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Keratoconus, a progressive corneal disorder characterized by the thinning and conical protrusion of the cornea because of collagen degradation, poses significant challenges to both clinicians and researchers. Most successful animal models of keratoconus are based on genetic mutations and knock-outs in mice and rats that hinder normal corneal stromal architecture, thickness, or strength. While mice and rat models are suitable to study the molecular mechanism and physiological changes to the cornea, they are not suitable for experimental research; especially for surgical interventions like: deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty, and other advanced therapies. This review article comprehensively examines recent advancements in experimental models for keratoconus, focusing on their potential for translational research and the challenges ahead. It explores the historical context of experimental models, focusing on animal-based models, mainly rabbits in particular. These advancements enable researchers to mimic the biomechanical and biochemical alterations observed in keratoconic corneas. While these models offer valuable insights into disease mechanisms and treatment development, several challenges remain in transforming experimental findings into clinical applications.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2024.110122 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
September 2025
Martin A. Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453.
Programmable self-assembly has recently enabled the creation of complex structures through precise control of the interparticle interactions and the particle geometries. Targeting ever more structurally complex, dynamic, and functional assemblies necessitates going beyond the design of the structure itself, to the measurement and control of the local flexibility of the intersubunit connections and its impact on the collective mechanics of the entire assembly. In this study, we demonstrate a method to infer the mechanical properties of multisubunit assemblies using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and RELION's multi-body refinement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biomech Eng
September 2025
Texas Tech University Box 41021 Lubbock, TX 79409.
Wrist biomechanics remain incompletely understood due to the complexity of experimental measurements in this multi-bone joint system. Finite element analysis provides a powerful alternative for investigating internal variables such as carpal kinematics and displacement patterns. This technical brief compares two bone representation approaches, all-cortical versus cortical-trabecular, using two distinct finite element models developed from the same wrist CT dataset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Biochem Biophys
September 2025
Medical Biotechnology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
In cardiovascular research, melatonin has shown promise in exhibiting antifibrotic properties and modulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, the exact mechanism by which it influences myocardial fibrosis has not been fully clarified. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of melatonin on the progression of myocardial fibrosis through a mechanism involving the BIP/PERK/CHOP signaling pathway, both in silico and in vivo experimental models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Metastasis Rev
September 2025
Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, 1011 North University Ave, Room G018, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1078, USA.
Chronic inflammation and microbial dysbiosis have been implicated in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), particularly oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the progressive destruction of tooth-supporting structures. While periodontitis Has been associated with an increased risk of OSCC in epidemiological and mechanistic studies, the strength of this association is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiol Cybern
September 2025
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 61801, IL, USA.
In this article, a biophysically realistic model of a soft octopus arm with internal musculature is presented. The modeling is motivated by experimental observations of sensorimotor control where an arm localizes and reaches a target. Major contributions of this article are: (i) development of models to capture the mechanical properties of arm musculature, the electrical properties of the arm peripheral nervous system (PNS), and the coupling of PNS with muscular contractions; (ii) modeling the arm sensory system, including chemosensing and proprioception; and (iii) algorithms for sensorimotor control, which include a novel feedback neural motor control law for mimicking target-oriented arm reaching motions, and a novel consensus algorithm for solving sensing problems such as locating a food source from local chemical sensory information (exogenous) and arm deformation information (endogenous).
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