The effect of acoustic radiation force on osteoblasts in cell/hydrogel constructs for bone repair
In this study, we considered the possibility that LIPUS may be providing a physical stimulus to cells within bony defects. We have also evaluated ultrasound as a means of producing a transdermal physical force that could stimulate osteoblasts that had been encapsulated within collagen hydrogels and delivered to bony defects. Here we show that ultrasound does indeed produce a measurable physical force and when applied to hydrogels causes their deformation, more so as ultrasound intensity was increased or hydrogel stiffness decreased. MC3T3 mouse osteoblast cells were then encapsulated within hydrogels to measure the respons...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Veronick, J., Assanah, F., Nair, L. S., Vyas, V., Huey, B., Khan, Y. Tags: Original Research Source Type: research
Platelet-mimetic strategies for modulating the wound environment and inflammatory responses
Platelets closely interface with the immune system to fight pathogens, target wound sites, and regulate tissue repair. Natural platelet levels within the body can be depleted for a variety of reasons, including excessive bleeding following traumatic injury, or diseases such as cancer and bacterial or viral infections. Platelet transfusions are commonly used to improve platelet count and hemostatic function in these cases, but transfusions can be complicated by the contamination risks and short storage life of donated platelets. Lyophilized platelets that can be freeze-dried and stored for longer periods of time and synthet...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Nandi, S., Brown, A. C. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Programmable biomaterials for dynamic and responsive drug delivery
Biomaterials are continually being designed that enable new methods for interacting dynamically with cell and tissues, in turn unlocking new capabilities in areas ranging from drug delivery to regenerative medicine. In this review, we explore some of the recent advances being made in regards to programming biomaterials for improved drug delivery, with a focus on cancer and infection. We begin by explaining several of the underlying concepts that are being used to design this new wave of drug delivery vehicles, followed by examining recent materials systems that are able to coordinate the temporal delivery of multiple thera...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Stejskalova, A., Kiani, M. T., Almquist, B. D. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Emerging nanotechnologies for cancer immunotherapy
Founded on the growing insight into the complex cancer-immune system interactions, adjuvant immunotherapies are rapidly emerging and being adapted for the treatment of various human malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, for example, have already shown clinical success. Nevertheless, many approaches are not optimized, require frequent administration, are associated with systemic toxicities and only show modest efficacy as monotherapies. Nanotechnology can potentially enhance the efficacy of such immunotherapies by improving the delivery, retention and release of immunostimulatory agents and biologicals in targeted cel...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Shukla, S., Steinmetz, N. F. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
An introduction to biomaterial-based strategies for curbing autoimmunity
Recently, scientists have made significant progress in the development of immunotherapeutics that correct aberrant, autoimmune responses. Yet, concerns about the safety, efficacy, and wide scale applicability continue to hinder use of contemporary, immunology-based strategies. There is a clear need for therapies that finely control molecular and cellular elements of the immune system. Biomaterial engineers have taken up this challenge to develop therapeutics with selective spatial and temporal control of immune cells. In this review, we introduce the immunology of autoimmune disorders, survey the current therapeutic strate...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Lewis, J. S., Allen, R. P. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Strategies for cell membrane functionalization
The ability to rationally manipulate and augment the cytoplasmic membrane can be used to overcome many of the challenges faced by conventional cellular therapies and provide innovative opportunities when combined with new biotechnologies. The focus of this review is on emerging strategies used in cell functionalization, highlighting both pioneering approaches and recent developments. These will be discussed within the context of future directions in this rapidly evolving field. (Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine)
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Armstrong, J. P., Perriman, A. W. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Monocytes and macrophages in tissue repair: Implications for immunoregenerative biomaterial design
Monocytes and macrophages play a critical role in tissue development, homeostasis, and injury repair. These innate immune cells participate in guiding vascular remodeling, stimulation of local stem and progenitor cells, and structural repair of tissues such as muscle and bone. Therefore, there is a great interest in harnessing this powerful endogenous cell source for therapeutic regeneration through immunoregenerative biomaterial engineering. These materials seek to harness specific subpopulations of monocytes/macrophages to promote repair by influencing their recruitment, positioning, differentiation, and function within ...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Ogle, M. E., Segar, C. E., Sridhar, S., Botchwey, E. A. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Engineering galectin-glycan interactions for immunotherapy and immunomodulation
Galectins, a 15-member family of soluble carbohydrate-binding proteins, are receiving increasing interest as therapeutic targets for immunotherapy and immunomodulation due to their role as extracellular signals that regulate innate and adaptive immune cell phenotype and function. However, different galectins can have redundant, synergistic, or antagonistic signaling activity in normal immunological responses, such as resolution of inflammation and induction of antigen-specific tolerance. In addition, certain galectins can be hijacked to promote progression of immunopathologies, such as tumor immune privilege, metastasis, a...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Farhadi, S. A., Hudalla, G. A. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Nanoparticles and direct immunosuppression
Targeting the immune system with nanomaterials is an intensely active area of research. Specifically, the capability to induce immunosuppression is a promising complement for drug delivery and regenerative medicine therapies. Many novel strategies for immunosuppression rely on nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for small-molecule immunosuppressive compounds. As a consequence, efforts in understanding the mechanisms in which nanoparticles directly interact with the immune system have been overshadowed. The immunological activity of nanoparticles is dependent on the physiochemical properties of the nanoparticles and its subs...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Ngobili, T. A., Daniele, M. A. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Drug delivery strategies to control macrophages for tissue repair and regeneration
Tissue repair and regeneration is a complex process. Our bodies have an excellent capacity to regenerate damaged tissues in many situations. However, tissue healing is impaired in injuries that exceed a critical size or are exacerbated by chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes. In these instances, biomaterials and drug delivery strategies are often required to facilitate tissue regeneration by providing physical and biochemical cues. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury. It is critical for wound healing and biomaterial integration and vascularization, as long as the timing is well controlled. For exampl...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Garash, R., Bajpai, A., Marcinkiewicz, B. M., Spiller, K. L. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Glycomaterials for probing host-pathogen interactions and the immune response
The objective of this review is to highlight some key contributions from this area of research in deciphering the mechanisms of pathogenesis and the associated host response. (Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine)
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Huang, M. L., Fisher, C. J., Godula, K. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
The use of CD47-modified biomaterials to mitigate the immune response
Addressing the aberrant interactions between immune cells and biomaterials represents an unmet need in biomaterial research. Although progress has been made in the development of bioinert coatings, identifying and targeting relevant cellular and molecular pathways can provide additional therapeutic strategies to address this major healthcare concern. To that end, we describe the immune inhibitory motif, receptor–ligand pairing of signal regulatory protein alpha and its cognate ligand CD47 as a potential signaling pathway to enhance biocompatibility. The goals of this article are to detail the known roles of CD47&ndas...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Tengood, J. E., Levy, R. J., Stachelek, S. J. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Creating biomaterials with spatially organized functionality
Biomaterials for tissue engineering provide scaffolds to support cells and guide tissue regeneration. Despite significant advances in biomaterials design and fabrication techniques, engineered tissue constructs remain functionally inferior to native tissues. This is largely due to the inability to recreate the complex and dynamic hierarchical organization of the extracellular matrix components, which is intimately linked to a tissue’s biological function. This review discusses current state-of-the-art strategies to control the spatial presentation of physical and biochemical cues within a biomaterial to recapitulate ...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Chow, L. W., Fischer, J. F. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Naturally derived biomaterials for addressing inflammation in tissue regeneration
Tissue regeneration strategies have traditionally relied on designing biomaterials that closely mimic features of the native extracellular matrix (ECM) as a means to potentially promote site-specific cellular behaviors. However, inflammation, while a necessary component of wound healing, can alter processes associated with successful tissue regeneration following an initial injury. These processes can be further magnified by the implantation of a biomaterial within the wound site. In addition to designing biomaterials to satisfy biocompatibility concerns as well as to replicate elements of the composition, structure, and m...
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 25, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Hortensius, R. A., Harley, B. A. Tags: Minireview Source Type: research
Corrigendum
Irena Kasacka, Zaneta Piotrowska and Izabela Janiuk. Influence of renovascular hypertension on the distribution of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the stomach and heart of rats. Experimental Biology and Medicine 2015;240:1402–1407 (Original DOI: 10.1177/1535370215587533) (Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine)
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine - May 12, 2016 Category: Research Tags: Corrigendum Source Type: research
