Boron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon and Vanadium
Judy A. Driskell, Ira Wolinsky in Sports Nutrition, 2005
Although apparent deficiency signs have been found for silicon, it generally is not accepted as an essential nutrient for higher animals and humans because it lacks a clearly defined specific biochemical function. In 1978, Schwarz156 described the difficulty in defining a biochemical function for silicon. Schwarz159 first suggested that silicon as an ether- or ester-like derivative of silicic acid had a cross-linking role in connective tissue. In the 1978 report, based on improved silicon analyses of connective tissue, Schwarz156 indicated that his suggestion needed to be redefined. His subsequent suggestion, because of the stability of the O-Si-O bond, was that silicon is involved in binding structures such as cell surfaces or macromolecules to each other. Recently many extracellular matrix proteins have been identified that provide a connection between cells and their surrounding matrix. This connection allows cells to monitor the composition and properties of the matrix and to respond to matrix alterations. Nielsen160 has suggested that silicon may be necessary for the interaction between one or more of these macromolecules and osteotrophic cells, resulting in effects on cartilage composition and ultimately cartilage calcification.
Tumor Spheroids from Monolayer Cultures
Rolf Bjerkvig in Spheroid Culture in Cancer Research, 2017
Due to the homogeneity of the proteins expressed by the host tissue and the tumor cells in vivo, it is impossible to distinguish the synthetic source of the proteins produced as a consequence of tumor invasion. That is, are the ECM components synthesized by the tumor cells or by the host tissue, in response to the presence of either the tumor cells per se or to tumor-secreted factors? It has been demonstrated that the presence of leptomeningeal extracellular matrix proteins are able to inhibit the growth and differentiation of malignant human glioma cells, and this may serve as a mechanism by the host to resist the invasion of tumor cells.49 To attempt to resolve this problem, many studies of extracellular matrix protein expression by particular cell types have been performed using in vitro techniques, and it is beyond the scope of this review to provide an exhaustive list of those findings. It is understood, through the intrinsic properties of the extracellular matrix proteins, that they play an important role in the maintenance of tissue structure and architecture. As a consequence it is therefore of importance to highlight differences obtained in ECM expression between cells grown either as monolayer, multicellular spheroids or as xenografts in vivo.
Introduction to Oral and Craniofacial Tissue Engineering
Vincenzo Guarino, Marco Antonio Alvarez-Pérez in Current Advances in Oral and Craniofacial Tissue Engineering, 2020
The extracellular matrix is composed of water and macromolecules like fibrous proteins and proteoglycans (Frantz et al. 2010). The most abundant proteins in the extracellular matrix are collagens, elastins, fibronectin, tenascin, laminin and fibrillins. Besides, extracellular matrix contains significant contents of polysaccharides as glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains covalently attached to a specific protein core (PG-proteoglycans), except for the hyaluronic acid (Rozario and DeSimone 2010). The GAG chains are generally long linear and negatively charged with disaccharide repeats. PG make up a hydrogel due to their extended conformations and remarkably hydrophilic character. This cross-linked biopolymer gel is needed to hold up high compressive forces (Kwansa et al. 2014). The PG more abundant in the extracellular matrix are perlecan, syndecan, decorin, aggrecan, glypican and lumican. The three principal families are Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycans (SLRPs), modular proteoglycans and cell-surface proteoglycans (Schaefer and Schaefer 2010; Kresse and Schönherr 2001).
LncTUG1 ameliorates renal tubular fibrosis in experimental diabetic nephropathy through the miR-145-5p/dual-specificity phosphatase 6 axis
Published in Renal Failure, 2023
Taoxia Wang, Shubei Cui, Xiaoli Liu, Li Han, Xiaoting Duan, Shuning Feng, Sen Zhang, Guiying Li
Collagen IV and fibronectin proteins are the main components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The abnormal increase of collagen IV in the glomerulus could cause glomerular disease and the increase of fibronectin protein suggests the existence of renal fibrosis [29]. In addition, the increase in collagen IV and fibronectin synthesis will accelerate the progress of diabetic nephropathy (DN) [30]. In addition to the classic TGF- β/Smads signaling pathway, there are several various of cellular signal pathways to regulate the occurrence and development of fibrosis, such as MAPK and Wnt/β - Catenin, mTOR pathway, etc. [13]. The activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK signal pathway has been reported to be involved in TGF-β induced kidney fibrosis, through direct or indirect processes, TGF-β activates ERK1/2, which further phosphorylates downstream target proteins and promotes the process of cell fibrosis [14].
Exploiting crosslinked decellularized matrix to achieve uterus regeneration and construction
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2020
Qing Yao, Ya-Wen Zheng, Hui-Long Lin, Qing-Hua Lan, Zhi-Wei Huang, Li-Fen Wang, Rui Chen, Jian Xiao, Longfa Kou, He-Lin Xu, Ying-Zheng Zhao
Extracellular matrix is an ideal natural scaffold in tissue regeneration due to their unique architecture, and major compositions are critical to direct the cell attachment and create a favourable bio-environment for cell proliferation, and differentiation. Many other scientists and we have reported that the mixture of decellularized matrix degradation/smash promotes cell proliferation, migration and tissue regeneration [31–33]. In our study, the bioactivity of the decellularized matrix was confirmed in the biocompatibility study, and the lixivium of dUECM medium could promote the HUVEC cells proliferation compared to negative control (Figure 4). Besides, dUECM showed the best cell filtration (Figure 5), scaffold recellularization/differentiation, and the formation of characteristic endometrial secretory glands, indicating the tissue regeneration promotion effect of the decellularized matrix compositions. It is pointed out that ECM preservation is critical for the function of acellular matrix to promote cell proliferation [34]. In our study, the major ECM compositions, including collagen IV, laminin, and fibrin, were well retained, which was also beneficial for cell seeding and expanding after xenotransplantation. Also, to fully explore the regeneration power of the decellularized matrix, proper degradation that leads to the sustained release of collagens, fibrins and other components is required.
Identification of a novel glycolysis-related gene signature for predicting the survival of patients with colon adenocarcinoma
Published in Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2022
Kezhen Yi, Jianyuan Wu, Xuan Tang, Qian Zhang, Bicheng Wang, Fubing Wang
Among the five biomarker genes (SPAG4, P4HA1, STC2, ENO3, and GPC1) found in this study, SPAG4 is expressed at a lower level in normal tissues but at a high level in various malignancies [19–23]. SPAG4 is a downstream target of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 that regulates cytokinesis, according to some research, and its expression is related to cancer prognosis [24,25]. P4HA1 is a hypoxia response gene that plays an important role in extracellular matrix remodeling during hypoxia [26,27]. The extracellular matrix is crucial for tumor invasion and metastasis. Therefore, P4HA1 is significantly related to tumor start and development [28–30]. Another HIF-1 target gene is STC2. It stimulates cell proliferation in the presence of hypoxia and is associated with tumor growth [31,32]. STC2 promotes tumor migration and invasion by triggering epithelial–mesenchymal transition and has the potential to be employed as a predictive cancer marker [33,34]. Enolase (ENO) is one of the main enzymes in the glycolytic pathway. ENO3 has been identified as a possible predictive biomarker for colon cancer in studies [35]. Glypican-1 (GPC1) is known to influence tumor development, invasion, metastasis, and progression through its influence on the tumor microenvironment and is overexpressed in a range of solid tumors [36,37].