scholarly journals Micro-Structured Patches for Dermal Regeneration Obtained via Electrophoretic Replica Deposition

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 5010
Author(s):  
Arash Ghalayani Esfahani ◽  
Lina Altomare ◽  
Lorenzo Bonetti ◽  
Fereshteh Nejaddehbashi ◽  
Francesca Boccafoschi ◽  
...  

Artificial substrates supporting the healing of skin wounds require specific structural and chemical architectures that promote a recapitulation of the complexity of the native organ. Bottom-up fabrication technologies are emerging as effective strategies to fine tune biochemical, morphological, and structural features intended for regenerative applications. Here, we proposed an electrophoretic replica deposition (EPrD) approach to realize chitosan three-dimensional structures specifically designed to treat patients with serious cutaneous damages or losses. The EPrD process has been optimized to consistently obtain random porosity vs. hierarchical lattice structures, showing mechanical properties in the range of skin tissue (E = 0.2–20 MPa). The obtained patches were tested in vivo via a one-stage grafting procedure in a full thickness skin wound rat model. Chitosan patches showed no adverse reactions throughout the experimental period (14 days). Hair follicles and sebaceous glands were observed in histological sections, indicating the regeneration of a thin epidermal layer with more skin appendages. Immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that keratin 10 was mostly expressed in basal and suprabasal layers, like normal skin, in structures with random porosity and with smaller lattice structures. The obtained results show the potential of EPrD to innovate the design of artificial substrates in skin healing therapies.

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Y. L. Chao ◽  
Gabriel Y. F. Ng ◽  
Kwok-Kuen Cheung ◽  
Yong-Ping Zheng ◽  
Li-Ke Wang ◽  
...  

An evaluation of wound mechanics is crucial in reflecting the wound healing status. The present study examined the biomechanical properties of healing rat skin wounds in vivo and ex vivo. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats, each with a 6 mm full-thickness circular punch biopsied wound at both posterior hind limbs were used. The mechanical stiffness at both the central and margins of the wound was measured repeatedly in five rats over the same wound sites to monitor the longitudinal changes over time of before wounding, and on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 after wounding in vivo by using an optical coherence tomography-based air-jet indentation system. Five rats were euthanized at each time point, and the biomechanical properties of the wound tissues were assessed ex vivo using a tensiometer. At the central wound bed region, the stiffness measured by the air-jet system increased significantly from day 0 (17.2%), peaked at day 7 (208.3%), and then decreased progressively until day 21 (40.2%) as compared with baseline prewounding status. The biomechanical parameters of the skin wound samples measured by the tensiometer showed a marked reduction upon wounding, then increased with time (all p < 0.05). On day 21, the ultimate tensile strength of the skin wound tissue approached 50% of the normal skin; while the stiffness of tissue recovered at a faster rate, reaching 97% of its prewounded state. Our results suggested that it took less time for healing wound tissues to recover their stiffness than their maximal strength in rat skin. The stiffness of wound tissues measured by air-jet could be an indicator for monitoring wound healing and contraction.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 716-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jun Jang ◽  
Yu-mi Kim ◽  
Bo-Young Yoo ◽  
Young-Kwon Seo

There have been numerous investigations regarding various types of dressings and artificial dermis of solid form, yet limited research and development on paste types, such as hydrogels with dermal powder, have ensued. In this study, we compared the in vivo wound healing effects of gelatin paste containing dermal powder to a collagen type I/chondroitin 6-sulfate (coll/chondroitin) sponge and gelatin alone, after 48 days post grafting, in a skin wound rat model. In the dermis powder/gelatin paste-treated group, wound area contraction was minimized 50%, while in the gelatin and coll/chondroitin sponge groups, the initial area contracted 83–85% and 79–85%, respectively. Histological analysis revealed the wounds treated with dermal powder/gelatin were associated with many fibroblasts, which infiltrated the wound bed, as well as thick collagen bundles that were arranged in dendritic arrays, resembling normal skin. Furthermore, in contrast to the gelatin- and coll/chondroitin sponge-treated groups, the powder/gelatin paste-treated wounds exhibited an abundance of elastic fibers (Victoria blue staining) and extensive formation of blood vessels around the dermis (CD31 staining). Therefore, the dermis powder/gelatin paste not only renders convenience to users but also has prominent wound-healing effects on full-thickness wounds.


2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 77-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Sabol ◽  
L. Dancakova ◽  
P. Gal ◽  
T. Vasilenko ◽  
M. Novotny ◽  
...  

The complexity of the wound healing process, which is still poorly understood, prompted us to perform an immunohistochemical investigation using rat skin as an in vivo model. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the experiment. Two round full thickness wounds, 4 mm in diameter, were made on the backs of all rats. Haematoxylin and eosin basic staining as well as antibodies against wide spectrum keratin, keratin 10, keratin&nbsp;14, &alpha;-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, fibronectin, collagens Type 1 and 3, and the transcription factor Sox-2 were applied to paraffin and frozen sections of skin wound specimens two, six and fourteen days after surgery, respectively. New hair follicles with Sox-2-positive cells were present after fourteen days; keratin/vimentin positivity was restricted to specimens of day two. Collagen-3 expression prevailed over collagen-1 expression at all evaluated time intervals, except in the uninjured part of the dermis. In conclusion, rat skin wound healing is a dynamic process which can serve as a model for studying phenomena such as cell-cell interactions and transitions in vivo.


Author(s):  
Wallace Marshall ◽  
David Agard ◽  
John Sedat

Analysis of the three-dimensional organization of chromosomes within the nucleus has revealed a number of characteristic structural features. Yet imaging of living nuclei indicate that chromosomes undergo considerable random motion. Maintenance of nuclear organization in the face of such motion is thought to involve the attachment of chromosomes to the nuclear envelope or matrix. Yet while such attachments have been proposed to play a variety of functional roles as well as maintain nuclear organization, direct evidence for the existence of these mechanical interactions in vivo has been lacking. One way to demonstrate such attachment directly would be to estimate the motion of chromosomes and attempt thereby to demonstrate the presence of fixed points, which would indicate attachment of chromatin to some fixed superstructure.We have previously presented a motion estimation algorithm that is designed for tracking the motion of nonrigid and featureless objects such as chromosomes. This algorithm starts with a structural representation for the set of chromosomes at each time point, and then finds a correspondence between elements of the representations at successive time points.


Development ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-224
Author(s):  
Colin A. B. Jahoda ◽  
Roy F. Oliver

Parallel cultures of adult rat vibrissa dermal papilla cells and skin fibroblasts revealed differences between the two cell types with respect to a number of criteria. In particular the dermal papilla cells demonstrated a distinctive single cell morphology, and at confluence formed cell aggregates radically different from regular fibroblast multilayering and patterning. This finding confirmed repeated observations of papilla cell clumping in short-term culture. The dermal papilla cells which are mitotically quiescent in situ were also shown to have a lower proliferative capacity than the skin fibroblasts. The affinity shown by papilla cells towards each other in culture reflected the behaviour demonstrated by isolated dermal papillae transplanted into ear dermis and into the collagenous capsule of the vibrissa follicle. In the absence of epidermal contact the papilla cells remained as recognizable rounded aggregates for the experimental period of up to nine months. Synthesis of extracellular material typical of that seen in situ was observed, particularly during the first weeks following transplantation. The collective behaviour of the dermal papilla cells revealed in this study may be significant for the morphogenetic activity of the papilla, and for papilla size during the hair cycle. It may also reflect the retention of embryonic-like properties by the dermal component of adult hair follicles.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 2271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Rahman ◽  
Zarrin Basharat ◽  
Muhammad Yousuf ◽  
Giuseppe Castaldo ◽  
Luca Rastrelli ◽  
...  

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused about 2 million infections and is responsible for more than 100,000 deaths worldwide. To date, there is no specific drug registered to combat the disease it causes, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the current study, we used an in silico approach to screen natural compounds to find potent inhibitors of the host enzyme transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). This enzyme facilitates viral particle entry into host cells, and its inhibition blocks virus fusion with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This, in turn, restricts SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. A three-dimensional structure of TMPRSS2 was built using SWISS-MODEL and validated by RAMPAGE. The natural compounds library Natural Product Activity and Species Source (NPASS), containing 30,927 compounds, was screened against the target protein. Two techniques were used in the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) for this purpose, i.e., a ligand-based pharmacophore approach and a molecular docking-based screening. In total, 2140 compounds with pharmacophoric features were retained using the first approach. Using the second approach, 85 compounds with molecular docking comparable to or greater than that of the standard inhibitor (camostat mesylate) were identified. The top 12 compounds with the most favorable structural features were studied for physicochemical and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) properties. The low-molecular-weight compound NPC306344 showed significant interaction with the active site residues of TMPRSS2, with a binding energy score of −14.69. Further in vitro and in vivo validation is needed to study and develop an anti-COVID-19 drug based on the structures of the most promising compounds identified in this study.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (5) ◽  
pp. C1385-C1398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leoni A. Kunz-Schughart ◽  
Josef A. Schroeder ◽  
Marit Wondrak ◽  
Frank van Rey ◽  
Karla Lehle ◽  
...  

The development of vessel-like structures in vitro to mimic as well as to realize the possibility of tissue-engineered small vascular networks presents a major challenge to cell biologists and biotechnologists. We aimed to establish a three-dimensional (3-D) culture system with an endothelial network that does not require artificial substrates or ECM compounds. By using human skin fibroblasts and endothelial cells (ECs) from the human umbilical vein (HUVECs) in diverse spheroid coculture strategies, we verified that fibroblast support and modulate EC migration, viability, and network formation in a 3-D tissue-like stromal environment. In mixed spheroid cultures consisting of human ECs and fibroblasts, a complex 3-D network with EC tubular structures, lumen formation, pinocytotic activity, and tight junction complexes has been identified on the basis of immunohistochemical and transmission electron microscopic imaging. Tubular networks with extensions up to 400 μm were achieved. When EC suspensions were used, EC migration and network formation were critically affected by the status of the fibroblast. However, the absence of EC migration into the center of 14-day, but not 3-day, precultured fibroblast spheroids could not be attributed to loss of F viability. In parallel, it was also confirmed that migrated ECs that entered cluster-like formations became apoptotic, whereas the majority of those forming vessel-like structures remained viable for >8 days. Our protocols allow us to study the nature of tubule formation in a manner more closely related to the in vivo situation as well as to understand the basis for the integration of capillary networks in tissue grafts and develop methods of quantifying the amount of angiogenesis in spheroids using fibroblast and other cells isolated from the same patient, along with ECs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 289 (3) ◽  
pp. 1675-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Sayed ◽  
Mohamed A. Ghazy ◽  
Ari J. S. Ferreira ◽  
João C. Setubal ◽  
Felipe S. Chambergo ◽  
...  

A unique combination of physicochemical conditions prevails in the lower convective layer (LCL) of the brine pool at Atlantis II (ATII) Deep in the Red Sea. With a maximum depth of over 2000 m, the pool is characterized by acidic pH (5.3), high temperature (68 °C), salinity (26%), low light levels, anoxia, and high concentrations of heavy metals. We have established a metagenomic dataset derived from the microbial community in the LCL, and here we describe a gene for a novel mercuric reductase, a key component of the bacterial detoxification system for mercuric and organomercurial species. The metagenome-derived gene and an ortholog from an uncultured soil bacterium were synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli. The properties of their products show that, in contrast to the soil enzyme, the ATII-LCL mercuric reductase is functional in high salt, stable at high temperatures, resistant to high concentrations of Hg2+, and efficiently detoxifies Hg2+in vivo. Interestingly, despite the marked functional differences between the orthologs, their amino acid sequences differ by less than 10%. Site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes, in conjunction with three-dimensional modeling, have identified distinct structural features that contribute to extreme halophilicity, thermostability, and high detoxification capacity, suggesting that these were acquired independently during the evolution of this enzyme. Thus, our work provides fundamental structural insights into a novel protein that has undergone multiple biochemical and biophysical adaptations to promote the survival of microorganisms that reside in the extremely demanding environment of the ATII-LCL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengjun Yang ◽  
Xiaohong Hu ◽  
Lina Zhou ◽  
Yaxiong He ◽  
Xiaorong Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epidermal stem cells (EpSCs) that reside in cutaneous hair follicles and the basal layer of the epidermis are indispensable for wound healing and skin homeostasis. Little is known about the effects of photochemical activation on EpSC differentiation, proliferation and migration during wound healing. The present study aimed to determine the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on wound healing in vivo and in vitro. Methods We created mouse full-thickness skin resection models and applied 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) for PDT to the wound beds. Wound healing was analysed by gross evaluation and haematoxylin–eosin staining in vivo. In cultured EpSCs, protein expression was measured using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration was examined using a scratch model; apoptosis and differentiation were measured using flow cytometry. Results PDT accelerated wound closure by enhancing EpSC differentiation, proliferation and migration, thereby promoting re-epithelialization and angiogenesis. PDT inhibited inflammatory infiltration and expression of proinflammatory cytokines, whereas the secretion of growth factors was greater than in other groups. The proportion of transient amplifying cells was significantly greater in vivo and in vitro in the PDT groups. EpSC migration was markedly enhanced after ALA-induced PDT. Conclusions Topical ALA-induced PDT stimulates wound healing by enhancing re-epithelialization, promoting angiogenesis as well as modulating skin homeostasis. This work provides a preliminary theoretical foundation for the clinical administration of topical ALA-induced PDT in skin wound healing.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukta Sharma ◽  
Anupama Mittal ◽  
Aarti Singh ◽  
Ashwin K. Jainarayanan ◽  
Swapnil Sharma ◽  
...  

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD), the most widespread cause of dementia is delineated by progressive cognitive impairment in the elderly people. During its progression, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor antagonists are known to play a key role in the mechanisms of learning and memory. Extensive side effects alongside other effects on learning and memory have limited the therapeutic significance of various blockers and antagonists of the NMDA receptor. In this study, we identify potential compounds targeted against NMDA. In order to reveal the essential structural features for NMDA receptor, three-dimensional pharmacophore models are constructed based on a set of known NMDA inhibitors. This is followed by virtual screening which results in novel chemical compounds having the potential to inhibit NMDA. The lead compounds are then subjected to molecular docking and assessed by a scoring function, which results in two compounds with high Libdock scores. These compounds also show interactions with important residues at the active site. The compounds are shortlisted on the basis of high estimated activity, fit values, LibDock score, no violation to Lipinski’s and availability for procuring.Of the shortlisted compounds, one compound satisfying the entire aforementioned criterion is further tested using in-vivo studies on mice with the help of an eight-arm radial maze. The pharmacophore-based virtual screening protocol presented in this study pave the way forward to address the unmet medical need of Alzheimer disease.


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