Browsing by Subject "Cartilage"
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Item Open Access Characterization of peptide amphiphile nanofibers their interactions with chondroprogenitor cells and morphological analysis of tissues from transgenic animals(Bilkent University, 2012) Tombuloğlu, AyşegülPeptide amphiphiles, molecules able to self assemble into three dimensional networks resembling to extracellular matrix which is excessive in cartilage tissue, are suitable candidates for overcoming cartilage tissue defects and diseases which constitute central health problems throughout ages. Understanding developmental processes that underlie cartilage formation is also key for regenerating cartilage. In this study, peptide amphiphiles were synthesized, their potential for cartilage regeneration was investigated and a model for cellular aggregation, which is a central process in embryonic cartilage development, was established with chondroprogenitor cells and peptide amphiphile scaffolds. On scaffolds, chondroprogenitor cells aggregated without requiring any additional bioactive factors as opposed to cells grown without scaffolds. Addition of insulin to the medium enhanced the size of the aggregates suggesting scaffolds may be interacting with insulin. Similar to native cartilage tissue, collagen II was massively produced in aggregates. GAG-PA which is designed to mimic glycosaminoglycans and Glu-PA which only presents glutamic acid were used to construct scaffolds with oppositely charged Lys-PA presenting lysine. Formation of aggregates was observed regardless of the PAs used. Use of both GAGPA and Glu-PA induced larger number of aggregates than only Glu-PA. Differential effect of GAG-PA couldn’t be inferred completely and might be investigated in more detail. In a second part of the study, tissue morphologies of lynx3 null mutant mice were studied. Lynx3 is a recently discovered protein belonging to Ly6-superfamily. It is expressed mainly within epithelial lining of respiratory, digestive and genital tracts and is involved in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor desensitization. In this study, morphologies of lynx3 null mice with that of wild type mice were compared to see whether lynx3 has a gross effect on the tissues in which it is expressed. Any significant difference in the morphologies of lung, trachea and thymus cannot be observed. Little variations in esophagus, stomach and female reproductive organ were seen, however, it was not clear whether these variations are related to individual differences or not and the relevance of the variations with lynx3 expression could not be seen clearly. More detailed analysis of tissues may provide additional insight to understand function of lynx3 and the cholinergic mechanisms within various tissues. Short peptides able to pass cell membrane and deliver genes into cells are outstanding alternatives to virus based transfection systems. In the third part of the study, peptide amphiphiles designed to mimic the natural polycationic proteins through forming nanofibers which exhibit positively charged residues at high density, were synthesized. Peptide amphiphiles could form stable complexes with DNA, through neutralization of charges and formation of hydrogen bonds. However, efficient transfection of the gene couldn’t be provided by any complexes in vitro. The study presents primary results upon which more detailed investigation can be built.Item Open Access Chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on glycosaminoglycan-mimetic peptide nanofibers(American Chemical Society, 2016) Yaylaci, S .U.; Sen, M.; Bulut, O.; Arslan, E.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are important extracellular matrix components of cartilage tissue and provide biological signals to stem cells and chondrocytes for development and functional regeneration of cartilage. Among their many functions, particularly sulfated glycosaminoglycans bind to growth factors and enhance their functionality through enabling growth factor-receptor interactions. Growth factor binding ability of the native sulfated glycosaminoglycans can be incorporated into the synthetic scaffold matrix through functionalization with specific chemical moieties. In this study, we used peptide amphiphile nanofibers functionalized with the chemical groups of native glycosaminoglycan molecules such as sulfonate, carboxylate and hydroxyl to induce the chondrogenic differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The MSCs cultured on GAG-mimetic peptide nanofibers formed cartilage-like nodules and deposited cartilage-specific matrix components by day 7, suggesting that the GAG-mimetic peptide nanofibers effectively facilitated their commitment into the chondrogenic lineage. Interestingly, the chondrogenic differentiation degree was manipulated with the sulfonation degree of the nanofiber system. The GAG-mimetic peptide nanofibers network presented here serve as a tailorable bioactive and bioinductive platform for stem-cell-based cartilage regeneration studies.Item Open Access Effect of double growth factor release on cartilage tissue engineering(2013) Ertan, A.B.; Yilgor P.; Bayyurt, B.; Çalikoǧlu, A.C.; Kaspar Ç.; Kök F.N.; Kose G.T.; Hasirci V.The effects of double release of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) from nanoparticles on the growth of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and their differentiation into cartilage cells were studied on PLGA scaffolds. The release was achieved by using nanoparticles of poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) carrying IGF-I and TGF-β1, respectively. On tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), TGF-β1 released from PNIPAM nanoparticles was found to have a significant effect on proliferation, while IGF-I encouraged differentiation, as shown by collagen type II deposition. The study was then conducted on macroporous (pore size 200-400μm) PLGA scaffolds. It was observed that the combination of IGF-I and TGF-β1 yielded better results in terms of collagen type II and aggrecan expression than GF-free and single GF-containing applications. It thus appears that gradual release of a combination of growth factors from nanoparticles could make a significant contribution to the quality of the engineered cartilage tissue. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Item Open Access Materials for articular cartilage regeneration(Bentham Science Publishers B.V., 2012) Tombuloglu, Ayşegül; Tekinay, Ayşe B.; Güler, Mustafa O.Many health problems remaining to be untreatable throughout the human history can be overcome by utilizing new biomedical materials. Healing cartilage defects is one of the problems causing significant health issue due to low regeneration capacity of the cartilage tissue. Scaffolds as three-dimensional functional networks provide promising tools for complete regeneration of the cartilage tissue. Diversity of materials and fabrication methods give rise to many forms of scaffolds including injectable and mechanically stable ones. Various approaches can be considered depending on the condition of cartilage defect. A scaffold should maintain tissue function within a short time, and should be easily applied in order to minimally harm the body. This review will cover several patents and other publications on materials for cartilage regeneration with an outlook on essential characteristics of materials and scaffolds.Item Open Access Peptide-based materials for cartilage tissue regeneration(Springer New York LLC, 2017) Hastar, Nurcan; Arslan, Elif.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, Ayse B.Cartilaginous tissue requires structural and metabolic support after traumatic or chronic injuries because of its limited capacity for regeneration. However, current techniques for cartilage regeneration are either invasive or ineffective for long-term repair. Developing alternative approaches to regenerate cartilage tissue is needed. Therefore, versatile scaffolds formed by biomaterials are promising tools for cartilage regeneration. Bioactive scaffolds further enhance the utility in a broad range of applications including the treatment of major cartilage defects. This chapter provides an overview of cartilage tissue, tissue defects, and the methods used for regeneration, with emphasis on peptide scaffold materials that can be used to supplement or replace current medical treatment options. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.Item Open Access Supramolecular GAG-like self-assembled glycopeptide nanofibers Induce chondrogenesis and cartilage regeneration(American Chemical Society, 2016) Yaylaci, U. S.; Ekiz, M. S.; Arslan, E.; Can, N.; Kilic, E.; Ozkan, H.; Orujalipoor, I.; Ide, S.; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and glycoproteins are vital components of the extracellular matrix, directing cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration and tissue homeostasis. Here, we demonstrate supramolecular GAG-like glycopeptide nanofibers mimicking bioactive functions of natural hyaluronic acid molecules. Self-assembly of the glycopeptide amphiphile molecules enable organization of glucose residues in close proximity on a nanoscale structure forming a supramolecular GAG-like system. Our in vitro culture results indicated that the glycopeptide nanofibers are recognized through CD44 receptors, and promote chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. We analyzed the bioactivity of GAG-like glycopeptide nanofibers in chondrogenic differentiation and injury models because hyaluronic acid is a major component of articular cartilage. Capacity of glycopeptide nanofibers on in vivo cartilage regeneration was demonstrated in microfracture treated osteochondral defect healing. The glycopeptide nanofibers act as a cell-instructive synthetic counterpart of hyaluronic acid, and they can be used in stem cell-based cartilage regeneration therapies.