Intravital Imaging Reveals Ghost Fibers as Architectural Units Guiding Myogenic Progenitors during Regeneration Using 3D, time-lapse intravital imaging for direct visualization of the muscle regeneration process in live mice, investigators report that extracellular matrix remnants from injured skeletal muscle fibers, “ghost fibers,” govern muscle stem/progenitor cell behaviors during proportional regeneration. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract | Press Release | Video Persistent Cell Migration and Adhesion Rely on Retrograde Transport of β1 Integrin Researchers demonstrated that β1 integrin, but not β3, is transported from the plasma membrane to the trans-Golgi network, to be resecreted in a polarized manner. Retrograde trafficking inhibition abrogates several β1-integrin-specific functions such as cell adhesion in early embryonic development of mice, and persistent cell migration in the developing posterior gonad arm of Caenorhabditis elegans. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract BRD4 Is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Liver Fibrosis The authors report that JQ1, a small molecule inhibitor of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), a member of bromodomain and extraterminal proteins, abrogate cytokine-induced activation of hepatic stellate cells. Cistromic analyses reveal that BRD4 is highly enriched at enhancers associated with genes involved in multiple profibrotic pathways, where BRD4 is colocalized with profibrotic transcription factors. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article | Press Release The Human Pancreas as a Source of Protolerogenic Extracellular Matrix Scaffold for a New-Generation Bioartificial Endocrine Pancreas Researchers showed that acellular extracellular matrix scaffolds from the human pancreas can be successfully and consistently produced from human pancreata and maintain their innate molecular and spatial framework and stiffness, and vital growth factors. [Ann Surg] Abstract | Press Release Fabrication of Keratin/Fibroin Membranes by Electrospinning for Vascular Tissue Engineering A fibroin and keratin porous membrane was prepared by electro-spinning and proposed for tissue-engineered vascular grafts. The attached HUVECs on the developed membranes showed no cytotoxicity. [J Mater Chem B] Abstract Investigating the Potential of Human Placental Derived Extracellular Matrix Sponges Coupled with Amniotic Membrane-Derived Stem Cells for Osteochondral Tissue Engineering Scientists fabricated a human placental derived extracellular matrix sponges (PEMS) for repair of osteochondral tissue through decellularization process. In vitro, PEMS provided a non-cytotoxic and bioactive cues rich environment for the human amniotic membrane derived stem cells to proliferate and differentiate into chondrogenic and osteogenic lineage under induction. [J Mater Chem B] Abstract Natural Scaffolds for Renal Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Kidney Tissue Engineering To further explore the use of decellularized natural kidney scaffolds for renal tissue engineering, pluripotent human embryonic stem cell (hESC) were seeded in whole- or on sections of kidney extracellular matrix and cell migration and phenotype compared with the established differentiation assays for hESC. [PLoS One] Full Article Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Decellularized Fibrocartilage “Book” Scaffold for Use in Tissue Engineering The development of a novel book-shape scaffold derived from the extracellular matrix of fibrocartilage was reported. Histology and DNA quantification analysis confirmed substantial removal of cells from the fibrocartilage scaffolds. [PLoS One] Full Article |