Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Djen Kuhnel, Fabio Beco Albuquerque, Valentin Py, Herbert Shea
Summary: The MAPLE setup is an automated testing system for evaluating the performance and lifetime of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), allowing quantification of the impact of material choice, fabrication methods, voltage waveform, and environmental conditions on DEA lifetime. Experimental comparisons of DEAs made from two different materials showed varying effects on lifetime improvement, indicating different degradation mechanisms leading to failure in the materials.
SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Thomas Fehr, Kerstin Huebel, Olivier de Rougemont, Irene Abela, Ariana Gaspert, Tayfun Guengoer, Mathias Hauri, Birgit Helmchen, Claudia Linsenmeier, Thomas Mueller, Jakob Nilsson, Oliver Riesterer, John D. Scandling, Urs Schanz, Pietro E. Cippa
Summary: This study reports the first European clinical trial on kidney transplantation aiming to induce immunological tolerance through mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism. The results demonstrate that combined kidney and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an HLA-matched sibling is a feasible and successful approach, while maintaining immune responsiveness to mRNA vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Giulia Pais, Giulio Spinozzi, Daniela Cesana, Fabrizio Benedicenti, Alessandra Albertini, Maria Ester Bernardo, Bernhard Gentner, Eugenio Montini, Andrea Calabria
Summary: Longitudinal clonal tracking studies in gene therapy applications require comprehensive and high-throughput analysis tools. ISAnalytics is a new R package that allows users to assess safety and efficacy of treatments and analyze hematopoietic stem cell biology using vector integration sites as markers. It provides efficient data structures, reproducibility, and analytical control, making it suitable for various clonal tracking applications.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Giulia Pais, Giulio Spinozzi, Daniela Cesana, Fabrizio Benedicenti, Alessandra Albertini, Maria Ester Bernardo, Bernhard Gentner, Eugenio Montini, Andrea Calabria
Summary: Comprehensive and high-throughput clonal tracking studies using vector integration sites as markers of cellular identity are supported by ISAnalytics, a new R package. ISAnalytics addresses the computational challenges of monitoring patients over a long-term follow-up and provides a wide range of functionalities for assessing safety and efficacy and supporting stem cell biology. The package integrates seamlessly with laboratory workflows and standard procedures, offering efficient data structures and interactive web reports for reproducibility and analytical control.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Bowen Zhang, Gan Chen, Xumin Wu, Yunxing Li, Yao Xiao, Jisheng Li, Lijuan He, Yunqiao Li, Sihan Wang, Jiahui Zhao, Chuanli Liu, Hong Zhou, Yanhua Li, Xuetao Pei
Summary: The authors designed and prepared a biomimetic nanoparticle with biocompatible surface properties, which effectively targeted the irradiated murine bone marrow niche and mitigated radiation-induced hematopoietic injury. This nanoparticle exhibited redox enzyme-mimic catalytic activity and could scavenge overproduced reactive oxygen species, reducing apoptosis in bone marrow cells and accelerating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell regeneration. These findings provide a new targeted strategy to improve nanozyme therapy and mitigate radiation-induced hematopoietic injury in vivo.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yutao Bai, Jason Henry, Eva Cheng, Stuart Perry, David Mawdsley, Bob B. M. Wong, Jan Kaslin, Donald Wlodkowic
Summary: Aquatic eco-neurotoxicology is a new field that focuses on studying the effects of pollutants on animal behaviors, particularly the cognitive behaviors affected by neurotoxicants. However, the scarcity of experimental data is due to the lack of low-cost technologies for analyzing higher-level neurological functions in small aquatic organisms. In this study, a proof-of-concept prototype was presented, utilizing real-time animal tracking software and closed-loop external hardware for delivering stimuli based on specific behaviors. The system demonstrated precise animal tracking across different aquatic species and has potential applications in cognitive research of small aquatic model organisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Michal Zivan, Iris Morag, Jessica Yarmolovsky, Ronny Geva
Summary: This study investigated attention engagement and pupil dilation in 9-month-old infants, finding that at-risk infants showed a preference for simple stimuli and increased pupil dilation. The preference for simple stimuli was related to an increased risk for social difficulties and decreased engagement duration in face-to-face interactions.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Shuqin Tu, Qiantao Zeng, Yun Liang, Xiaolong Liu, Lei Huang, Shitong Weng, Qiong Huang
Summary: This study proposes an improved DeepSORT algorithm for pig behavior tracking in commercial settings. The algorithm includes target detection and classification, as well as trajectory processing and data association. Experimental results show that the algorithm can achieve stable behavior tracking of pigs in commercial conditions and provide reliable technical support for automated pig monitoring.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Jindaporn Yaothak, Jeremy C. Simpson, Linda F. Heffernan, Yuh-Show Tsai, Chung-Chih Lin
Summary: The Golgi apparatus and membrane tubules are crucial for membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. A semi-automated 2D tracking system, 2D-GolgiTrack, has been established to quantify morphological changes and movements of Golgi elements during membrane trafficking events, providing accurate tracking results for visual interpretation. This tracking system enables biologists to better understand the molecular mechanisms of membrane traffic involving the Golgi apparatus and associated tubules.
MEDICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
(2022)
Article
Transportation
Chelsea A. DeGuzman, Dina Kanaan, Samantha A. Hopkins, Birsen Donmez
Summary: Research finds that takeover requests are more effective in prompting drivers to monitor the roadway when there is a system-malfunction failure, but have less impact on system-limit failures. Despite having environmental information, takeover requests serve as a confirmation of impending failures and a prompt for drivers to take over control of the vehicle.
JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Elise C. Croteau-Chonka, Michael S. Clayton, Lalanti Venkatasubramanian, Samuel N. Harris, Benjamin M. W. Jones, Lakshmi Narayan, Michael Winding, Jean-Baptiste Masson, Marta Zlatic, Kristina T. Klein
Summary: This study developed a high-throughput training system and demonstrated classical conditioning and operant conditioning in Drosophila larvae for the first time. The results expand our understanding of the associative learning abilities of Drosophila larvae and provide a platform for studying different forms of associative learning and the underlying neural circuits.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Anicetus Odo, Ramon Muns, Laura Boyle, Ilias Kyriazakis
Summary: Ear biting is a welfare challenge in commercial pig farming, and early detection and management are important for animal health and productivity. This study presents an automated detection pipeline using deep learning to identify ear biting outbreaks. The pipeline successfully detects and tracks ear biting instances in videos, achieving high precision values. The method can be used as the basis for an early warning system in commercial farms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juwell W. Wu, Yookyung Jung, Shu-Chi A. Yeh, Yongwan Seo, Judith M. Runnels, Christian S. Burns, Toshihide Mizoguchi, Keisuke Ito, Joel A. Spencer, Charles P. Lin
Summary: A new method is described for visualizing unlabeled cells in the bone marrow and lymph nodes during routine labeling of the vasculature and lymphatics for intravital microscopy. By utilizing commonly used fluorescent tracers that readily perfuse the interstitial spaces, negative contrast images are formed providing a comprehensive view of the cellular landscape with minimal toxicity and photobleaching.
Article
Neurosciences
Jie Zhang, Ziyi Li, Yige Wu, Adam Yongxin Ye, Lei Chen, Xiaoxu Yang, Qixi Wu, Liping Wei
Summary: Deficits in responding to joint attention (RJA) are early symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used eye tracking technology to monitor RJA behaviors in ASD children and typically developing children. The results showed that ASD children displayed significantly fewer RJA events and had slower development in RJA ability between the ages of 4-7 years old. RJA ability was also correlated with clinical symptoms of ASD.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Diana M. Abraham, Richard J. Lozano, Xavi Guitart, Jialiu A. Liang, Ryland D. Mortlock, Diego A. Espinoza, Xing Fan, Allen Krouse, Aylin Bonifacino, So Gun Hong, Komudi Singh, John F. Tisdale, Chuanfeng Wu, Cynthia E. Dunbar
Summary: By studying rhesus macaques, the impact of busulfan conditioning on hematopoietic reconstitution was investigated. It was found that different doses of busulfan resulted in different clonal patterns, and the busulfan group exhibited faster clonal mixing and less CD16+ NK cell clonal expansion compared to the total body irradiation group. Therefore, busulfan conditioning regimens have implications for hematopoietic stem progenitor cell (HSPC) gene therapies.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Martin Z. Bazant, Carsten Werner
CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Laura Martinez-Vidal, Valentina Magno, Petra B. Welzel, Jens Friedrichs, Martin Bornhaeuser, Carsten Werner
Summary: This study explores the use of modular macroporous cryogels seeded with mesenchymal stromal cells and decellularized to generate tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM)-decorated scaffolds to mimic the bone marrow niche. The addition of macromolecular crowders to the cell culture medium helps recreate the physiological concentration of biomolecules. The ECM-coated cryogels generated under crowding conditions exhibit physicochemical properties similar to those of the endosteal niche of the bone marrow, and could be used in the future for HSC expansion and disease model development.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Verena Kast, Ali Nadernezhad, Dagmar Pette, Anastasiia Gabrielyan, Maximilian Fusenig, Kim C. Honselmann, Daniel E. Stange, Carsten Werner, Daniela Loessner
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a devastating malignancy with limited treatment options. The tumor microenvironment, containing excessive extracellular matrix and stromal cells, acts as a barrier to drug delivery and contributes to therapy resistance and disease progression. To overcome this limitation, a multicellular 3D cancer model is developed to mimic key components of tumor tissues and assess responses to immunotherapy. Combining the CD11b agonist ADH-503 with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and chemotherapy shows significant reduction in tumor cell viability, proliferation, metabolic activity, immunomodulation, and secretion of immunosuppressive and tumor growth-promoting cytokines.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tina Helmecke, Dominik Hahn, Nadine Matzke, Lisa Ferdinand, Lars Franke, Sebastian Kuehn, Gunter Fischer, Carsten Werner, Manfred F. Maitz
Summary: This paper introduces a new polymer hydrogel platform that releases anti-inflammatory molecules in response to the inflammatory activation of human blood. The hydrogel is conjugated with anti-inflammatory peptide drugs through a peptide sequence cleaved by elastase released from activated granulocytes. The adaptive drug delivery triggered by activated granulocytes and the effect of the released drug on the respective inflammatory pathways are demonstrated.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Philipp Riedl, Jiranuwat Sapudom, Cornelia Clemens, Laura Orgus, Alexandra Proeger, Jeremy C. M. Teo, Tilo Pompe
Summary: Tumor cell invasion and aggressiveness are influenced by the tumor microenvironment, and the material characteristics of the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) have been found to be correlated with these properties. Our study demonstrates that migration characteristics of breast cancer cells are triggered by transmigration across interfaces of differently porous matrices, resulting in changes in invasiveness and aggressiveness. This suggests that altered ECM conditions can instruct or reprogram tumor cells towards a more aggressive phenotype.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Matthias Portius, Christian Danneberg, Tilo Pompe
Summary: Microbial consortia within biofilms are organized in nature and have potential applications in biotechnology, but their organizational principles and design criteria are limited. Biomaterial engineering of such consortia within scaffolds can advance the field by providing mimics of biofilms, allowing for adjustment of microenvironmental parameters and analysis. In this review, we provide the background of biomaterial engineering of structured biofilm consortia, show approaches for their design, and demonstrate tools to analyze their metabolic state.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jens Friedrichs, Ralf Helbig, Julia Hilsenbeck, Prithvi Raj Pandey, Jens-Uwe Sommer, Lars David Renner, Tilo Pompe, Carsten Werner
Summary: Control of adhesion is an important phenomenon in living matter, especially in terms of technological translation. We found that entropic repulsion caused by interfacial orientational fluctuations of cholesterol layers restricts protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion. Our insights provide a new perspective on biointerfaces and may guide future material design in the regulation of adhesion.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Jana Sievers, Vaibhav Mahajan, Petra B. Welzel, Carsten Werner, Anna Taubenberger
Summary: Cancer progression involves remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, particularly changes in mechanical characteristics. Bioengineered polymer hydrogels can be used to explore how these mechanical changes impact cancer cell behavior. This article reviews studies using hydrogel-based models to investigate the effects of different mechanical cues on cancer cells and highlights advanced strategies for recreating the tumor microenvironment's architectural and mechanical features. It is anticipated that these precision hydrogel systems will enhance our understanding of cancer mechanobiology.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Deolinda Silva, Lucas Schirmer, Tiffany S. Pinho, Passant Atallah, Jorge R. Cibrao, Rui Lima, Joao Afonso, Sandra B-Antunes, Claudia R. Marques, Joao Dourado, Uwe Freudenberg, Rui A. Sousa, Carsten Werner, Antonio J. Salgado
Summary: Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) secrete factors that promote regenerative mechanisms, such as axonal growth and inflammation reduction, leading to functional recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI) cases. However, systemic delivery may cause off-target effects, while local administration has low efficiency. This study presents a delivery system based on a hydrogel that continuously releases pro-regenerative cytokines and growth factors, inducing neural differentiation and improving motor function in SCI models.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ralf Zimmermann, Mirko Nitschke, Valentina Magno, Uwe Freudenberg, Katja Sockel, Friedrich Stoelzel, Manja Wobus, Uwe Platzbecker, Carsten Werner
Summary: The reported study demonstrates the potential of ToF-SIMS in detecting characteristic ECM variants and disease-associated alterations. DPCA analysis of ToF-SIMS spectra enables the identification of compositional differences in MSC-secreted ECM induced by exogenous stimulation or pathology. The results are verified by immunostaining, confirming the accuracy of the novel methodology.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Juliane Valtin, Stephan Behrens, Andre Ruland, Florian Schmieder, Frank Sonntag, Lars D. Renner, Manfred F. Maitz, Carsten Werner
Summary: A new single-pass blood flow model has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of novel antimicrobial materials under in vivo-like conditions, capturing interactions between bacteria and biomaterials surfaces in the presence of key components of the ex vivo host response.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Veronika Riedl, Matthias Portius, Lara Heiser, Philipp Riedl, Torsten Jakob, Rosa Gehring, Thorsten Berg, Tilo Pompe
Summary: Sulfonamides were the first synthetic antibiotics widely used in veterinary and human medicine. Their accumulation in the environment due to increased usage and limited degradation technology after entering the sewage system has raised concerns. A new hydrogel microparticle based biosensing application for sulfonamides has been developed to provide a less labor-intensive and expensive detection method for analyzing their environmental distribution. The microparticles were successfully functionalized with sulfamethoxazole (SMX) derivatives, which can be used for sulfonamide detection, pull-down assays, and screenings for new binding targets.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Deolinda Silva, Passant Atallah, Lucas Schirmer, Ayham Frra, Tiffany Santos Pinho, Antonio Jose Salgado, Carsten Werner
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kamran Hosseini, Palina Trus, Annika Frenzel, Carsten Werner, Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
Summary: The study reveals that EMT can change the mechanical properties of skin epithelial cells in a cell-cycle dependent manner. Additionally, EMT can boost cellular proliferation and result in changes in the actin cortex. These changes are primarily dependent on the transcription factor snail, which is upregulated during EMT.