Regeneration

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Regeneration

  • bladder regeneration
  • bone regeneration
  • cartilage regeneration
  • cell regeneration
  • cns regeneration
  • cofactor regeneration
  • complete regeneration
  • cord regeneration
  • early regeneration
  • epidermal regeneration
  • epithelial regeneration
  • fiber regeneration
  • fin regeneration
  • forest regeneration
  • graft regeneration
  • guided bone regeneration
  • guided tissue regeneration
  • hard tissue regeneration
  • hepatic regeneration
  • lens regeneration
  • limb regeneration
  • liver graft regeneration
  • liver regeneration
  • muscle regeneration
  • natural regeneration
  • nerve regeneration
  • neural regeneration
  • neuronal regeneration
  • organ regeneration
  • periodontal regeneration
  • periodontal tissue regeneration
  • periodontal wound regeneration
  • peripheral nerve regeneration
  • plant regeneration
  • poor regeneration
  • rat liver regeneration
  • seedling regeneration
  • shoot regeneration
  • situ regeneration
  • skeletal muscle regeneration
  • species regeneration
  • spinal cord regeneration
  • subsequent regeneration
  • successful regeneration
  • tail regeneration
  • tissue regeneration
  • tree regeneration
  • urban regeneration
  • vascular regeneration

  • Terms modified by Regeneration

  • regeneration ability
  • regeneration capacity
  • regeneration dynamics
  • regeneration frequency
  • regeneration mode
  • regeneration niche
  • regeneration pattern
  • regeneration potential
  • regeneration process
  • regeneration rate
  • regeneration research
  • regeneration strategy
  • regeneration studies
  • regeneration system

  • Selected Abstracts


    REGENERATION OF A CELL FROM PROTOPLASM

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
    ARTHUR GROSSMAN
    First page of article [source]


    IN VITRO SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND REGENERATION OF SOMATIC EMBRYOS FROM PIGMENTED CALLUS OF KAPPAPHYCUS ALVAREZII (DOTY) DOTY (RHODOPHYTA, GIGARTINALES),

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
    C. R. K. Reddy
    In vitro somatic embryogenesis and regeneration of somatic embryos to whole plants through micropropagules was successfully demonstrated from pigmented uniseriate filamentous callus of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty in axenic cultures. More than 80% of the explants cultured on 1.5% (w/v) agar-solidified Provasoli enriched seawater (PES) medium showed callus development. The callus induction rate was consistently higher for laboratory-adapted plants. The excised callus grew well in subcultures and maintained its growth for prolonged periods if transferred to fresh medium in regular intervals. Some subcultured calli (<10%) did undergo transformation and produced densely pigmented spherical or oval-shaped micropropagules (1,5 mm in diameter) that subsequently developed into young plantlets in liquid PES medium. The micropropagule production was further improved through somatic embryogenesis by a novel method of culturing thin slices of pigmented callus with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or a mixture of NAA and 6-benzylaminopurine. Transfer of embryogenic callus along with tiny somatic embryos to liquid medium and swirling on orbital shaker facilitated rapid growth and morphogenesis of somatic embryos into micropropagules that grew into whole plants in subsequent cultivation in the sea. The daily growth rate of one tissue cultured plant was monitored for seven generations in field and found to be as high as 1.5,1.8 times over farmed plants. The prolific somatic embryogenesis together with high germination potential of somatic embryos observed in this study offers a promising tool for rapid and mass clonal production of seed stock of Kappaphycus for commercial farming. [source]


    ANABOLIC AGENTS FOR IMPROVING MUSCLE REGENERATION AND FUNCTION AFTER INJURY

    CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008
    Gordon S Lynch
    SUMMARY 1In the present review, we describe how muscles can be injured by external factors, internal factors or during the performance of some actions during sports. In addition, we describe the injury to a muscle that occurs when its blood supply is interrupted, an occurrence common in clinical settings. An overview of muscle regeneration is presented, as well as a discussion of some of the potential complications that can compromise successful muscle repair and lead to impaired function and permanent disability. 2Improving muscle regeneration is important for hastening muscle repair and restoring muscle function and the present review describes ways in which this can be achieved. We describe recent advances in tissue engineering that offer considerable promise for treating muscle damage, but highlight the fact that these techniques require rigorous evaluation before they can become mainstream clinical treatments. 3Growth-promoting agents are purported to increase the size of existing and newly regenerating muscle fibres and, therefore, could be used to improve muscle function if administered at appropriate times during the repair process. The present review provides an update on the efficacy of some growth-promoting agents, including anabolic steroids, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and b2 -adrenoceptor agonists, to improve muscle function after injury. Although these approaches have clinical merit, a better understanding of the androgenic, IGF-I and b-adrenoceptor signalling pathways in skeletal muscle is important if we are to devise safe and effective therapies to enhance muscle regeneration and function after injury. [source]


    Initiation of limb regeneration: The critical steps for regenerative capacity

    DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 1 2008
    Hitoshi Yokoyama
    While urodele amphibians (newts and salamanders) can regenerate limbs as adults, other tetrapods (reptiles, birds and mammals) cannot and just undergo wound healing. In adult mammals such as mice and humans, the wound heals and a scar is formed after injury, while wound healing is completed without scarring in an embryonic mouse. Completion of regeneration and wound healing takes a long time in regenerative and non-regenerative limbs, respectively. However, it is the early steps that are critical for determining the extent of regenerative response after limb amputation, ranging from wound healing with scar formation, scar-free wound healing, hypomorphic limb regeneration to complete limb regeneration. In addition to the accumulation of information on gene expression during limb regeneration, functional analysis of signaling molecules has recently shown important roles of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Wnt/,-catenin and bone morphogenic protein (BMP)/Msx signaling. Here, the routine steps of wound healing/limb regeneration and signaling molecules specifically involved in limb regeneration are summarized. Regeneration of embryonic mouse digit tips and anuran amphibian (Xenopus) limbs shows intermediate regenerative responses between the two extremes, those of adult mammals (least regenerative) and urodele amphibians (more regenerative), providing a range of models to study the various abilities of limbs to regenerate. [source]


    Head regeneration in Hydra

    DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 2 2003
    Hans R. Bode
    Abstract Hydra, a primitive metazoan, has a simple structure consisting of a head, body column, and foot aligned along a single oral,aboral axis. The body column has a high capacity for regeneration of both the head and foot. Because of the tissue dynamics that take place in adult Hydra, the processes governing axial patterning are continuously active to maintain the form of the animal. Regeneration in hydra is morphallactic and closely related to these axial patterning processes. As might be expected, analysis at the molecular level indicates that the same set of genes are involved in head regeneration and the maintenance of the head in the context of the tissue dynamics of the adult. The genes analyzed so far play roles in axial patterning processes in bilaterians. Developmental Dynamics 226:225,236, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Electrical stimulation promotes peripheral axon regeneration by enhanced neuronal neurotrophin signaling

    DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
    Arthur W. English
    Abstract Electrical stimulation of cut peripheral nerves at the time of their surgical repair results in an enhancement of axon regeneration. Regeneration of axons through nerve allografts was used to evaluate whether this effect is due to an augmentation of cell autonomous neurotrophin signaling in the axons or signaling from neurotrophins produced in the surrounding environment. In the thy-1-YFP-H mouse, a single 1 h application of electrical stimulation at the time of surgical repair of the cut common fibular nerve results in a significant increase in the proportion of YFP+ dorsal root ganglion neurons, which were immunoreactive for BDNF or trkB, as well as an increase in the length of regenerating axons through allografts from wild type litter mates, both 1 and 2 weeks later. Axon growth through allografts from neurotrophin-4/5 knockout mice or grafts made acellular by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing is normally very poor, but electrical stimulation results in a growth of axons through these grafts, which is similar to that observed through grafts from wild type mice after electrical stimulation. When cut nerves in NT-4/5 knockout mice were electrically stimulated, no enhancement of axon regeneration was found. Electrical stimulation thus produces a potent enhancement of the regeneration of axons in cut peripheral nerves, which is independent of neurotrophin production by cells in their surrounding environment but is dependent on stimulation of trkB and its ligands in the regenerating axons themselves. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 67: 158,172, 2007. [source]


    Toxicity of nonylphenol on the cnidarian Hydra attenuata and environmental risk assessment

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2006
    S. Pachura-Bouchet
    Abstract Alkylphenols and their derivatives, alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEs), are synthetic chemicals of concern owing to their endocrine properties. Nonylphenol (NP) is a critical APE metabolite because of its recalcitrance to biodegradation, toxicity, and ability to bio-accumulate in aquatic organisms. Studies of NP effects in vertebrates demonstrated estrogenic disrupting properties in fish, birds, reptiles, and mammal cells in which NP displaces the natural estrogen from its receptor. Less is known on its toxicity toward invertebrates. Effects on reproduction have been reported, but toxicity on development has been poorly documented thus far. We investigated NP toxicity on survival and regeneration of the freshwater coelenterate Hydra attenuata. Hydra is known for its regenerative capacity and its sensitivity to chemical pollution. It has been used for over 20 years to screen for teratogenicity of chemicals (Johnson et al. (1982) Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 2:263,276). Our results showed that hydra appeared as one of the most sensitive species to acute and chronic toxicity of NP compared to several freshwater invertebrates. Regeneration was disrupted at NP concentrations lower than those affecting survival. Toxicity thresholds of NP for aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates are also reported and discussed in the context of environmental risk assessment and of water quality objectives recommended for surface waters in industrialized countries. NP levels have decreased during the last decade because of a voluntary agreement of surfactant producers and users. At present, concentrations of NP found in surface waters are far below 1 ,g/L in Europe, but can reach several ,g/L when wastewater treatment plant inefficiency occurs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 388,394, 2006. [source]


    Binding partners L1 cell adhesion molecule and the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in development and the regenerative response to injury of hippocampal and cortical neurons

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2004
    Matilda A. Haas
    Abstract Regeneration of the adult central nervous system may require recapitulation of developmental events and therefore involve the re-expression of developmentally significant proteins. We have investigated whether the L1 cell adhesion molecule, and its binding partner, the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in the neuronal regenerative response to injury. Hippocampal and cortical neurons were cultured in vitro on either an L1 substrate or poly-L-lysine, and ERM and other neuronal proteins were localized immunocytochemically both developmentally and following neurite transection of neurons maintained in long-term culture. Activated ERM was localized to growth cones up to 7 days in vitro but relatively mature cultures (21 days in vitro) were devoid of active ERM proteins. However, ERM proteins were localized to the growth cones of sprouting neuronal processes that formed several hours after neurite transection. In addition, the L1 substrate, relative to poly-L-lysine, resulted in significantly longer regenerative neurites, as well as larger growth cones with more filopodia. Furthermore, neurons derived from the cortex formed significantly longer post-injury neurite sprouts at 6 h post-injury than hippocampal derived neurons grown on both substrates. We have demonstrated that L1 and the ERM proteins are involved in the neuronal response to injury, and that neurons derived from the hippocampus and cortex may have different post-injury regenerative neurite sprouting abilities. [source]


    Fabrication and Evaluation of Chitin-Based Nerve Guidance Conduits Used to Promote Peripheral Nerve Regeneration,

    ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 11 2009
    Yumin Yang
    Chitin product was prepared from the chitosan counterpart and both were found to be equally biocompatible with cultured Schwann cells. Chitin- and chitosan-based nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) were surgically implanted to bridge 10-mm-long neural defects in rat sciatic nerves. The regenerative outcome provided positive evidence that chitin- and chitosan-based NGCs produce the similar beneficial effects on peripheral nerve regeneration. [source]


    A New Approach for Adipose Tissue Regeneration Based on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Contact to Hydrogels,an In Vitro Study,

    ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 10 2009
    Kirsten Peters
    In this study an approach for adipose tissue regeneration based on human mesenchymal stem cells and hydrogels as supporting matrix was evaluated. The gelatin-based hydrogels developed in this study were cytocompatible and stem cell adhesion onto hydrogel surfaces was higher as compared to tissue culture polystyrene. Furthermore, the adipogenic differentiation degree was increased. These results are promising for future applications of hydrogels in adipose tissue regeneration strategies. [source]


    Nanofibrous Patches for Spinal Cord Regeneration

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2010
    Yiqian Zhu
    Abstract The difficulty in spinal cord regeneration is related to the inhibitory factors for axon growth and the lack of appropriate axon guidance in the lesion region. Here scaffolds are developed with aligned nanofibers for nerve guidance and drug delivery in the spinal cord. Blended polymers including poly(L -lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(lactide- co -glycolide) (PLGA) are used to electrospin nanofibrous scaffolds with a two-layer structure: aligned nanofibers in the inner layer and random nanofibers in the outer layer. Rolipram, a small molecule that can enhance cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) activity in neurons and suppress inflammatory responses, is immobilized onto nanofibers. To test the therapeutic effects of nanofibrous scaffolds, the nanofibrous scaffolds loaded with rolipram are used to bridge the hemisection lesion in 8-week old athymic rats. The scaffolds with rolipram increase axon growth through the scaffolds and in the lesion, promote angiogenesis through the scaffold, and decrease the population of astrocytes and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the lesion. Locomotor scale rating analysis shows that the scaffolds with rolipram significantly improved hindlimb function after 3 weeks. This study demonstrates that nanofibrous scaffolds offer a valuable platform for drug delivery for spinal cord regeneration. [source]


    Tissue Repair: Wet-Spun Biodegradable Fibers on Conducting Platforms: Novel Architectures for Muscle Regeneration (Adv. Funct.

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009
    Mater.
    Bio-synthetic platforms, consisting of a conducting polymer substrate overlaid with aligned biodegradable fibers promote the linear growth (ex vivo) of partially differentiated muscle fibers, consistent with the structural requirements of skeletal muscle in vivo, as described by J. M. Razal et al. on page 3381. The conducting surface facilitates development of electrical stimulation paradigms for optimizing muscle growth and development ex vivo that may potentially be applied to repair diseased or damaged muscle. [source]


    Wet-Spun Biodegradable Fibers on Conducting Platforms: Novel Architectures for Muscle Regeneration

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009
    Joselito M. Razal
    Abstract Novel biosynthetic platforms supporting ex vivo growth of partially differentiated muscle cells in an aligned linear orientation that is consistent with the structural requirements of muscle tissue are described. These platforms consist of biodegradable polymer fibers spatially aligned on a conducting polymer substrate. Long multinucleated myotubes are formed from differentiation of adherent myoblasts, which align longitudinally to the fiber axis to form linear cell-seeded biosynthetic fiber constructs. The biodegradable polymer fibers bearing undifferentiated myoblasts can be detached from the substrate following culture. The ability to remove the muscle cell-seeded polymer fibers when required provides the means to use the biodegradable fibers as linear muscle-seeded scaffold components suitable for in vivo implantation into muscle. These fibers are shown to promote differentiation of muscle cells in a highly organized linear unbranched format in vitro and thereby potentially facilitate more stable integration into recipient tissue, providing structural support and mechanical protection for the donor cells. In addition, the conducting substrate on which the fibers are placed provides the potential to develop electrical stimulation paradigms for optimizing the ex vivo growth and synchronization of muscle cells on the biodegradable fibers prior to implantation into diseased or damaged muscle tissue. [source]


    The Implications of Polymer Selection in Regenerative Medicine: A Comparison of Amorphous and Semi-Crystalline Polymer for Tissue Regeneration

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009
    Michelle D. Kofron
    Abstract Biodegradable polymeric scaffolds are being investigated as scaffolding materials for use in regenerative medicine. While the in vivo evaluation of various three-dimensional (3D), porous, biodegradable polymeric scaffolds has been reported, most studies are ,3 months in duration, which is typically prior to bulk polymer degradation, a critical event that may initiate an inflammatory response and inhibit tissue formation. Here, a 6,month in vitro degradation and corresponding in vivo studies that characterized scaffold changes during complete degradation of an amorphous, 3D poly(lactide- co -glycolide)(3D-PLAGA) scaffold and near-complete degradation of a semi-crystalline3D-PLAGA scaffold are reported. Using sintered microsphere matrix technology, constructs were fabricated in a tubular shape, with the longitudinal axis void and a median pore size that mimicked the architecture of native bone. Long-term quantitative measurements of molecular weight, mechanical properties, and porosity provided a basis for theorization of the scaffold degradation process. Following implantation in a critical size ulnar defect model, histological analysis and quantitative microCT indicated early solubilization of the semi-crystalline polymer created an acidic microenvironment that inhibited mineralized tissue formation. Thus, the use of amorphous over semi-crystalline PLAGA materials is advocated for applications in regenerative medicine. [source]


    Regeneration patterns and persistence of the fog-dependent Fray Jorge forest in semiarid Chile during the past two centuries

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
    ALVARO G. GUTIÉRREZ
    Abstract The persistence of rainforest patches at Fray Jorge National Park (FJNP) in semiarid Chile (30°40,S), a region receiving approximately 147 mm of annual rainfall, has been a source of concern among forest managers. These forests are likely dependent on water inputs from oceanic fog and their persistence seems uncertain in the face of climate change. Here, we assessed tree radial growth and establishment during the last two centuries and their relation to trends in climate and canopy disturbance. Such evaluation is critical to understanding the dynamics of these semiarid ecosystems in response to climate change. We analyzed forest structure of six forest patches (0.2,22 ha) in FJNP based on sampling within 0.1 ha permanent plots. For the main canopy species, the endemic Aextoxicon punctatum (Aextoxicaceae), we used tree-ring analysis to assess establishment periods, tree ages, growing trends and their relation to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), rainfall, and disturbance. The population dynamics of A. punctatum can be described by a continuous regeneration mode. Regeneration of A. punctatum was sensitive to different canopy structures. Growth release patterns suggest the absence of large scale human impact. Radial growth and establishment of A. punctatum were weakly correlated with rainfall and ENSO. If water limits forests patch persistence, patches are likely dependent on the combination of fog and rain water inputs. Forest patches have regenerated continuously for at least 250 years, despite large fluctuations in rainfall driven by ENSO and a regional decline in rainfall during the last century. Because of the positive influence on fog interception, forest structure should be preserved under any future climate scenario. Future research in FJNP should prioritize quantifying the long-term trends of fog water deposition on forests patches. Fog modeling is crucial for understanding the interplay among physical drivers of water inputs under climate change. [source]


    Nanostructured Biomaterials for Regeneration,

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 22 2008
    Guobao Wei
    Abstract Biomaterials play a pivotal role in regenerative medicine, which aims to regenerate and replace lost/dysfunctional tissues or organs. Biomaterials (scaffolds) serve as temporary 3D substrates to guide neo tissue formation and organization. It is often beneficial for a scaffolding material to mimic the characteristics of extracellular matrix (ECM) at the nanometer scale and to induce certain natural developmental or/and wound healing processes for tissue regeneration applications. This article reviews the fabrication and modification technologies for nanofibrous, nanocomposite, and nanostructured drug-delivering scaffolds. ECM-mimicking nanostructured biomaterials have been shown to actively regulate cellular responses including attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and matrix deposition. Nanoscaled drug delivery systems can be successfully incorporated into a porous 3D scaffold to enhance the tissue regeneration capacity. In conclusion, nanostructured biomateials are a very exciting and rapidly expanding research area, and are providing new enabling technologies for regenerative medicine. [source]


    Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities, 2nd edn

    GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 2 2001
    R. J. Pakeman
    [source]


    Assessment of parathyroid autotransplantation for preservation of parathyroid function after total thyroidectomy

    HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 10 2003
    Magdy I. El-Sharaky MD
    Abstract Background. Hypoparathyroidism with permanent hypocalcemia is a well-recognized complication after thyroid surgery. Aim. This study was conducted to assess the role of immediate parathyroid autotransplantation in the preservation of parathyroid function after total thyroidectomy. Patients and Methods. Twenty-eight patients had autotransplantation of parathyroid glands resected or devascularized during total thyroidectomy. Data were collected prospectively regarding demographics, indication for surgery, operative procedure, pathologic diagnosis, number of glands transplanted, and subsequent course. Thyroid nodules were evaluated by ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning, and/or fine-needle aspiration cytology. All patients had serum ionized calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels measured preoperatively and monitored regularly postoperatively for a period of 14 weeks and again at 6 months after operation. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the number of glands transplanted: one (group 1, n = 6), two (group 2, n = 14), or three glands (group 3, n = 8). In three other volunteers, one parathyroid gland was transplanted in the brachioradialis and subjected to electron microscopy 1, 2, and 4 weeks after transplantation. Results. Total thyroidectomy was performed for malignant disease in 16 patients (57.1%) and for benign disease in 12 (42.9%) patients. All patients reverted to asymptomatic normocalcemia without the need for any medications within 4 to 14 weeks. Normal levels of serum markers were regained slower when one gland was transplanted compared with two or three glands (P < .01). Electron microscopic examination showed evidence of ischemic degeneration in the transplanted tissues 1 week postoperatively. Regeneration started by the second week and coincided with normalization of PTH levels. Optimum resting and nearly normal status of parathyroid tissue was achieved by the fourth week. Conclusions. This study showed that active PTH production coincides with regeneration of parathyroid cells and that autotransplantation of at least two resected or devascularized glands during total thyroidectomy nearly eliminates permanent postoperative hypoparathyroidism, thus improving the safety of total thyroidectomy performed for malignant or benign disease. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head and Neck 25: 799,807, 2003 [source]


    Fluorescence Regeneration as a Signaling Principle for Choline and Carnitine Binding: A Refined Supramolecular Sensor System Based on a Fluorescent Azoalkane,

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 2 2006
    H. Bakirci
    Abstract The fluorescent azoalkane, 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO), forms inclusion complexes with p -sulfonatocalix[4]arene (CX4). The binding constants are on the order of 103,M,1 in water. The addition of CX4 to DBO solutions results in an efficient fluorescence quenching (up to 90,%). This supramolecular system can be used as a truly water-soluble sensor system to signal the binding of organic ammonium ions over a large pH range. Addition of choline and carnitine derivatives and tetraalkylammonium ions results in regeneration of this fluorescence, from which the binding constants (KC,=,103,105,M,1) are calculated by means of a competitive complexation model. Electrostatic effects are observed, namely, a more-than-one order of magnitude weaker binding of the carnitines in neutral solution. [source]


    Nanofiber Generation of Gelatin,Hydroxyapatite Biomimetics for Guided Tissue Regeneration,

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 12 2005
    H.-W. Kim
    Abstract The development of biomimetic bone matrices is one of the major goals in the bone-regeneration and tissue-engineering fields. Nanocomposites consisting of a natural polymer and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals, which mimic the human bone matrix, are thus regarded as promising bone regenerative materials. Herein, we developed a biomimetic nanocomposite with a novel nanofibrous structure by employing an electrospinning (ES) method. The HA precipitate/gelatin matrix nanocomposites are lyophilized and dissolved in an organic solvent, and then electrospun under controlled conditions. With this process, we can successfully generate a continuous fiber with a diameter of the order of hundreds of nanometers. The internal structure of the nanofiber features a typical nanocomposite, i.e., HA nanocrystals well distributed within a gelatin matrix. These nanocomposite fibers improve the bone-derived cellular activity significantly when compared to the pure gelatin equivalent. This method of generating a nanofiber of the biomimetic nanocomposite was effective in producing a biomedical membrane with a composition gradient, which is potentially applicable in the field of guided tissue regeneration (GTR). [source]


    The Elusive Path to Cartilage Regeneration

    ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 32-33 2009
    Ernst B. Hunziker
    Abstract Numerous attempts have been made to develop an efficacious strategy for the repair of articular cartilage. These endeavors have been undaunted, if not spurred, by the challenge of the task and by the largely disappointing outcomes in animal models. Of the strategies that have been lately applied in a clinical setting, the autologous-chondrocyte-transplantation technique is the most notorious example. This methodology, which was prematurely launched on the clinical scene, was greeted with enthusiasm and has been widely adopted. However, a recent prospective and randomized clinical trial has revealed the approach to confer no advantage over conventional microfracturing. Why is the repair of articular cartilage such a seemingly intractable problem? The root of the evil undoubtedly lies in the tissue's poor intrinsic healing capacity. But the failure of investigators to tackle the biological stumbling blocks systematically rather than empirically is hardly a less inauspicious circumstance. Moreover, it is a common misbelief that the formation of hyaline cartilage per se suffices, whereas to be durable and functionally competent, the tissue must be fully mature. An appreciation of this necessity, coupled with a thorough understanding of the postnatal development of articular cartilage, would help to steer investigators clear of biological cul-de-sacs. [source]


    Screening Xanthene Dyes for Visible Light-Driven Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Regeneration and Photoenzymatic Synthesis

    ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 16 2009
    Sahng Ha Lee
    Abstract Regeneration of the nicotinamide cofactor is a critical issue in biocatalysis. Herein we have screened xanthene dyes for a highly efficient, visible light-driven photochemical regeneration of cofactors and enzymatic synthesis. Superior catalytic performance was observed with several xanthene dyes such as phloxine B, erythrosine B, eosin Y, and rose bengal. We found that the photo- and electrochemical properties of the xanthene dyes were affected by the halogen atom substitution, which is a key factor in the efficient light-induced electron transfer from the donor molecule to the catalytic mediator. [source]


    Re-imaging the City Centre for the Middle Classes: Regeneration, Gentrification and Symbolic Policies in ,Loser Cities'

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009
    MAX ROUSSEAU
    Abstract This article aims to show how the governments of two industrial cities in France and the UK have now come to the view that middle-class reinvestment in the city centre offers a solution to urban economic decline, and so have encouraged the middle class to move in by implementing ,symbolic policies'. Their objective is to transform the image of the post-industrial city through cultural and urban planning policy, in order to adapt it to the supposed taste of potential gentrifiers. This development in strategy results from both external constraints and internal political changes in these cities. The failure of earlier redevelopment strategies is also a factor in explaining this paradoxical phenomenon, in which a social group that is, in fact, almost absent from the central spaces of these cities has now been accorded the status of ,systematic winners'. Résumé Cet article a pour objectif de montrer comment les gouvernements de deux villes industrielles, en France et en Grande-Bretagne, considèrent désormais que le réinvestissement du centre-ville par les classes moyennes constitue une solution au déclin économique urbain, et en viennent ainsi à favoriser leur arrivée par la mise en oeuvre de «politiques symboliques»: par des actions sur la culture et l'urbanisme, l'objectif est de transformer l'image de la ville postindustrielle pour l'adapter au goût supposé des gentrifieurs potentiels. Cette évolution stratégique est tout à la fois le résultat de contraintes externes et de transformations politiques internes aux villes. L'échec des précédentes stratégies de re-développement est également un facteur explicatif de ce phénomène paradoxal qui rend «systématiquement gagnant» depuis peu un groupe social pourtant quasiment absent de l'espace central de ces villes. [source]


    Effects of Desiccation and Sediment Type on Early Regeneration of Plant Fragments of Three Species of Aquatic Macrophytes

    INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
    Márcio José Silveira
    Abstract We tested the effects of desiccation and type of sediment (clay or sand) on the regeneration of fragments of the apical shoots of three species of Hydrocharitaceae: Egeria najas, E. densa and Hydrilla verticillata. The shoots were left to dry on clay or sand from zero to four days, and were then returned to aquaria containing water. To approximate natural conditions, the aquaria containing clay had higher turbidity and nutrient (P and N) concentrations than did the aquaria with sand. All species dried faster on sand substrate, which led to lower regeneration (in terms of dry weight, length, sprout and root formation) in this treatment. H. verticillata fragments elongated faster than the other species, but E. najas was the most successful species (in terms of increase in dry weight) in the sand treatment. Our results indicate that the exotic H. verticillata has a competitive advantage, at least in its early stages of regeneration, over the other two, native species, especially in more eutrophic and turbid habitats; whereas E. najas fragments have a competitive advantage in less-turbid, oligotrophic and sand-dominated sites. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Justice and Moral Regeneration: Lessons from the Treaty of Versailles

    INTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 3 2002
    Catherine Lu
    The Treaty of Versailles, which concluded World War I, aimed to establish a "peace of justice"; sadly, it only seemed to pave the way to a second, more devastating world war. What lessons about justice and reconciliation can we learn from the treaty and its apparent failure? Some scholars argue that the fault of the treaty lay in its preoccupation with retributive justice, undermining prospects for reconciliation. Rather than positing justice and reconciliation as inherently conflictual moral values or goals, both need to be conceived as part of the project of moral regeneration. Such a multidimensional project requires a certain kind of justice and reconciliation, founded on mutual respect for the humanity and equality of others. An assessment of the relationship among truth, justice, and reconciliation in the framework of moral regeneration indicates that the most grievous moral fault of the Treaty of Versailles lay in its process, which facilitated neither a truthful accounting of the war's causes and consequences, nor the affirmation of moral truths by victors or vanquished. The lack of an authoritative and public moral accounting of the Great War undermined both justice and reconciliation in international society. [source]


    Medium, Explant and Genotype Factors Influencing Shoot Regeneration in Oilseed Brassica spp.

    JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003
    G. X. Tang
    Abstract The effects of culture media, explants and genotypes on shoot regeneration in oilseed Brassica species were examined in this study. The maximum shoot regeneration frequency was obtained in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 3 mg l,1 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.15 mg l,1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. The addition of 2.5 mg l,1 AgNO3 was very beneficial to shoot regeneration in B. napus and Ag2S2O3 (10 mg l,1) was even superior to AgNO3 (2.5 mg l,1). Explant age, explant type and carbon source also significantly affected shoot regeneration. Four-day-old seedlings of cotyledonary explants showed the maximum shoot regeneration frequency and number of shoots per explant. Of the four explants , peduncles, hypocotyls, cotyledons and leaf petioles , cotyledons produced the highest shoot regeneration frequency (56.67 %). Four carbon sources , glucose, maltose, starch and sucrose , were compared for their respective effects on shoot regeneration from cotyledonary explants. Sucrose appeared to be the best carbon source for shoot regeneration with the highest shoot regeneration frequency (76.00 %). Considerable variation in shoot regeneration from cotyledonary explants was observed both between and within Brassica species. The shoot regeneration frequency ranged from 10.00 % for cv. R5 (B. rapa) to 83.61 % for cv. N1 (B. napus). Two B. napus, one B. carinata and one B. juncea cultivars exhibited shoot regeneration frequency higher than 70 %. In terms of the number of shoots produced per explant, B. rapa showed the highest variation, ranging from 5.64 for cv. R3 to 1.33 for cv. R5. Normal plantlets were regenerated from all induced shoots and developed normally. The regenerated plants were fertile and identical with the source plants. [source]


    A comparative study of gland cells implicated in the nerve dependence of salamander limb regeneration

    JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 1 2010
    Anoop Kumar
    Abstract Limb regeneration in salamanders proceeds by formation of the blastema, a mound of proliferating mesenchymal cells surrounded by a wound epithelium. Regeneration by the blastema depends on the presence of regenerating nerves and in earlier work it was shown that axons upregulate the expression of newt anterior gradient (nAG) protein first in Schwann cells of the nerve sheath and second in dermal glands underlying the wound epidermis. The expression of nAG protein after plasmid electroporation was shown to rescue a denervated newt blastema and allow regeneration to the digit stage. We have examined the dermal glands by scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with immunogold labelling of the nAG protein. It is expressed in secretory granules of ductless glands, which apparently discharge by a holocrine mechanism. No external ducts were observed in the wound epithelium of the newt and axolotl. The larval skin of the axolotl has dermal glands but these are absent under the wound epithelium. The nerve sheath was stained post-amputation in innervated but not denervated blastemas with an antibody to axolotl anterior gradient protein. This antibody reacted with axolotl Leydig cells in the wound epithelium and normal epidermis. Staining was markedly decreased in the wound epithelium after denervation but not in the epidermis. Therefore, in both newt and axolotl the regenerating axons induce nAG protein in the nerve sheath and subsequently the protein is expressed by gland cells, under (newt) or within (axolotl) the wound epithelium, which discharge by a holocrine mechanism. These findings serve to unify the nerve dependence of limb regeneration. [source]


    Regeneration, tissue injury and the immune response

    JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 4 2006
    James W. Godwin
    Abstract The involvement of the immune system in the response to tissue injury has raised the possibility that it might influence tissue, organ or appendage regeneration following injury. One hypothesis that has been discussed is that inflammatory aspects may preclude the occurrence of regeneration, but there is also evidence for more positive roles of immune components. The vertebrate eye is an immunoprivileged site where inflammatory aspects are inhibited by several immunomodulatory mechanisms. In various newt species the ocular tissues such as the lens are regenerative and it has recently been shown that the response to local injury of the lens involves activation of antigen-presenting cells which traffic to the spleen and return to displace and engulf the lens, thereby inducing regeneration from the dorsal iris. The activation of thrombin from prothrombin in the dorsal iris is one aspect of the injury response that is important in the initiation of regeneration. The possible relationships between the immune response and the regenerative response are considered with respect to phylogenetic variation of regeneration in general, and lens regeneration in particular. [source]


    Regeneration as an evolutionary variable

    JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 1-2 2001
    JEREMY P. BROCKES
    abstract Regeneration poses a distinctive set of problems for evolutionary biologists, but there has been little substantive progress since these issues were clearly outlined in the monograph of T. H. Morgan (1901). The champions at regeneration among vertebrates are the urodele amphibians such as the newt, and we tend to regard urodele regeneration as an exceptional attribute. The ability to regenerate large sections of the body plan is widespread in metazoan phylogeny, although it is not universal. It is striking that in phylogenetic contexts where regeneration occurs, closely related species are observed which do not possess this ability. It is a challenge to reconcile such variation between species with a conventional selective interpretation of regeneration. The critical hypothesis from phylogenetic analysis is that regeneration is a basic, primordial attribute of metazoans rather than a mechanism which has evolved independently in a variety of contexts. In order to explain its absence in closely related species, it is postulated to be lost secondarily for reasons which are not understood. Our approach to this question is to compare a differentiated newt cell with its mammalian counterpart in respect of the plasticity of differentiation. [source]


    A comparison of regeneration dynamics following gap creation at two geographically contrasting heathland sites

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2000
    A.J. Britton
    1.,Lowland Calluna -dominated heathlands are a high priority for conservation in Europe. As an anthropogenic subclimax community they require regular management intervention to maintain their conservation interest. 2.,Increasingly, Calluna is disappearing from lowland heathlands and being replaced by grasses, especially in the Netherlands and more recently in south-east England. While Calluna is highly competitive over much of its life cycle, its competitive ability is reduced during the regeneration phase that follows the death of stands or results from management activity. 3.,We examined the influence of five factors on regeneration of vegetation in gaps in two broadly similar lowland dry heaths over a 3-year period. These were: geographical location (combining a variety of environmental contrasts); dominant species (Calluna or grasses); management techniques; gap size; and seed source availability. 4.,Site location had the greatest effect on patterns of regeneration. Regeneration on the Wirral (north-west England) was faster and more dominated by Calluna than regeneration in Breckland (south-east England), which was dominated by other species including grasses and annual plants. Addition of Calluna seed at the Breckland site failed to increase Calluna cover. It was concluded that climatic or other environmental factors were the most probable cause of poor regeneration. 5.,Cover of grasses in regenerating areas was greatest in Breckland, where Deschampsia was able to establish in all gaps where there was a seed source (either in the surrounding vegetation or applied as a treatment). On the Wirral, Deschampsia establishment was limited, even in gaps where a seed source was applied. 6.,This work has implications for the conservation management of heathlands, which currently follows a standard prescription throughout the UK. It is suggested that management regimes should be tailored to suit the conditions prevailing at individual sites as regeneration dynamics may be extremely variable. [source]