Cell attachment and differentiation on biomaterials might be enhanced by surface modification techniques. The main aim of this study was to improve stem cell/material interaction by pressure cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). We developed a combination of electrospun poly (ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)‐chitosan (CTS) and PCL‐carboxy methyl chitosan (CMC) scaffolds. In order to make nanofiber surfaces more appropriate for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) attachment and proliferation, CAP was used. Proliferation and cartilage differentiation of MSCs were then evaluated during 21 days. Biocompatibility test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2yl]‐2, 5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) staining were performed. After 21 days, induction of cartilage differentiation was approved through expression of SRY‐Box 9 (SOX9) and collagen type II (COL2) genes by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), and COL2 protein expression was accordingly confirmed by immunocytochemistry (ICC). Thus, our data showed the PCL/CMC scaffolds can support and induce the differentiation of MSC to cartilage‐like cells.

Nowadays, regeneration medicine or skeletal muscle tissue engineering can be a useful solution for the replacement of damaged or lost tissue. This study was carried out to evaluate the human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into muscle-like cells on polyaniline (PANi)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) copolymer conductive. After electrospinning of biocompatible PANi/PAN copolymers, they were modified by non-thermal oxygen plasma. The scaffold was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle, and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Cytocompatibility and viability of mouse fibroblast cells and mesenchymal stem cells were conducted by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. 4,6-Diamidino 2-phenylindole and SEM tests were performed to determine the cell survival on scaffolds. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry assay performed to ensure that mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into muscle-like cells. SEM images of PANi/PAN nanofibers, contact angle, and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that oxygen-treated plasma scaffolds have more favorable hydrophilic structure. The test results of cell culture, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, SEM, and 4,6-diamidino 2-phenylindole showed that the cells have proliferated well on the scaffolds and have good adhesion, so nanofiber could support the cellular growth. After 21 days of induction of muscle differentiation, expressions of α-ACTININ, MYOSIN, and MYOGENIN genes were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and expressions of M-cadherin and troponin were approved by immunocytochemistry test. According to our data, PANi/PAN scaffolds promoted and supported mesenchymal cells to muscle-like cells. Therefore, the scaffolds were able to perform as substrates for soft tissue engineering.

Background: This research follows some investigations through neural tissue engineering, including fabrication, surface treatment, and evaluation of novel self-stimuli conductive biocompatible and degradable nanocomposite scaffolds.Methods: Gelatin as a biobased material and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a mechanical, electrical, and piezoelectric improvement agent were co-electrospun.In addition, polyaniline/graphene (PAG) nanoparticles were synthesized and added to gelatin solutions in different percentages to induce electrical conductivity. After obtaining optimum PAG percentage, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment was applied over the best samples by different plasma variable parameters. Finally, the biocompatibility of the scaffolds was analyzed and approved by in vitro tests using two different PC12 and C6 cell lines. In the present study the morphology, FTIR, dynamic light scattering, mechanical properties, wettability, contact angle tests, differential scanning calorimetric, rate of degradation, conductivity, biocompatibility, gene expression, DAPI staining, and cell proliferation were investigated. Results:The PAG percentage optimization results revealed fiber diameter reduction, conductivity enhancement, young's modulus improvement, hydrophilicity devaluation, water uptake decrement, and degradability reduction in electrospun nanofibers by increasing the PAG concentration. Furthermore, ATR-FTIR, FE-SEM, AFM, and contact angle tests revealed that helium CAP treatment improves scaffold characterizations for 90 s in duration time. Furthermore, the results of the MTT assay, FE-SEM, DAPI staining, and RT-PCR revealed that samples containing 2.5% w/w of PAG are the most biocompatible, and CAP treatment increases cell proliferation and improves neural gene expression in the differentiation medium.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a kind of primary osteoporosis that is characterized by decreased bone density and strength. Berbamine is a nonbasic quaternary benzylisoquinoline plant alkaloid that has been widely used in the clinic to treat leukopenia in China. We found that berbamine inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) in vitro, which mainly occurred in the middle phase and late phase. The gene and protein expression levels of osteoclast-related molecules, including CTSK, MMP-9, NFATc1, CD44 and DC-STAMP, were also downregulated by berbamine. In vivo, we treated PMOP mice with berbamine for 8 weeks and found that the extent of osteoporosis was alleviated significantly according to micro-CT scanning, hematoxylin-eosin staining, DC-STAMP immunohistochemical staining and TRAP immunohistochemical staining in the distal femurs of the mice. Our findings demonstrate that berbamine has an inhibitory effect on the osteoclastogenesis of BMMs and can prevent bone loss after ovariectomy in vivo. This study provides evidence that berbamine is a potential drug for the prevention and treatment of PMOP.

The development of microfluidic culture technology facilitates the progress of study of cell and tissue biology. This technology expands the understanding of pathological and physiological changes. A skin chip, as in vitro model, consisting of normal skin tissue with epidermis and dermis layer (full thickness) was developed. Polydimethylsiloxane microchannels with a fed-batched controlled perfusion feeding system were used to create a full-thick ex-vivo human skin on-chip model. The design of a novel skin-on-a-chip model was reported, in which the microchannel structures mimic the architecture of the realistic vascular network as nutrients transporter to the skin layers. Viabilities of full-thick skin samples cultured on the microbioreactor and traditional tissue culture plate revealed that a precise controlled condition provided by the microfluidic enhanced tissue viability at least for seven days. Several advantages in skin sample features under micro-scale-controlled conditions were found such as skin mechanical strength, water adsorption, skin morphology, gene expression, and biopsy longevity. This model can provide an in vitro environment for localizing drug delivery and transdermal drug diffusion studies. The skin on the chip can be a valuable in vitro model for representing the interaction between drugs and skin tissue and a realistic platform for evaluating skin reaction to pharmaceutical materials and cosmetic products.