MicroRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in tumorigenesis through inhibition of the expression of their target genes at post-transcriptional levels. miR-124 has been found to be downregulated in many malignant tumors including osteosarcoma (OS). However, the detailed mechanism of miR-124 in the regulation of OS malignant phenotypes remains largely unclear. Here we aimed to explore the role of miR-...

Polyphosphate (polyP) is a physiologically occurring polyanion that is synthesized especially in bone-forming osteoblast cells and blood platelets. We used amorphous polyP nanoparticles, complexed with Ca(2+), that have a globular size of ∼100 nm. Because polyP comprises inorganic orthophosphate units that are linked together through high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds, we questioned whether the...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor in humans, and is notorious mainly for its distal metastases. We have recently shown that Shikonin, an effective constituent extracted from Chinese medicinal herb, inhibits OS cell invasion through suppression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. METHODS Here, we studied t...

Hydrogels with tissue-like mechanical properties are highly attractive scaffolds for tissue engineering. In this study, copolymers containing vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA) and acrylamide (AM) were tested for their swelling, protein uptake in serum supplemented medium, and cell adhesion and proliferation. The swelling of the gels in serum containing culture medium increased with increasing VPA con...

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2alpha (eIF-2alpha), a target molecule of the interferon-inducible double-stranded-RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), was cleaved in apoptotic Saos-2 cells on treatment with poly(I).poly(C) or tumour necrosis factor alpha. This cleavage occurred with a time course similar to that of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, a well-known caspase substrate. In additio...

A novel bone implant material containing biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP), casein (CA), hen egg yolk (EY) and the extracts of Ormocarpum sennoides (Os) plant was prepared. It has shown porosity, biocompatibility, cytocompatibility and better alkaline phosphatase activity that is required for osteoinduction. In vitro studies using SaOs-2 cell line have exhibited the osteoinductive nature of the ...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of novel nonviral gene delivery systems in cells of musculoskeletal origin. Primary cultures of lapine skeletal muscle cells, lapine articular chondrocytes, human cells from fibrous dysplasia and cell lines established from human osteosarcoma (SAOS-2), chondrosarcoma (CS-1), murine skeletal myoblasts (L8) and fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) were t...

PURPOSE The effect of ultraviolet (UV)-riboflavin cross-linking (CXL) has been measured primarily using the strip extensometry technique. We propose a simple and reliable methodology for the assessment of CXL treatment by using an established rheologic protocol based on small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) measurements. It provides information on the average cross-link density and the elast...

Introduction: Hyperthermia created by microwave (MW), infrared, ultrasound and other methods, is often utilized as an adjuvant to sensitize cancer cells to the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We investigated the efficacy of hyperthermia using MW in synergy with chemotherapy in the presence and absence and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Material and Methods: After culturing and prolif...