Calcium phosphate thin films enhance the response of human mesenchymal stem cells to nanostructured titanium surfaces

The development of biomaterial surfaces possessing the topographical cues that can promote mesenchymal stem cell recruitment and, in particular, those capable of subsequently directing osteogenic differentiation is of increasing importance for the advancement of tissue engineering. While it is accepted that it is the interaction with specific nanoscale topography that induces mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, the potential for an attendant bioactive chemistry working in tandem with such nanoscale features to enhance this effect has not been considered to any great extent. This article presents a study of mesenchymal stem cell response to conformal bioactive calcium phosphate thin films sputter deposited onto a polycrystalline titanium nanostructured surface with proven capability to directly induce osteogenic differentiation in human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells. The sputter deposited surfaces supported high levels of human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cell adherence and proliferation, as determined by DNA quantification. Furthermore, they were also found to be capable of directly promoting significant levels of osteogenic differentiation. Specifically, alkaline phosphatase activity, gene expression and immunocytochemical localisation of key osteogenic markers revealed that the nanostructured titanium surfaces and the bioactive calcium phosphate coatings could direct the differentiation towards an osteogenic lineage. Moreover, the addition of the calcium phosphate chemistry to the topographical profile of the titanium was found to induce increased human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cell differentiation compared to that observed for either the titanium or calcium phosphate coating without an underlying nanostructure. Hence, the results presented here highlight that a clear benefit can be achieved from a surface engineering strategy that combines a defined surface topography with an attendant, conformal bioactive chemistry to enhance the direct osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells

Reducing Reoffending Research Project: Action Learning Set 3

The ambition of ALS1 and ALS2 had been to showcase the integrated criminal justice practice operating in The Hague (Netherlands) and Knowsley (Merseyside, UK) respectively. With ALS3 the emphasis shifted to explore the capacity to import some of the examples of good/best practice - taken from Dutch and UK partners - into the Italian context. The Life Change Programme (LCP), developed and currently delivered by MALS Merseyside, has been previously identified as mode of working that can be introduced into the work the European Research Institute currently undertakes. However, a key objective of ALS3 was to raise collective awareness of the operation of the criminal justice system in Italy more generally so that delegates can make more realistic assessments of the potential for integrating different and innovative ways of working to reducing reoffending

Reducing Reoffending Research Project: Action Learning Set 5

The penultimate Action Learning Set (ALS) saw a return to The Hague and a city where the first gathering of partners was staged. With the venues of the 5th and 6th ALSs switched to allow the Life Change Programme in Italy the opportunity to fully bed itself in and recruit more participants the emphasis here was about allowing partners to delve deeper into the workings of the Safety House structure(s) in The Hague and provide opportunities for shared learning. With this objective in mind the emphasis was on showcasing Safety House projects that seek to reduce reoffending behaviour

Reducing Reoffending Research Project: Action Learning Set 4

The agenda for Action Learning Set 4 was ambitious, forward-facing, and embedded in sharing and thinking about working practice. It started with an observation of the LifeChange Programme and ended with members of the Dutch delegation meeting with local Police and Security officials discussing approaches to tackling football violence and religious extremism, and in-between there was much detailed reflection on progress. With the project closer to its conclusion now than its commencement, as the day developed the emphasis really shifted towards the project outcomes, measures of impact, and the roles of partners in playing their part(s) in achieving these end goal

European Reoffending Research Project: Action Learning Set 2

The objectives of the Knowsley based ALS 2 were threefold; firstly, for partners to reflect on emergent questions form the previous ALS; secondly, for hosts Knowsley to showcase the work of local criminal justice partners; and, thirdly to focus specifically on the (potential and real) use of mentoring and of the work of MALS (Mentoring Achieve Learn Support) Merseyside in particular. As a consequence the morning was taken up by presentations from representatives of each international partner - ensuring delegates were able to get a clearer sense of the respective offending profiles of the three areas - whilst a series of detailed insights from representatives from Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Merseyside Police, and Merseyside Probation Trust identified some of the partnership and innovative work to tackle re-offending being conducted in the Knowsley area. Electronic copies of these presentations are available and paper copies were produced for those in attendance, for this reason the commentary provided in this report (section 2) will summarise their key themes and identify the issues raised from the floor. The third objective of the ALS – to explore the potential of mentoring schemes – shaped the afternoon session(s) and emerged as the key theme to define the day’s learning/discussion. A presentation by the MALS team outlining their organisation’s origins, aims, and ambition(s) bolstered by drawing upon case studies to highlight tangible challenges in the delivery of mentoring provision gave the ALS real focus. In summarising the MALS presentation and drawing together the different strands of the wide ranging and stimulating questions/discussions that followed, section 3 of the report provides delegates with a snapshot of working practice to explore, reflect upon, and engage with. The presentation gave a real momentum to the discussion groups that followed that had as their aims the potential for exporting the MALS model to International partners and of then exploring the dilemmas and challenges raised by using such innovative interventions. Section 4 analyses and orders the emergent themes from these discussions and Section 5 teases out the very explicit questions for partners to confront. By way of conclusion section 6 of the report maps out some of the themes that have emerged from the first two ALSs that our next ALS will need to engage with