Cellular Technologies in Traumatology: From Cells to Tissue Engineering

Injuries and degenerative changes of tendons are common damages of the musculoskeletal system. Due to its hypovascular character the tendon has a limited natural ability to recover. For typical surgical treatment, the tendon integrity is restored, but in most cases, there occurs formation of the connective tissue scar resulting in structural and mechanical functionality disruption. The insufficient effectiveness of traditional therapy methods requires the search for alternative ways to restore damaged tendon tissues. This article discusses new effective methods for improving the treatment that base on the use of cellular technologies among which one of the main directions is mesenchymal stem cell application. Due to mesenchymal stem cells, there is a shift from pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory reactions of cells to pro-regenerative ones. Stem cells being multipotent and having among other things tenogenic potential are considered a promising material for repairing damaged tendons. The article also describes the sources of progenitor tendon cells including the tendon bundles and pericytes the main markers of which are Scx and Mkx that are proteins of the transcription factor superfamily, and Tnmd that is transmembrane glycoprotein.The growth factors that not only enhance the proliferative activity of mesenchymal stem cells but also promote in vitro tenogenic genes expression as well as the collagen Itype production what is necessary for tendon formation are considered. Along with growth factors, the morphogenetic protein BMP14 is presented, this protein increases themesenchymal stem cell proliferation and contributes directed tenogenic differentiation of these cells, suppressing their adipogenic and chondrogenic potentials.In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells have been used both separately and in combination with various growth factors and different three-dimensional structures providing the interaction with all of the cell types.The issues of the latest 3D-bioprinting technology allowing to make tissue-like structures for replacement damaged tissues and organs are discussed. 3D-bioprinting technology is known to allow acting exact spatio-temporal control of the distribution of cells, growth factors, small molecules, drugs and biologically active substances

Natural components as the structure of hydrogels for cellular therapy and tissue engineering

Hydrogels are a class of dimensional hydrophylic polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water. Natural and synthetic components can serve as a material for the hydrogel production. Hydrogels have unique physico-chemical properties, which are determined by the material composition and concentration, its density, crosslinking methods, and production approaches. This review article describes natural materials used for the production of hydrogels having different properties. The natural components of hydrogels are collagen, elastin, gelatin, chitosan, dextran, hyaluronic acid, alginate, silk fibroin and glycosaminoglycans. These components are considered biodegradable and biocompatible, since they do not have a toxic effect on tissues. Natural materials provide good cell adhesion, the spread of bioactive signals as well as they affect the behavior of cells in vitro and in vivo. To obtain hydrogels, physical and chemical methods of crosslinking are used, which determine the properties of the final product. Also, hydrogels can be further modified by various active molecules, growth factors that increase their biological functionality. To date, hydrogels made of natural materials are widely used in ophthalmology, neurosurgery, in the treatment of skin wounds, in various cardiovascular pathologies, in restoring the volume of circulating blood, some cartilage defects, targeted delivery of pharmacological drugs, active molecules, etc. Thus, hydrogels produced from natural components are an extremely promising material for cellular technologies and tissue engineering

The Role of Lysosomes in the Cancer Progression: Focus on the Extracellular Matrix Degradation

Lysosomes are multifunctional cell organelles that not only provide degradation of macromolecules by lumenal acid hydrolases, but also contribute in the regulation of cell metabolism, ion homeostasis maintenance, and programmed cell death induction. The study of this compartment in various pathological conditions, including the oncological diseases by different origins is of particular interest. This article discusses the lysosome involvement in the process of malignant cell transformation, as well as the role of these organelles in the tumor cell metastasis mediated by proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular matrix components. Metabolic and morphological changes of cells during oncogenesis lead to pHdependent redistribution of lysosomes within the  cell, accompanied by the secretion of lysosomal proteases cathepsins into the extracellular space. Cysteine, serine, and arginine cathepsins released by both tumor cells and tumor-associated cells catalyze the cleavage of various components of the extracellular matrix and basement membrane, or proteolytically activate other enzymes also involved in this  process. In this instance, lysosomal proteases directly affect the ability of cells to invade and the metastatic potential of tumor formation. In addition, it was demonstrated the prognostic importance of some cathepsins (especially cathepsins B, K, and D) the number and activity of which in the tumor tissue and its microenvironment are associated with malignancy of the formation, as well as with a poor prognosis for patient survival and with the possibility of recurrences

Cellular Technologies in Traumatology: from Cells to Tissue Engineering

Severe injuries of the musculoskeletal system with damage of bone and cartilaginous tissue are associated with the necessity to find ways for replacement of defects. Current methods of treatment including the usage of autografts and modern synthetic materials are often not effective enough. The article deals with the prospects for developing the new areas in the traumatological pathology treatment based on the cell technologies application. Both medical and ethical aspects of the cell technology usage and the utilizing various sources of cell material for transplantation are discussed in detail. Special attention is devoted to application of the mesenchymal stem cells as  the most suitable material for bone and cartilage repair. These cells possess the properties of multipotent stem cells that can adhere to plastic surfaces, differentiate into various cells, including chondroblasts, osteoblasts, and migrate to the damaged area. It is shown that the number and biological characteristics of the isolated cells depend on the tissue, the cell isolation method, and the culture medium. During the cultivation of mesenchymal  stem cells, the true marker of which is Stro-1, it is necessary to monitor the duration and number of passages, because these values are inversely correlated with the differentiating potential of cells, and spontaneous transformation according to oncogenic pathway may occur. Thus, mesenchymal stem cells represent a current material for the reconstruction of hard tissues. Despite ethical and technological problems, cell technologies are a promising approach in regenerative medicine

Assessment of Potential Cytotoxicity During Vital Observation at the BioStation CT

In recent decades, the methods based on the cell technologies have become more relevant for medical and pharmaceutical research. In this paper, weconsidered the BioStation CT using for continuous in vivo observation of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cell culture under the influence of two active substances in different concentrations (from 1.25 to 20 mg/l). As a result of the carcinoma cells condition monitoring for 4.5 days it was shown that substance No 2 does not affect the cell viability while substance No 1 causes the carcinoma cell death, and this active substance effect is dose-dependent. Photodocumentation at two-hour intervals allowed us to research differences in the rate of cell destruction (intensive disintegration in the first day with further stabilization of the living cells number or gradual cell death throughout the experiment), as well as differences in the time of 50 % mortality reaching. Thus in the study it was demonstrated that due to the fact that the BioStation CT combines the properties of a CO2 -incubator and a microscope this device is promising for toxicological studies and significantly expands the detection possibilities of processes occurring with living cells for a sufficiently long time period making possible further analysis of the cell behavior characteristics throughout the experiment, and that is fundamentally different from the systems allowing only the final result fixation of long-term active substance exposure

Greener Method to Obtain a Key Intermediate of Vitamin E over Cu-ZSM-5

The catalytic oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol was performed over transition metals modified ZSM-5 zeolites employing hydrogen peroxide as oxidant under mild reaction conditions. Catalysts samples were characterized by several techniques (XRD, FTIR, BET, AA) and cristallinity and orthorhombic symmetry were confirmed for all of them. Best catalytic results were obtained for Cu-ZSM-5 sample, so further activity studies were done over this material. 2,3,5-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone was obtained as the main product of the selective oxidation. Reaction parameters (nature of the solvent, hydrogen peroxide concentration, reaction time, catalyst mass, substrate initial concentration and reaction temperature) were evaluated to reach the optimum reaction conditions. According to the obtained results, an apparent activation energy of 52.33 kJ/mol was calculated.Fil: Saux, Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Renzini, Maria Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Pierella, Liliana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; Argentin

Strategies and challenges of social work with internally displaced persons

Автори статті розглядають проблеми внутрішньо переміщених осіб, описують міжнародний та вітчизняний досвід роботи з ними, наводять ключові інтервенції у соціальній роботі з внутрішньо переміщеними особами. Наголошено, що система соціальної підтримки таких осіб має будуватися на ідеалах професійної соціальної роботи: імпауерменті, активізації та звільненні від потреби у соціальних працівниках.In Ukraine, one of the new challenges for social work, which itself is a relatively new kind of professional activity, has become an emergence of the internally displaced persons (further in text – IDPs). The purpose of this article is to identify the key characteristics of social work with internally displaced persons. The research is based on the analysis of national and international legal documents, statistical data and semi-structured interviews with the representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations that provide services for internally displaced persons. The authors of the article consider the problems and needs of internally displaced persons, describe international and national work experience with them and suggest key interventions in social work with IDPs. Modern social work comes from the fact that the displacement violates social ecology of human, causes deprivation, social exclusion, increases the risk of violence and the emergence of psychological “catch of dependency” and so on. In working with IDPs, social workers can use short-term (crisis intervention, outreach work, task-oriented model of social work) and long-term intervention strategies focused on system-ecological model of social work and community development. The conducted research revealed that public social services have very few professionals with the appropriate training level of modern social work, who have a repertoire of techniques needed for effective crisis intervention and have skills for cases of force majeure conditions. And volunteer organizations that actively started to be involved in helping the internally displaced people, have lack of a systematic approach and qualified professionals. The article emphasizes that social support system of such persons should be based on the ideals of professional social work: empowerment, activation and release of the need for social workers.Авторы статьи рассматривают проблемы внутренне перемещенных лиц, описывают международный и отечественный опыт работы с ними, приводят ключевые интервенции в социальной работе с внутренне перемещенными лицами. Отмечается, что система социальной поддержки таких лиц должна строиться на идеалах профессиональной социальной работы: импауэрменте, активизации и освобождении от потребности в социальных работниках

Application of meso-CF3-Fluorophore BODIPY with Phenyl and Pyrazolyl Substituents for Lifetime Visualization of Lysosomes

A bright far-red emitting unsymmetrical meso-CF3-BODIPY fluorescent dye with phenyl and pyrazolyl substituents was synthesized by condensation of trifluoropyrrolylethanol with pyrazolyl-pyrrole, with subsequent oxidation and complexation of the formed dipyrromethane. This BODIPY dye exhibits optical absorption at λab ≈ 610–620 nm and emission at λem ≈ 640–650 nm. The BODIPY was studied on Ehrlich carcinoma cells as a lysosome-specific fluorescent dye that allows intravital staining of cell structures with subsequent real-time monitoring of changes occurring in the cells. It was also shown that the rate of uptake by cells, the rate of intracellular transport into lysosomes, and the rate of saturation of cells with the dye depend on its concentration in the culture medium. A concentration of 5 μM was chosen as the most suitable BODIPY concentration for fluorescent staining of living cell lysosomes, while a concentration of 100 μM was found to be toxic to Ehrlich carcinoma cells