Extracellular Matrix News Volume 2.23 | Jun 16 2011

The Modulation of Platelet Adhesion and Activation by Chitosan through Plasma and Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Researchers investigated platelet adhesion to chitosan pre-adsorbed with plasma or extracellular matrix proteins. [Biomaterials]

Scientists Reveal How Collagen ‘Scaffolding’ Drives Tumour Growth
Scientists have revealed how the dense tissue that surrounds tumours helps drive tumour growth and development. [Press release from Cancer Research UK discussing online prepublication in Cancer Cell]

Actomyosin-Mediated Cellular Tension Drives Increased Tissue Stiffness and ß-Catenin Activation to Induce Epidermal Hyperplasia and Tumor Growth
To determine how actomyosin tension affects tissue homeostasis and tumor development, researchers expressed conditionally active ROCK2 in mouse skin. [Cancer Cell]

Mechanical Stiffness Grades Metastatic Potential in Patient Tumor Cells and In Cancer Cell Lines
Here researchers apply a magnetic tweezer system to establish that stiffness of patient tumor cells and cancer cell lines inversely correlates with migration and invasion through three-dimensional basement membranes, a correlation known as a power law. [Cancer Res]

Controlled Biodegradation of Self-Assembling β-Hairpin Peptide Hydrogels by Proteolysis with Matrix Metalloproteinase-13
Controlled biodegradation specific to matrix metalloproteinase-13 was incorporated into the design of self-assembling β-hairpin peptide hydrogels. [Biomaterials]

Network Connectivity, Mechanical Properties and Cell Adhesion for Hyaluronic Acid/PEG Hydrogels
The study aimed to explore the influence of the network architecture on the mechanical properties and degradability of HA/PEG gels, and to highlight the relationship between Young’s modulus and cell colonization with a selected architecture. [Biomaterials]

The Role of Pore Size on Vascularization and Tissue Remodeling in PEG Hydrogels 
The goal of this study was to examine the role of pore size on vessel invasion in porous poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels. [Biomaterials]

Quantification of In Vitro and In Vivo Angiogenesis Stimulated by Ovine Forestomach Matrix Biomaterial
As angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are critical processes during tissue regeneration researchers sought to quantify the angiogenic properties of the ovine forestomach matrix biomaterial. [Biomaterials]

Gain and Loss of Extracellular Molecules in Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis and Polymyositis – A Proteomics-Based Study
Sporadic IBM contains non-necrotic myofibers that are surrounded and/or invaded by inflammatory cells. In this study researchers aimed to identify selective molecules that are present at this site. [Brain Pathol]

Versican V1 Isoform Regulates Cell-Associated Matrix Formation and Cell Behavior Differentially from Aggrecan in Swarm Rat Chondrosarcoma Cells
The observations suggest that versican expression may serve as a marker of tumor grade determination in chondrosarcoma, and possibly help to decide on therapeutic targets in higher grades of chondrosarcoma. [Int J Cancer]

FAP-Overexpressing Fibroblasts Produce an Extracellular Matrix that Enhances Invasive Velocity and Directionality of Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Researchers tested the hypothesis that fibroblast activation protein enzymatic activity locally modifies stromal extracellular matrix components thus facilitating the formation of a permissive microenvironment promoting tumor invasion in human pancreatic cancer. [BMC Cancer]

Agreement with Roche gives UCLA Stem Cell and Cancer Researchers Early Access to Leading-edge Technologies for the Advancement of Medical Research
An agreement between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Roche will provide stem cell and cancer researchers with leading-edge technologies that will drive research capabilities and further the understanding of complex disease. [Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research Press Release]

The Jackson Laboratory Partners with NCI, UC Davis to Speed New Cancer Treatments to Clinical Trials
The partnership brings together The University of California (UC) Davis Cancer Center, The Jackson Laboratory and the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, all under the umbrella of NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative. [The Jackson Laboratory Press Release]

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)
 
European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

Chemist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Senior Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research Associate in Synthetic Biology (Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology)

Proteomic Analysis of ECM of Porifera and Study of Related Enzymes (Università degli Studi di Genova)

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