Biomaterials
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One in 190 Americans is currently living with the loss of a limb resulted from injury, amputation, or neurodegenerative disease. Advanced neuroprosthetic devices combine peripheral neural interfaces with sophisticated prosthetics and hold great potential for the rehabilitation of impaired motor and sensory functions. While robotic prosthetics have advanced very rapidly, peripheral neural interfaces have long been limited by the capability of interfacing with the peripheral nervous system. ⋯ Furthermore, we demonstrated that we could reduce the tissue reaction to the device often seen in peripheral neural interfaces. Finally, we show that we can create a stable tissue device interface in a long-term implantation that does not impede the normal regenerative processes of the nerve. Our study developed an optimal platform for the continued development of hyperflexible sieve electrode peripheral neural interfaces.
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Reliable single unit neuron recordings from chronically implanted microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are essential tools in the field of neural engineering. However, following implantation, MEAs undergo a foreign body response that functionally isolates them from the brain and reduces the useful longevity of the array. We tested a novel electrodeposited platinum-iridium coating (EPIC) on penetrating recording MEAs to determine if it improved recording performance. ⋯ The coated electrodes had substantially lower impedance at 1 kHz and reduced noise, increased signal-to-noise ratio, and increased number of discernible units per electrode as compared to uncoated electrodes. Post-mortem immunohistochemistry showed no significant differences in the immune response between coated and uncoated electrodes. Overall, the EPIC arrays provided superior recording performance than uncoated arrays, likely due to lower electrode impedance and reduced noise.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disabling joint disease throughout the world and its therapeutic effect is still not satisfactory in clinic nowadays. Recent studies showed that the exosomes derived from several types of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could maintain chondrocyte homeostasis and ameliorate the pathological severity of OA in animal models, indicating that MSCs-derived exosomes could be a novel promising strategy for treating OA. In this study, we investigated the role and underlying mechanisms of infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) MSCs-derived exosomes (MSCIPFP-Exos) on OA in vitro and in vivo. ⋯ Intra-articular injection of antagomir-miR-100-5p dramatically attenuated MSCIPFP-Exos-mediated protective effect on articular cartilage in vivo. In brief, MSCIPFP-derived exosomes protect articular cartilage from damage and ameliorate gait abnormality in OA mice by maintaining cartilage homeostasis, the mechanism of which may be related to miR100-5p-regulated inhibition of mTOR-autophagy pathway. As it is relatively feasible to obtain human IPFP from OA patients by arthroscopic operation in clinic, MSCIPFP-derived exosomes may be a potential therapy for OA in the future.
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ORTHO-1 is a European, multicentric, first in human clinical trial to prove safety and feasibility after surgical implantation of commercially available biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramic granules associated during surgery with autologous mesenchymal stromal cells expanded from bone marrow (BM-hMSC) under good manufacturing practices, in patients with long bone pseudarthrosis. ⋯ EU-FP7-HEALTH-2009, REBORNE Project (GA: 241876).
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Large and complex bone defects represent challenging clinical scenarios, typically requiring autologous vascularized bone transplants. In order to bypass the numerous associated limitations, here we aimed at ectopically prefabricating a bone graft surrogate with vascular pedicle. A hollow cylinder of devitalized cancellous bone was used to define the space of a large bone substitute. ⋯ Our study demonstrates feasibility to prefabricate large, pedicled bone grafts in predefined shapes. The combination of an AV bundle with engineered hypertrophic cartilage provided a germ for the coupled processes of vascularization and bone formation. The demonstrated osteoinductivity of devitalized hypertrophic cartilage offers the opportunity of implementing the proposed regenerative surgery strategy through off-the-shelf materials.