635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585634&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21329975%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu BR, Huang YW, Winiarz JG, Chiang HJ, Lee HJ Functional peptides that transfer biomaterials, such as semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), into cells in biomaterial research have been developed in recent years. Delivery of QDs conjugated with cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) into cells by the endocytic pathway was problematic in biomedical applications because of lysosomal trapping. Here, we demonstrate that histidine- and arginine-rich CPPs (HR9 peptides) stably and noncovalently combined with QDs are able to enter into cells in an extremely short period (4 min). Interrupting both F-actin polymerization and active transport did not inhibit the entry of HR9/QD complexes into cells, indicating that HR9 penetrates cell membrane directly. Subcellular colocalization studies indica... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585634 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:38 +0100 4585634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585633&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21333351%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park JS, Yang HN, Woo DG, Jeon SY, Do HJ, Lim HY, Kim JH, Park KH Target gene transfection for desired cell differentiation has recently become a major issue in stem cell therapy. For the safe and stable delivery of genes into human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), we employed a non-viral gene carrier system such as polycataionic polymer, poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), polyplexed with a combination of SOX5, 6, and 9 fused to green fluorescence protein (GFP), yellow fluorescence protein (YFP), or red fluorescence protein (RFP) coated onto PLGA nanoparticles. The transfection efficiency of PEI-modified PLGA nanoparticle gene carriers was then evaluated to examine the potential for chondrogenic differentiation by carrying the exogenous SOX trio (SOX5, 6, and 9) in hMSCs. Additionally,... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585633 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:31 +0100 4585633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585632&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21334062%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Adler AF, Speidel AT, Christoforou N, Kolind K, Foss M, Leong KW Optimization of nonviral gene delivery typically focuses on the design of particulate carriers that are endowed with desirable membrane targeting, internalization, and endosomal escape properties. Topographical control of cell transfectability, however, remains a largely unexplored parameter. Emerging literature has highlighted the influence of cell-topography interactions on modulation of many cell phenotypes, including protein expression and cytoskeletal behaviors implicated in endocytosis. Using high-throughput screening of primary human dermal fibroblasts cultured on a combinatorial library of microscale topographies, we have demonstrated an improvement in nonviral transfection efficiency for cells cultured o... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585632 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:26 +0100 4585632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585631&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21334063%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anderson SB, Lin CC, Kuntzler DV, Anseth KS Thiol-ene photopolymerization offers a unique platform for the formation of peptide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels and the encapsulation, culture and differentiation of cells. Specifically, this photoinitiated polymerization scheme occurs at neutral pH and can be controlled both spatially and temporally. Here, we have encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) degradable and cell-adhesive hydrogels using thiol-ene photopolymerization. We find that hMSCs survive equally well in this system, regardless of MMP-degradability. When hMSCs are encapsulated in these cell-degradable hydrogels, they survive and are able to proliferate. In classic hMSC differentiation medias, hMSCs locall... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585631 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:23 +0100 4585631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585629&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21334742%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Moon S, Yang SG, Na K Gemcitabine (Gem) eluting metal stents were prepared for potential application as drug delivery systems for localized treatment of malignant tumors. Pullulan, a natural polysaccharide, was chemically acetylated (pullulan acetate; PA) by different degrees (1.18, 1.71, and 2.10 acetyl groups per glucose unit of pullulan), layered on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and applied as part of a Gem-loaded controlled-release membrane for drug-eluting non-vascular stents. PA with a higher degree of acetylation had greater drug-loading capacity with more extended release of Gem over 30 days. The released Gem accumulated in CT-26 colon cancer without systemic exposure inducing total regression of tumors. The long-term biological activity of the released Gem and apopt... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585629 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:14 +0100 4585629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585628&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21342705%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tong J, Zimmerman MC, Li S, Yi X, Luxenhofer R, Jordan R, Kabanov AV Fullerene, the third allotrope of carbon, has been referred to as a "radical sponge" because of its powerful radical scavenging activities. However, the hydrophobicity and toxicity associated with fullerene limits its application as a therapeutic antioxidant. In the present study, we sought to overcome these limitations by generating water-soluble nanoformulations of fullerene (C(60)). Fullerene (C(60)) was formulated with poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidine) (PVP) or poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s (POx) homopolymer and random copolymer to form nano-complexes. These C(60)-polymer complexes were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585628 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:09 +0100 4585628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585627&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21345488%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang Z, Tongchusak S, Mizukami Y, Kang YJ, Ioji T, Touma M, Reinhold B, Keskin DB, Reinherz EL, Sasada T Nanotechnology-based antigen delivery has been developing as a vaccine strategy due to its dose-sparing and prolonged antigen presentation features. In the current study, we examined the feasibility of nanoparticle (NP)-mediated delivery of antigenic peptides to efficiently induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses against tumor-associated self-antigens in C57BL/6 mouse models. The biodegradable poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticle (PLGA-NP) carrying murine melanoma antigenic peptides, hgp100(25-33) and TRP2(180-188), were prepared by double emulsion method. Efficient uptake of PLGA-NP by murine dendritic cells was shown in vitro and in vivo, using NP labeled with the... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585627 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:05 +0100 4585627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585626&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21345489%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McBane JE, Battiston KG, Wadhwani A, Sharifpoor S, Labow RS, Santerre JP Strategies to optimize biomaterial chemistry for applications in vascular tissue engineering attempt to promote endothelial and smooth muscle cell recruitment into porous material constructs. The primary objective is to facilitate relevant tissue formation in a wound healing versus pro-inflammatory manner. The present work investigated the interactive co-cellular response of human monocytes and human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with a novel degradable, polar/hydrophobic/ionic (D-PHI) polyurethane and compared it to a commercially available biomaterial, poly-lactic-glycolic acid (PLGA) as well as tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). D-PHI triggered a smaller pro-inflammatory response (acid phosphata... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585626 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:00 +0100 4585626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585624&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21353304%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we aimed to establish a method for attaching cells to the substrate, in which the pattern is drawn by an inkjet printer. Poly-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was immobilized onto the cell surface by use of DNA-conjugated poly(ethylene) glycol-phospholipid (DNA-PEG-lipid), which is the amphiphilic conjugate of PEG-lipid and single-stranded DNA. The surface of the substrate was then modified with the complementary DNA using an inkjet printer. Finally, DNA-immobilized cells were attached onto the substrate through DNA hybridization. The use of the inkjet printer enabled us to draw the DNA pattern accurately on the substrate with a resolution of a few hundred micrometers. DNA-immobilized cells could be attached precisely along the DNA pattern on the substrate. In addition, various k... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585624 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:47:52 +0100 4585624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585481&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21397941%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cao J, Sun C, Zhao H, Xiao Z, Chen B, Gao J, Zheng T, Wu W, Wu S, Wang J, Dai J Nerve conduit provides a promising strategy for nerve injury repair in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). However, simply bridging the transected nerve with an empty conduit is hard to satisfy functional recovery. The regenerated axons may disperse during regeneration in the empty lumen, limiting the functional recovery. Our previous work had reported that linear ordered collagen scaffold (LOCS) could be used as a nerve guidance material. Here we cross-linked LOCS fibers with laminin which was a major component of the extracellular matrix in nervous system. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) plays a critical role in peripheral nerve regeneration. But the lack of efficient CNTF delivery approach l... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585481 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585478&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21397942%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park JS, Chu JS, Tsou AD, Diop R, Tang Z, Wang A, Li S Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a valuable cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) can promote MSC differentiation into either smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or chondrogenic cells. Here we showed that the stiffness of cell adhesion substrates modulated these differential effects. MSCs on soft substrates had less spreading, fewer stress fibers and lower proliferation rate than MSCs on stiff substrates. MSCs on stiff substrates had higher expression of SMC markers α-actin and calponin-1; in contrast, MSCs on soft substrates had a higher expression of chondrogenic marker collagen-II and adipogenic marker lipoprotein lipase (LPL). TGF-β increased SMC mark... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585478 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585502&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21397322%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Martin TA, Caliari SR, Williford PD, Harley BA, Bailey RC The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex organization of structural proteins found within tissues and organs. Heterogeneous tissues with spatially and temporally modulated properties play an important role in organism physiology. Here we present a benzophenone (BP) based direct, photolithographic approach to spatially pattern solution phase biomolecules within collagen-GAG (CG) scaffolds and demonstrate creation of a wide range of patterns composed of multiple biomolecular species in a manner independent from scaffold fabrication steps. We demonstrate the ability to immobilize biomolecules at surface densities of up to 1000 ligands per square micron on the scaffold strut surface and to depths limited by the penetrati... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585502 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585501&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21397323%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holt DJ, Grainger DW Many multinucleated giant cells are well-known to form from macrophage origin. Those formed from other cell types are less described, but may be as prevalent in pathological tissue. Giant multinucleated cells derived from secondary and primary fibroblast sources in various cultures with similar characteristics to foreign body giant cells are reported. Secondary-transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts rapidly fuse within 24 h in contact co-cultures with RAW 264.7 immortalized macrophages, while 3T3 monocultures, non-contact (transwell) co-cultures, and macrophage-conditioned media-treated 3T3 monocultures all do not fuse. Primary-derived murine fibroblasts also form multinucleated cells, both in the presence or absence of co-cultured macrophages that increase duri... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585501 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585500&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21397324%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xu H, Yan Y, Li S Biodegradable PDLLA/Chondroitin sulfate/Chitosan(PDLLA/CS/CHS) nerve conduits with potentially good biocompatibility and good mechanical property feasible for surgical manipulation have been developed in our previous work. The purpose of this study was to investigate their possible application in repairing damaged nerves and the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF). The PDLLA/CS/CHS/NGF nerve conduits were prepared by immobilizing NGF onto the PDLLA/CS/CHS nerve conduits with carbodiimide. Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats weighing 200-250 g were used as the animal model. The conduits were employed to bridge the 10 mm defects in the sciatic nerve of the SD rats. Nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) were clearly detected in both nerve conduits after 3 months of im... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585500 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585535&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396705%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sreenivasan R, Bassett EK, Hoganson DM, Vacanti JP, Gleason KK Membranes for a lung assist device must permit the exchange of gaseous O(2) and CO(2) while simultaneously acting as a liquid barrier, so as to prevent leakage of blood and its components from passing from one side to the other. Additionally, these membranes must be capable of being integrated into microfluidic devices possessing a vascular network. In this work, uniform, large-area, ultra-thin, polymeric free-standing membranes (FSMs) and composite membranes (CMs) are reproducibly fabricated by initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD). The 5 μm thick FSMs remained intact during handling and exhibited a CO(2) permeance that was 1.3 times that of the control membrane (8 μm thick spun-cast membrane of silicone)... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585535 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585518&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396706%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hsu SH, Chan SH, Chiang CM, Chi-Chang Chen C, Jiang CF The performance of an asymmetric conduit made of microporous polylactic acid (PLA) in promoting the long-term peripheral nerve regeneration across a 20-mm-long sciatic nerve gap was evaluated by a rabbit sciatic nerve transection model. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to monitor the nerve regeneration process. The extents of nerve regeneration and conduit degradation were quantified by image analysis. Functional and histological analyses were followed to assess nerve reinnervation. MR images showed that the transected nerve was connected at about 4 months. The diameter of the regenerated nerve continued to increase while the conduit was gradually degraded. The conduit was completely degraded in 18 months. The... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585518 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585517&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396707%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mi Y, Liu Y, Feng SS Although high efficacy has been showed, Paclitaxel and Docetaxel cause serious side effects due to the adjuvant used in their clinical formulation Taxol(®) and Taxotere(®). We developed a micelle system with a newly synthesized TPGS(2k) polymer, which shows lower CMC of 0.0219 mg/ml compared with 0.2 mg/ml for traditional micelles with TPGS involved, to achieve sustained and controlled drug delivery with Docetaxel used as a model anti-cancer drug. The TPGS(2k) micelles were further conjugated to folic acid (FA) for targeted drug delivery. The Docetaxel-loaded TPGS(2k) micelles with and without FA conjugation were found of desired size and size distribution, high drug encapsulation efficiency and favorable drug release. In vitro studies using MCF-7 canc... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585517 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585516&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396708%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ayala R, Zhang C, Yang D, Hwang Y, Aung A, Shroff SS, Arce FT, Lal R, Arya G, Varghese S The effective utilization of stem cells in regenerative medicine critically relies upon our understanding of the intricate interactions between cells and their extracellular environment. While bulk mechanical and chemical properties of the matrix have been shown to influence various cellular functions, the role of matrix interfacial properties on stem cell behavior is unclear. Here, we report the striking effect of matrix interfacial hydrophobicity on stem cell adhesion, motility, cytoskeletal organization, and differentiation. This is achieved through the development of tunable, synthetic matrices with control over their hydrophobicity without altering the chemical and mechanical properti... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585516 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585512&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21396709%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study of photocrosslinked poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and diethyl fumarate (DEF) scaffolds, the effect of DEF incorporation ratio and pore size on the osteogenic signal expression of rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) was investigated. Results demonstrated that DEF concentrations and pore sizes that led to increased scaffold mechanical stiffness also upregulated osteogenic signal expression, including bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2), fibroblast growth factors-2 (FGF-2), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Runx2 transcriptional factor. Similar scaffold fabrication parameters supported rapid BMSC osteoblastic differentiation, as demonstrated by increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin expression. When scaffolds... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585512 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585565&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21392822%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Venkatesan P, Puvvada N, Dash R, Prashanth Kumar BN, Sarkar D, Azab B, Pathak A, Kundu SC, Fisher PB, Mandal M Celecoxib has shown potential anticancer activity against most carcinomas, especially in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and precancerous disease of the colon. However, serious side effects of celecoxib restrict its generalized use for cancer therapy. In order to resolve these issues and develop an alternative strategy/preliminary approach, chitosan modified hydroxyapatite nanocarriers-mediated celecoxib delivery represents a viable strategy. We characterized the nanoparticle for morphology, particle size, zeta potential, crystalinity, functional group analysis, entrapment efficiency, drug release and hemocompatibility. The effects of celecoxib-loaded nan... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585565 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585557&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21392823%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Levy M, Luciani N, Alloyeau D, Elgrabli D, Deveaux V, Pechoux C, Chat S, Wang G, Vats N, Gendron F, Factor C, Lotersztajn S, Luciani A, Wilhelm C, Gazeau F The long term outcome of nanoparticles in the organism is one of the most important concerns raised by the development of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Little is known on the way taken by cells to process and degrade nanoparticles over time. In this context, iron oxide superparamagnetic nanoparticles benefit from a privileged status, because they show a very good tolerance profile, allowing their clinical use for MRI diagnosis. It is generally assumed that the specialized metabolism which regulates iron in the organism can also handle iron oxide nanoparticles. However the biotransformation of iron oxide nanoparticles is ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585557 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585600&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21388675%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Julien S, Peters T, Ziemssen F, Arango-Gonzalez B, Beck S, Thielecke H, Büth H, Van Vlierberghe S, Sirova M, Rossmann P, Rihova B, Schacht E, Dubruel P, Zrenner E, Schraermeyer U Subretinal implants aim to replace the photoreceptor function in patients suffering from degenerative retinal disease by topically applying electrical stimuli in the subretinal space. Critical obstacles in the design of high-resolution subretinal implants include the proximity of stimulating electrodes to the target cells and enabling nutrient flow between the retina and the choroid. The present work evaluates the adhesion, migration and survival of retinal cells on an ultrathin (5 μm), highly porous (Ø 1 μm spaced 3 μm), gelatin-coated polyimide (PI) membrane. The biocompatibility was examine... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585600 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585599&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21388676%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pang Y, Wang X, Lee D, Greisler HP We developed a live imaging system enabling dynamic visualization of single cell alignment induced by external mechanical force in a 3-D collagen matrix. The alignment dynamics and migration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were studied by time lapse differential interference contrast and/or phase contrast microscopy. Fluorescent and reflection confocal microcopy were used to study the SMC morphology and the microscale collagen matrix remodeling induced by SMCs. A custom developed program was used to quantify the cell migration and matrix remodeling. Our system enables cell concentration-independent alignment eliminating cell-to-cell interference and enables dynamic cell tracking, high magnification observation and rapid cell alignment accomplis... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585599 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585594&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21388677%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Katzenmeyer KN, Bryers JD Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, treatment of HAIs is complicated by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. In an effort to enhance the body's natural immune response to infection, we have developed an artificial opsonin to promote the recognition, phagocytosis, and destruction of pathogenic bacteria by human phagocytes. The artificial opsonin is constructed from multivalent conjugates of poly(l-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) with vancomycin and human IgG-Fc. Our approach utilizes vancomycin's inherent ability to bind to d-Ala-d-Ala terminated peptides present in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we show that conjugation of vancomycin to PLL-g-P... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585594 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585609&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21376390%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Eldar-Boock A, Miller K, Sanchis J, Lupu R, Vicent MJ, Satchi-Fainaro R Angiogenesis plays a prominent role in cancer progression. Anti-angiogenic therapy therefore, either alone or in combination with conventional cytotoxic therapy, offers a promising therapeutic approach. Paclitaxel (PTX) is a widely-used potent cytotoxic drug that also exhibits anti-angiogenic effects at low doses. However, its use, at its full potential, is limited by severe side effects. Here we designed and synthesized a targeted conjugate of PTX, a polymer and an integrin-targeted moiety resulting in a polyglutamic acid (PGA)-PTX-E-[c(RGDfK)(2)] nano-scaled conjugate. Polymer conjugation converted PTX to a macromolecule, which passively targets the tumor tissue exploiting the enhanced permeability and r... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585609 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585604&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377724%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li W, Li J, Gao J, Li B, Xia Y, Meng Y, Yu Y, Chen H, Dai J, Wang H, Guo Y Focusing on high temperature and low pH of tumor tissue, we prepared temperature and pH responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide-b-lacitde) (PID(118)-b-PLA(59)) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide-b-ε-caprolactone) (PID(118)-b-PCL(60)) diblock copolymers with symmetric hydrophobic blocks by the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT). The corresponding dual functional polymeric micelles were fabricated by dialysis methods. Their well-defined core-shell structure was characterized by (1)H NMR in D(2)O and further confirmed by TEM. Their structural and physical chemistry properties such as diameters (D), core corona dimension (R(core), R(shell))... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585604 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585603&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377725%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the chondrogenic effect of Sox9 on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro and its application in articular cartilage repair in vivo were evaluated. Rabbit BMSCs were transduced with adenoviral vector containing Sox9. Toluidine blue, safranin O staining and real-time PCR were performed to check chondrogenic differentiation. The results showed that Sox9 could induce chondrogenesis of BMSCs both in monolayer and on PGA scaffold effectively. The rabbit model with full-thickness cartilage defects was established and then repaired by PGA scaffold and rabbit BMSCs with or without Sox9 transduction. HE, safranin O staining and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the repair of defects by the complex. Better repair, including more newly-formed cartilage tissue and hy... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585603 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585602&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377726%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, thin films consisting of aligned poly-acrylonitrile methylacrylate (PAN-MA) fibers or solvent casted smooth, PAN-MA films were fabricated to investigate the potential role of differential protein adsorption on topography-dependent neural cell responses. Aligned nanofiber films promoted enhanced adsorption of fibronectin compared to smooth films. Studies employing function-blocking antibodies against cell adhesion motifs suggest that fibronectin plays an important role in modulating Schwann cell migration and neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures. Atomic Force Microscopy demonstrated that aligned PAN-MA fibers influenced fibronectin distribution, and promoted aligned fibronectin network formation compared to smooth PAN-MA films. In the presence of topogra... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585602 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585601&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377727%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gao G, Lange D, Hilpert K, Kindrachuk J, Zou Y, Cheng JT, Kazemzadeh-Narbat M, Yu K, Wang R, Straus SK, Brooks DE, Chew BH, Hancock RE, Kizhakkedathu JN Bacterial colonization on implant surfaces and subsequent infections are one of the most common reasons for the failure of many indwelling devices. Several approaches including antimicrobial and antibiotic-eluting coatings on implants have been attempted; however, none of these approaches succeed in vivo. Here we report a polymer brush based implant coating that is non-toxic, antimicrobial and biofilm resistant. These coating consists of covalently grafted hydrophilic polymer chains conjugated with an optimized series of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These tethered AMPs maintained excellent broad spectrum antimicrobial activi... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585601 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585606&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377203%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Engelhardt EM, Micol LA, Houis S, Wurm FM, Hilborn J, Hubbell JA, Frey P Scaffold materials should favor cell attachment and proliferation, and provide designable 3D structures with appropriate mechanical strength. Collagen matrices have proven to be beneficial scaffolds for tissue regeneration. However, apart from small intestinal submucosa, they offer a limited mechanical strength even if crosslinking can enhance their mechanical properties. A more cell-friendly way to increase material strength is to combine synthetic polymer meshes with plastic compressed collagen gels. This work describes the potential of plastic compressed collagen-poly(lactic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (PLAC) hybrids as scaffolds for bladder tissue regeneration. Human bladder smooth muscle and urothelial ... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585606 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585605&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21377204%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) and the immunostimulant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) were incorporated in polymeric nanoparticles based on poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). These polymeric carriers were orally administered to BALB/c mice (Bagg albino, inbred strain of mouse) and the resulting time-dependent systemic and mucosal immune responses towards OVA were assessed by measuring the OVA-specific IgG and IgA titers using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PLGA nanoparticles were spherical in shape, around 320 nm in size, negatively charged (around -20 mV) and had an OVA and MPLA payload of 9.6% and 0.86%, respectively. A single immunization with formulation containing (OVA + MPLA) incorporated in PLGA nanoparticles induced a stronger IgG immune resp... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585605 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585615&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21371748%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li W, Zhao L, Wei T, Zhao Y, Chen C Cells undergo apoptosis through two major pathways, the extrinsic pathway (death receptor pathway) and the intrinsic pathway (the mitochondrial pathway). It is well known that nanomaterials of water- soluble fullerene derivatives are potent antioxidants and help to prevent the overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, whether their interaction with cells via the death receptor pathway is direct or indirect remains poorly understood. Here, we show that a bis-adduct malonic acid derivative of fullerene, C(60)(C(COOH)(2))(2), inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha-initiated cellular apoptosis via stabilizing lysosomes. Data presented here demonstrate that nano-sized aggregates of this water-soluble fullerene derivati... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585615 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4585612&cid=s_37608_173_f&fid=37608&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21376387%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fung SY, Oyaizu T, Yang H, Yuan Y, Han B, Keshavjee S, Liu M Many newly discovered therapeutic agents require a delivery platform in order to translate them into clinical applications. For this purpose, a nanoscale formulation strategy was developed for the Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP2. The formulation utilizes the combination of the self-assembling peptides (EAK16-II) and amino acids to minimize the use of the toxic organic solvent DMSO; hence, the biocompatibility of the PP2 nanoformulations was significantly improved. They were found to be non-hemolytic and safe for intravenous and intratracheal administration; the formulations did not alter PP2 activity in Src inhibition on cultured cells. The PP2 nanoformulation was further evaluated on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-ind... Biomaterials journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4585612 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4585612