Organoids show great potential in clinical translational research owing to their intriguing properties to represent a near physiological model for native tissues. However, the dependency of organoid generation on the use of poorly defined matrices has hampered their clinical application. Current organoid culture systems mostly reply on biochemical signals provided by medium compositions and cell-cell interactions to control growth. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, cell-ECM interactions, and mechanical signals for organoid expansion and differentiation. Thus, several hydrogel systems prepared using natural or synthetic-based materials have been designed to recreate the stem cell niche in vitro , providing biochemical, biophysical, and mechanical signals. In this review, we discuss how recapitulating multiple aspects of the tissue-specific environment through designing and applying matrices could contribute to accelerating the translation of organoid technology from the laboratory to therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications.
Developing bioelectronics that retains their long-term functionalities in the human body during daily activities is a current critical issue. To accomplish this, robust tissue adaptability and biointerfacing of bioelectronics should be achieved. Hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for bioelectronics that can softly adapt to and interface with tissues. However, hydrogels lack toughness, requisite electrical properties, and fabrication methodologies. Additionally, the water-swellable property of hydrogels weakens their mechanical properties. In this work, an intrinsically nonswellable multifunctional hydrogel exhibiting tissue-like moduli ranging from 10 to 100 kPa, toughness (400-873 J m −3 ), stretchability (≈1000% strain), and rapid self-healing ability (within 5 min), is developed. The incorporation of carboxyland hydroxyl-functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) ensures high conductivity of the hydrogel (≈40 S m −1 ), which can be maintained and recovered even after stretching or rupture. After a simple chemical modification, the hydrogel shows tissue-adhesive properties (≈50 kPa) against the target tissues. Moreover, the hydrogel can be 3D printed with a high resolution (≈100 μm) through heat treatment owing to its shear-thinning capacity, endowing it with fabrication versatility. The hydrogel is successfully applied to underwater electromyography (EMG) detection and ex vivo bladder expansion monitoring, demonstrating its potential for practical bioelectronics.
Objective : Cervical surgery in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and cerebral palsy (CP) is challenging owing to the complexities of the deformity. We assessed factors affecting postoperative complications and outcomes after CSM surgery in patients with CP.Methods : Thirty-five consecutive patients with CP and CSM who underwent cervical operations between January 2006 and January 2014 were matched to 35 non-cerebral palsy (NCP) control patients. Postoperative complications and radiologic outcomes were compared between the groups. In the CP group, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score; Oswestry neck disability index; modified Barthel index; and values for the grip and pinch, Box and Block, and Jebsen-Taylor hand function tests were obtained preand postoperatively and compared between those with and without postoperative complications.Results : Sixteen patients (16/35%) in the CP group and seven (7/35%) in the NCP group (p=0.021) had postoperative complications. Adjacent segment degeneration (p=0.021), postoperative motor weakness (p=0.037), and revisions (p=0.003) were significantly more frequent in the CP group than in the NCP group; however, instrument-related complications were not significantly higher in the CP group (7/35 vs. 5/35, p=0.280). The number of preoperative fixed cervical deformities were significantly higher in CP with postoperative complications (5/16 vs. 1/19, p=0.037). In the CP group, clinical outcomes were almost similar between those with and without postoperative complications.Conclusion : The occurrence of complications during the follow-up period was high in patients with CP. However, postoperative complications did not significantly affect clinical outcomes.
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