Sharif Digital Repository

This thesis studies a haptotaxis system proposed as a model for oncolytic virotherapy , accounting for interaction between uninfected cancer cells , infected cancer cells , extracellular matrix (ECM) and oncolytic virus . In addition to random movement , both uninfected and infected tumor cells migrate haptotactically toward higher ECM densities; moreover , besides degrading the non-diffusible ECM upon contact the two cancer cell populations are subject to an infection-induced transition mechanism driven by virus particles which are released by infected cancer cells ,and which assault the uninfected part of the tumor .The main results assert global classical solvability in an associated... 

In this study, a new bioink was introduced for the production of tubular tissue structures for cardiac tissue engineering by bioprinter using the FRESH (Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels) method. The novel bioink that we used was a combination of cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) and oxidized alginate. The cardiac extracellular matrix was used to increase the biomimetic of the printed structures to the actual tissue of the body, and also to create sites for cell adhesion, and to improve cell growth and survival. We used alginate oxide (oxidation degree: 5%) to increase the mechanical properties of the tissue. Alginate oxidation has been due to extracellular matrix (ECM)... 

Once damaged, articular cartilage has very little capacity for spontaneous healing because of the avascular nature of the tissue. Although many repair techniques have been proposed over the past decades, none has successfully regenerated long-lasting tissue to replace damaged cartilage. Tissue engineering have recently demonstrated tremendous approaches for regeneration of cartilage tissue lesions. Tissue engineering is based on three principles: cells, scaffolds for cell adhesion and growth factors. Three-dimensional biodegradable scaffolds play an important role in tissue engineering. In this study, novel cross-linked hybrid chitosan/ECM scaffolds were prepared for articular cartilage... 

Myocardial Infarction occurs due to sudden blockage in a coronary artery and causes necrosis of myocardial tissue. Since myocardium is unable to self-regenerate, cardiac tissue engineering has become a promising therapeutic approach for MI treatment by restoring heart function via combination of cells, biomaterials and signaling factors. For this purpose, myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM) is an attractive biomaterial providing better biomimetic for cultured cells. In this project, we synthesized an in situ forming hydrogel derived from myocardial ECM and for improving mechanical and electrical properties of ECM hydrogel we added oxidized alginate (OA) with 5% oxidation degree and APTMS... 

Herein, we successfully prepared two types of hydrogels, alginate-beta-cyclodextrin based hydrogel and alginate without beta-cyclodextrin hydrogel in order to use in cartilage tissue engineering. At first, sodium alginate was modified with beta-cyclodextrin ring due to incorporate the kartogenin (KGN) differentiating drug in the hydrogel structure. For confirming the correctness of the modification reactions, H-NMR spectroscopy was used. In the presence of phenolized-ECM, alginic acid, modified alginate with beta cyclodextrin, HRP, H2O2, calcium carbonate, and glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), ECM-alginate-IPN and ECM-modified-alginate-IPN hydrogels were synthesized. Then, the KGN was loaded on... 

Following heart coronary artery occlusion, heart stroke (HS) happens which leads to the creation of a dead zone on heart tissue named Myocardial Infarction (MI), the presence of which on a patient’s heart will result in succeeding HSs and the death of the patient. In this study, porous microcarriers capable of being utilized in cardiovascular tissue engineering is fabricated using a mixture of myocardium ectracellular matrix (ECM) and Chitosan (Cs). Results of Elasticity tests, SEM images, swelling behavior, biodegradability test, and cell proliferation assay showed that the scaffold consisting of 3.5% (w/w) Chitosan and 0.66% (w/w) ECM has the best potential in providing cardiovascular... 

Despite the increase in the number of cardiovascular diseases worldwide, the number of new drugs to treat these diseases has been decreasing in the last decade. Current preclinical drug evaluation strategies, which use cell cultures and oversimplified animal models, cannot meet the growing demand for new and effective drugs. In the last decade, the development of microfluidic bioreactors and organ-on-chip systems to improve the drug screening process has been increasing significantly. These systems have shown many advantages over previous preclinical models. Despite all these advantages, keeping the oxygen concentration at the optimal physiological level in microfluidic systems has its own... 

It is a common method to use some proper materials such as honey, herbal fibers, and minerals for covering the wounds as an effective treatment. Nowadays biopolymers and new methods of nanofiber production to build a structure similar to the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) like electrospinning are used to reduce the time of restoration and prevent from the effects of wounds such as bedsores, diabetic ulcers, and severe burns. For effective design of a wound dressing, wound feature, recovery time, physical, mechanical, and biological properties should be considered in order to best as possible heal the bound. In this research, cellulose nanocrystals with average aspect ratio of 11.8 and... 

The retina, a photosensitive area in the central nervous system, is delicate and intricate. It is susceptible to degenerative disorders such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Stargardt disease (SD), and glaucoma. These diseases can lead to severe vision loss and ultimately irreversible blindness by causing destruction or dysfunction of different types of retinal cells. Unfortunately, there are no proven treatment strategies to cure or reverse these degenerative disorders. However, cell transplantation therapies may be an alternative to replace distorted cells and improve an individual's vision. Recent clinical outcomes show that transplanted cells in the... 

Viability and proliferation of cells in cell culture mainly depends on i) cell culture medium, ii) cell-cell interaction, and iii) the supporting scaffold. Among these factors, and within recent years, surface and mechanical properties of the supporting ECM has attracted many researchers. Experiment results show that the animal cell adhesion is accelerated on stiffer scaffolds. Electrical charge of the scaffold is also a determinant term in the kinetics of adhesion and on a relatively charged scaffold, one can expect an increment in kinetics of adhesion front movement. This is due to the natural negative charges of the cell wall membrane. In this thesis, an analytical model is proposed to... 

Since cartilage has limited self-regeneration, in-situ forming hydrogels can act as an ideal scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering to fill the defect gap due to their ability to homogeneously encapsulate the desired cells, efficient mass transfer and minimally invasive characteristics. In this project, an injectable hydrogel with improved structure by adding silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers and better biochemical properties by employing the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) was fabricated. The in-situ forming hydrogel is consisted of different concentrations of ionic crosslinked alginate incorporated with different concentrations of SF nanofibers and 1% w/v enzymatically crosslinked... 

Cartilage is an avascular tissue, having limited ability to repair itself. Since the methods for treatment of cartilage defects have been not effective, in recent years, new therapies based on tissue engineering are considered.This paper reports on the development of porous microcarriers composed of acellular matrix of cartilage and natural polymer chitosan. Microcarriers were prepared by electrospray method. Results of mechanical tests, SEM imaging, water uptake behaviour, biodegradation test, and MTT assay demonstrated that the microcarriers composed of 2% (wt) chitosan and 1% (wt) ECM has the best potential for growth and proliferation of primary chondrocyte cells. These results... 

Recently, the deficiency of methods like organ donation and medicine made tissue engineering a prospective method in regeneration of tissues. Despite all of its advantageous like any other method, it has its own weak points. Its major disadvantage is the probability of rejection by the host body. Using proper material and controlling synthesis reactions by researchers decreased the rejection of synthetic scaffolds. But in the case of natural scaffolds due to the range of properties, many tests should be applied on the scaffold prior to implantation in order to evaluate functionality in body. In this research, SDS and TritonX100 has been used to decellulize kidney. Then using uniaxial... 

In the last decade, the application of organ-on-chip systems to investigate the effectiveness and side effects of various drugs, modele diseases for different tissues has become noticed a lot because these systems are a promising approach to eliminate animal tests and clinical studies on different people. Current conventional methods for drug testing are expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes unreliable. Various organ-on-a-chip systems have been fabricated in order to mimic the conditions of different native tissues in the human body, but only the blood vessel has been considered in most of them while besides blood vessels, as a source to nourish cells, there are lymph vessels as a sink in... 

Methods that has been used for articular defects are faced with many limitations, so new therapies based on tissue engineering were taken into consideration in recent years. However, tissue engineering also encounters challenges regarding optimal scaffold construction and suitable cell source selection. Mature harvested chondrocytes are limited in number and may lose their chondrogenic potential in several cultures, leading to dedifferentiation. In addition, using stem cells also presents unique challenges associated with them, among which hypertrophic differentiation is the most substantial problem. Choosing the appropriate biomaterial similar to the cartilage structure with sufficient... 

Craniofacial bone defects without scarring are a major clinical issue. These critical defects, which can be caused by infection or fracture, cannot be repaired without surgery. The main goal of skull repair is to protect vulnerable structures such as the brain, or it can be due to the improvement of jaw function and beauty. Tissue engineering can offer a new generation solution. The purpose of this study was to construct and characterise a degradable polymer/ bioceramic composite scaffold with allograft powder used in the craniofacial bone. The complexities of the extracellular matrix of humans can be simulated using 3D bioprinting.In this study, tricalcium silicate (TCS) was first... 

The heart stoke which happens due to an obstruction in the coronary artery can result in the presence of a dead part on the heart muscle called Myocardial Infarction (MI). MI can lead to next heart strokes and even the death of the patient. So far, a great number of biomaterials consisting of natural and synthetic polymers and Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) of human body have been recommended for being used in tissue engineering approaches aiming to rehabilitate the infarcted site. The use of ECM is recommended for mimicking the microenvironment of the body as much as possible which can be very helpful in proliferation of the cultured cells. In this project, we fabricated a composite...