Biomedical subjects

Brook Damon

Publications and source records attributed to Brook Damon.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Periostin regulates collagen fibrillogenesis and the biomechanical properties of connective tissues.

Periostin is predominantly expressed in collagen-rich fibrous connective tissues that are subjected to constant mechanical stresses including: heart valves, tendons, perichondrium, cornea, and the periodontal ligament (PDL). Based on these data we hypothesize that periostin can regulate collagen I fibrillogenesis and thereby affect the biomechanical properties of connective tissues. Immunoprecipitation and immunogold transmission electron microscopy experiments demonstrate that periostin is capable of directly interacting with collagen I. To analyze the potential role of periostin in collagen I fibrillogenesis, gene targeted mice were generated. Transmission electron microscopy and morphometric analyses demonstrated reduced collagen fibril diameters in skin dermis of periostin knockout mice, an indication of aberrant collagen I fibrillogenesis. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated a lower collagen denaturing temperature in periostin knockout mice, reflecting a reduced level of collagen cross-linking. Functional biomechanical properties of periostin null skin specimens and atrioventricular (AV) valve explant experiments provided direct evidence of the role that periostin plays in regulating the viscoelastic properties of connective tissues. Collectively, these data demonstrate for the first time that periostin can regulate collagen I fibrillogenesis and thereby serves as an important mediator of the biomechanical properties of fibrous connective tissues.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2006

Application of inkjet printing to tissue engineering.

Recent advances in organ printing technology for applications relating to medical interventions and organ replacement are described. Organ printing refers to the placement of various cell types into a soft scaffold fabricated according to a computer-aided design template using a single device. Computer aided scaffold topology design has recently gained attention as a viable option to achieve function and mass transport requirements within tissue engineering scaffolds. An exciting advance pioneered in our laboratory is that of simultaneous printing of cells and biomaterials, which allows precise placement of cells and proteins within 3-D hydrogel structures. This advance raises the possibility of spatially controlling not only the scaffold structure, but also the type of tissue that can be grown within the scaffold and the thickness of the tissue as capillaries and vessels could be constructed within the scaffolds. Here we summarize recent advances in printing cells and materials using the same device.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Three-dimensional tissue constructs built by bioprinting.

Bioprinting is an evolving tissue engineering technology. It utilizes computer controlled three-dimensional printers for rapid and high-precision construction of three-dimensional biological structures. We employed discrete and continuous bioprinting to build three-dimensional tissue constructs. In the former case bioink particles - spherical cell aggregates composed of many thousands of cells - are delivered one by one into biocompatible scaffolds, the biopaper. Structure formation takes place by the subsequent fusion of the bioink particles due to their liquid-like and self-assembly properties. In the latter case a mixture of cells and scaffold material is extruded from the biocartridge akin to toothpaste to arrive at the desired construct. Specifically, we built rectangular tissue blocks of several hundred microns in thickness as well as tubular structures of several millimeters in height. The physical basis of structure formation was studied by computer simulations.

Animals↗