Tendon injuries account for roughly half of the 33 million musculoskeletal injuries that occur every year. Of all patients seeking nonsurgical treatment, 29% eventually require surgery. The use of autografts, allografts, and xenografts have limitations associated with donor site morbidity, availability, and immunogenicity. Tissue engineering has emerged as a feasible approach to find treatments for injuries requiring tissue replacement through biodegradable scaffolds, stem cells, and biomolecules. Tissue engineering scaffolds serve to provide a temporary, biomimetic template for cells, as well as act as delivery vehicles for biomolecules, such as growth factors. Growth factors have been widely popular in tissue engineering owing to their importance in embryonic development and healing. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been extensively researched for its ability to encourage cell proliferation, inhibition of cell apoptosis, and collagen formation. The homology of insulin and IGF-1, structurally, as well as biologically, has motivated various comparative studies, as well as investigations in the use of insulin for tissue engineering applications. This work explored insulin as a bioactive factor in promoting tendon regeneration and investigated insulin delivery through electrospun blend fibers made from synthetic polymer, polycaprolactone and natural material, cellulose acetate. The treatment of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with concentration of 100ng/ml showed increased expression of tendon related genes and ECM proteins, suggesting phenotypic development of MSCs towards tendon lineage. Insulin functionalized scaffolds were observed to support tendon differentiation of MSCs, in-vitro. The bioactive scaffolds were implanted in a rat Achilles tendon model and found to encourage better healing through greater collagen deposition and fiber organization. However, no significant findings were found in mechanical properties of the healed tissue when compared to control groups. Increase in collagen and matrix organization with no difference in mechanical property warrants further research in functional analysis of the tendon and exploration into possible early immunomodulation effects. For the first time, insulin has been investigated for use in tendon tissue engineering applications and shown to achieve better ECM organization with use of a bioactive insulin functionalized scaffold.

Tendon Regeneration: Understanding Tissue Physiology and Development to Engineer Functional Substitutes is the first book to highlight the multi-disciplinary nature of this specialized field and the importance of collaboration between medical and engineering laboratories in the development of tissue-oriented products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) strategies. Beginning with a foundation in developmental biology, the book explores physiology, pathology, and surgical reconstruction, providing guidance on biological approaches that enhances tendon regeneration practices. Contributions from scientists, clinicians, and engineers who are the leading figures in their respective fields present recent findings in tendon stem cells, cell therapies, and scaffold treatments, as well as examples of pre-clinical models for translational therapies and a view of the future of the field. - Provides an overview of tendon biology, disease, and tissue engineering approaches - Presents modern, alternative approaches to developing functional tissue solutions discussed - Includes valuable information for those interested in tissue engineering, tissue regeneration, tissue physiology, and regenerative medicine - Explores physiology, pathology, and surgical reconstruction, building a natural progression that enhances tendon regeneration practices - Covers recent findings in tendon stem cells, cell therapies, and scaffold treatments, as well as examples of pre-clinical models for translational therapies and a view of the future of the field

The second edition of Comprehensive Biotechnology, Six Volume Set continues the tradition of the first inclusive work on this dynamic field with up-to-date and essential entries on the principles and practice of biotechnology. The integration of the latest relevant science and industry practice with fundamental biotechnology concepts is presented with entries from internationally recognized world leaders in their given fields. With two volumes covering basic fundamentals, and four volumes of applications, from environmental biotechnology and safety to medical biotechnology and healthcare, this work serves the needs of newcomers as well as established experts combining the latest relevant science and industry practice in a manageable format. It is a multi-authored work, written by experts and vetted by a prestigious advisory board and group of volume editors who are biotechnology innovators and educators with international influence. All six volumes are published at the same time, not as a series; this is not a conventional encyclopedia but a symbiotic integration of brief articles on established topics and longer chapters on new emerging areas. Hyperlinks provide sources of extensive additional related information; material authored and edited by world-renown experts in all aspects of the broad multidisciplinary field of biotechnology Scope and nature of the work are vetted by a prestigious International Advisory Board including three Nobel laureates Each article carries a glossary and a professional summary of the authors indicating their appropriate credentials An extensive index for the entire publication gives a complete list of the many topics treated in the increasingly expanding field

More than 20 years have passed since the International Symposium on Total Knee Replacement was held in London in 1974. Prosthetic design and operative technique have been greatly improved since then, and there is now an accepted standard concept of total knee arthroplasty. Thirteen years after the London symposium, another international symposium on total knee replacement was held, this time in Nagoya, Japan, in 1987. Its ambitious objective was to push forward the frontiers of continuous investigation and improve ment of total knee replacement. The fruits of the individual efforts presented at the Nagoya symposium were published in a volume of proceedings entitled Total Knee Replacement. In the years since 1987, further investigations have been conducted in various parts of the world regarding prosthetic design, fixation, long-term radiological follow-up, biomechanical evaluation, and biomaterials research. In knee ligament reconstruc tion, rapid progress has been made in the past five years in clinical practice and fundamental research by means of arthroscopic surgery and tissue transplantation, and we have come close to establishing a standard treatment. Under these circumstances, an international symposium on knee joint reconstruc tion was planned for 1994, again to be held in Nagoya, to provide ample opportunity for exchanging information and sharing clinical experience from around the world.

Virtually any disease that results from malfunctioning, damaged, or failing tissues may be potentially cured through regenerative medicine therapies, by either regenerating the damaged tissues in vivo, or by growing the tissues and organs in vitro and implanting them into the patient. Principles of Regenerative Medicine discusses the latest advances in technology and medicine for replacing tissues and organs damaged by disease and of developing therapies for previously untreatable conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and renal failure. - Key for all researchers and instituions in Stem Cell Biology, Bioengineering, and Developmental Biology - The first of its kind to offer an advanced understanding of the latest technologies in regenerative medicine - New discoveries from leading researchers on restoration of diseased tissues and organs

This book summarizes the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on “Nanoengineered Systems for Regenerative Medicine” that was organized under the auspices of the NATO Security through Science Program. I would like to thank NATO for supporting this workshop via a grant to the co-directors. The objective of ARW was to explore the various facets of regenerative me- cine and to highlight role of the “the nano-length scale” and “nano-scale systems” in defining and controlling cell and tissue environments. The development of novel tissue regenerative strategies require the integration of new insights emerging from studies of cell-matrix interactions, cellular signalling processes, developmental and systems biology, into biomaterials design, via a systems approach. The chapters in the book, written by the leading experts in their respective disciplines, cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from stem cell biology, developmental biology, ce- matrix interactions, and matrix biology to surface science, materials processing and drug delivery. We hope the contents of the book will provoke the readership into developing regenerative medicine paradigms that combine these facets into cli- cally translatable solutions. This NATO meeting would not have been successful without the timely help of Dr. Ulrike Shastri, Sanjeet Rangarajan and Ms. Sabine Benner, who assisted in the organization and implementation of various elements of this meeting. Thanks are also due Dr. Fausto Pedrazzini and Ms. Alison Trapp at NATO HQ (Brussels, Belgium). The commitment and persistence of Ms.

A state-of-the-art primer on the role of pharmacological sciences in regenerative medicine, for advanced students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers.