Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by bone fragility and fractures, and associated with bone deformity, short stature, dentin, ligament and blue‑gray eye sclera. OI is caused by a heterozygous mutation in collagen α‑1(I) chain (COL1A1) or collagen α‑2(I) chain (COL1A2) genes that encode α chains of type I collagen. Collagen α chain peptide contains an N‑pro...

Although, one of the etiologies of localized lipodystrophy of the subcutaneous connective tissue (cellulite) is the histological alternation of adipose tissue, the characteristics of expression of the components of extracellular matrix (ECM) components during adipogenesis are not uncovered. In this study, the effects of caffeine and Ishige okamurae originated diphlorethohydroxycarmalol (DPHC) o...

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by dystrophin deficiency resulting in progressive muscle weakness and fibrotic scarring. Muscle fibrosis impairs blood flow, hampering muscle repair and regeneration. Irrespective of the success of gene restoration, functional improvement is limited without reducing fibrosis. The levels of miR-29c, a known regulator of collagen, are reduced in DMD. Ou...

Preosteoblasts are precursor cells that are committed to the osteoblast lineage. Differentiation of these cells to mature osteoblasts is regulated by the extracellular factors and environmental cues. Recent studies have implicated mTOR signaling in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation. However, mTOR exists in two distinct protein complexes (mTORC1 and mTORC2), and the specific role of m...

There are two types of sarcomas with regards to the type of molecular alterations: sarcomas with relatively simple, usually specific lesions and those with complex unspecific lesions. A molecular classification for sarcomas can therefore be proposed (Table 1). Recurrent chromosomal translocations: about 10-15% of all sarcomas bear a recurrent chromosomal translocation (Table 2). The most freque...

Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) has been found to induce reactive dentin formation; however the molecular mechanisms involved are unclear. The effect of EMD (5-50 μg/mL) on primary human pulp cells were compared to untreated cells and cells incubated with 10⁻⁸ M dexamethasone (DEX) for 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 days in culture. Expression analysis using Affymetrix microchips demonstrated that 10 μg/mL ...

It was previously demonstrated that transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) induces endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) in murine lung endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro. Owing to the important role of caveolin-1 (CAV1) in TGF-β receptor internalization and TGF-β signaling, the participation of CAV1 in the induction of EndoMT in murine lung ECs was investigated. Pulmonary ECs were isolate...

The pig is an ideal large animal model for genetic engineering applications. A relatively short gestation interval and large litter size makes the pig a conducive model for generating and propagating genetic modifications. The domestic pig also shares close similarity in anatomy, physiology, size, and life expectancy, making it an ideal animal for modeling human diseases. Often, however, the te...

The objective of this study was to investigate the advantages and feasibility of periodontal tissue regeneration using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) combined with rat periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) for the first time. We first determined the effect of PRF on rat PDLSCs in vitro. We next conducted an in vivo study, in which a tissue engineering technique was performed to repair periodonta...