ABSTRACT: The hamstring tendon is used as autograft in surgical reconstruction of tears of the anterior cruciate ligament. The rate of re-rupture after surgery is higher in younger patients. The aim of the study was to identify molecular mechanisms that underlie the greater susceptibility of tendon from younger people to tear.
Project description:Tendons and ligaments are important biological structures in both humans and animals. They are part of dense connective tissue and are crucial to the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. However, they are commonly damaged due to age-related wear and tear, trauma or sports related incidents, which can lead to severe immobility for the individual and can lead to injury of other tissues and development of degenerative joint disease such as osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering can offer great potential in the treatment of tendon and ligament injury by seeking a biological replacement with fully regenerated autologenous tissue. This approach commonly involves an artificial ECM (scaffold) on which cell can proliferate and differentiate with subsequent new tissue generation. Fibrin is a natural scaffold with no expected toxic degradation or inflammatory reaction and can be used as an autologous scaffold for fibroblast from connective tissue to create a three dimensional structure. The purpose of this study was to compare the proteomic differences between native tendon, ligament and 3D tissue engineered tendon and ligament fibrin constructs.
Project description:This study describes the discovery of the gene responsible for differentiation of stem cells into ligament tissue. This important finding may lead to the development of treatments for gonarthrosis, rupture of the cruciate ligament and periodontal ligament, and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.
Project description:The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an essential stabilizer of the tibiofemoral articulation. ACL tears often lead to functional instability and are associated with an increased risk for osteoarthritis. The healing potential of the injured ACL is poorly understood and is considered to be limited. Transcriptome-wide expression profiles of 24 human ACL remnants recovered at the time of surgical reconstruction were analyzed utilizing the Agilent human 8x60K microarray platform. Gene ontology was performed on differentially expressed transcripts based on time-from-injury (acute, <3 months; intermediate, 3-12 months; chronic, >12 months). A subset of transcripts was validated via microfluidic digital polymerase-chain-reaction. Expression of periostin, a highly differentially expressed transcript, was tested by immunohistochemistry. Numerous transcripts covering important functional classifications were differentially expressed by time-from-injury. In acute tears, processes representing angiogenesis were repressed while those representing stem-cell differentiation were elevated. In intermediate tears, processes representing stem-cell proliferation concomitant with cellular component organization/cellular localization were elevated. In chronic tears, processes denoting myosin filament organization were elevated while those representing cellular component organization/cell localization and extracellular matrix organization were repressed. Expression levels of periostin were down-regulated in chronic tears compared to acute (42-fold) and intermediate (29-fold) tears. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a decline in periostin expression in tissues from chronic tears. These findings suggest an initial attempt of the injured ACL to repair, which declines with time-from-injury. These findings have implications for efforts to repair the ACL and may be relevant for reconstruction of the ACL. The functional role of periostin in ACL injuries, and the potential implication for surgical treatment, warrants further investigation. Total RNA obtained frominjured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tissues from pateints undergoing ACL surgery.
Project description:Tendinopathy, the most common disorder affecting tendons, is characterized by chronic disorganization of the tendon matrix, which eventually leads to tendon tear and rupture. The goal of this study was to identify a rational molecular target whose blockade can serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for tendinopathy. We identified C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) as a markedly upregulated cytokine in human and rodent tendinopathy. Overexpression of CTRP3 enhanced the progression of tendinopathy by accumulating cartilaginous proteoglycans and degenerating collagenous fibers in the mouse tendon, whereas CTRP3 knockdown suppressed the tendinopathy pathogenesis. Functional blockade of CTRP3 using a neutralizing antibody ameliorated overuse-induced tendinopathy of the Achilles and rotator cuff tendons. Mechanistically, CTRP3 elicited a transcriptomic pattern that stimulates abnormal differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and ectopic chondrification in tendons, as an effect linked to activation of Akt signaling. Collectively, we reveal an essential role for CTRP3 in tendinopathy and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tendinopathy.
Project description:Tendinopathy, the most common disorder affecting tendons, is characterized by chronic disorganization of the tendon matrix, which eventually leads to tendon tear and rupture. The goal of this study was to identify a rational molecular target whose blockade can serve as a potential therapeutic intervention for tendinopathy. We identified C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) as a markedly upregulated cytokine in human and rodent tendinopathy. Overexpression of CTRP3 enhanced the progression of tendinopathy by accumulating cartilaginous proteoglycans and degenerating collagenous fibers in the mouse tendon, whereas CTRP3 knockdown suppressed the tendinopathy pathogenesis. Functional blockade of CTRP3 using a neutralizing antibody ameliorated overuse-induced tendinopathy of the Achilles and rotator cuff tendons. Mechanistically, CTRP3 elicited a transcriptomic pattern that stimulates abnormal differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and ectopic chondrification in tendons, as an effect linked to activation of Akt signaling. Collectively, we reveal an essential role for CTRP3 in tendinopathy and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tendinopathy.
Project description:Objective To identify transcript level differences between traumatic and degenerative tears of tendon tissues in shoulder joint using RNA-seq. Methods Tendon tissues were isolated from female and male patients with traumatic or degenerative tears during arthroscopic surgery (N = 31). Differentially expressed transcript were identified and biological processes enriched in traumatic and degenerative tears were probed computationally. Expression pattern of selected transcripts was validated by real-time qPCR. Results We identified 339 and 336 transcripts differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in females and males respectively at a fold-change greater than |2| and a p-value 0.05. In females, GSTM1, MT1G, S1008A, ACSM3, DSC, FAM110C and VNN2 were the most prominent transcripts elevated in traumatic tears and CHAD, CLEC3A, IBSP, TNMD, APLNR, and CPA3 were most highly repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented catabolic processes, immune response, and metabolic processes while those repressed in traumatic tears represented tissue morphogenesis and developmental processes, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix organization. In males, ELOA3B, CXCL8, ADM, TNS4 and SPOCK1 were the most prominent transcripts elevated in traumatic tears and MYL2, TNNC1, MB, CPA3, APLNR, and CA3 were most highly repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented localization of endoplasmic reticulum, chromosome organization, leukocyte/neutrophil degranulation, and protein transport whereas those repressed in traumatic tears represented muscle development, blood circulation (angiogenesis), and muscle cell differentiation. Numerous novel lncRNAs were also identified to be differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in both sexes. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance This study improves our molecular understanding of tendon tissues in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy based on underlying etiology (trauma and degeneration). It also provides new insights into sex-based transcript differences that may help drive clinical decision making in female and male patients with traumatic and degenerative shoulder injuries.
Project description:This study describes the discovery of the gene responsible for differentiation of stem cells into ligament tissue. This important finding may lead to the development of treatments for gonarthrosis, rupture of the cruciate ligament and periodontal ligament, and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. This study describes the discovery of the gene (A) responsible for differentiation of stem cells into ligament tissue. The transfection of this gene into mouse mesenchymal stem cells resulted in the formation of ligament-like connective tissue composed of parallel fibres. We performed microarray analysis of four samples: stem cells (sample1), ligament-like tissue from stem cells transfected with A (sample 4), ligament tissue from A-transgenic mice (sample 2) , and ligament tissue from wild type mice (sample 3).
Project description:We report RNA sequencing data from the plantaris tendons of 3-month old Sprague Dawley rats that were treated with vehicle or GSK2894631A to inhibit the HPGDS enzyme. Rats underwent a bilateral plantaris tendon tear followed by immediate repair, and samples were obtained either 7 or 21 days after surgical intervention.