In situ enabling approaches for tissue regeneration: Current challenges and new developments

This work was supported by National Funds from the FCT, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through the projects UID/Multi/50016/2019, UID/Multi/04044/2019, and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-31146, a post-doctoral fellowship to SB-S (SFRH/BPD/116024/2016), the European Union through PT2020 and Centro2020 (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000014 and POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024533), the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) through the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000012 (Biotherapies – Structured Programme on Bioengineering Therapies for Infectious Diseases and Tissue Regeneration) funded by the NORTE2020 program, and the Interreg V-A POCTEP Program through FEDER funds from the European Union (0245_IBEROS_1_E).In situ tissue regeneration can be defined as the implantation of tissue-specific biomaterials (by itself or in combination with cells and/or biomolecules) at the tissue defect, taking advantage of the surrounding microenvironment as a natural bioreactor. Up to now, the structures used were based on particles or gels. However, with the technological progress, the materials’ manipulation and processing has become possible, mimicking the damaged tissue directly at the defect site. This paper presents a comprehensive review of current and advanced in situ strategies for tissue regeneration. Recent advances to put in practice the in situ regeneration concept have been mainly focused on bioinks and bioprinting techniques rather than the combination of different technologies to make the real in situ regeneration. The limitation of conventional approaches (e.g., stem cell recruitment) and their poor ability to mimic native tissue are discussed. Moreover, the way of advanced strategies such as 3D/4D bioprinting and hybrid approaches may contribute to overcome the limitations of conventional strategies are highlighted. Finally, the future trends and main research challenges of in situ enabling approaches are discussed considering in vitro and in vivo evidence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) degradation: An in vitro and in vivo study

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through the following projects: CDRSP: UIDB/04044/2020, UIDP/04044/2020 and MARE: UIDB/04292/2020 and UIDP/04292/2020. This study was also supported by PAMI-ROTEIRO/0328/2013 (No. 022158), MATIS (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000014-3362), SpinningTNT (POCI-01-02B7-FEDER-069285), and the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET.Polycaprolactone (PCL) is widely used in tissue engineering due to its interesting properties, namely biocompatibility, biodegradability, elastic nature, availability, cost efficacy, and the approval of health authorities such as the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The PCL degradation rate is not the most adequate for specific applications such as skin regeneration due to the hydrophobic nature of bulk PCL. However, PCL electrospun fiber meshes, due to their low diameters resulting in high surface area, are expected to exhibit a fast degradation rate. In this work, in vitro and in vivo degradation studies were performed over 90 days to evaluate the potential of electrospun PCL as a wound dressing. Enzymatic and hydrolytic degradation studies in vitro, performed in a static medium, demonstrated the influence of lipase, which promoted a rate of degradation of 97% for PCL meshes. In an in vivo scenario, the degradation was slower, although the samples were not rejected, and were well-integrated in the surrounding tissues inside the subcutaneous pockets specifically created.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Editorial: Advances in biofabrication for skin regeneration

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In situ enabling approaches for tissue regeneration: current challenges and new developments

In situ tissue regeneration can be defined as the implantation of tissue-specific biomaterials (by itself or in combination with cells and/or biomolecules) at the tissue defect, taking advantage of the surrounding microenvironment as a natural bioreactor. Up to now, the structures used were based on particles or gels. However, with the technological progress, the materials’ manipulation and processing has become possible, mimicking the damaged tissue directly at the defect site. This paper presents a comprehensive review of current and advanced in situ strategies for tissue regeneration. Recent advances to put in practice the in situ regeneration concept have been mainly focused on bioinks and bioprinting techniques rather than the combination of different technologies to make the real in situ regeneration. The limitation of conventional approaches (e.g., stem cell recruitment) and their poor ability to mimic native tissue are discussed. Moreover, the way of advanced strategies such as 3D/4D bioprinting and hybrid approaches may contribute to overcome the limitations of conventional strategies are highlighted. Finally, the future trends and main research challenges of in situ enabling approaches are discussed considering in vitro and in vivo evidence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fast decellularization process using supercritical carbon dioxide for trabecular bone

Decellularization is a process that consists on the removal of immunogenic cellular material from a tissue, so that it can be safely implanted as a functional and bioactive scaffold. Most decellularization protocols rely on the use of harsh chemicals and very long washing processes, leading to severe changes in the ultrastructure and loss of mechanical integrity. To tackle these challenges, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is herein proposed as an alternative methodology for assisting decellularization of porcine trabecular bone tissue and is combined, for the first time, with Tri(n-butyl) phosphate (TnBP). Histological and DNA analysis revealed that both TnBP and scCO2 were able to extract the DNA content from the scaffolds, being this effect more pronounced in treatments that used TnBP as a co-solvent. The combined protocol led to a decrease in DNA content by at least 90%, demon- strating the potential of this methodology and opening new possibilities for future optimizations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ColabSaber: A pedagogical support framework in the collaborative construction of knowledge / ColabSaber: Uma estrutura pedagógica de apoio na construção colaborativa do conhecimento

This paper proposes the ColabSaber Framework, which aims to change the traditional format of lecture-based classes with the use of the learning principles defended by Vygotsky, such as language, culture and social interaction. ColabSaber uses the fundamentals of Group Storytelling as educational support for elementary school students. This paper points out the importance of the collaborative construction of comic books as an intermediate support in the traditional teaching-learning process, also considering the technological advances and the ease of students in handling new technologies. As a result, the article concludes a significant improvement in the academic performance of the participating students and a motivational element of the academic engagement of the participating students

Chaotic itinerancy, temporal segmentation and spatio-temporal combinatorial codes

We study a deterministic dynamics with two time scales in a continuous state attractor network. To the usual (fast) relaxation dynamics towards point attractors (``patterns'') we add a slow coupling dynamics that makes the visited patterns to loose stability leading to an itinerant behavior in the form of punctuated equilibria. One finds that the transition frequency matrix between patterns shows non-trivial statistical properties in the chaotic itinerant regime. We show that mixture input patterns can be temporally segmented by the itinerant dynamics. The viability of a combinatorial spatio-temporal neural code is also demonstrated

Controle alternativo de Mycosphaerella fragariae na cultura de morango orgânico(Fragaria vesca).

A mancha das folhas ou micosferela causada pelo fungo Mycosphaerella fragariae é uma das mais severas e prejudiciais doenças na produção de morango. Este trabalho tem como objetivo a busca de alternativas viáveis e eficientes para o manejo ecológico da cultura de morango em pesquisa participativa desenvolvida no Sítio São José, , Botucatu - SP, Brasil. O desenho experimental foi de blocos ao acaso com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos foram 1) Água; 2) Preparado de Equisetum arvense; 3) Preparado de Equisetum hyemale; 4) Preparado de Equisetum giganteum; 5) Preparado homeopático de Equisetum hyemale, D28); 6) Preparado biodinâmico 501; 7) Calda bordalesa, a 1%. Todos os tratamentos foram eficazes no controle de micosferela, em relação a água, mostrando sua efetividade contra esta doença.Os tratamentos com preparados de E. hyemale e biodinâmico 501 apresentaram menor número de manchas nas folhas em todas as avaliações realizadas

Coleção de culturas de microbiologia agrícola da UFLA (CCMA-UFLA): da requalificação à certificação baseada na ISO 9001:2008

A Coleção de Culturas de Microbiologia Agrícola da Universidade Federal de Lavras (CCMA-UFLA) é uma coleção de culturas de microrganismos sediada no Laboratório de Microbiologia das Fermentações da UFLA. A CCMA-UFLA possui um acervo de mais de 4000 culturas de leveduras, fungos filamentosos e bactérias, isolados principalmente de café, cacau, silagem, frutos do cerrado e bebidas indígenas. Ao longo dos últimos 16 anos em funções, a CCMA-UFLA atua como uma infraestrutura universitária com a missão de aceitar depósitos, preservar e fornecer linhagens de microrganismos, bem como as informações associadas para fins de pesquisa e ensino em microbiologia agrícola e áreas afins. A CCMA-UFLA atua, a nível global sob regulamentações nacionais e internacionais, como uma unidade baseada no conhecimento, cooperando com instituições nacionais e estrangeiras. Considerando o panorama mundial que aponta para necessidade de reforço e modificações dos centros de recursos biológicos, conforme descrito no relatório da OCDE, Biological Resource Centres – Underpinning the Future of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, a CCMA-UFLA iniciou o processo de requalificação do seu acervo de microrganismos visando a implementação do sistema de gestão da qualidade (SGQ) baseado na ISO 9001:2008. Este processo tem sido desenvolvido em articulação com a Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM), que é uma coleção de fungos filamentosos de referência internacional, já certificada por este referencial normativo. O presente trabalho pretende trazer a público os últimos avanços no planejamento e ações realizadas neste âmbito de requalificação/certificação da CCMA-UFLA

Transcriptome analysis of Taenia solium cysticerci using Open reading Frame ESTS (ORESTES)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human infection by the pork tapeworm <it>Taenia solium </it>affects more than 50 million people worldwide, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries. Cysticercosis which arises from larval encystation can be life threatening and difficult to treat. Here, we investigate for the first time the transcriptome of the clinically relevant cysticerci larval form.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) produced by the ORESTES method, a total of 1,520 high quality ESTs were generated from 20 ORESTES cDNA mini-libraries and its analysis revealed fragments of genes with promising applications including 51 ESTs matching antigens previously described in other species, as well as 113 sequences representing proteins with potential extracellular localization, with obvious applications for immune-diagnosis or vaccine development.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The set of sequences described here will contribute to deciphering the expression profile of this important parasite and will be informative for the genome assembly and annotation, as well as for studies of intra- and inter-specific sequence variability. Genes of interest for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools are described and discussed.</p