This course covers the principles of materials science and cell biology underlying the design of medical implants, artificial organs, and matrices for tissue engineering. Methods for biomaterials surface characterization and analysis of protein adsorption on biomaterials. Molecular and cellular interactions with biomaterials are analyzed in terms of unit cell processes, such as matrix synthesis, degradation, and contraction. Mechanisms underlying wound healing and tissue remodeling following implantation in various organs. Tissue and organ regeneration. Design of implants and prostheses based on control of biomaterials-tissue interactions. Comparative analysis of intact, biodegradable, and bioreplaceable implants by reference to case studies. Criteria for restoration of physiological function for tissues and organs.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Antioxidants – considered by many the superheroes of the dietary world – are reported to do everything from improving heart health to helping fight cancer. They’re also a common anti-aging ingredient in skin care lines. University of Maryland researchers have narrowed down one antioxidant that seems to significantly outperform others in the anti-aging arena: methylene blue – a chemical used in research laboratories across the world. In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, the team showed that applying the molecule to a reconstructed skin model can slow or even reverse several well-known signs of aging, opening the door to new, more effective cosmetic treatments. The team compared the performance of methylene blue against three other popular antioxidants on skin cells collected from healthy young donors, elderly people, and individuals with progeria – a genetic condition that causes accelerated aging..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"For nearly 25 years, scientists have known of the neuroprotective properties associated with the protein called prosaposin. But exactly how prosaposin exerts these effects has been a matter of debate. Initial research using a neuroactive fragment of the protein, called TX14(A), identified two closely related receptors thought to mediate the actions of prosaposin. But this work was later challenged. Now, an international team of scientists has reported strong evidence that prosaposin does activate these receptors, which may help pave the way for a new class of neuroprotective drugs. Uncertainty over the status of prosaposin as an endogenous ligand for GPR37L1 and GPR37 has stemmed from the use of widely varying experimental conditions. The main inconsistency with past work was the use of cell lines derived from ovary, kidney or yeast to study the receptors. But this creates a physiological mismatch, as the receptors are almost exclusively expressed in the brain..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cell movement, especially among fibroblasts and astrocytes, is critical for wound healing and scarring. Cells create protrusions toward their direction of motion on one end while retracting similar projections on the other end. It’s a cyclical process coordinated by various proteins on the cell surface, such as αVβ3 integrin, a protein found in reactive astrocytes that is activated through its interaction with the neuronal protein Thy-1/CD90. But exactly how Thy-1-integrin binding controls cell movement has remained unclear. Now, new research reveals the important role played by the transmembrane protein Syndecan-4, another Thy-1-binding protein, and the scaffold protein PAR-3. Experiments showed that Thy-1 promotes an interaction between Syndecan-4 and PAR-3. When this interaction was blocked by decreasing Syndecan-4 or PAR-3, cells showed limited mobility, as they were unable to disassemble the protrusions that kept them locked in place..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Diabetic wounds are a growing problem worldwide. One solution could lie in a hormone secreted by the parathyroid. PTH is critical for re-growing bone. But evidence suggests that it could also help regenerate skin and blood vessels. Researchers recently tested this hypothesis on rats. Applying a synthetic version of PTH to diabetic wounds significantly improved wound healing. But not as they believed it would. Synthetic PTH did not appear to directly activate the cells it repaired. Instead, separate experiments showed that the PTH derivative indirectly led to repair, using exosomes, tiny sacs ejected by cells to communicate with other cells. If replicated in more realistic models of diabetes, these findings could lead to a powerful new way to accelerate wound healing..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Skin wound healing is a complex process involving three phases: inflammation, cell proliferation, and tissue remodeling. The healing process is regulated by various cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Recently, a new polyamine has gained attention for its effects on wound healing. Spermidine is a naturally occurring compound that is present in cheese, corn, mushrooms, legumes, soya products, and whole grains. Following up on a previous study that reported that SPD may promote wound healing, researchers investigated its effects on skin wound repair. Using a mouse model, they found that both oral and topical administration of SPD significantly accelerated skin wound healing. SPD boosted signaling through the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) signaling pathway and enhanced the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in wound sites. In vitro scratch and cell proliferation assays also indicated that SPD administration accelerated wound closure and cell proliferation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Nerves, and the signals that modulate them, play critical roles during wound healing. CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) is one such modulator and is a potential treatment target for chronic wounds, like ulcers. But CGRP doesn’t last long in blood samples, so researchers recently focused on RAMP1 (receptor activity-modifying protein 1), which is part of the CGRP receptor. First, in mouse experiments, they determined that RAMP1 expression was altered during skin wound healing. Then, they used mouse skin fibroblasts (MSFs) to determine the mechanisms at play. Overexpressing RAMP1 in MSFs promoted proliferation by increasing expression of YAP (Yes-associated protein). Subsequent experiments showed that overexpressed RAMP1 increased expression of Gαi3 (inhibitory G protein α subunit 3). While Gαi3 is typically inhibitory, here Gαi3 activated PKA (protein kinase A) through a non-classical pathway..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.