Hydrogels for tissue engineering.

http://www.back-in-business-physiotherapy.com/images/files/DescendingControl.pdf

Descending control of pain.

RGD modified polymers: biomaterials for stimulated cell adhesion and beyond

Hydrogels, due to their unique biocompatibility, flexible methods of synthesis, range of constituents, and desirable physical characteristics, have been the material of choice for many applications in regenerative medicine. They can serve as scaffolds that provide structural integrity to tissue constructs, control drug and protein delivery to tissues and cultures, and serve as adhesives or barriers between tissue and material surfaces. In this work, the properties of hydrogels that are important for tissue engineering applications and the inherent material design constraints and challenges are discussed. Recent research involving several different hydrogels polymerized from a variety of synthetic and natural monomers using typical and novel synthetic methods are highlighted. Finally, special attention is given to the microfabrication techniques that are currently resulting in important advances in the field.

/pdf/hydrogels-in-regenerative-medicine-lx1cllc4g8.pdf

Hydrogels in regenerative medicine

On the mechanisms of biocompatibility.

Response of brain tissue to chronically implanted neural electrodes.

Neuronal cell loss accompanies the brain tissue response to chronically implanted silicon microelectrode arrays

Technology of mammalian cell encapsulation.

The mammalian suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) transmit signals to the rest of the brain, organizing circadian rhythms throughout the body. Transplants of the SCN restore circadian activity rhythms to animals whose own SCN have been ablated. The nature of the coupling signal from the grafted SCN to the host brain is not known, although it has been presumed that functional recovery requires re-establishment of appropriate synaptic connections. We have isolated SCN tissue from hamsters within a semipermeable polymeric capsule before transplantation, thereby preventing neural outgrowth but allowing diffusion of humoral signals. Here we show that the transplanted SCN, like neural pacemakers of Drosophila and silkmoths, can sustain circadian activity rhythms by means of a diffusible signal.

A diffusible coupling signal from the transplanted suprachiasmatic nucleus controlling circadian locomotor rhythms

Understanding the relationships between material surface properties, adsorbed proteins, and cellular responses is essential to designing optimal material surfaces for implantation and tissue engineering. In this study, we have prepared model surfaces with different functional groups to provide a range of surface wettability and charge. The cellular responses of attachment, spreading, and cytoskeletal organization have been studied following preadsorption of these surfaces with dilute serum, specific serum proteins, and individual components of the extracellular matrix. When preadsorbed with dilute serum, cell attachment, spreading, and cytoskeletal organization were significantly greater on hydrophilic surfaces relative to hydrophobic surfaces. Among the hydrophilic surfaces, differences in charge and wettability influenced cell attachment but not cell area, shape, or cytoskeletal organization. Moderately hydrophilic surfaces (20-40 degree water contact angle) promoted the highest levels of cell attachment. Preadsorption of the model surfaces with bovine serum albumin (BSA) resulted in a pattern of cell attachment very similar to that observed following preadsorption with dilute serum, suggesting an important role for BSA in regulating cell attachment to biomaterials exposed to complex biological media.

/pdf/relative-importance-of-surface-wettability-and-charged-32vqgpkfwy.pdf

Patrick A. Tresco

Papers

Response of brain tissue to chronically implanted neural electrodes.

Neuronal cell loss accompanies the brain tissue response to chronically implanted silicon microelectrode arrays

Technology of mammalian cell encapsulation.

A diffusible coupling signal from the transplanted suprachiasmatic nucleus controlling circadian locomotor rhythms

Relative importance of surface wettability and charged functional groups on NIH 3T3 fibroblast attachment, spreading, and cytoskeletal organization