BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE A blood supply is indispensable for the regeneration of damaged or lost periodontal ligament (PDL) tissue. Mesenchymal stem cell-like activity of cells derived from the PDL has been identified by their capacity to form fibrous and osseous tissue and cementum. However, it remains to be clarified whether the cells have an ability to build the capillary network of blood ve...

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are secreted protein hormones that act as morphogens and exert essential roles during embryonic development of tissues and organs. Signaling by BMPs occurs via hetero-oligomerization of two types of serine/threonine kinase transmembrane receptors. Due to the small number of available receptors for a large number of BMP ligands ligand-receptor promiscuity prese...

Mg deficiency accelerates Fe accumulation in the liver, which may induce various metabolic disturbances. In the present study, we examined the gene expression of Hepcidin, a peptide hormone produced in the liver to regulate intestinal Fe absorption negatively, in Mg-deficient rats. Although liver Fe concentration was significantly higher in rats fed an Mg-deficient diet for 4 weeks than in rats...

We recently reported that overexpression of thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) in transgenic mice promotes abnormal hair growth and tooth development, but the role of Tβ4 in dental pulp regeneration was not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Tβ4 on odontoblastic differentiation and the underlying mechanism regulating pulp regeneration in human dental pulp cells (HDPC...

Systemic iron balance is regulated by hepcidin, a peptide hormone secreted by the liver. By decreasing cell surface expression of the iron exporter ferroportin, hepcidin decreases iron absorption from the intestine and iron release from reticuloendothelial stores. Hepcidin excess has been implicated in the pathogenesis of anemia of chronic disease, while hepcidin deficiency has a key role in th...

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the principal protein of high density lipoprotein and is most likely responsible for many, if not all, of HDLʼs antiatherogenic properties. In humans, apoA-I is synthesized in hepatocytes and enterocytes as a prepro-protein. The 18 amino acid prepeptide is cleaved prior to secretion and pro-apoA-I is secreted and processed into mature protein in blood or lymph; th...

In the current work, our purpose was based on assessment of bioactive chitosan (CS)/Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) scaffolds ability to stimulate in vitro angiogenesis process. The bioactivation accomplished by using organic (BMP-2 peptide) and inorganic (hydroxyapatite nanoparticles) cues. particular, properties materials terms biological response promotion human umbilical vein endot...

The nanostructures of self-assembling biomaterials have been previously designed to tune the release of growth factors in order to optimize biological repair and regeneration. We report here on the discovery that weakly cohesive peptide nanostructures in terms of intermolecular hydrogen bonding, when combined with low concentrations of osteogenic growth factor, enhance both BMP-2 and Wnt mediat...