Recellularization of decellularized vascular grafts via aligned seeding of endothelial cells derived from human iPS cells.

The development of decellularized vascular tissues for tissue engineering and vascular implants presents a promising approach to creating functional blood vessels. However, effective endothelialization with human endothelial cells remains challenging. This study examined the endothelialization of decellularized porcine aortas using human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell-derived endothelial cells.

Increasing polycation hydrophobicity in mRNA polyplex vaccines enhances the efficacy of humoral and cellular immunity induction.

Polycation-based mRNA delivery systems, known as polyplexes, hold significant potential for use in mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. However, their performance has been suboptimal in infectious disease vaccines, which require the induction of both humoral and cellular immunity. Herein, we optimized polycation hydrophobicity to maximize the efficacy of humoral and cellular immunity induction, using biodegradable amphiphilic polyaspartamide derivatives as a platform.

Application of decellularized tissue for soft-hard interregional regeneration.

Decellularized tissue refers to extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from living tissue by removing the cellular components and is used for tissue regeneration. Various decellularized tissue sheets and powders, such as the dermis, urinary bladder matrix, and small intestinal submucosa, have been clinically used as covering and prosthetic materials. Moreover, there is growing interest in the use of decellularized tissue for soft-hard interregional tissue regeneration, including in the ligament-bone, tendon-bone, and periodontal ligament-bone interfaces.

PI3K-Akt signalling regulates Scx-lineage tenocytes and Tppp3-lineage paratenon sheath cells in neonatal tendon regeneration.

Tendon injuries are frequently occurring disorders; it is clinically important to enhance tendon regeneration and prevent functional impairment post-injury. While tendon injuries in children heal quickly with minimal scarring, those in adults heal slowly and are accompanied by fibrotic scarring. Therefore, investigating the healing mechanisms after tendon injury, and identifying the factors that regulate the inherent regenerative capacity of tendons are promising approaches to promoting tendon regeneration.

Spin dynamics in linear magnetoelectric material MnTaO.

We performed inelastic neutron scattering experiments on single crystal samples of a linear magnetoelectric material MnTaO, which exhibits a collinear antiferromagnetic order, to reveal the spin dynamics. Numerous modes observed in the neutron spectra were reasonably reproduced by linear spin-wave theory on the basis of the spin Hamiltonian including eight Heisenberg interactions and an easy-plane type single-ion anisotropy. The presence of strong frustration was found in the identified spin Hamiltonian.

Electric Field-Induced Nonreciprocal Directional Dichroism in a Time-Reversal-Odd Antiferromagnet.

Antiferromagnets with broken time-reversal ( ) symmetry ( -odd antiferromagnets) have gained extensive attention, mainly due to their ferromagnet-like behavior despite the absence of net magnetization. However, certain types of -odd antiferromagnets remain inaccessible by the typical ferromagnet-like phenomena (e.g.

Single-nucleus transcriptional and chromatin accessibility analyses of maturing mouse Achilles tendon uncover the molecular landscape of tendon stem/progenitor cells.

Tendons and ligaments are crucial connective tissues linking bones and muscles, yet achieving full functional recovery after injury remains challenging. We investigated the characteristics of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) by focusing on the declining tendon repair capacity with growth. Using single-cell RNA sequencing on Achilles tendon cells from 2-and 6-week-old mice, we identified and as novel surface antigen markers for TSPCs.

Preparation, physico-biochemical characterization, and proteomic analysis of highly transparent corneal extracellular matrices for lamellar keratoplasty and tissue-engineered cornea construction.

Corneal opacity and deformation, which often require corneal transplantation for treatment, are among the leading causes of monocular blindness. To restore corneal clarity and integrity, there is a need for an artificial stroma that not only matches the transparency of donated human cornea but also effectively integrates to the corneal tissue. In this study, a transparent decellularized cornea was successfully developed using the high hydrostatic pressure method with processing conditions optimized for corneal decellularization.

Effects of the matrix-bounded nanovesicles of high-hydrostatic pressure decellularized tissues on neural regeneration.

Decellularized tissues have been used as implantable materials for tissue regeneration because of their high biofunctionality. We have reported that high hydrostatic pressured (HHP) decellularized tissue developed in our laboratory exhibits good in vivo performance, but the details of the mechanism are still not known. Based on previous reports of bioactive factors called matrix bound nanovesicles (MBVs) within decellularized tissues, this study aims to investigate whether MBVs are also present in decellularized tissues prepared by HHP decellularization, which is different from the previously reported methods.

Imaging and Control of Magnetic Domains in a Quasi-One-Dimensional Quantum Antiferromagnet BaCu_{2}Si_{2}O_{7}.

We visualize antiferromagnetic domains in a representative quasi-one-dimensional S=1/2 quantum antiferromagnet, BaCu_{2}Si_{2}O_{7}, using nonreciprocal directional dichroism, which differentiates the optical absorption of a pair of antiferromagnetic domains. Opposite antiferromagnetic domains, each about submillimeter in size, are found to coexist in a single-crystal specimen, and the domain walls run predominantly along the spin chains. We also demonstrate that the domain walls can be moved by an applied electric field through a magnetoelectric coupling and that the direction of the domain walls is maintained during the motion.

Ferroelectricity Induced by a Combination of Crystallographic Chirality and Axial Vector.

Ferroelectric materials compatible with magnetism and/or conductive properties provide a platform for exploring unconventional phenomena, such as the magnetoelectric effect, nonreciprocal responses, and nontrivial superconductivity. Though recent studies on multiferroics have offered several approaches, the search for magnetic and/or conducting ferroelectric materials is still a challenging issue under the traditional "d-ness" rule, refusing active d electrons. Here, we propose the emergence of ferroelectricity through a combination of crystallographic chirality and axial vector, accepting even non-d magnetic ions.

Investigation of anti-adhesion ability of 8-arm PEGNHS-modified porcine pericardium.

In post-adhesion surgery, there is a clinical need for anti-adhesion membranes specifically designed for the liver, given the limited efficacy of current commercial products. To address this demand, we present a membrane suitable for liver surgery applications, fabricated through the modification of decellularized porcine pericardium with 20 KDa hexaglycerol octa (succinimidyloxyglutaryl) polyoxyethylene (8-arm PEGNHS). We also developed an optimized modification procedure to produce a high-performance anti-adhesion barrier.

Nonvolatile Switching of Large Nonreciprocal Optical Absorption at Shortwave Infrared Wavelengths.

We report large nonreciprocal optical absorption at shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths in the magnetoelectric (ME) antiferromagnet (AFM) LiNiPO_{4}. The difference in absorption coefficients for light propagating in opposite directions, divided by the sum, reaches up to ∼40% at 1450 nm. Moreover, the nonreciprocity is switched by a magnetic field in a nonvolatile manner.

Application of a genetically engineered macrophage cell line for evaluating cellular effects of UV/US-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) microplastics.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a global environmental problem. To understand the biological effects of MPs on humans, it is essential to evaluate the response of human cells to model plastic particles that mimic environmental MPs in a sensitive and non-invasive manner. In this study, we investigated the preparation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fragments with properties similar to those of environmental MPs by combining photo-oxidative degradation via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with mechanical pulverization and hydrolysis via ultrasound (US) exposure.

Characteristics of macrophage aggregates prepared by rotation culture and their response to polymeric materials.

Understanding the interaction between macrophages and biomaterials is important for the creation of new biomaterials and the development of technologies to control macrophage function. Since macrophages are strongly adhesive, caution is required when performing in vitro evaluations. Similarly, when THP-1 cells, macrophage precursor cells, are differentiated into macrophages using phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), it becomes difficult to detach them from the adherent substrate, which has been a problem on investigation of immunological responses to biomaterials.

Effect of multi arm-PEG-NHS (polyethylene glycol -hydroxysuccinimide) branching on cell adhesion to modified decellularized bovine and porcine pericardium.

Implanting physical barrier materials to separate wounds from their surroundings is a promising strategy for preventing postoperative adhesions. Herein, we develop a material that switches from an anti-adhesive surface to an adhesive surface, preventing adhesion in the early stage of transplantation and then promoting recellularization. In this study, 2-arm, 4-arm, and 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) succinimidyl glutarate (2-, 4-, 8-arm PEG-NHS) were used to modify the surface of decellularized porcine and bovine pericardium.

Detecting Magnetoelectric Effect in a Metallic Antiferromagnet via Nonreciprocal Rotation of Reflected Light.

Certain types of media breaking both space-inversion (P) and time-reversal (T) symmetries but preserving their combination PT exhibit the polarization rotation of reflected light even when that of transmitted light is prohibited. Such an effect is termed nonreciprocal rotation of reflected light (NRR). Although NRR shows nearly the same phenomenon as the magnetooptical Kerr effect or, equivalently, the Hall effect at optical frequencies, its origin is distinct and ascribed to a magnetoelectric (ME) effect at optical frequencies, i.

Non-equilibrium dynamics of spin-lattice coupling.

Quantifying the dynamics of normal modes and how they interact with other excitations is of central importance in condensed matter. Spin-lattice coupling is relevant to several sub-fields of condensed matter physics; examples include spintronics, high-T superconductivity, and topological materials. However, experimental approaches that can directly measure it are rare and incomplete.

Preparation of Cholesterol-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Nanogel-Based Hydrogel and the Inflammatory Evaluation Using Macrophage-like Cells.

Nanogels are candidate biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. In the present study, a cholesterol-hyaluronic acid hydrogel was developed, and the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages to the hydrogel was investigated to determine its use in biomedical applications. Hyaluronic acid modified with cholesterol (modification rate: 0-15%) and maleimide (Chol-HA) was synthesized.

Fabrication of Polypropylene Nanoplastics Via Thermal Oxidation Reaction for Human Cells Responsiveness Studies.

With the current worldwide increasing use of plastics year by year, nanoplastics (NPs) have become a global threat to environmental and public health concerns. Among plastics, polypropylene (PP) is widely used in industrial and medical applications. Owing to the lack of validated detection methods and standard materials for PP NPs, understanding the impact of PP NPs on the environmental and biological systems is still limited.

Electric field-induced magnetochiral dichroism in a ferroaxial crystal.

In a chiral medium, any mirror symmetries are broken, which induces unique physical properties represented by natural optical rotation. When electromagnetic waves propagate through a chiral medium placed in a magnetic field, the refractive index, or equivalently, the absorption encountered by the electromagnetic waves differs depending on whether it travels parallel or antiparallel to the magnetic field. Such a phenomenon is known as magnetochiral dichroism (MChD), which is the characteristic interplay between chirality and magnetism.

Effect of Pressure Conditions in Uterine Decellularization Using Hydrostatic Pressure on Structural Protein Preservation.

Uterine regeneration using decellularization scaffolds provides a novel treatment for uterine factor infertility. Decellularized scaffolds require maximal removal of cellular components and minimal damage to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Among many decellularization methods, the hydrostatic pressure (HP) method stands out due to its low cytotoxicity and superior ECM preservation compared to the traditional detergent methods.

Photothermal therapeutic ability of copper open-shell nanostructures that are effective in the second biological transparency window based on symmetry breaking-induced plasmonic properties.

In this study, a photothermal therapy agent that works efficiently in the second biological transparency window was developed based on the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance of symmetry-broken open-shell nanostructures of low-cost Cu (CuOSNs). The strong LSP resonance and superior photothermal conversion ability in the second biological transparency window were achieved by generating the dipolar bonding mode due to the plasmon hybridization between the nanoshell dipole and the nanohole dipole at the opening edge in CuOSNs derived from the symmetry breaking of a Cu nanoshell. Oxidative dissolution of CuOSNs in water was significantly suppressed by successive coating with the self-assembled monolayer of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid and a thin silica layer.

Mechanoregulation of Osteoclastogenesis-Inducing Potentials of Fibrosarcoma Cell Line by Substrate Stiffness.

A micro-physiological system is generally fabricated using soft materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane silicone (PDMS), and seeks an inflammatory osteolysis model for osteoimmunological research as one of the development needs. Microenvironmental stiffness regulates various cellular functions via mechanotransduction. Controlling culture substrate stiffness may help spatially coordinate the supply of osteoclastogenesis-inducing factors from immortalized cell lines, such as mouse fibrosarcoma L929 cells, within the system.

Chemical Aspect of Displacive-Type Ferroaxial Phase Transition from Perspective of Second-Order Jahn-Teller Effect: NASICON Systems as an Example.

Ferroaxial order, characterized by a rotational arrangement of electric dipoles, attracts increasing attention in terms of a new family of ferroic orders. However, there has been no chemical guideline for exploring crystalline materials showing ferroaxial order, namely ferroaxial materials. Here, we present a chemical guideline grounded in staggered polyhedral connectivity, which we propose as a structural prerequisite for ferroaxial order, and the second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) theory extended from molecular orbitals to electronic band structures.