Laminin

Cell replacement therapy is under development for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A thin membrane resembling the Bruch's membrane is required to form a cell-on-membrane construct with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. These cells have been differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro. A carrier membrane is required for cell implantation, which is biocompatible for cell growth and has dimensions and physical properties resembling the Bruch's membrane. Here a nanofiber electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) membrane is tested for capacity to support cell growth and maturation...

Interventions aimed at weight control often have limited effectiveness in combating obesity. This review explores how obesity-induced dysfunction in white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), skeletal muscle, and the brain blunt weight loss, leading to retention of stored fat. In obesity, increased adrenergic stimulation and inflammation downregulate β-adrenoreceptors and impair catecholaminergic signalling in adipocytes. This disrupts adrenergic-mediated lipolysis, diminishing lipid oxidation in both white and brown adipocytes, lowering thermogenesis and blunting fat loss...

The transition from collective to single-cell invasion in metastatic tumors has been regarded as the consequence of oncogenic drivers in concert with extracellular triggers received from the tumor microenvironment. In this issue, Yoon and colleagues (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202308080) have identified an epigenetic program by which collective niches release laminin-332 and thereby cause the detachment and invasion of fully individualized tumor cells.

PURPOSE: To investigate the extracellular matrix and cellular components in lens capsules extracted from patients with dead bag syndrome (DBS) through immunohistochemistry. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah. DESIGN: Immunohistochemical experimental study. METHODS: Nine capsular bag specimens from DBS cases, as well as 2 control specimens from late-postoperative in-the-bag intraocular lens dislocation cases related to previous vitrectomy, pseudoexfoliation, and blunt trauma were included...

BACKGROUND: Traditional bandages, gauze, and cotton balls are increasingly insufficient for addressing complex war injuries characterized by severe bleeding and diverse wound conditions. The giant salamander, a species of high medical value, secretes a unique mucus when stimulated, which has potential applications in wound care. MATERIALS: Giant salamander skin mucus gel dressing wrapped with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs-GSSM-gel) was prepared and validated...

The recent FDA decision to eliminate animal testing requirements emphasises the role of cell models, such as spheroids, as regulatory test alternatives for investigations of cellular behaviour, drug responses, and disease modelling. The influence of environment on spheroid formation are incompletely understood, leading to uncertainty in matrix selection for scaffold-based 3D culture. This study uses atomic force microscopy-based techniques to quantify cell adhesion to Matrigel and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), and cell-cell adhesion forces, and their role in spheroid formation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS(IMR90)-4)...

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive and fatal pediatric brain cancer. One pre-requisite for tumor cells to infiltrate is adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) components. However, it remains largely unknown which ECM proteins are critical in enabling DIPG adhesion and migration and which integrin receptors mediate these processes. Here, we identify laminin as a key ECM protein that supports robust DIPG cell adhesion and migration. To study DIPG infiltration, we developed a DIPG-neural assembloid model, which is composed of a DIPG spheroid fused to a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural organoid...

Prostate cancer is one of the most common neoplasm in the male population. It is not known why some tumors become more aggressive than others. Although most studies show changes in the expression of cell adhesion molecules and the extracellular matrix correlated with the Gleason score, no study has objectively measured the tissue content of these molecules. This study aims to measure the content and tissue expression of collagen type I and IV and laminin in the extracellular matrix of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma and correlate these findings with the Gleason score and clinical characteristics...

OBJECTIVES: Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor widely distributed globally, exhibiting elevated incidence and fatality rates. The gene LAMC2 encodes the laminin subunit gamma-2 chain and is found specifically in the basement membrane of epithelial cells. Its expression is aberrant in multiple types of malignant tumors. This research elucidated a link between LAMC2 and the clinical characteristics of GC and investigated the potential involvement of LAMC2 in GC proliferation and advancement...

Telomerase activity is directly affected by the laminin receptor precursor (LRP) protein, a highly conserved nonintegrin transmembrane receptor, which has been shown to have therapeutic effects in ageing, and age-related diseases. Recently, it has been found that overexpression of LRP-FLAG, by plasmid transfection, leads to a significant increase in telomerase activity in cell culture models. This may indicate that upregulation of LRP can be used to treat various age-related diseases. However, transfection is not a viable treatment strategy for patients...

PURPOSE: The biosynthetic Symatix membrane (SM) was developed to replace fresh human amniotic membrane (hAM) in ocular surgical applications. The purpose of this study was to test the biocompatibility of the SM with human limbus-derived epithelial cells with regard to their physical and biological properties. METHODS: Different physical properties of SM were tested ex vivo by simulation on human corneas. In vitro, primary limbal epithelial cells from limbal explants were used to test biological properties such as cell migration, proliferation, metabolic activity, and limbal epithelial cell markers on the SM, hAM, and freeze-dried amniotic membrane (FDAM)...

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is used to treat mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), although its therapeutic effectivity is not sufficiently supported by randomized controlled clinical trials and its mode of action is only insufficiently understood. We have examined the effect of IVIg in a mouse model of anti-laminin 332 MMP and found that IVIg ameliorates both cutaneous and mucosal inflammatory lesions. Our investigation into the modes of action of IVIg in MMP indicated effective antiinflammatory mechanisms beyond the enhanced degradation of IgG mediated through inhibition of the neonatal Fc receptor...

LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy is caused by pathogenic variants of the alpha2 subunit of Laminin. This common form of muscular dystrophy is characterized by elevated CK >1000IU/L, dystrophic changes on muscle biopsy, complete or partial absence of merosin staining, and both central and peripheral nervous system involvement. Advancements in genomic testing using NGS and wider application of RNA sequencing has expanded our knowledge of novel non-coding pathogenic variants in LAMA2. RNA sequencing is an increasingly utilized technique to directly analyze the transcriptome, through creation of a complementary DNA (cDNA) from the transcript within a tissue sample...

Hydrogels derived from decellularized extracellular matrices (ECM) of animal origin show immense potential for regenerative applications due to their excellent cytocompatibility and biomimetic properties. Despite these benefits, the impact of decellularization protocols on the properties and immunogenicity of these hydrogels remains relatively unexplored. In this study, porcine skeletal muscle ECM (smECM) underwent decellularization using mechanical disruption (MD) and two commonly employed decellularization detergents, sodium deoxycholate (SDC) or Triton X-100...

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great therapeutic potential. The cell source differentiated from hiPSCs requires xeno-free and robust methods for lineage-specific differentiation. Here, a system is described for differentiating hiPSCs on new generation laminin fragments (NGLFs), a recombinant form of a laminin E8 fragment conjugated to the heparan sulfate chains (HS) attachment domain of perlecan. Using NGLFs, hiPSCs are highly promoted to direct differentiation into a paraxial mesoderm state with high-efficiency muscle lineage generation...

Alginate (ALG) and its oxidised form alginate-dialdehyde (ADA) are highly attractive materials for hydrogels used in 3D bioprinting as well as drop-on-demand (DoD) approaches. However, both polymers need to be modified using cell-adhesive peptide sequences, to obtain bioinks exhibiting promising cell-material interactions. Our study explores the modification of ALG- and ADA-based bioinks with the adhesive peptides YIGSR (derived from laminin), RRETEWA (derived from fibronectin) and IKVAV (derived from laminin) for 3D bioprinting...

Orofacial nerve injuries may result in temporary or long-term loss of sensory function and decreased quality of life in patients. B vitamins are required for DNA synthesis and the repair and maintenance of phospholipids. In particular, vitamins B1, B6, and B12 are essential for neuronal function. Deficiency in vitamin B complex (VBC) has been linked to increased oxidative stress, inflammation and demyelination. Photobiomodulation (PBM) has antioxidant activity and is neuroprotective. In addition, a growing literature attests to the positive effects of PBM on nerve repair...

Gingival wound healing plays a critical role in maintaining oral health. However, this process can be delayed by oxidative stress and excessive inflammatory responses. In this study, we established a human inflammatory gingival tissue equivalent (iGTE) to investigate the inhibitory effects of hydrogen-rich water (HW), enzyme-digested edible bird's nest (EBND) and sialic acid (SA) on PMA (an inducer of oxidative free radicals)- and LPS (an inflammatory stimulus)-impaired wound healing. The iGTE was constructed by human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs), keratinocytes and macrophages under three-dimensional conditions...

BACKGROUND: Laminin subunit gamma-1 (LAMC1) is a major extracellular matrix molecule involved in the tumor microenvironment. Knowledge of the biological features and clinical relevance of LAMC1 in cancers remains limited. METHODS: We conducted comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of LAMC1 gene expression and clinical relevance in pan-cancer datasets of public databases and validated LAMC1 expression in glioma tissues and cell lines. The association and regulatory mechanism between hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and LAMC1 expression were explored...

Preserving the potency of stem cells in adult tissues is very demanding and relies on the concerted action of various cellular and non-cellular elements in a precise stoichiometry. This balanced microenvironment is found in specific anatomical "pockets" within the tissue, known as the stem cell niche. In this review, we explore the interplay between stem cells and their niches, with a primary focus on skeletal muscle stem cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Quiescent muscle stem cells, known as satellite cells are active producers of a diverse array of ECM molecules, encompassing major constituents like collagens, laminins, and integrins, some of which are explored in this review...