Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 79 in total

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  1. Upregulation of matrix synthesis in chondrocyte-seeded agarose following sustained bi-axial cyclic loading
    Pingguan-Murphy B, Nawi I
    Clinics (Sao Paulo), 2012 Aug;67(8):939-44.
    PMID: 22948463
    OBJECTIVES: The promotion of extracellular matrix synthesis by chondrocytes is a requisite part of an effective cartilage tissue engineering strategy. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of bi-axial cyclic mechanical loading on cell proliferation and the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by chondrocytes in three-dimensional cultures.

    METHOD: A strain comprising 10% direct compression and 1% compressive shear was applied to bovine chondrocytes seeded in an agarose gel during two 12-hour conditioning periods separated by a 12-hour resting period.

    RESULTS: The bi-axial-loaded chondrocytes demonstrated a significant increase in glycosaminoglycan synthesis compared with samples exposed to uni-axial or no loading over the same period (p<0.05). The use of a free-swelling recovery period prior to the loading regime resulted in additional glycosaminoglycan production and a significant increase in DNA content (p<0.05), indicating cell proliferation.

    CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the use of a bi-axial loading regime results in increased matrix production compared with uni-axial loading.

  2. Fulltext Uniaxial Cyclic Tensile Stretching at 8% Strain Exclusively Promotes Tenogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
    Nam HY, Pingguan-Murphy B, Abbas AA, Merican AM, Kamarul T
    Stem Cells Int, 2019;2019:9723025.
    PMID: 30918524 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9723025
    The present study was conducted to establish the amount of mechanical strain (uniaxial cyclic stretching) required to provide optimal tenogenic differentiation expression in human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) in vitro, in view of its potential application for tendon maintenance and regeneration. Methods. In the present study, hMSCs were subjected to 1 Hz uniaxial cyclic stretching for 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours; and were compared to unstretched cells. Changes in cell morphology were observed under light and atomic force microscopy. The tenogenic, osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation potential of hMSCs were evaluated using biochemical assays, extracellular matrix expressions, and selected mesenchyme gene expression markers; and were compared to primary tenocytes. Results. Cells subjected to loading displayed cytoskeletal coarsening, longer actin stress fiber, and higher cell stiffness as early as 6 hours. At 8% and 12% strains, an increase in collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, and N-cadherin production was observed. Tenogenic gene expressions were highly expressed (p < 0.05) at 8% (highest) and 12%, both comparable to tenocytes. In contrast, the osteoblastic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic marker genes appeared to be downregulated. Conclusion. Our study suggests that mechanical loading at 8% strain and 1 Hz provides exclusive tenogenic differentiation; and produced comparable protein and gene expression to primary tenocytes.
  3. Tribological performance of the biological components of synovial fluid in artificial joint implants
    Ghosh S, Choudhury D, Roy T, Moradi A, Masjuki HH, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Sci Technol Adv Mater, 2015 Aug;16(4):045002.
    PMID: 27877822
    The concentration of biological components of synovial fluid (such as albumin, globulin, hyaluronic acid, and lubricin) varies between healthy persons and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of such variation on tribological performance in a simulated hip joint model. The study was carried out experimentally by utilizing a pin-on-disk simulator on ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) and ceramic-on-polyethylene (CoP) hip joint implants. The experimental results show that both friction and wear of artificial joints fluctuate with the concentration level of biological components. Moreover, the performance also varies between material combinations. Wear debris sizes and shapes produced by ceramic and polyethylene were diverse. We conclude that the biological components of synovial fluid and their concentrations should be considered in order to select an artificial hip joint to best suit that patient.
  4. Tribological investigation of diamond-like carbon coated micro-dimpled surface under bovine serum and osteoarthritis oriented synovial fluid
    Ghosh S, Choudhury D, Roy T, Bin Mamat A, Masjuki HH, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Sci Technol Adv Mater, 2015 Jun;16(3):035002.
    PMID: 27877803
    Osteoarthritis-oriented synovial fluid (OASF), i.e., that typical of a patient with osteoarthritis, has different physical and biological characteristics than bovine serum (BS), a lubricant widely used in biotribological investigations. Micro-dimpled and diamond-like carbon- (DLC) coated surfaces are key emerging interfaces for orthopedic implants. In this study, tribological performances of dimpled surfaces, with and without DLC coating, have been investigated under both BS and OASF. The friction tests were performed utilizing a pin on a disk tribometer, whereas contact pressure, speed, and temperature were simulated to a 'medium walking gait' of hip joint conditions. The mechanical properties of the specimen and the physical properties of the lubricant were characterized before the friction test. Raman analysis was conducted to identify the coating condition both before and after the test. The DLC-coated dimpled surface showed maximum hardness and residual stress. A DLC-coated dimpled surface under an OASF lubricated condition yielded a lower friction coefficient and wear compared to those of plain and dimpled specimens. The higher graphitization of coated materials with increasing load was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.
  5. Fulltext The properties of chondrocyte membrane reservoirs and their role in impact-induced cell death
    Moo EK, Amrein M, Epstein M, Duvall M, Abu Osman NA, Pingguan-Murphy B, et al.
    Biophys J, 2013 Oct 1;105(7):1590-600.
    PMID: 24094400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.08.035
    Impact loading of articular cartilage causes extensive chondrocyte death. Cell membranes have a limited elastic range of 3-4% strain but are protected from direct stretch during physiological loading by their membrane reservoir, an intricate pattern of membrane folds. Using a finite-element model, we suggested previously that access to the membrane reservoir is strain-rate-dependent and that during impact loading, the accessible membrane reservoir is drastically decreased, so that strains applied to chondrocytes are directly transferred to cell membranes, which fail when strains exceed 3-4%. However, experimental support for this proposal is lacking. The purpose of this study was to measure the accessible membrane reservoir size for different membrane strain rates using membrane tethering techniques with atomic force microscopy. We conducted atomic force spectroscopy on isolated chondrocytes (n = 87). A micron-sized cantilever was used to extract membrane tethers from cell surfaces at constant pulling rates. Membrane tethers could be identified as force plateaus in the resulting force-displacement curves. Six pulling rates were tested (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μm/s). The size of the membrane reservoir, represented by the membrane tether surface areas, decreased exponentially with increasing pulling rates. The current results support our theoretical findings that chondrocytes exposed to impact loading die because of membrane ruptures caused by high tensile membrane strain rates.
  6. The proliferation and tenogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell are influenced by specific uniaxial cyclic tensile loading conditions
    Nam HY, Pingguan-Murphy B, Amir Abbas A, Mahmood Merican A, Kamarul T
    Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2015 Jun;14(3):649-63.
    PMID: 25351891 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-014-0628-y
    It has been previously demonstrated that mechanical stimuli are important for multipotent human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) to maintain good tissue homeostasis and even to enhance tissue repair processes. In tendons, this is achieved by promoting the cellular proliferation and tenogenic expression/differentiation. The present study was conducted to determine the optimal loading conditions needed to achieve the best proliferation rates and tenogenic differentiation potential. The effects of mechanical uniaxial stretching using different rates and strains were performed on hMSCs cultured in vitro. hMSCs were subjected to cyclical uniaxial stretching of 4, 8 or 12 % strain at 0.5 or 1 Hz for 6, 24, 48 or 72 h. Cell proliferation was analyzed using alamarBlue[Formula: see text] assay, while hMSCs differentiation was analyzed using total collagen assay and specific tenogenic gene expression markers (type I collagen, type III collagen, decorin, tenascin-C, scleraxis and tenomodulin). Our results demonstrate that the highest cell proliferation is observed when 4 % strain [Formula: see text] 1 Hz was applied. However, at 8 % strain [Formula: see text] 1 Hz loading, collagen production and the tenogenic gene expression were highest. Increasing strain or rates thereafter did not demonstrate any significant increase in both cell proliferation and tenogenic differentiation. In conclusion, our results suggest that 4 % [Formula: see text] 1 Hz cyclic uniaxial loading increases cell proliferation, but higher strains are required for superior tenogenic expressions. This study suggests that selected loading regimes will stimulate tenogenesis of hMSCs.
  7. The metabolic dynamics of cartilage explants over a long-term culture period
    Moo EK, Osman NA, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Clinics (Sao Paulo), 2011;66(8):1431-6.
    PMID: 21915496
    INTRODUCTION: Although previous studies have been performed on cartilage explant cultures, the generalized dynamics of cartilage metabolism after extraction from the host are still poorly understood due to differences in the experimental setups across studies, which in turn prevent building a complete picture.

    METHODS: In this study, we investigated the response of cartilage to the trauma sustained during extraction and determined the time needed for the cartilage to stabilize. Explants were extracted aseptically from bovine metacarpal-phalangeal joints and cultured for up to 17 days.

    RESULTS: The cell viability, cell number, proteoglycan content, and collagen content of the harvested explants were analyzed at 0, 2, 10, and 17 days after explantation. A high percentage of the cartilage explants were found to be viable. The cell density initially increased significantly but stabilized after two days. The proteoglycan content decreased gradually over time, but it did not decrease to a significant level due to leakage through the distorted peripheral collagen network and into the bathing medium. The collagen content remained stable for most of the culture period until it dropped abruptly on day 17.

    CONCLUSION: Overall, the tested cartilage explants were sustainable over long-term culture. They were most stable from day 2 to day 10. The degradation of the collagen on day 17 did not reach diseased levels, but it indicated the potential of the cultures to develop into degenerated cartilage. These findings have implications for the application of cartilage explants in pathophysiological fields.

  8. The effects of hypoxia and serum-free conditions on the stemness properties of human adipose-derived stem cells
    Wan Safwani WK, Wong CW, Yong KW, Choi JR, Mat Adenan NA, Omar SZ, et al.
    Cytotechnology, 2016 Oct;68(5):1859-72.
    PMID: 26728363 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-015-9939-9
    The need to have a better and safer culture condition for expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is crucial particularly to prevent infection and immune rejection. This is normally associated with the use of animal-based serum in the culture media for cell expansion. The aim of this study is to investigate alternative culture conditions which may provide better and safer environment for cell growth. In the present study, human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) at passage 3 were subjected to treatment in 4 conditions: (1) 21 % O2 with fetal bovine serum (FBS), (2) 21 % O2 without FBS, (3) 2 % O2 with FBS and (4) 2 % O2 without FBS followed by subsequent analysis of their phenotype, viability and functionality. We observed that ASCs cultured in all conditions present no significant phenotypic changes. It was found that ASCs cultured in 2 % O2 without serum showed an increase in viability and growth to a certain extent when compared to those cultured in 21 % O2 without serum. However, ASCs cultured in 2 % O2 without serum displayed a relatively low adipogenic and osteogenic potential. On the other hand, interestingly, there was a positive enhancement in chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs cultured in 21 % O2 without serum. Our findings suggest that different culture conditions may be suitable for different indications. In summary, ASCs cultured in serum-free condition can still survive, proliferate and undergo subsequent adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Therefore, FBS is feasible to be excluded for culture of ASCs, which avoids clinical complications.
  9. Structural and bone marrow stem cell biocompatibility studies of hydrogel synthesized via chemo-enzymatic route
    Latfi ASA, Pramanik S, Poon CT, Gumel AM, Lai KW, Annuar MSM, et al.
    J Biomater Appl, 2019 01;33(6):854-865.
    PMID: 30458659 DOI: 10.1177/0885328218812490
    Natural biopolymers have many attractive medical applications; however, complications due to fibrosis caused a reduction in diffusion and dispersal of nutrients and waste products. Consequently, severe immunocompatibility problems and poor mechanical and degradation properties in synthetic polymers ensue. Hence, the present study investigates a novel hydrogel material synthesized from caprolactone, ethylene glycol, ethylenediamine, polyethylene glycol, ammonium persulfate, and tetramethylethylenediamine via chemo-enzymatic route. Spectroscopic analyses indicated the formation of polyurea and polyhydroxyurethane as the primary building block of the hydrogel starting material. Biocompatibility studies showed positive observation in biosafety test using direct contact cytotoxicity assay in addition to active cellular growth on the hydrogel scaffold based on fluorescence observation. The synthesized hydrogel also exhibited (self)fluorescence properties under specific wavelength excitation. Hence, synthesized hydrogel could be a potential candidate for medical imaging as well as tissue engineering applications as a tissue expander, coating material, biosensor, and drug delivery system.
  10. Sensitive biomolecule detection in lateral flow assay with a portable temperature-humidity control device
    Choi JR, Hu J, Feng S, Wan Abas WA, Pingguan-Murphy B, Xu F
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2016 May 15;79:98-107.
    PMID: 26700582 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.12.005
    Lateral flow assays (LFAs) have currently attracted broad interest for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, but their application has been restricted by poor quantification and limited sensitivity. While the former has been currently solved to some extent by the development of handheld or smartphone-based readers, the latter has not been addressed fully, particularly the potential influences of environmental conditions (e.g., temperature and relative humidity (RH)), which have not yet received serious attention. The present study reports the use of a portable temperature-humidity control device to provide an optimum environmental requirement for sensitivity improvement in LFAs, followed by quantification by using a smartphone. We found that a RH beyond 60% with temperatures of 55-60°C and 37-40°C produced optimum nucleic acid hybridization and antigen-antibody interaction in LFAs, respectively representing a 10-fold and 3-fold signal enhancement over ambient conditions (25°C, 60% RH). We envision that in the future the portable device could be coupled with a fully integrated paper-based sample-to-answer biosensor for sensitive detection of various target analytes in POC settings.
  11. Fulltext Role of C-type natriuretic peptide signalling in maintaining cartilage and bone function
    Peake NJ, Hobbs AJ, Pingguan-Murphy B, Salter DM, Berenbaum F, Chowdhury TT
    Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2014 Nov;22(11):1800-7.
    PMID: 25086404 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2014.07.018
    C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) has been demonstrated in human and mouse models to play critical roles in cartilage homeostasis and endochondral bone formation. Indeed, targeted inactivation of the genes encoding CNP results in severe dwarfism and skeletal defects with a reduction in growth plate chondrocytes. Conversely, cartilage-specific overexpression of CNP was observed to rescue the phenotype of CNP deficient mice and significantly enhanced bone growth caused by growth plate expansion. In vitro studies reported that exogenous CNP influenced chondrocyte differentiation, proliferation and matrix synthesis with the response dependent on CNP concentration. The chondroprotective effects were shown to be mediated by natriuretic peptide receptor (Npr)2 and enhanced synthesis of cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) production. Recent studies also showed certain homeostatic effects of CNP are mediated by the clearance inactivation receptor, Npr3, highlighting several mechanisms in maintaining tissue homeostasis. However, the CNP signalling systems are complex and influenced by multiple factors that will lead to altered signalling and tissue dysfunction. This review will discuss the differential role of CNP signalling in regulating cartilage and bone homeostasis and how the pathways are influenced by age, inflammation or sex. Evidence indicates that enhanced CNP signalling may prevent growth retardation and protect cartilage in patients with inflammatory joint disease.
  12. Fulltext Proliferation and stemness preservation of human adipose-derived stem cells by surface-modified in situ TiO₂ nanofibrous surfaces
    Tan AW, Tay L, Chua KH, Ahmad R, Akbar SA, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2014;9:5389-401.
    PMID: 25473278 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S72659
    Two important criteria of an ideal biomaterial in the field of stem cells research are to regulate the cell proliferation without the loss of its pluripotency and to direct the differentiation into a specific cell lineage when desired. The present study describes the influence of TiO2 nanofibrous surface structures on the regulation of proliferation and stemness preservation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). TiO2 nanofiber arrays were produced in situ onto Ti-6Al-4V substrate via a thermal oxidation process and the successful fabrication of these nanostructures was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and contact angle measurement. ADSCs were seeded on two types of Ti-6Al-4V surfaces (TiO2 nanofibers and flat control), and their morphology, proliferation, and stemness expression were analyzed using FESEM, AlamarBlue assay, flow cytometry, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) after 2 weeks of incubation, respectively. The results show that ADSCs exhibit better adhesion and significantly enhanced proliferation on the TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces compared to the flat control surfaces. The greater proliferation ability of TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces was further confirmed by the results of cell cycle assay. More importantly, TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces significantly upregulate the expressions of stemness markers Sox-2, Nanog3, Rex-1, and Nestin. These results demonstrate that TiO2 nanofibrous surfaces can be used to enhance cell adhesion and proliferation while simultaneously maintaining the stemness of ADSCs, thereby representing a promising approach for their potential application in the field of bone tissue engineering as well as regenerative therapies.
  13. Progress of key strategies in development of electrospun scaffolds: bone tissue
    Pramanik S, Pingguan-Murphy B, Abu Osman NA
    Sci Technol Adv Mater, 2012 Aug;13(4):043002.
    PMID: 27877500
    There has been unprecedented development in tissue engineering (TE) over the last few years owing to its potential applications, particularly in bone reconstruction or regeneration. In this article, we illustrate several advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to the design of electrospun TE scaffolds. We also review the major benefits of electrospun fibers for three-dimensional scaffolds in hard connective TE applications and identify the key strategies that can improve the mechanical properties of scaffolds for bone TE applications. A few interesting results of recent investigations have been explained for future trends in TE scaffold research.
  14. Polyvinyl alcohol as a viable membrane in artificial tissue design and development
    Kadri NA, Raha MG, Pingguan-Murphy B
    Clinics (Sao Paulo), 2011;66(8):1489-94.
    PMID: 21915506
  15. Fulltext Polymethacrylate Coated Electrospun PHB Fibers as a Functionalized Platform for Bio-Diagnostics: Confirmation Analysis on the Presence of Immobilized IgG Antibodies against Dengue Virus
    Hosseini S, Azari P, Jiménez-Moreno MF, Rodriguez-Garcia A, Pingguan-Murphy B, Madou MJ, et al.
    Sensors (Basel), 2017 Oct 09;17(10).
    PMID: 28991214 DOI: 10.3390/s17102292
    In this article, a combination of far field electrospinning (FFES) and free-radical polymerization has been used to create a unique platform for protein immobilization via the physical attachment of biomolecules to the surface of the fiber mats. The large specific surface area of the fibers with its tailored chemistry provides a desirable platform for effective analyte-surface interaction. The detailed analysis of protein immobilization on a newly developed bio-receptive surface plays a vital role to gauge its advantages in bio-diagnostic applications. We relied on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diameter range analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), along with thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), water-in-air contact angle analysis (WCA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study our developed platforms and to provide valuable information regarding the presence of biomolecular entities on the surface. Detailed analyses of the fiber mats before and after antibody immobilization have shown obvious changes on the surface of the bioreceptive surface including: (i) an additional peak corresponding to the presence of an antibody in TGA analysis; (ii) extra FTIR peaks corresponding to the presence of antibodies on the coated fiber platforms; and (iii) a clear alteration in surface roughness recorded by AFM analysis. Confirmation analyses on protein immobilization are of great importance as they underlay substantial grounds for various biosensing applications.
  16. Polydimethylsiloxane-Paper Hybrid Lateral Flow Assay for Highly Sensitive Point-of-Care Nucleic Acid Testing
    Choi JR, Liu Z, Hu J, Tang R, Gong Y, Feng S, et al.
    Anal Chem, 2016 06 21;88(12):6254-64.
    PMID: 27012657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00195
    In nucleic acid testing (NAT), gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based lateral flow assays (LFAs) have received significant attention due to their cost-effectiveness, rapidity, and the ability to produce a simple colorimetric readout. However, the poor sensitivity of AuNP-based LFAs limits its widespread applications. Even though various efforts have been made to improve the assay sensitivity, most methods are inappropriate for integration into LFA for sample-to-answer NAT at the point-of-care (POC), usually due to the complicated fabrication processes or incompatible chemicals used. To address this, we propose a novel strategy of integrating a simple fluidic control strategy into LFA. The strategy involves incorporating a piece of paper-based shunt and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) barrier to the strip to achieve optimum fluidic delays for LFA signal enhancement, resulting in 10-fold signal enhancement over unmodified LFA. The phenomena of fluidic delay were also evaluated by mathematical simulation, through which we found the movement of fluid throughout the shunt and the tortuosity effects in the presence of PDMS barrier, which significantly affect the detection sensitivity. To demonstrate the potential of integrating this strategy into a LFA with sample-in-answer-out capability, we further applied this strategy into our prototype sample-to-answer LFA to sensitively detect the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) in clinical blood samples. The proposed strategy offers great potential for highly sensitive detection of various targets for wide application in the near future.
  17. Fulltext Polycaprolactone-Based Scaffolds Facilitates Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in a Co-Culture System
    Rozila I, Azari P, Munirah S, Safwani WKZW, Pingguan-Murphy B, Chua KH
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Feb 17;13(4).
    PMID: 33671175 DOI: 10.3390/polym13040597
    (1) Background: Stem cells in combination with scaffolds and bioactive molecules have made significant contributions to the regeneration of damaged bone tissues. A co-culture system can be effective in enhancing the proliferation rate and osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells when co-cultured with human osteoblasts and seeded on polycaprolactone (PCL):hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold; (2) Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) and human osteoblasts (HOB) were seeded in three different ratios of 1:2, 1:2 and 2:1 in the PCL-HA scaffolds. The osteogenic differentiation ability was evaluated based on cell morphology, proliferation rate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition and osteogenic genes expression levels using quantitative RT-PCR; (3) Results: The co-cultured of ASC/HOB in ratio 2:1 seeded on the PCL-HA scaffolds showed the most positive osteogenic differentiation as compared to other groups, which resulted in higher ALP activity, calcium deposition and osteogenic genes expression, particularly Runx, ALP and BSP. These genes indicate that the co-cultured ASC/HOB seeded on PCL-HA was at the early stage of osteogenic development; (4) Conclusions: The combination of co-culture system (ASC/HOB) and PCL-HA scaffolds promote osteogenic differentiation and early bone formation.
  18. Fulltext Phenotypic and functional characterization of long-term cryopreserved human adipose-derived stem cells
    Yong KW, Pingguan-Murphy B, Xu F, Abas WA, Choi JR, Omar SZ, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2015;5:9596.
    PMID: 25872464 DOI: 10.1038/srep09596
    Cryopreservation represents an effective technique to maintain the functional properties of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and allows pooling of cells via long-term storage for clinical applications, e.g., cell-based therapies. It is crucial to reduce freezing injury during the cryopreservation process by loading the ASCs with the optimum concentration of suitable cryoprotective agents (CPAs). In this study, human ASCs were preserved for 3 months in different combinations of CPAs, including 1) 0.25 M trehalose; 2) 5% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO); 3) 10% DMSO; 4) 5% DMSO + 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS); 5) 10% DMSO + 20% FBS; 6) 10% DMSO + 90% FBS. Interestingly, even with a reduction of DMSO to 5% and without FBS, cryopreserved ASCs maintained high cell viability comparable with standard cryomedium (10% DMSO + 90% FBS), with normal cell phenotype and proliferation rate. Cryopreserved ASCs also maintained their differentiation capability (e.g., to adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes) and showed an enhanced expression level of stemness markers (e.g., NANOG, OCT-4, SOX-2 and REX-1). Our findings suggest that 5% DMSO without FBS may be an ideal CPA for an efficient long-term cryopreservation of human ASCs. These results aid in establishing standardized xeno-free long-term cryopreservation of human ASCs for clinical applications.
  19. Fulltext Paracrine Effects of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells on Matrix Stiffness-Induced Cardiac Myofibroblast Differentiation via Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor and Smad7
    Yong KW, Li Y, Liu F, Bin Gao, Lu TJ, Wan Abas WA, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2016 10 05;6:33067.
    PMID: 27703175 DOI: 10.1038/srep33067
    Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) hold great promise in cardiac fibrosis therapy, due to their potential ability of inhibiting cardiac myofibroblast differentiation (a hallmark of cardiac fibrosis). However, the mechanism involved in their effects remains elusive. To explore this, it is necessary to develop an in vitro cardiac fibrosis model that incorporates pore size and native tissue-mimicking matrix stiffness, which may regulate cardiac myofibroblast differentiation. In the present study, collagen coated polyacrylamide hydrogel substrates were fabricated, in which the pore size was adjusted without altering the matrix stiffness. Stiffness is shown to regulate cardiac myofibroblast differentiation independently of pore size. Substrate at a stiffness of 30 kPa, which mimics the stiffness of native fibrotic cardiac tissue, was found to induce cardiac myofibroblast differentiation to create in vitro cardiac fibrosis model. Conditioned medium of hMSCs was applied to the model to determine its role and inhibitory mechanism on cardiac myofibroblast differentiation. It was found that hMSCs secrete hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to inhibit cardiac myofibroblast differentiation via downregulation of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and upregulation of Smad7. These findings would aid in establishment of the therapeutic use of hMSCs in cardiac fibrosis therapy in future.
  20. Paper-based sample-to-answer molecular diagnostic platform for point-of-care diagnostics
    Choi JR, Tang R, Wang S, Wan Abas WA, Pingguan-Murphy B, Xu F
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2015 Dec 15;74:427-39.
    PMID: 26164488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.06.065
    Nucleic acid testing (NAT), as a molecular diagnostic technique, including nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection, plays a fundamental role in medical diagnosis for timely medical treatment. However, current NAT technologies require relatively high-end instrumentation, skilled personnel, and are time-consuming. These drawbacks mean conventional NAT becomes impractical in many resource-limited disease-endemic settings, leading to an urgent need to develop a fast and portable NAT diagnostic tool. Paper-based devices are typically robust, cost-effective and user-friendly, holding a great potential for NAT at the point of care. In view of the escalating demand for the low cost diagnostic devices, we highlight the beneficial use of paper as a platform for NAT, the current state of its development, and the existing challenges preventing its widespread use. We suggest a strategy involving integrating all three steps of NAT into one single paper-based sample-to-answer diagnostic device for rapid medical diagnostics in the near future.
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