Detection and Quantification of Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Produced by Murine B Cells: Pros and Cons of Different Techniques

An Injectable Integration of Autologous Bioactive Concentrated Growth Factor and Gelatin Methacrylate Hydrogel with Efficient Growth Factor Release and 3D Spatial Structure for Accelerated Wound Healing

Growth factors are essential for wound healing owing to their multiple reparative effects. Concentrated growth factor (CGF) is a third-generation platelet extract containing various endogenous growth factors. Here, a CGF extract solution is combined with gelatin methacrylate (GM) by physical blending to produce GM@CGF hydrogels for wound repair. The GM@CGF hydrogels show no immune rejection during autologous transplantation. Compared to CGF, GM@CGF hydrogels not only exhibit excellent plasticity and adhesivity but also prevent rapid release and degradation of growth factors. The GM@CGF hydrogels display good injectability, self-healing, swelling, and degradability along with outstanding cytocompatibility, angiogenic functions, chemotactic functions, and cell migration-promoting capabilities in vitro. The GM@CGF hydrogel can release various effective molecules to rapidly initiate wound repair, stimulate the expressions of type I collagen, transform growth factor β1, epidermal growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor, promote the production of granulation tissues, vascular regeneration and reconstruction, collagen deposition, and epidermal cell migration, as well as prevent excessive scar formation. In conclusion, the injectable GM@CGF hydrogel can release various growth factors and provide a 3D spatial structure to accelerate wound repair, thereby providing a foundation for the clinical application and translation of CGF.

A silk fibroin/chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite biomimetic bone scaffold combined with autologous concentrated growth factor promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and repair of critical bone defects

Purpose

With the goal of increasing the translational efficiency of bone tissue engineering for practical clinical applications, biomimetic composite scaffolds combined with autologous endogenous growth factors for repairing bone defects have become a current research hotspot. In this study, we prepared a silk fibroin/chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite (SF/CS/nHA) composite biomimetic scaffold and then combined it with autologous concentrated growth factor (CGF) to explore the effect of this combination on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the efficiency of repairing critical radial defects.

Methods

Three kinds of SF/CS/nHA composite biomimetic scaffolds with mass fractions of 3%, 4%, and 5% were prepared by vacuum freeze-drying and chemical cross-linking methods, and the characteristics of the scaffolds were evaluated. In vitro, BMSCs were seeded on SF/CS/nHA scaffolds, and then CGF was added. The morphology and proliferation of BMSCs were evaluated by live-dead staining, phalloidin staining, and CCK-8 assays. ALP staining, alizarin red staining, cellular immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and Western blotting were used to detect the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. In vivo, a rabbit radius critical bone defect model was constructed, and the SF/CS/nHA-BMSC scaffold cell complex combined with CGF was implanted. The effect on bone defect repair was evaluated by 3D CT scanning, HE staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemistry.

Results

The characteristics of 4% SF/CS/nHA were the most suitable for repairing bone defects. In vitro, the SF/CS/nHA combined CGF group showed better adhesion, cell morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs than the other groups (P < 0.05 for all). In vivo imaging examination and histological analysis demonstrated that the SF/CS/nHA scaffold combined with CGF had better efficiency in bone defect repair than the other scaffolds (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusions

A SF/CS/nHA composite biomimetic bone scaffold combined with autologous CGF promoted the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and improved the repair efficiency of critical bone defects in vivo. This combination may have the potential for clinical translation due to its excellent biocompatibility.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Pulsed Dye Laser Combined with Pingyangmycin on Hyperplastic Scar after Acne

Background

Acne is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of hair follicles and sebaceous glands in dermatology. Hyperplastic scar (HS), a very common sequelae of acne, is also the most common scar type in clinical practice.

Objective

This research analyzed the clinical effectiveness and safety of pulsed dye laser (PDL) combined with pingyangmycin (PI) in the treatment of post-acne HS.

Methods

One hundred and nine patients with post-acne HS admitted in June 2020 were selected and divided into a research group (n = 52) and a control group (n = 57) according to the difference in treatment methods. The efficacy, incidence of adverse reactions, skin repair, treatment comfort, and satisfaction were compared between groups.

Results

The total effective rate was higher in the research group compared with the control group. No statistical difference was observed between groups in the incidence of adverse reactions. The research group showed better scar repair, skin improvement, and granulation tissue maturity than the control group. And compared with the control group, the growth factor of the research group was lower, while the treatment comfort and satisfaction, psychological state, and prognosis quality of life were higher. The two groups showed no notable difference in the recurrence rate.

Conclusions

PDL combined with PI can effectively improve the clinical efficacy, scar repair effect, overall skin status, and treatment experience of patients and boost the psychological state and prognostic quality of life of patients, which has great clinical application prospect for the treatment of HS.