Mechanical stress may initiate osteoderm development in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).

Osteoderms are bones that form in the dermis of several species, but their development and function are not well understood. Comparing cellular and molecular events that initiate and drive pathologies similarly characterized by ossification of soft tissues (heterotopic ossification) may provide insight into how osteoderms develop. It is thought that the origin of some heterotopic ossification lesions is mediated through mechanotransduction, or the conversion of mechanical forces on the extracellular matrix (ECM) to biochemical signals that initiate bone formation.

Generation and Characterization of a Multi-Functional Panel of Monoclonal Antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 Research and Treatment.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an ongoing threat to global public health. To this end, intense efforts are underway to develop reagents to aid in diagnostics, enhance preventative measures, and provide therapeutics for managing COVID-19. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants with enhanced transmissibility, altered antigenicity, and significant escape of existing monoclonal antibodies and vaccines underlines the importance of the continued development of such agents.

Prenatal hypoxia affects scaling of blood pressure and arterial wall mechanics in the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.

In reptiles, exposure to hypoxia during embryonic development affects several cardiovascular parameters. These modifications may impose different mechanical stress to the arterial system, and we speculated that the arterial wall of major outflow vessels would be modified accordingly. Since non-crocodilian reptiles possess a partially divided ventricle, ensuing similar systemic and pulmonary systolic pressures, we investigated how morphological and mechanical properties of segments from the left aortic arch (LAo) and the proximal and distal segments of the left pulmonary artery (LPAp and LPAd, respectively) change as body mass (M) increases.

Arterial wall thickening normalizes arterial wall tension with growth in American alligators, Alligator mississippiensis.

Arterial wall tension increases with luminal radius and arterial pressure. Hence, as body mass (M) increases, associated increases in radius induces larger tension. Thus, it could be predicted that high tension would increase the potential for rupture of the arterial wall.

Underlying Ossification Phenotype in a Murine Model of Metastatic Synovial Sarcoma.

Synovial sarcoma, an uncommon cancer, typically affects young adults. Survival rates range from 36% to 76%, decreasing significantly when metastases are present. Synovial sarcomas form in soft tissues, often near bones, with about 10% demonstrating ossification in the tumor.

Comparison of diabetic nephropathy between male and female eNOS/ mice.

Sex is an important biological variable that impacts diverse physiological and pathological processes, including the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient (eNOS) / mouse is an appropriate and valuable model to study mechanisms in the development of diabetic nephropathy because of the similarities of the features of diabetic kidney disease in this model to those in humans.

Natural development of dermal ectopic bone in the american alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) resembles heterotopic ossification disorders in humans.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) occurs when soft tissues are inappropriately converted to bony tissue. Several human diseases result in HO with few reliable treatment options. Animal models that naturally produce dermal ectopic bone (i.