Journal of Materials Chemistry B
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2026
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IF 5.7
Yunhui Fu,Yuxi Li,Chenlu Wu,Yiying Chen,Xikui Tong,Chen Zhang,Meiyan Wang,yue Shen,Wenyun Zheng,Xingyuan Ma
Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has emerged as an effective approach for treating articular cartilage damage. However, unintended hypertrophy and fibrosis of the regenerated cartilage tissue markedly undermine the therapeutic effect. Herein, a two-factor delivery system, E60TK, based on the elastin-like protein ELP (VPGIG60, E60), co-delivering transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and kartogenin (KGN), was established to regulate stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED)-directed cartilage differentiation and prevent cartilage hypertrophy and fibrosis. MTT and Alcian blue staining outcomes demonstrated that the fusion protein E60T composed of E60 and TGF-β1 was capable of effectively facilitating the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of SHED cells. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and DLS findings revealed that the recombinant protein E60T could load KGN at physiological temperature to form nanoparticles E60TK, with particle sizes 241.2 ± 46.1 nm. The results of immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry following chondrogenic differentiation suggested that E60TK could efficiently induce the chondrogenic differentiation of SHED and significantly suppress the expression of type X collagen. The hyaluronic acid methacrylamide (HAMA) hydrogel loading E60TK, E60TK-HAMA, exhibited excellent biocompatibility, presented an interconnected porous architecture, and was completely degraded within 2 weeks in vitro. In vivo experiments indicated that the E60TK-HAMA hydrogel with SHED encapsulated could effectively promote the formation of new cartilage and inhibit hypertrophy. All these results signified that E60TK was an effective system for regulating the directed chondrogenic differentiation of SHED.
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高影响因子
Scientific Reports
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2026
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IF 4.9
Yi Tingting,Xu Mei,Wang Lihua,Wang Pengwei
Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), valued for their multipotent properties, have attracted significant attention in disease therapy. Transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), a cytokine involved in regulating cellular stress responses, is closely associated with neurological function and the differentiation of MSCs. The primary purpose of this research was to assess the neuroprotective capacity of exosomes from TGF-β1-pretreated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) on neuronal injury in epilepsy. In this study, we established epileptic models using male C57BL/6 mice and hippocampal Neurons. Exosomes from TGF-β1- pretreated hUCMSCs were characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and were then applied as a therapeutic intervention. Our research demonstrated that TGF-β1 upregulated the level of the long non-coding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (lncRNA UCA1) in hUCMSC-derived exosomes. Exosomes from TGF-β1-pretreated hUCMSCs enhanced neuronal viability, inhibited apoptosis, and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress levels, whereas UCA1 knockdown reversed these beneficial effects. Furthermore, lncRNA UCA1 directly binds to miR-132. Knockdown of UCA1 upregulated miR-132 levels and downregulated SIRT1 expression; this downregulation could be rescued by inhibiting miR-132. In vivo, we further observed that exosomes from TGF-β1-pretreated hUCMSCs alleviated neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA3 region, inhibited glial activation, and suppressed the increase of related inflammatory factors. In contrast, UCA1 knockdown produced the opposite effects. The in vivo findings paralleled the results of the in vitro cell experiments. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that exosomes from TGF-β1-pretreated hUCMSCs exert anti-epileptic effects by modulating the lncRNA UCA1 / miR-132 / SIRT1 axis.
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MEDICAL SCIENCE MONITOR
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2018
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IF 1.894
Xuechan Tang,Xiaoli Xie,Xin Wang,Yan Wang,Xiaoyu Jiang,Huiqing Jiang
Background Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) is the largest class of small non-coding RNA, which has also been identified in somatic tissues, and aberrant expression of piRNAs in tumor tissues may be implicated in carcinogenesis. piR-823 is increased in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is no report on the function of piR-823 in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation during hepatic fibrosis. The present study investigated the role of piR-823 in HSC activation. Matreial/Methods Liver fibrosis was induced in mice by carbon tetrachloride (CCL 4 ) injection and bile duct ligation (BDL). The primary HSCs were isolated from mice and cultured. The expression of piR-823 was measured by real-time PCR. The effect of piR-823 on HSCs was evaluated by either sense sequence or antisense sequence of piR-823 carried by liposome. Proteins binding to piR-823 were assayed by RNA pull-down technique and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results Our data for the first time show that piR-823 is significantly upregulated in activated HSCs. Overexpression of piR-823 promoted HSC proliferation, α-SMA and COL1a1 production, whereas inhibition of piR-823 suppressed the activity of HSCs. Interestingly, the combination of piR-823 and EIF3B promoted TGF-β1 expression. Conclusions Our data illustrate a novel mechanism of piR-823 in HSC activities. The combination of piR-823 and EIF3B increased TGF-β1 expression, which activates HSCs in liver fibrosis. piR-823 may be a new target in the treatment of liver fibrosis.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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肝病学
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细胞生物学
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基因组学
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高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
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2022
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IF 5.195
Xiao-guo Suo,Fang Wang,Chuan-hui Xu,Xiao-yan He,Jia-nan Wang,Yao Zhang,Wei-jian Ni,Hao Lu,Ming-lu Ji,Yuan He,Shuai-shuai Xie,Ya-ru Yang,Jia-gen Wen,Juan Jin,Qian Gong,Jun Li,Ming-ming Liu,Xiao-ming Meng
Renal fibrosis , a common feature of chronic kidney disease , causes the progressive loss of renal function, in which TGF-β 1 plays a critical role. In this study, we found that expression levels of TGF-β 1 and its receptor 1 (TGF-βR1) were both significantly increased in obstructive fibrosis kidneys. AZ12601011 is a small molecular inhibitor of TGF-βR1; however, its therapeutic potential for renal fibrosis remains unclear. During the experiments, AZ12601011 was applied to various models of renal fibrosis followed by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in vivo , in addition to renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) challenged by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and TGF-β 1 in vitro. Our results revealed that AZ12601011 ameliorated renal injuries and fibrosis shown by PAS, HE , and Masson staining , which was consistent with the decrease in Col-1 and α-SMA expression in the kidneys from UUO and I/R mice. Similarly, in vitro data showed that AZ12601011 inhibited the induction of Col-1 and α-SMA in both TECs treated with TGF-β 1 and H/R. In addition, the results of cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), molecular docking , and western bolt indicated that AZ12601011 could directly bind to TGF-βR1 and block activation of the downstream Smad3. Taken together, our findings suggest that AZ12601011 can attenuate renal fibrosis by blocking the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway and it might serve as a promising clinical candidate in the fight against fibrotic kidney diseases.
研究领域:
药理学
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肾病学
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分子生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
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2025
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IF 2.5
Zhou Qiaofeng,Jiang Na,Li Shihuan,Li Suqin,Liu Jie,Yu Liangzhu,Liu Guoli,Xia Hongli,Li Mincai
Myocardial fibrosis (MF) severely impairs the heart structure and function post-myocardial infarction. The study investigated the effectiveness and mechanism of diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG) on ISO-induced MF. ISO-stimulated mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were treated with DG to assess the proliferation, inflammation, and fibrosis markers (α-SMA, collagen, TGF-β1, Smad3). The MF model was induced in mice by administering ISO, followed by a 4-week treatment with DG (60 mg/kg/day). Cardiac function was measured using echocardiography, and histology and molecular analyses were performed. DG significantly suppressed the CF proliferation and reduced the expression of fibrotic markers. In ISO-treated mice, DG improved the cardiac function and attenuated the upregulated fibrosis markers. Molecular analysis revealed DG suppressed the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway activation. The antifibrotic effect was enhanced when combined with STAT3 inhibition. DG effectively alleviates ISO-induced myocardial fibrosis dysfunction by inhibiting the STAT3/Smad3 signaling pathway, demonstrating its potential as a treatment for cardiac fibrosis. Graphical abstract
研究领域:
心脏病学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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病理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications
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2015
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IF 3.088
Lin Zhu,Yu-Qing Zhang
N,O-Carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC) can prevent postsurgical adhesion formation. Here, we described the preparation of a novel silkworm pupa NOCC and its effects on the prevention of postoperative adhesion in a rat cecal abrasion model. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of silkworm pupa chitosan was only 49.87 ± 0.86%; regardless, it was used as the raw material to construct the novel silkworm pupa NOCC, which had a weaker crystallinity than the NOCC standard. Sixty male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into three groups and treated as follows: 0.9% normal saline solution as a negative control, medical anti-adhesion gel as a positive control and the silkworm pupa NOCC anti-adhesion solution. Two and three weeks after surgery, the animals were killed and the adhesion formation was scored. The silkworm pupa NOCC solution significantly decreased the levels of WBC, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 but had no effect on IL-4. Additionally, a lower level of TGF-β 1 expression was found in the silkworm pupa NOCC group, and significantly less collagen ( P < 0.01) and fewer inflammatory cells and fibroblasts were detected in the animals of this group. These results suggested that the novel NOCC from silkworm pupa using the method described here have potential applications in the prevention of postoperative intestinal adhesion.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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药理学
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外科学
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PubMed
高影响因子
BIOMACROMOLECULES
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2015
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IF 5.75
He Zhang,Hao Chang,Li-mei Wang,Ke-feng Ren,M. Cristina L. Martins,Mário A. Barbosa,Jian Ji
Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), during which endothelial cells (ECs) transdifferentiate into mesenchymal phenotype, plays a key role in the development of vascular implant complications such as endothelium dysfunction and in-stent restenosis. Substrate stiffness has been confirmed as a key factor to influence EC behaviors; however, so far, the relationship between substrate stiffness and EndMT has been rarely studied. Here, ECs were cultured on the (poly(l-lysine)/hyaluronate acid) (PLL/HA) multilayer films with controlled stiffness for 2 weeks, and their EndMT behaviors were studied. We demonstrated that ECs lost their markers (vWf and CD31) in a stiffness-dependent manner even without supplement of growth factors, and the softer film favored the maintaining of EC phenotype. Further, induced by transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), ECs underwent EndMT, as characterized by losing their typical cobblestone morphology and markers and gaining smooth muscle cell markers (α-smooth muscle actin and calponin). Interestingly, stronger EndMT was observed when ECs were cultured on the stiffer film. Collectively, our findings suggest that substrate stiffness has significant effects on EndMT, and a softer substrate is beneficial to ECs by keeping their phenotype and inhibiting EndMT, which presents a new strategy for surface design of vascular implant materials.
研究领域:
生物材料
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细胞生物学
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组织工程
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高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
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2023
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IF 10.4
Chenke Xu,Chenhao Zhang,Yanan Liu,Haojia Ma,Feifan Wu,Yingting Jia,Jianying Hu
Background: Amniogenesis is a key event in biochemical pregnancy, and its failure may result in human embryonic death. However, whether and how environmental chemicals affect amniogenesis remain largely unknown. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to screen chemicals that may disrupt amniogenesis in an amniotic sac embryoid model and to investigate the potential mechanism of amniogenesis failure, with a focus on organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs). Methods: This study developed a high-throughput toxicity screening assay based on transcriptional activity of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 ( Oct4 ). For the two positive OPFR hits with the strongest inhibitory activity, we used time-lapse and phase-contrast imaging to assess their effects on amniogenesis. Associated pathways were explored by RNA-sequencing and western blotting, and potential binding target protein was identified through a competitive binding experiment. Results: Eight positive hits exhibiting Oct4 expression were identified, with 2-ethylhexyl-diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) and isodecyl diphenyl phosphate (IDDPP) showing the strongest inhibitory activity. EHDPP and IDDPP were found to disrupt the rosette-like structure of the amniotic sac or inhibit its development. Functional markers of squamous amniotic ectoderm and inner cell mass were also found disrupted in the EHDPP- and IDDPP-exposed embryoids. Mechanistically, embryoids exposed to each chemical exhibited abnormal accumulation of phosphorylated nonmuscle myosin (p-MLC-II) and were able to bind to integrin β 1 ( ITG β 1 ). Conclusion: The amniotic sac embryoid models suggested that OPFRs disrupted amniogenesis likely by inhibiting the ITG β 1 pathway, thus providing direct in vitro evidence associating OPFRs with biochemical miscarriage. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11958
研究领域:
发育生物学
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生殖毒理学
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分子生物学
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环境健康科学
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干细胞模型
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PubMed
高影响因子
American Journal of Translational Research
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2018
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IF 3.061
Xionglin Chen,Wenxue Fu,Xiaoming Cao,He Jiang,Xiangxin Che,Xiaoyuan Xu,Baicheng Ma,Jie Zhang
Skin wound healing is complex and involves the processes of many factors, among which angiogenesis and inflammatory responses play important roles. New blood vessels provide nutrition and oxygen for skin wound repair. Cytokines in skin wounds, which include pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors, can modulate the inflammatory response. Therefore, treatment strategies that promote angiogenesis and modulate the inflammatory response in skin wounds can accelerate skin wound healing. This study explored the effects of peptide Ser-Ile-Lys-Val-Ala-Val (SIKVAV)-modified chitosan hydrogels in skin wound healing. General observation demonstrated that SIKVAV-modified chitosan hydrogels promoted the contraction of skin wounds compared with the negative and positive controls. Masson’s trichrome staining indicated that peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels accelerated the deposition of more collagen fibers in the skin wounds compared with the negative and positive controls. Immunohistochemistry assays showed that more myofibroblasts were deposited and more angiogenesis was found in skin wounds treated with peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels compared with the negative and positive controls. In addition, qRT-PCR assays showed that peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels promoted the expression of TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor-β1) mRNA and inhibited the expression of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α) mRNA and IL-1β (Interleukin-1β) mRNA and IL-6 (Interleukin-6) mRNA in skin wounds. Taken together, these results indicate the potential of SIKVAV-modified chitosan hydrogels in skin wound healing as complex biomaterials.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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伤口愈合
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生物材料
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Redox Biology
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2022
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IF 10.787
Chenxu Ge,Jun Tan,Deshuai Lou,Liancai Zhu,Zixuan Zhong,Xianling Dai,Yan Sun,Qin Kuang,Junjie Zhao,Longyan Wang,Jin Liu,Bochu Wang,Minxuan Xu
Mulberrin (Mul) is a key component of the traditional Chinese medicine Romulus Mori with various biological functions. However, the effects of Mul on liver fibrosis have not been addressed, and thus were investigated in our present study, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Here, we found that Mul administration significantly ameliorated carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced liver injury and dysfunction in mice. Furthermore, CCl 4 -triggerd collagen deposition and liver fibrosis were remarkably attenuated in mice with Mul supplementation through suppressing transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)/SMAD2/3 signaling pathway. Additionally, Mul treatments strongly restrained the hepatic inflammation in CCl 4 -challenged mice via blocking nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. Importantly, we found that Mul markedly increased liver TRIM31 expression in CCl 4 -treated mice, accompanied with the inactivation of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. CCl 4 -triggered hepatic oxidative stress was also efficiently mitigated by Mul consumption via improving nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation. Our in vitro studies confirmed that Mul reduced the activation of human and mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) stimulated by TGF-β1. Consistently, Mul remarkably retarded the inflammatory response and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation both in human and murine hepatocytes. More importantly, by using hepatocyte-specific TRIM31 knockout mice (TRIM31 Hep-cKO ) and mouse primary hepatocytes with Nrf2-knockout (Nrf2 KO ), we identified that the anti-fibrotic and hepatic protective effects of Mul were TRIM31/Nrf2 signaling-dependent, relieving HSCs activation and liver fibrosis. Therefore, Mul-ameliorated hepatocyte injury contributed to the suppression of HSCs activation by improving TRIM31/Nrf2 axis, thus providing a novel therapeutic strategy for hepatic fibrosis treatment.
研究领域:
药理学
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肝病学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
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2022
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IF 6.081
Heming Ma,Xiaomei Wang,Xu Liu,Chang Wang,Xiuzhu Gao,Junqi Niu
Liver fibrosis (LF) is a major disease that threatens human health. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contribute directly to LF via extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion. Moreover, RXRα is an important nuclear receptor that plays a key regulatory role in HSC activation. Meanwhile, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as significant regulators of LF development. In particular, miR-654-5p is involved in cellular migration and proliferation, and via bioinformatics analysis, has been identified as a potential factor that targets RXRα in humans and in mice. However, the precise relationship between miR-654-5p and RXRα in the context of LF, remains unknown and is the primary focus of the current study. To establish in vitro activated cell model human primary HSCs were cultured in vitro and LX-2 cells were stimulated with recombinant human TGF-β1. mRNA and protein levels of RXRα, miR-654-5p and fibrogenic genes were compared in quiescent and activated HSCs. Moreover, after transfected with miR-654-5p mimics, the expression changes of above related genes in LX-2 cells were estimated. Meanwhile, cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected in miR-654-5p overexpressed LX-2 cells. Simultaneously, the targeted binding between miR-654-5p and RXRα was verified in LX-2 cells. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced mouse model with liver fibrosis was use to research the role of the miR-654-5p in vitro . Our results show that miR-654-5p expression levels increased in activated human HSCs and TGFβ-treated LX-2 cells. Moreover, miR-654-5p mimics markedly promoted LX-2 cell proliferation while inhibiting their apoptosis. Accordingly, the expression levels of RXRα are decreased in activated HSCs and LX-2 cells. Additionally, dual-luciferase reporter assay results reveal direct targeting of RXRα by miR-654-5p. Similarly, in vivo miR-654-5p overexpression aggravates LF in mice that are intraperitoneally injected with CCl 4 . Taken together, our findings elucidated a novel molecular mechanism with potential use for treatment of LF.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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肝病学
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细胞生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MATERIALS & DESIGN
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2024
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IF 7.6
Yifan Lu,Ze-Yu Wang,Jianhong Xiao,Zhengyi Zhao,Xiaoyu Liao,Huai-Ling Gao,Duohong Zou
Treatment of osteochondral (OC) defects is still an immense challenge in clinic due to lack of satisfactory strategy to simultaneously regenerate both cartilage and subchondral bone. Herein, we propose an effective bottom-up strategy by developing a type of multifunctional chitosan-based nanocomposite microgels as the building blocks to repair OC defects. The microgels are biocompatible, and biodegradable, and have a hierarchical nanofibrous structure, mimicking the structural feature of extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate cell attachment and proliferation. Additionally, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) nanoparticles are incorporated in the microgels not only to promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), but also to facilitate the loading of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). For reconstructing OC defects, pure microgels are implanted at the bottom layer of the OC defects in rat knee joints to promote osteogenesis, while the microgels loaded with TGF-β1 are implanted at the top layer of the OC defects to promote cartilage regeneration. This modular microgel system results in simultaneous regeneration of cartilage and subchondral bone in OC defects, which is expected as a promising way for repairing other complex tissue defects in the field of tissue engineering.
研究领域:
组织工程
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生物材料
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再生医学
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高影响因子
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