Publication Release

A rapid and facile approach to predictably control integration between two materials with divergent properties is introduced. Programmed integration between photopolymerizable soft and stiff hydrogels is investigated due to their promise in applications such as tissue engineering where heterogeneous properties are often desired. The spatial control afforded by grayscale 3D...

Synthetic hydrogels, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), are promising for a range of in vivo applications. However, like all non-biological biomaterials, synthetic hydrogels including PEG elicit a foreign body response (FBR). The FBR is thought to be initiated by adsorbed protein that is recognized by and subsequently activates inflammatory cells,...

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells for cartilage tissue engineering. However, the effect of biochemical and mechanical cues on iPSC chondrogenesis remains understudied. This study evaluated chondrogenesis of induced pluripotent mesenchymal progenitor cells (iPS-MPs) encapsulated in a cartilage-mimetic...

Numerous diseases, including those of the heart, are characterized by increased stiffness due to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. Cardiomyocytes continuously adapt their morphology and function to the mechanical changes of their microenvironment. Because traditional cell culture is conducted on substrates that are many orders of magnitude stiffer than...

Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) are responsible for the maintenance of the extracellular matrix in heart valve leaflets and, in response to injury, activate from a quiescent fibroblast to a wound healing myofibroblast phenotype. Under normal conditions, myofibroblast activation is transient, but the chronic presence of activated VICs can lead to...

The transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment for patients with aortic valve stenosis (AVS). However, alterations in serum factor composition and biological activity after TAVR remain unknown. Here, we quantified the systemic inflammatory effects of the TAVR procedure and hypothesized that alterations in...

Mycobacterium vaccae (NCTC 11659) is an environmental saprophytic bacterium with anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and stress resilience properties. Previous studies have shown that whole, heat-killed preparations of M. vaccae prevent allergic airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma. Recent studies also demonstrate that immunization with M. vaccae prevents stress-induced exaggeration...

Hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful biophysical technique being increasingly applied to a wide variety of problems. As the HDX-MS community continues to grow, adoption of best practices in data collection, analysis, presentation and interpretation will greatly enhance the accessibility of this technique to nonspecialists. Here we...

Bone fragility fractures are caused by low bone mass or impaired bone quality. Osteoblast/osteoclast coordination determines bone mass, but the factors that control bone quality are poorly understood. Osteocytes regulate osteoblast and osteoclast activity on bone surfaces but can also directly reorganize the bone matrix to improve bone quality through...

As we move into the era of personalized medicine, it may not be too far off that a visit to our doctor includes a number of genome-scale “seq” experiments to diagnose disease and estimate our likelihood of response to an array of possible treatments. One such experiment measures the cell’s...