High-risk corneal allografts : A therapeutic challenge

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Cornea regeneration as an alternative to human donor transplantation

There is a need for an alternative to human donor corneas as the availability of good-quality tissues remains limited, with this situation potentially worsening as the population in many countries is progressively ageing. There have been numerous attempts to develop corneal equivalent as alternatives to donated human corneas as well as prostheses. In this short review, we focus on the efforts in bioengineering implants that promote regeneration by Canadian researchers, including our current team of authors. The examples of technologies developed that we describe include biomaterials that allow for partial regeneration of corneal tissue, self-assembled cornea constructs and cell-free corneal implants that promoted regeneration when evaluated in clinical trials in Europe

Quasi-static imaged-based immersed boundary-finite element model of human left ventricle in diastole

SUMMARY: Finite stress and strain analyses of the heart provide insight into the biomechanics of myocardial function and dysfunction. Herein, we describe progress toward dynamic patient-specific models of the left ventricle using an immersed boundary (IB) method with a finite element (FE) structural mechanics model. We use a structure-based hyperelastic strain-energy function to describe the passive mechanics of the ventricular myocardium, a realistic anatomical geometry reconstructed from clinical magnetic resonance images of a healthy human heart, and a rule-based fiber architecture. Numerical predictions of this IB/FE model are compared with results obtained by a commercial FE solver. We demonstrate that the IB/FE model yields results that are in good agreement with those of the conventional FE model under diastolic loading conditions, and the predictions of the LV model using either numerical method are shown to be consistent with previous computational and experimental data. These results are among the first to analyze the stress and strain predictions of IB models of ventricular mechanics, and they serve both to verify the IB/FE simulation framework and to validate the IB/FE model. Moreover, this work represents an important step toward using such models for fully dynamic fluid–structure interaction simulations of the heart

Advances in Biomaterials for Corneal Regeneration

The human cornea acts as a protective covering for the eye and plays an important role in light transmission into the eye for vision. Corneal defects due to trauma, infection, or disease can have detrimental effects on the vision, and severe cases lead to vision loss. Twenty-three million people are estimated to be affected by corneal blindness worldwide. Treatment involves corneal transplantation surgery, but there is a severe shortage of donor corneas worldwide. Furthermore, patients with severe pathologies risk rejecting conventional corneal transplantation, thus leaving them untreated. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new therapies to replace traditional corneal transplant surgery. This review focuses on recent potential biomaterials development for corneal regeneration and repair. It includes cell-based therapies, cell-free regeneration-inducing biomaterials, and injectable or in-situ gelation-based biomaterials for patients with a high risk of graft failure. It also consists of the emerging role of exosomes and extracellular vesicles in corneal infections and regeneration

Tendencies of globalization of development of international tourism

Проаналізовано сучасні тенденції розвитку міжнародного туризму як провідного сегмента світового ринку, однієї із найважливіших складових процесу глобалізації. Визначено передумови глобалізації світового туристичного ринку, окреслено перспективи розвитку системи міжнародного туризму в сучасних умовах. Зміст міжнародного туризму як економічної категорії представлено як функціональну спрямованість його впливу на формування сучасної глобальної економічної системи, що проявляється в єдності його функцій.In the article modern progress of international tourism trends are analysed as a leading world market segment, one of major constituents of process of globalization. Pre-conditions of globalization of world tourist market are certain, the prospects of development of the system of international tourism are outlined in modern terms. The table of contents of international tourism as an economic category is presented as a functional orientation of his influence on forming of the modern global economic system that shows up in unity of his functions. Passing of international tourism to the global stage of the development was caused by the specific of the market state of affairs of the concrete historical stage, aspiring of large tourist companies to minimization of prime price of tourist package and increase of guarantees of grant of the announced tourist services of the proper quality; and also by the height of investment attractiveness of tourist business as a result of mass character of international tourism and increase of effect of scale in him. Global international tourism certainly as the socio-economic phenomenon that depends already not on domestic, but from external factors, maintenance and quantity of that determined by a global world concord the members of that are related to each other in all spheres of public life, including an economy, policy, ideology, culture, social sphere, ecology, safety. By the basic components of globalization of international tourism following: expansion of international economic connections in a tourist production, increase of internationalization of factors of tourist production, distribution of multinationals corporations in tourist business

A finite strain nonlinear human mitral valve model with fluid structure interaction

A simulated human mitral valve under a physiological pressure loading is developed using a hybrid finite element immersed boundary method, which incorporates experimentally based constitutive laws in a three-dimensional fluid-structure interaction framework. A transversely isotropic material constitutive model is used for characterizing the mechanical behaviour of the mitral valve tissue based on recent mechanical tests of healthy human mitral leaflets. Our results show good agreement, in terms of the flow rate and the closing and opening configurations, with the measurements from the magnetic resonance images. The stresses in the anterior leaflet are found to be higher than those in the posterior leaflet, and concentrated around the annulus trigons and free edges of the valve leaflets. Those areas are located where the leaflet has the highest curvature. Effects of the chordae tendineae in the material model are studied and the results show that these chordae play an important role in providing a secondary orifice for the flow when valve opens. Although there are some discrepancies to be overcome in future works, our simulations show that the developed computational model is promising in mimicking the in vivo mitral valve dynamics and providing important information that are not obtainable by in vivo measurements. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

TGF‐β1‐activated type 2 dendritic cells promote wound healing and induce fibroblasts to express tenascin c following corneal full‐thickness hydrogel transplantation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the Iain Fraser Flow Cytometry Centre, the Microscopy and Histology Facility, the Quantitative PCR Facility, and the Medical Research Facility at the University of Aberdeen. This work was supported by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK and Saving Sight in Grampian/Development Trust of the University of Aberdeen, UK. Funding Information: Saving Sight in Grampian/Development Trust of the University of Aberdeen, UK Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UKPeer reviewedPostprin

The Quest for Anti-inflammatory and Anti-infective Biomaterials in Clinical Translation.

Biomaterials are now being used or evaluated clinically as implants to supplement the severe shortage of available human donor organs. To date, however, such implants have mainly been developed as scaffolds to promote the regeneration of failing organs due to old age or congenital malformations. In the real world, however, infection or immunological issues often compromise patients. For example, bacterial and viral infections can result in uncontrolled immunopathological damage and lead to organ failure. Hence, there is a need for biomaterials and implants that not only promote regeneration but also address issues that are specific to compromised patients, such as infection and inflammation. Different strategies are needed to address the regeneration of organs that have been damaged by infection or inflammation for successful clinical translation. Therefore, the real quest is for multifunctional biomaterials with combined properties that can combat infections, modulate inflammation, and promote regeneration at the same time. These strategies will necessitate the inclusion of methodologies for management of the cellular and signaling components elicited within the local microenvironment. In the development of such biomaterials, strategies range from the inclusion of materials that have intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties, such as the synthetic lipid polymer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), to silver nanoparticles that have antibacterial properties, to inclusion of nano- and micro-particles in biomaterials composites that deliver active drugs. In this present review, we present examples of both kinds of materials in each group along with their pros and cons. Thus, as a promising next generation strategy to aid or replace tissue/organ transplantation, an integrated smart programmable platform is needed for regenerative medicine applications to create and/or restore normal function at the cell and tissue levels. Therefore, now it is of utmost importance to develop integrative biomaterials based on multifunctional biopolymers and nanosystem for their practical and successful clinical translation

Activation of dendritic cells by crosslinked collagen hydrogels (artificial corneas) varies with their composition

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the Iain Fraser Flow Cytometry Centre, the Microscopy and Histology Facility, and the Medical Research Facility at the University of Aberdeen. This work was supported by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK, and Saving Sight in Grampian/Development Trust of the University of Aberdeen, UK. Funding Information: Saving Sight in Grampian/Development Trust of the University of Aberdeen, UK Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UKPeer reviewedPostprin