Amniotic fluid (AF) serves as an excellent alternative source of pluripotent stem cells, as they are not bound with ethical issues and the stem cells are more primitive than adult stem (AS) cells. Hence, they have higher potential. Here we aim to isolate and characterize pluripotent stem cells from mid-term and full-term pregnant rat amniotic fluid. The results demonstrate the evidence of heterogeneous population of cells in the amniotic fluid and some of the cells morphology shows similarity with ES cells.
A potential cure for hearing loss would be to regenerate hair cells by stimulating cells of the damaged inner ear sensory epithelia to proliferate and differentiate into hair cells. Here, we investigated the possibility to isolate, culture-expand and characterize the cells from the cochlea membrane of adult mice. Our results showed that the cultured cells isolated from mouse cochlea membrane were heterogenous in nature. Morphologically there were epithelial like cells, hair cell like, nerve cell like and fibroblastic cells observed in the culture. The cultured cells were immunopositive for specific hair cell markers including Myosin 7a, Calretinin and Espin.
Chondrocytes were isolated from normal and microtic human auricular cartilage after ear surgery carried out at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. Chondrocytes were cultured and expanded until passage 4. After reached confluence, cultured chondrocytes at each passage (P1, P2, P3 and P4) were harvested and assigned for growth profile analysis. There was no significant difference in cell viability between both normal and microtic samples (p = 0.84). Both samples showed no significant differences for growth profile parameters in terms of growth rate, population doubling time and total number of cell doubling, except in passage 1, where there is significant difference in cell growth rate (p = 0.004). This preliminary data has indicated that chondrocytes from microtic cartilage has the potential to be used in the reconstruction of human pinna in the future.
Obtaining pure population of neural cells from embryonic stem (ES) cells remains a challenge as little is known about the genes that govern embryonic stem cell differentiation. Using mouse ES cells, we aim to uncover the mechanisms that regulate neural differentiation of ES cells by focusing on roles played by Wnt family genes. Combining two techniques, Cre/loxP-based genetic recombination and ligand-dependent activation of Cre, we have generated transgenic ES cell lines that allow for the temporal control of expression and activity of Wnt gene (Wnt1-Ha) and Wnt antagonist (Dkk1). The ability of these cell lines in inducing the expression of transgene in undifferentiated ES cells and, more importantly, in differentiated derivatives of ES cells in vitro is evaluated.
The determination of tumour-free margin in breast cancer is crucial in deciding subsequent patient management. To exemplify the phenomenon of margin contraction during specimen preparation for histopathological analysis, we quantified the shrinkage of breast specimens as a result of formalin fixation.
Our aim of this study was to develop a new methodology for constructing a bilayer human skin equivalent to create a more clinical compliance skin graft composite for the treatment of various skin defects. We utilized human plasma derived fibrin as the scaffold for the development of a living bilayer human skin equivalent: fibrin-fibroblast and fibrin-keratinocyte (B-FF/FK SE). Skin cells from six consented patients were culture-expanded to passage 1. For B-FF/FK SE formation, human fibroblasts were embedded in human fibrin matrix and subsequently another layer of human keratinocytes in human fibrin matrix was stacked on top. The B-FF/FK SE was then transplanted to athymic mice model for 4 weeks to evaluate its regeneration and clinical performance. The in vivo B-FF/FK SE has similar properties as native human skin by histological analysis and expression of basal Keratin 14 gene in the epidermal layer and Collagen type I gene in the dermal layer. Electron microscopy analysis of in vivo B-FF/FK SE showed well-formed and continuous epidermal-dermal junction. We have successfully developed a technique to engineer living bilayer human skin equivalent using human fibrin matrix. The utilization of culture-expanded human skin cells and fibrin matrix from human blood will allow a fully autologous human skin equivalent construction.
Participants were 230 adult Malaysians who estimated their own, their parents', and their partners' overall IQs and 10 multiple intelligences. In accordance with both the previous literature and the authors' hypotheses, men rated themselves higher than did women on overall, verbal, logical-mathematical, and spatial intelligences. There were fewer gender differences in ratings of parents and in those of partners. Participants believed that they were more intelligent than both parents (but not their partners) and that their fathers were more intelligent than their mothers. Regressions indicated that participants believed that verbal intelligence and--to a lesser extent--logical-mathematical intelligence were the main predictors of overall intelligence. The authors discussed results in terms of the extant cross-cultural literature in the field.
To ascertain the embryotoxicity of peritoneal fluid from infertile women with endometriosis (PF-E), on mouse embryos in culture and to examine the effect of pyruvate in the culture medium on PF-E induced embryotoxicity.
The birth of people with confused or ambiguous sex makeup as a biological fact since the annals of history has posed the challenge of accommodating them within the binary gender of sociocultural systems. In this process, the role of religion as a defining factor in social engineering has been paramount. Major religions, such as Islam and Christianity, have addressed this issue within the frame of their God-ordained laws by devising a set of moral and legal imperatives specific to the "third gender." Modern developments in medicine and biology, however, have made sex reassignment possible for this category of people, today called transsexuals. The question is: How do Islam and Christianity respond to it. After presenting an analytical view of both Muslim scholars and Christian religious authorities on the legitimacy of sex reassignment for transsexuals, this paper attempts to explore if such a dilemma can be resolved.
Halophilic micro-organisms have received much interest because of their potential biotechnological applications, among which is the capability of some strains to synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Halomonas sp. SK5, which was isolated from hypersaline microbial mats, accumulated intracellular granules of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] in modified accumulation medium supplemented with 10% (w/v) salinity and 3% (w/v) glucose.
The strategy used to generate tissue-engineered bone construct, in view of future clinical application is presented here. Osteoprogenitor cells from periosteum of consenting scoliosis patients were isolated. Growth factors viz TGF-B2, bFGF and IGF-1 were used in concert to increase cell proliferation during in vitro cell expansion. Porous tricalcium phosphate (TCP)-hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold was used as the scaffold to form 3D bone construct. We found that the addition of growth factors, greatly increased cell growth by 2 to 7 fold. TCP/HA proved to be the ideal scaffold for cell attachment and proliferation. Hence, this model will be further carried out on animal trial.
Treatment of articular cartilage lesions remains a clinical challenge. The uses of prosthetic joint replace allograft and/or autograft transplant carry a risk of complications due to infection, loosening of its component, immunological rejection and morbidity at the donor site. There has been an increasing interest in the management of cartilage damages, owing to the introduction of new therapeutic options. Tissue engineering as a method for tissue restoration begins to provide a potential alternative therapy for autologous grafts transplantations. We aimed to evaluate how well a tissue engineered neocartilage implant, consist of human articular chondrocytes cultured with the presence of autologous serum and mixed in a fresh fibrin derived from patient, would perform in subcutaneous implantation in athymic mice.
Animal serum is commonly used in chondrocytes culture expansion to promote cell proliferation and shorten the time lag before new tissue reconstruction is possible. However, animal serum is not suitable for regeneration of clinical tissue because it has potential risk of viral and prion related disease transmission particularly mad cow disease and foreign protein contamination that can stimulate immune reaction leading to graft rejection. In this context, human serum as homologous supplement has a greater potential as growth promoting agents for human chondrocytes culture.
Autologous cells are usually preferred in treating damaged tissue to avoid risks of immunological rejection and transmitting infectious diseases. Since only limited amount of tissue can be obtained without causing morbidity at the donor site, in vitro expansion of isolated cell is essential in order to acquire sufficient number of cells to reconstruct neocartilage. The aim of this study was to examine whether serial expanded chondrocytes can be use to generate neocartilage in vivo.
Culture media supplemented with animal serum e.g. fetal bovine serum; FBS is commonly used for human culture expansion. However, for clinical application, FBS is restricted as its carry a risk of viral or prion transmission. Engineering autologous cartilage with autologous human serum supplementation is seen as a better solution to reduce the risk of transmitting infectious diseases and immune rejection during cartilage transplantation. The purpose of this study is to establish and compare the effects of 10% autologous human serum (AHS) and 10% FBS on the growth of chondrocytes and the formation of tissue engineered human articular cartilage.