September 2024
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19 Reads
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September 2024
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19 Reads
April 2024
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205 Reads
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1 Citation
Bioinspired synthetic materials can be designed as reliable, cost‐effective, and fully controlled alternatives to natural biomaterials for treating damaged tissues and organs. However, several hurdles need to be overcome for clinical translation, particularly for biomaterials gelled in situ. These include the potential toxicity of chemical crosslinkers used in the materials' assembly or breakdown products they generate and the challenges of fine‐tuning the mechanical properties of the materials. Here, a minimalistic, adhesive soft material is developed by screening hundreds of potential formulations of self‐assembling, custom‐designed collagen‐like peptide sequences for the in situ formation of tissue‐bonding 3D hydrogels. Nine promising formulations for tissue repair are identified using a low‐volume and rapid combinatory screening approach. It is shown that simply varying the ratio of the two key components promotes adhesion and fine‐tunes the material's mechanical properties. The materials' skin and heart repair capabilities are assessed in vitro and clinically relevant animal models. The materials are also tested for corneal applications using ex vivo pig cornea models complemented by in vitro cell compatibility assays.
November 2023
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39 Reads
July 2023
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229 Reads
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7 Citations
Many alternatives to human donor corneas are being developed to meet the global shortage of donated tissues. However, corneal transplantation remains the gold standard for diseases resulting in thinning corneas. In this study, transparent low energy photoactivated extracellular matrix‐mimicking materials are developed for intrastromal injection to restore stromal thickness. The injectable biomaterials are comprised of short peptides and glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin, hyaluronic acid) that assemble into a hydrogel when pulsed with low‐energy blue light. The dosage of pulsed‐blue light needed for material activation is minimal at 8.5 mW cm⁻², thus circumventing any blue light cytotoxicity. Intrastromal injection of these light‐activated biomaterials in rat corneas shows that two iterations of the formulations remain stable in situ without stimulating significant inflammation or neovascularization. The use of low light intensities and the ability of the developed materials to stably rebuild and change the curvature of the cornea tissue make these formulations attractive for clinical translation.
January 2023
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15 Reads
August 2022
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114 Reads
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7 Citations
Expanding the toolbox of therapeutic materials for soft tissue and organ repair has become a critical component of tissue engineering. While animal- and plant-derived proteins are the foundation for developing biomimetic tissue constructs, using peptides as either constituents or frameworks for the materials has gained increasing momentum in recent years. This mini review discusses recent advances in peptide-based biomaterials’ design and application. We also discuss some of the future challenges posed and opportunities opened by peptide-based structures in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
March 2022
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169 Reads
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39 Citations
Science
The tail of replication-dependent histone H3.1 varies from that of replication-independent H3.3 at the amino acid located at position 31 in plants and animals, but no function has been assigned to this residue to demonstrate a unique and conserved role for H3.1 during replication. We found that TONSOKU (TSK/TONSL), which rescues broken replication forks, specifically interacts with H3.1 via recognition of alanine 31 by its tetratricopeptide repeat domain. Our results indicate that genomic instability in the absence of ATXR5/ATXR6-catalyzed histone H3 lysine 27 monomethylation in plants depends on H3.1, TSK, and DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ). This work reveals an H3.1-specific function during replication and a common strategy used in multicellular eukaryotes for regulating post-replicative chromatin maturation and TSK, which relies on histone monomethyltransferases and reading of the H3.1 variant.
February 2022
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238 Reads
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9 Citations
ACS Nano
We report the development, as well as the in vitro and in vivo testing, of a sprayable nanotherapeutic that uses surface engineered custom-designed multiarmed peptide grafted nanogold for on-the-spot coating of an infarcted myocardial surface. When applied to mouse hearts, 1 week after infarction, the spray-on treatment resulted in an increase in cardiac function (2.4-fold), muscle contractility, and myocardial electrical conductivity. The applied nanogold remained at the treatment site 28 days postapplication with no off-target organ infiltration. Further, the infarct size in the mice that received treatment was found to be <10% of the total left ventricle area, while the number of blood vessels, prohealing macrophages, and cardiomyocytes increased to levels comparable to that of a healthy animal. Our cumulative data suggest that the therapeutic action of our spray-on nanotherapeutic is highly effective, and in practice, its application is simpler than other regenerative approaches for treating an infarcted heart.
April 2021
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1,969 Reads
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191 Citations
iScience
Biofilm formation in living organisms is associated to tissue and implant infections and it has also been linked to the contribution of antibiotic resistance. Thus, understanding biofilm development and being able to mimic such processes is vital for the successful development of anti-biofilm treatments and therapies. Several decades of research have contributed to building the foundation for developing in vitro and in vivo biofilm models. However, no such thing as an “all fit” in vitro or in vivo biofilm models is currently available. In this review, in addition to presenting an updated overview of biofilm formation, we critically revise recent approaches for the improvement of in vitro and in vivo biofilm models.
March 2021
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95 Reads
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20 Citations
Rapid synthesis of nanomaterials in scalable quantities is critical for accelerating the discovery and commercial translation of nanoscale-based technologies. The synthesis of metal nanogold and silver in volumes larger than 100 mL is not automatized and might require of the use of harsh conditions that in most cases is detrimental for the production of nanoparticles with reproducible size distributions. In this work, we present the development and optimization of an open-access low-cost NanoParticle Flow Synthesis System (NPFloSS) that allows for the rapid preparation of volumes of up to 1 L of gold and silver nanoparticle aqueous solutions.
... They shield new cells from external harm, promote cell growth and movement, and reduce scar formation. [10][11][12] Gelatin (Gel) stands out among hydrogel materials for skin repair due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. For instance, Lu 13 employed a Schiff base reaction to combine a complex formed by iron ions and 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde with a gelatin hydrogel, thereby creating a composite hydrogel with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. ...
April 2024
... As an ex vivo model, we chose a cornea perforation system, which is readily used to test the suitability of a material for sealing a perforated tissue. [52] Figure 3E depicts the data and schematic representation for the ex vivo model we used. Pig corneas were used as they are physiologically similar to humans. ...
July 2023
... In this study, we attempted to develop β-catenin-derived peptides containing one or more mutations through structural analysis of the β-and α-catenin complex with the ability to bind α-catenin. Peptides are a type of biomaterial consisting of 2-50 amino acids that forms a polymer chain with different structures such as α-helix or β-sheet [28,29]. Due to their higher efficacy and specificity and lower adverse effect and toxicity, peptides are emerging as a promising therapeutic option in drug discovery and development [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. ...
August 2022
... During DNA replication, the repair of broken replication forks is also tightly controlled by histone modifications (Fig. 5b). In atxr5/6 mutants, deficiency in H3K27me1 deposition leads to re-replication of heterochromatin 115 through the activation of the DDR 116 : TONSOKU (TSK), a key player in the initiation of HR-mediated repair at stalled replication forks, binds exclusively to unmethylated histone H3.1 and facilitates the recruitment of Polθ, the DNA polymerase responsible for alt-NHEJ 117 . Newly incorporated H3.1 histones very rapidly become monomethylated on lysine 27 by ATRX5 and 6, which are thought to travel with the replication fork 115 ; this restricts TSK binding and thus Polθ recruitment, thereby avoiding the duplication of heterochromatic sequences 117 . ...
March 2022
Science
... Nanomaterials possess unique physicochemical properties and biocompatibility, allowing them to be designed and prepared as carriers or delivery systems with specific functions for delivering cGAS or STING inhibitors to regulate the cGAS-STING signaling pathway [64,65]. Nanomaterial technology also holds potential for applications in treating myocardial infarction (MI), especially by modulating immune responses to alleviate myocardial damage and promote repair [66][67][68][69]. ...
February 2022
ACS Nano
... Biofilm is a matrix made of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) where the bacterial colonies are embedded. Biofilm formation by bacteria facilitates their root colonization and boosts the root-microbe interaction (18). Previous findings indicate that flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin, serve as potent inducers of biofilm formation in diazotrophic bacteria (6). ...
April 2021
iScience
... Nanoparticle pellets were obtained and added to a 0.5% agarose gel solution (1:2; nanoparticle: gel) via thorough pipette mixing. In general, nanoparticles may continue to grow for 24 h after synthesis, and those with less stable capping agents may continue to grow slowly after 24 h [22]. To ensure reproducibility and smaller size, our nanoparticles were combined with the gel within an hour of nanoparticle synthesis. ...
March 2021
... In order to create colored cornea replacements with incorporated SNPs that have antibacterial qualities, Alarcon et al. designed a unique technique. [204] In cultivation of corneal epithelial cells, the authors previously discovered that encapsulating SNPs with collagen kept their antimicrobial effects; nevertheless, this procedure resulted in a bright yellow tint. [205] SNPs cannot be used for bandage contact lenses or corneal repairs because of this discoloration. ...
March 2016
Nanoscale