12 research outputs found
Proteolytic Nanoparticles Replace a Surgical Blade by Controllably Remodeling the Oral Connective Tissue
Surgical
blades are common medical tools. However, blades cannot
distinguish between healthy and diseased tissue, thereby creating
unnecessary damage, lengthening recovery, and increasing pain. We
propose that surgical procedures can rely on natural tissue remodeling
toolsîženzymes, which are the same tools our body uses to repair
itself. Through a combination of nanotechnology and a controllably
activated proteolytic enzyme, we performed a targeted surgical task
in the oral cavity. More specifically, we engineered nanoparticles
that contain collagenase in a deactivated form. Once placed at the
surgical site, collagenase was released at a therapeutic concentration
and activated by calcium, its biological cofactor that is naturally
present in the tissue. Enhanced periodontal remodeling was recorded
due to enzymatic cleavage of the supracrestal collagen fibers that
connect the teeth to the underlying bone. When positioned in their
new orientation, natural tissue repair mechanisms supported soft and
hard tissue recovery and reduced tooth relapse. Through the combination
of nanotechnology and proteolytic enzymes, localized surgical procedures
can now be less invasive
The dependence of MG63 osteoblast responses to (meth)acrylate-based networks on chemical structure and stiffness
GLP-1-RA Corrects Mitochondrial Labile Iron Accumulation and Improves ÎČ-Cell Function in Type 2 Wolfram Syndrome
Direct and indirect effects of microstructured titanium substrates on the induction of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards the osteoblast lineage
Effects of structural properties of electrospun TiO2 nanofiber meshes on their osteogenic potential
Role of integrin subunits in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and osteoblast maturation on graphitic carbon-coated microstructured surfaces
Laser-Sintered Constructs with Bio-inspired Porosity and Surface Micro/Nano-Roughness Enhance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation and Matrix Mineralization In Vitro
Implant osseointegration and the role of microroughness and nanostructures: Lessons for spine implants
A dormant microbial component in the development of pre-eclampsia
Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex, multisystem disorder that remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. Four main classes of dysregulation accompany PE and are widely considered to contribute to its severity. These are abnormal trophoblast invasion of the placenta, anti-angiogenic responses, oxidative stress, and inflammation. What is lacking, however, is an explanation of how these themselves are caused. We here develop the unifying idea, and the considerable evidence for it, that the originating cause of PE (and of the four classes of dysregulation) is, in fact, microbial infection, that most such microbes are dormant and hence resist detection by conventional (replication-dependent) microbiology, and that by occasional resuscitation and growth it is they that are responsible for all the observable sequelae, including the continuing, chronic inflammation. In particular, bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, are well known as highly inflammagenic and stimulate an innate (and possibly trained) immune response that exacerbates the inflammation further. The known need of microbes for free iron can explain the iron dysregulation that accompanies PE. We describe the main routes of infection (gut, oral, and urinary tract infection) and the regularly observed presence of microbes in placental and other tissues in PE. Every known proteomic biomarker of âpreeclampsiaâ that we assessed has, in fact, also been shown to be raised in response to infection. An infectious component to PE fulfills the Bradford Hill criteria for ascribing a disease to an environmental cause and suggests a number of treatments, some of which have, in fact, been shown to be successful. PE was classically referred to as endotoxemia or toxemia of pregnancy, and it is ironic that it seems that LPS and other microbial endotoxins really are involved. Overall, the recognition of an infectious component in the etiology of PE mirrors that for ulcers and other diseases that were previously considered to lack one