Extracellular Matrix News Volume 8.39 | Oct 5 2017

TOP STORY

Mechanical Confinement Regulates Cartilage Matrix Formation by Chondrocytes

Scientists investigated the use of viscoelastic hydrogels, in which stresses are relaxed over time and which exhibit creep, for three-dimensional culture of chondrocytes. [Nat Mater] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Synthesis and Characterization of Well-Defined Hydrogel Matrices and their Application to Intestinal Stem Cell and Organoid Culture

Researchers describe a protocol for the generation of well-defined matrices for the culture of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and intestinal organoids. These matrices comprise a poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel backbone functionalized with minimal adhesion cues including RGD, which is sufficient for ISC expansion, and laminin-111, which is required for organoid formation. [Nat Protoc] Abstract

Mechano-Signal Transduction in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induces Prosaposin Secretion to Drive the Proliferation of Breast Cancer Cells

Investigators showed that ECM stiffness leads to mechano-signal transduction in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) which promoted mammary tumor growth in part through secretion of the signaling protein prosaposin. On a stiff matrix, MSCs cultured with conditioned media from mammary cancer cells expressed increased levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin, a marker of cancer-associated fibroblasts, compared to MSC cultured on a soft matrix. [Cancer Res] Abstract | Full Article

Targeting of Cell Surface Proteolysis of Collagen XVII Impedes Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression

Researchers demonstrated that collagen XVII (ColXVII) expression is essential for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell proliferation and motility. They revealed that particularly the post-translational modification of ColXVII by ectodomain shedding is the major driver of SCC progression, since ectodomain-selective immunostaining was mainly localized at the invasive front of human cutaneous SCCs and exclusive expression of a non-sheddable ColXVII mutant in SCC-25 cells inhibits their matrix-independent growth and invasiveness. [Mol Ther] Abstract

Human In Vitro Model Reveals the Effects of Collagen Cross-Linking on Keratoconus Pathogenesis

In order to evaluate the effect of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) on human corneal stromal cells in vitro, the authors developed a 3-D in vitro CXL model, using primary human corneal fibroblasts from healthy patients and human keratoconus fibroblasts from keratoconus patients. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Scoparone Attenuates High Glucose-Induced Extracellular Matrix Accumulation in Rat Mesangial Cells

Scientists demonstrated that treatment with scoparone significantly inhibited the proliferation of mesangial cells under high glucose conditions. In addition, scoparone reversed high glucose-induced fibronectin and collagen IV expression in mesangial cells, as well as suppressed reactive oxygen species production and NOX2/4 expression in high glucose-exposed mesangial cells. [Eur J Pharmacol] Abstract

Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of the Pacemaking Sinoatrial Node Extracellular Matrix Are Distinct from Contractile Left Ventricular Matrix

The biomechanical properties and biochemical composition and distribution of extracellular matrix in the sinoatrial node were investigated relative to the left ventricle. Extracellular matrix of the sinoatrial node was found to be overall stiffer than that of the left ventricle and highly heterogeneous with interstitial regions composed of predominantly fibrillar collagens and rich in elastin. [PLoS One] Full Article

R1R2 Peptide Ameliorates Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice through Fibrocyte Migration and Differentiation

Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived leukocytes, which enter the lungs in response to their chemoattractant CXCL12 and differentiate into fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, leading to excess deposition of the collagen-rich extracellular matrix. [PLoS One] Full Article

Synergistic Effect of Electrical Conductivity and Biomolecules on Human Meniscal Cell Attachment, Growth, and Proliferation in Poly-ε-Caprolactone Nanocomposite Scaffolds

Poly-ε-caprolactone-based nanocomposite scaffolds with different concentrations of carbon nanofillers were studied to investigate the effect of electrical conductivity and biomolecule supplementation for enhanced human meniscal cell attachment, growth, and proliferation. [Biomed Mater] Abstract

Mechanobiology of YAP and TAZ in Physiology and Disease

YAP and TAZ read a broad range of mechanical cues, from shear stress to cell shape and extracellular matrix rigidity, and translate them into cell-specific transcriptional programmes. [Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the extracellular matrix research field.

Humacyte Awarded $3.4 Million Contract Award from The U.S. Department of Defense

Humacyte announced that the company has received a Broad Agency Announcement contract award of $3.4 million from the United States Department of Defense. The funding will help support the addition of clinical sites for Humacyte’s Phase II vascular trauma trial in the US. [Humacyte, Inc.] Press Release

DiscGenics Receives FDA Allowance of IND to Commence Clinical Study of Its Degenerative Disc Disease Therapy

DiscGenics, Inc. announced that it has been notified by the FDA that an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for a clinical study of its first product candidate, IDCT, may proceed. [DiscGenics, Inc.] Press Release

Does Your State Get Its Fair Share of Federal Research Dollars?

The only physicist in Congress has introduced a bill (H.R. 3763) that could rekindle a debate over how to deal with geographic disparities in the allocation of federal research funding. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Scientists Plead with Brazilian Government to Restore Funding

Anxiety is growing in Brazil over the country’s collapsing research budgets. President Michel Temer had slashed funding for science by 44% in March and has proposed additional decreases for 2018 — even as some science institutes run out of money for basic needs, such as paying electricity bills. The 2017 science budget, at 3.2 billion reais (US$1 billion), is the lowest the country has seen in at least 12 years. [Nature News] Editorial

Judge Recommends Ruling to Block Internet Access to Sci-Hub

The American Chemical Society (ACS) brought a case against Sci-Hub, a pirate site providing access to scientific articles, for copyright and trademark infringement. Following a hearing at a court in Virginia, Magistrate Judge John Anderson filed a report that recommended ruling in favor of ACS on all counts. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW 6^th National Congress of Bioengineering
June 25-27, 2018
Milan, Italy

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Positions – Neuroscience (Harvard Medical School)

Postdoctoral Position – ECM Interactions in Cardiovascular Development and Congenital Heart Disease (Thomas Jefferson University)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Biomedical Engineering (University of British Columbia)

Postdoctoral Position – Wound Healing (University of Connecticut Health Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – Kidney Disease (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

Faculty Position – Regenerative Biology (Northwestern University)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Cancer Research (Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute)

Research Fellow – Discovery and Functionalization of Novel Peptides (Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School)

Postdoctoral Researchers – Cancer Metastasis and Drug Resistance (Tufts University)

Assistant Professor – Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (Harvard University)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

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