Tussah Silk Fibroin Porous Scaffolds Prepared with a Mild Self-assembly Process for Controlled Drug Release

Besides excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility,a useful tissue engineering scaffold should provide favorable surface properties,outstanding mechanical strength and controlled drug release property. In this paper,a mild process to prepare porous tussah silk fibroin（ TSF） scaffolds from aqueous solution was described. The n-butanol was used to control the self-assembly of tussah silk. The scaffolds with different TSF concentrations and the same volume showed differences in pore size and distribution. The maximum porosity of the poprepared porous scaffolds was 80% in this paper. And the pore size of the prepared porous scaffolds with different concentrations was between 10μm and 230 μm. X-ray diffraction（ XRD） analysis revealed that amorphous TSF was crystallized to β-sheet secondary structure upon gelatin. The TSF scaffolds for controlled drug release was studied and the result showed that the time of drug release was significantly longer. The produced TSF scaffolds with sustained drug release have potential application in tissue engineering.     

Tribbles: novel regulators of cell function; evolutionary aspects

Identification of rate-limiting steps or components of intracellular second messenger systems holds promise to effectively interfere with these pathways under pathological conditions. The emerging literature on a recently identified family of signalling regulator proteins, called tribbles gives interesting clues for how these proteins seem to link several ‘independent’ signal processing systems together. Via their unique way of action, tribbles co-ordinate the activation and suppression of the various interacting signalling pathways and therefore appear to be key in determining cell fate while responding to environmental challenges. This review summarises our current understanding of tribbles function and also provides an evolutionary perspective on the various tribbles genes. Received 10 January 2006; received after revision 20 March 2006; accepted 5 April 2006     

CPP/PLLA软骨组织工程支架复合材料降解性能研究

采用溶媒浇铸/粒子滤取技术与气体发泡相结合的方法制备出CPP/PLLA软骨组织工程支架复合材料,测试了该支架复合材料的物理力学性能和降解性能.研究结果表明,CPP/PLLA软骨组织工程支架复合材料具有适宜的孔隙率,良好的降解性能和物理力学性能,以及三维连通、微孔、网状微观结构.因此,该复合材料有望成为软骨组织工程支架材料之一.     

组织工程多孔管状支架的低温挤出成形

聚乙二醇/聚对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯(PEG/PBT)-1,4二氧六环溶液体系在温度低于20℃时可变成凝胶态。将数字挤压/喷射技术与热致相分离技术结合,提出了一种新型多孔管状支架成形技术——低温挤出成形技术。构建了基于该技术的成形平台,研究了成形温度对支架宏观形貌、孔隙率、力学性能等的影响。该技术成形的支架孔隙率最高可达95%,微孔尺寸分布为35~48μm,支架弹性模量为61.9~106 kPa。人类颌下腺细胞种植实验表明:支架具有良好的细胞亲和性,在涎腺组织工程中具有良好的应用前景。     

VE TPGS-Loaded Silk Fibroin/Hydroxybutyl Chitosan Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Skin Care Application

Vitamin E（ VE） is an ideal antioxidant and a stabilizing agent in biological membranes. In this study,silk fibroin（ SF） /hydroxybutyl chitosan（ HBC） nanofibrous scaffolds are loaded with VE tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate（ VE TPGS） via electrospinning. SEM images show that the average nanofibrous diameter has no significant difference when the content of VE TPGS increases to 4. 0%（ SF / HBC）. However,the average nanofibrous diameter decreases largely to 200 nm when the VE TPGS content reaches 6. 0%. Furthermore,VE TPGS presents a sustained release behavior from the nanofibrous scaffolds. Cell viability studies of mouse skin fibroblasts（ L929） demonstrate that VE TPGS loaded SF / HBC nanofibrous scaffolds present good cellular compatibility.Moreover,the incorporation of VE TPGS could strengthen the ability of SF / HBC nanofibrous scaffolds on protecting the cells against oxidation stress using the Tertbutyl hydroperoxide（ t-BHP）-induced oxidative injury model. Therefore,VE TPGS-loaded SF /HBC nanofibrous scaffolds might be potential candidates for personal skin care,wound dressing and skin tissue engineering scaffolds.     

采用图像信息学方法研究三维支架中细胞的信号通路

通过慢病毒介导的短发夹RNA对成纤维细胞的转化生长因子β(TGF-β)信号通路进行干扰,采用双光子荧光显微成像技术并结合基于细胞-细胞外基质三维系统的图像信息学方法,研究了植于多孔胶原蛋白支架中成纤维细胞分化过程的TGF-β信号通路.结果表明,在介导成纤维细胞分化的过程中,生长因子TGF-β1比TGF-β3发挥的作用更大,在TGF-β1介导的成纤维细胞分化过程中,蛋白SMAD1和SMAD3通过不同方式也发挥了重要作用.所得结果与通过生化或遗传学方法的结果相吻合.     

铁路单线简支箱梁现浇支架搭设方案与检算

铁路建设过程中,依据设计及施工现场条件限制,会采取单线简支箱梁现浇法施工。重点论述了支架搭设方案及满堂支架的检算,以期为相关铁路箱梁施工提供参考。     

壳聚糖多孔支架的制备与生物学性质

用一种蛋白改性壳聚糖,通过冷冻干燥方法制备三维多孔支架,对支架材料的细胞毒性、贴壁率和细胞增殖等生物学特性进行评价.结果显示,采用-20,-70,-196 ℃不同温度预冻后冻干,可以制成孔结构不同的支架材料.通过冻干法制备的蛋白改性壳聚糖多孔支架对细胞没有毒性,L929细胞和人成纤维细胞可以在支架表面和内部正常生长和增殖,角质细胞在材料表面可以正常老化、角质化.     

气体发泡PLA/PS共混高聚物制备组织工程支架研究

相互联通的三维可控孔隙结构是组织工程支架材料设计的关键.介绍了一种通过气体物理发泡工艺制备多孔生物支架材料的方法,研究了对不可共混的双相高分子材料聚乳酸与聚苯乙烯进行可控发泡的设计,发泡后经溶蚀工艺处理得到相互联通的孔隙结构.成骨细胞种植实验结果显示,细胞在支架中生长情况良好,经2周培养初步表现出在三维空间蔓延传递生长的特征,表明此方法为制备三维可控多孔类组织工程支架材料提供了一种有效设计途径.     

聚乳酸多孔支架的制备研究

分别采用粒子滤出法和冷冻干燥粒子滤出复合法制备了聚乳酸多孔支架.在粒子滤出法中,采用氯化钠和碳酸氢铵作为造孔剂制备多孔支架;在冷冻干燥法中,采用碳酸氢铵和冰颗粒作为造孔剂制备多孔支架.实验结果表明:采用氯化钠或碳酸氢铵做造孔剂,生成的多孔支架有造孔剂残留;采用冰颗粒造孔则无残留.研究认为,采取适当的工艺措施,加速造孔剂向环境的传质过程,是降低支架中造孔剂残留的有效途径,并提出了在实际中可采取的改进措施,包括选用易于滤出的材料、提高氯仿和造孔剂含量、提高温度和真空度、采用特殊气氛、提高过滤溶液的流动性.