Stem cell-based engineering strategies for tendons have yet to yield a normal functional tissue, due in part to a need for tenogenic factors. Additionally, the ability to evaluate differentiation has been challenged by a lack of markers for differentiation. We propose to inform tendon regeneration with developmental cues involved in normal tissue formation and with phenotypic markers that are characteristic of differentiating tendon progenitor cells (TPCs). Mechanical forces, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-4 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 are implicated in embryonic tendon development, yet the isolated effects of these factors on differentiating TPCs are unknown. Additionally, developmental mechanisms vary between limb and axial tendons, suggesting the respective cell types are programmed to respond uniquely to exogenous factors. To characterize developmental cues and benchmarks for differentiation toward limb vs. axial phenotypes, we dynamically loaded and treated TPCs with growth factors and assessed gene expression profiles as a function of developmental stage and anatomical origin. Based on scleraxis expression, TGFβ2 was tenogenic for TPCs at all stages, while loading was for late-stage cells only, and FGF4 had no effect despite regulation of other genes. When factors were combined, TGF 2 continued to be tenogenic, while FGF4 appeared anti-tenogenic. Various treatments elicited distinct responses by axial vs. limb TPCs of specific stages. These results identified tenogenic factors, suggest tendon engineering strategies should be customized for tissues by anatomical origin, and provide stage-specific gene expression profiles of limb and axial TPCs as benchmarks with which to monitor tenogenic differentiation of stem cells.

Sericin removal from the core fibroin protein of silkworm silk is a critical first step in the use of silk for biomaterial-related applications, but degumming can affect silk biomaterial properties, including molecular weight, viscosity, diffusivity and degradation behavior. Increasing the degumming time (10, 30, 60 and 90 min) decreases the average molecular weight of silk protein in solution, silk solution viscosity, and silk film glass transition temperature, and increases the rate of degradation of silk film by protease. Model compounds spanning a range of physical-chemical properties generally showed an inverse relationship between degumming time and release rate through a varied degumming time silk coating. Degumming provides a useful control point to manipulate silk’s material properties.

Convection‐based renal replacement therapies (RRTs) have the potential to improve patient outcomes when compared to diffusion‐based RRT such as hemodialysis (HD), but have limited clearance rates. We propose and characterize multipoint dilution hemofiltration (MPD‐HF), a purely convective blood purification technology which removes the fundamental filtration limit associated with convective RRT resulting in clearance rates on par with HD. In MPD‐HF, filtration of liquid and solutes occurs along the length of the hollow fibers that convey the blood, and substitution fluid is pushed into the fibers at multiple points along their length. Since multiple filtration and dilution steps are contained within one pass of the blood through the hollow fiber, the fraction of fluid that can be filtered may be increased to allow a high clearance rate that removes a wide range of toxins. In vitro tests yielded an average steady‐state filtrate fraction of 68%, exceeding commercial HDF cartridge filtrate fractions by a factor of approximately 3. The molecular weights of molecules cleared spans up to the cutoff of 66 kDa for albumin.