Determining the mechanical properties of soft materials （e.g., biological soft tissues, polymeric gels, and soft elastomers） across multiple length scales represents an activity of increasing importance in understan...Determining the mechanical properties of soft materials （e.g., biological soft tissues, polymeric gels, and soft elastomers） across multiple length scales represents an activity of increasing importance in understanding the deformation behavior of soft materials under various stimuli. Much effort has been made in the past in this field. This theme issue of the Acta Mechanica Sinica contains a number of innova- tive papers regarding the mechanical characterization of soft materials from five different groups.展开更多
Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are important cell sources in cartilage tissue development and homeostasis,and multiple strategies have been developed to improve MSCs chondrogenic differentiation with an aim of promoting...Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are important cell sources in cartilage tissue development and homeostasis,and multiple strategies have been developed to improve MSCs chondrogenic differentiation with an aim of promoting cartilage regeneration.Here we report the effects of combining nanosecond pulsed electric fields(ns PEFs) followed by treatment with ghrelin(a hormone that stimulates release of growth hormone) to regulate chondrogenesis of MSCs.ns PEFs and ghrelin were observed to separately enhance the chondrogenesis of MSCs,and the effects were significantly enhanced when the bioelectric stimulation and hormone were combined,which in turn improved osteochondral tissue repair of these cells within Sprague Dawley rats.We further found that ns PEFs can prime MSCs to be more receptive to subsequent stimuli of differentiation by upregulated Oct4/Nanog and activated JNK signaling pathway.Ghrelin initiated chondrogenic differentiation by activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathway,and RNA-seq results indicated 243 genes were regulated,and JAK-STAT signaling pathway was involved.Interestingly,the sequential order of applying these two stimuli is critical,with ns PEFs pretreatment followed by ghrelin enhanced chondrogenesis of MSCs in vitro and subsequent cartilage regeneration in vivo,but not vice versa.This synergistic prochondrogenic effects provide us new insights and strategies for future cell-based therapies.展开更多
文摘Determining the mechanical properties of soft materials （e.g., biological soft tissues, polymeric gels, and soft elastomers） across multiple length scales represents an activity of increasing importance in understanding the deformation behavior of soft materials under various stimuli. Much effort has been made in the past in this field. This theme issue of the Acta Mechanica Sinica contains a number of innova- tive papers regarding the mechanical characterization of soft materials from five different groups.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFA0111900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81772334)。
文摘Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are important cell sources in cartilage tissue development and homeostasis,and multiple strategies have been developed to improve MSCs chondrogenic differentiation with an aim of promoting cartilage regeneration.Here we report the effects of combining nanosecond pulsed electric fields(ns PEFs) followed by treatment with ghrelin(a hormone that stimulates release of growth hormone) to regulate chondrogenesis of MSCs.ns PEFs and ghrelin were observed to separately enhance the chondrogenesis of MSCs,and the effects were significantly enhanced when the bioelectric stimulation and hormone were combined,which in turn improved osteochondral tissue repair of these cells within Sprague Dawley rats.We further found that ns PEFs can prime MSCs to be more receptive to subsequent stimuli of differentiation by upregulated Oct4/Nanog and activated JNK signaling pathway.Ghrelin initiated chondrogenic differentiation by activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathway,and RNA-seq results indicated 243 genes were regulated,and JAK-STAT signaling pathway was involved.Interestingly,the sequential order of applying these two stimuli is critical,with ns PEFs pretreatment followed by ghrelin enhanced chondrogenesis of MSCs in vitro and subsequent cartilage regeneration in vivo,but not vice versa.This synergistic prochondrogenic effects provide us new insights and strategies for future cell-based therapies.
