Vimentin intermediate filaments (VIFs) provide mechanical integrity to cells and serve as markers of tissue origin and cell differentiation. Several non-mechanical roles for vimentin have recently been reported, including regulation of key pathways that control cell growth, cell signaling, and cell motility. Here, I present the role of vimentin in...
Shoulder (glenohumeral joint) osteoarthritis causes pain, limits daily activities, and frequently requires joint replacement surgery. In shoulder osteoarthritis, the glenoid bone surface erodes in one of two ways: symmetrically (concentric deformity) or asymmetrically (eccentric deformity). Shoulder replacements in patients with eccentric deformities fail and require additional, revision surgery more often...
Chromatin is the biological material that packages our genetic information. In humans, 2 meters of linear DNA is compacted into an approximately 6 μm nucleus. Our DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into proteins. Cellular phenotype, the composite of all cellular functions, is defined by the entire...
Persons with spinal cord injuries can use state-of-the-art brain-computer interfaces to control robotic arms. Despite this high-tech solution, their movements are slow and imprecise, much like those made by individuals who have lost proprioception, the sense of body position and movement. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) used to reactivate neural circuits in...
Polymer and polymer/ceramic composites known as bone cements are commonly used in musculoskeletal reconstructive surgeries where bone tissue fixation, reinforcement, or void filling may be needed. Polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA, was the initial (and currently only) FDA-approved bone cement for bone-void filling applications yet faces many inherent material-based challenges that impacts its...
Myoelectric pattern recognition-based upper limb prostheses measure electromyographic (EMG) signals from the residual limb and learn to identify muscle activity patterns that correspond to intended gestures. To train an accurate pattern recognition controller, it is essential that the training signals typify signals measured in real-world scenarios. When these conditions are...
Bioelectronic devices at the biotic/abiotic interface face a number of key challenges that include device degradation when exposed to biological fluid, their elicited immune response due to mechanical mismatch, and poor signal transduction. Organic electronic materials and their devices, such as organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) address these shortcomings. They can...
In environments ranging from natural ecosystems to living organisms, small molecule signals and nanoscale forces communicate important information regarding chemical contamination and pollution, pathogenesis, and physical stressors. As these stimuli are often well below detection limits for our own senses, we depend on biosensing technologies to monitorthem. Many biosensors operate...
Islet transplantation is a therapy in which insulin-producing beta (β) islet cells are infusedinto the liver via the portal vein to restore glycemic control. This therapy is beneficial for patients
suffering from chronic pancreatitis or type I diabetes. However, islet transplantation is not widely
implemented due to the instant blood-mediated...
Proprioception, or the sense of one’s body in space, provides critical feedback that the brain usesto generate controlled movements. When proprioceptive feedback is lost, people find it difficult
to perform even basic motor tasks. Despite its importance, proprioceptive coding of single
neurons in the cuneate nucleus (CN), the most peripheral...