@article{EbertDotterweichKrausetal.2014, author = {Ebert, Regina and Dotterweich, Julia and Kraus, Sabrina and Tower, Robert J. and Jakob, Franz and Sch{\"u}tze, Norbert}, title = {Mesenchymal stem cell contact promotes CCN1 splicing and transcription in myeloma cells}, doi = {10.1186/1478-811X-12-36}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-110497}, year = {2014}, abstract = {CCN family member 1 (CCN1), also known as cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), belongs to the extracellular matrix-associated CCN protein family. The diverse functions of these proteins include regulation of cell migration, adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and survival/apoptosis, induction of angiogenesis and cellular senescence. Their functions are partly overlapping, largely non-redundant, cell-type specific, and depend on the local microenvironment. To elucidate the role of CCN1 in the crosstalk between stromal cells and myeloma cells, we performed co-culture experiments with primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent myeloma cell line INA-6. Here we show that INA-6 cells display increased transcription and induction of splicing of intron-retaining CCN1 pre-mRNA when cultured in contact with MSC. Protein analyses confirmed that INA-6 cells co-cultured with MSC show increased levels of CCN1 protein consistent with the existence of a pre-mature stop codon in intron 1 that abolishes translation of unspliced mRNA. Addition of recombinant CCN1-Fc protein to INA-6 cells was also found to induce splicing of CCN1 pre-mRNA in a concentration-dependent manner. Only full length CCN1-Fc was able to induce mRNA splicing of all introns, whereas truncated recombinant isoforms lacking domain 4 failed to induce intron splicing. Blocking RGD-dependent integrins on INA-6 cells resulted in an inhibition of these splicing events. These findings expand knowledge on splicing of the proangiogenic, matricellular factor CCN1 in the tumor microenvironment. We propose that contact with MSC-derived CCN1 leads to splicing and enhanced transcription of CCN1 which further contributes to the translation of angiogenic factor CCN1 in myeloma cells, supporting tumor viability and myeloma bone disease.}, language = {en} } @article{SteinertRudertSieker2014, author = {Steinert, Andre F. and Rudert, Maximilian and Sieker, Jakob T.}, title = {"Symptomatic loosening of a total knee arthroplasty caused by a tibial chondrosarcoma - a case report"}, doi = {10.1186/2193-1801-3-308}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-110341}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Premature implant loosening following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can have several causes. In this article we report on a rare case of a 74 year old male patient suffering tibial component loosening 14 month after primary TKA. The patient did neither have any malignancies nor joint arthroplasty before. Upon clinical examination the range of motion in the diseased knee was painfully restricted to 80° of knee flexion, with the patient increasingly suffering sleeping and resting pain, and also at weight bearing. In standard radiographs, loosening of the TKA due to a large osteolysis at the tibial component was evident. Local computed tomography (CT) of the right knee revealed loosening of the tibial component due to a presumably malign bone tumor. For determination of the final diagnosis a representative biopsy of the tumor was taken by open surgery prior to the tumor resection. Histopathologic evaluation of the biopsy revealed a periprosthetic myxoid chondrosarcoma of the proximal tibia. Pre-operative staging examination included CT scans of lung and abdomen, as well as a bone scintigraphy which revealed no signs of tumor metastasis in the body. Surgical management comprised wide tumor resection and implantation of a hinged tumor knee arthroplasty with replacements of the distal femur and proximal tibia, as well as a patella tendon replacement using a synthetic ligament. Revision surgery was necessary twice due to impaired wound healing and critical soft tissue coverage, and treatment included a gastrocnemius muscle flap with skin mesh graft covering. Unfortunately long-term follow-up examinations could not be obtained, as the patient deceased due to an alveolitis during rehabilitation. In summary, the specifics of this rare case of aseptic TKA loosening, and the unusual circumstances of chondrosarcoma diagnosis and treatment are informative for those providing surgical treatment of similar cases.}, language = {en} } @article{WagenbrennerMayerWagnerRudertetal.2021, author = {Wagenbrenner, Mike and Mayer-Wagner, Susanne and Rudert, Maximilian and Holzapfel, Boris Michael and Weissenberger, Manuel}, title = {Combinations of hydrogels and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for cartilage tissue engineering — a review of the literature}, series = {Gels}, volume = {7}, journal = {Gels}, number = {4}, issn = {2310-2861}, doi = {10.3390/gels7040217}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-250177}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Cartilage offers limited regenerative capacity. Cell-based approaches have emerged as a promising alternative in the treatment of cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. Due to their easy accessibility, abundancy, and chondrogenic potential mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) offer an attractive cell source. MSCs are often combined with natural or synthetic hydrogels providing tunable biocompatibility, biodegradability, and enhanced cell functionality. In this review, we focused on the different advantages and disadvantages of various natural, synthetic, and modified hydrogels. We examined the different combinations of MSC-subpopulations and hydrogels used for cartilage engineering in preclinical and clinical studies and reviewed the effects of added growth factors or gene transfer on chondrogenesis in MSC-laden hydrogels. The aim of this review is to add to the understanding of the disadvantages and advantages of various combinations of MSC-subpopulations, growth factors, gene transfers, and hydrogels in cartilage engineering.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissenbergerWeissenbergerGilbertetal.2020, author = {Weissenberger, M. and Weissenberger, M. H. and Gilbert, F. and Groll, J. and Evans, C. H. and Steinert, A. F.}, title = {Reduced hypertrophy in vitro after chondrogenic differentiation of adult human mesenchymal stem cells following adenoviral SOX9 gene delivery}, series = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, volume = {20}, journal = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}, doi = {10.1186/s12891-020-3137-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229232}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Background Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based-treatments of cartilage injury are promising but impaired by high levels of hypertrophy after chondrogenic induction with several bone morphogenetic protein superfamily members (BMPs). As an alternative, this study investigates the chondrogenic induction of MSCs via adenoviral gene-delivery of the transcription factor SOX9 alone or in combination with other inducers, and comparatively explores the levels of hypertrophy and end stage differentiation in a pellet culture system in vitro. Methods First generation adenoviral vectors encoding SOX9, TGFB1 or IGF1 were used alone or in combination to transduce human bone marrow-derived MSCs at 5 x 10\(^2\) infectious particles/cell. Thereafter cells were placed in aggregates and maintained for three weeks in chondrogenic medium. Transgene expression was determined at the protein level (ELISA/Western blot), and aggregates were analysed histologically, immunohistochemically, biochemically and by RT-PCR for chondrogenesis and hypertrophy. Results SOX9 cDNA was superior to that encoding TGFB1, the typical gold standard, as an inducer of chondrogenesis in primary MSCs as evidenced by improved lacuna formation, proteoglycan and collagen type II staining, increased levels of GAG synthesis, and expression of mRNAs associated with chondrogenesis. Moreover, SOX9 modified aggregates showed a markedly lower tendency to progress towards hypertrophy, as judged by expression of the hypertrophy markers alkaline phosphatase, and collagen type X at the mRNA and protein levels. Conclusion Adenoviral SOX9 gene transfer induces chondrogenic differentiation of human primary MSCs in pellet culture more effectively than TGFB1 gene transfer with lower levels of chondrocyte hypertrophy after 3 weeks of in vitro culture. Such technology might enable the formation of more stable hyaline cartilage repair tissues in vivo.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schilling2007, author = {Schilling, Tatjana}, title = {Transdifferentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-24299}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2007}, abstract = {With ageing, the loss of bone mass correlates with the expansion of adipose tissue in human bone marrow thus facilitating bone-related diseases like osteopenia and osteoporosis. The molecular mechanisms underlying these events are still largely unknown. Reduced osteogenesis and concurrently enhanced adipogenesis might not only occur due to the impairment of conventional osteogenic differentiation originating from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Additionally, transdifferentiation of (pre-)osteoblasts into adipocytes could contribute to the fatty conversion. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to prove the existence of transdifferentiation between the adipogenic and osteogenic lineage and to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. At first, a cell culture system of primary human MSCs was established that allowed for differentiation into the adipogenic and osteogenic lineage and proved that the MSC-derived adipocytes and pre-osteoblasts were capable of transdifferentiation (reprogramming) from one into the other lineage. Thereby, lineage-specific markers were completely reversed after reprogramming of pre-osteoblasts into adipocytes. The osteogenic transdifferentiation of adipocytes was slightly less efficient since osteogenic markers were present but the adipogenic ones partly persisted. Hence, plasticity also reached into the differentiation pathways of both lineages and the better performance of adipogenic reprogramming further supported the assumption of its occurrence in vivo. The subsequent examination of gene expression changes by microarray analyses that compared transdifferentiated cells with conventionally differentiated ones revealed high numbers of reproducibly regulated genes shortly after initiation of adipogenic and osteogenic reprogramming. Thereof, many genes were correlated with metabolism, transcription, and signal transduction as FGF, IGF, and Wnt signalling, but only few of the established adipogenesis- and none of the osteogenesis-associated marker genes were detected within 24 h after initiation of transdifferentiation. To find possible key control factors of transdifferentiation amongst the huge amount of regulated genes, a novel bioinformatic scoring scheme was developed that ranked genes due to their potential relevance for reprogramming. Besides the reproducibility and level of their regulation, also the possible reciprocity between the adipogenic and osteogenic transdifferentiation pathway was taken into account. Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) that ranked as one of the leading candidates to govern reprogramming was proven to inhibit adipogenic differentiation as well as adipogenic transdifferentiation in our cell culture system. Further examination of the FGF signalling pathway and other highly ranked genes could help to better understand the age-related fatty degeneration at the molecular level and therefore provide target molecules for therapeutic modulation of the plasticity of both lineages in order to inhibit adipogenic degeneration and to enhance osteogenesis.}, subject = {Zelldifferenzierung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Heymer2008, author = {Heymer, Andrea}, title = {Chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and articular cartilage reconstruction}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-29448}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2008}, abstract = {Articular cartilage defects are still one of the major challenges in orthopedic and trauma surgery. Today, autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT), as a cell-based therapy, is an established procedure. However, one major limitation of this technique is the loss of the chondrogenic phenotype during expansion. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have an extensive proliferation potential and the capacity to differentiate into chondrocytes when maintained under specific conditions. They are therefore considered as candidate cells for tissue engineering approaches of functional cartilage tissue substitutes. First in this study, hMSCs were embedded in a collagen type I hydrogel to evaluate the cartilaginous construct in vitro. HMSC collagen hydrogels cultivated in different culture media showed always a marked contraction, most pronounced in chondrogenic differentiation medium supplemented with TGF-ß1. After stimulation with chondrogenic factors (dexamethasone and TGF-ß1) hMSCs were able to undergo chondrogenesis when embedded in the collagen type I hydrogel, as evaluated by the temporal induction of cartilage-specific gene expression. Furthermore, the cells showed a chondrocyte-like appearance and were homogeneously distributed within a proteoglycan- and collagen type II-rich extracellular matrix, except a small area in the center of the constructs. In this study, chondrogenic differentiation could not be realized with every hMSC preparation. With the improvement of the culture conditions, e.g. the use of a different FBS lot in the gel fabrication process, a higher amount of cartilage-specific matrix deposition could be achieved. Nevertheless, the large variations in the differentiation capacity display the high donor-to-donor variability influencing the development of a cartilaginous construct. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the collagen type I hydrogel is a suitable carrier matrix for hMSC-based cartilage regeneration therapies which present a promising future alternative to ACT. Second, to further improve the quality of tissue-engineered cartilaginous constructs, mechanical stimulation in specific bioreactor systems are often employed. In this study, the effects of mechanical loading on hMSC differentiation have been examined. HMSC collagen hydrogels were cultured in a defined chondrogenic differentiation medium without TGF-ß1 and subjected to a combined mechanical stimulation protocol, consisting of perfusion and cyclic uniaxial compression. Bioreactor cultivation neither affected overall cell viability nor the cell number in collagen hydrogels. Compared with non-loaded controls, mechanical loading promoted the gene expression of COMP and biglycan and induced an up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 3. These results circumstantiate that hMSCs are sensitive to mechanical forces, but their differentiation to chondrocytes could not be induced. Further studies are needed to identify the specific metabolic pathways which are altered by mechanical stimulation. Third, for the development of new cell-based therapies for articular cartilage repair, a reliable cell monitoring technique is required to track the cells in vivo non-invasively and repeatedly. This study aimed at analyzing systematically the performance and biological impact of a simple and efficient labeling protocol for hMSCs. Very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (VSOPs) were used as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent. Iron uptake was confirmed histologically with prussian blue staining and quantified by mass spectrometry. Compared with unlabeled cells, VSOP-labeling did neither influence significantly the viability nor the proliferation potential of hMSCs. Furthermore, iron incorporation did not affect the differentiation capacity of hMSCs. The efficiency of the labeling protocol was assessed with high resolution MR imaging at 11.7 Tesla. VSOP-labeled hMSCs were visualized in a collagen type I hydrogel indicated by distinct hypointense spots in the MR images, resulting from an iron specific loss of signal intensity. This was confirmed by prussian blue staining. In summary, this labeling technique has great potential to visualize hMSCs and track their migration after transplantation for articular cartilage repair with MR imaging.}, subject = {Gelenkknorpel}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schenk2007, author = {Schenk, Rita}, title = {Impact of the CCN-proteins CYR61/CCN1 and WISP3/CCN6 on mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-27766}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2007}, abstract = {CYR61 and WISP3 belong to the family of CCN-proteins. These proteins are characterised by 10\% cysteine residues whose positions are strictly conserved. The proteins are extracellular signalling molecules that can be associated with the extracellular matrix. CCN-proteins function in a cell- and tissue specific overlapping yet distinct manner. CCN-proteins are expressed and function in several cells and tissues of the musculoskeletal system. In this study the impact of the angiogenic inducer cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61/CCN1) on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as well as the wnt1 inducible signalling pathway protein 3 (WISP3/CCN6) on MSCs were elucidated. EPCs are promising cells to induce neovascularisation in ischemic regions as tissue engineered constructs. A major drawback is the small amount of cells that can be obtained from patients; therefore a stimulating factor to induce in vitro propagation of EPCs is urgently needed. In this study, mononuclear cells obtained from peripheral blood were treated with 0.5 µg/ml CYR61, resulting in an up to 7-fold increased cell number within one week compared to untreated control cells. To characterise if EPCs treated with CYR61 display altered or maintained EPC phenotype, the expression of the established markers CD34, CD133 and KDR as well as the uptake of acLDL and concurrent staining for ulex lectin was analysed. Both CYR61 treated and untreated control cells displayed EPCs characteristics, indicating that CYR61 treatment induces EPC number without altering their phenotype. Further studies revealed that the stimulating effect of CYR61 on EPCs is due to enhanced adhesion, rather than improved proliferation. Usage of mutated CYR61-proteins showed that the adhesive effect is mediated, at least partly, by the integrin \&\#945;6\&\#946;1, while the integrin \&\#945;\&\#965;\&\#946;3 has no influence. Endogenous expression of CYR61 was not detectable in EPCs, which indicated that control cells are not influenced by endogenous secretion of CYR61 and also could explain the dose-dependent effect of CYR61 that is measured at a low concentration of 0.05 µg/ml. MSCs were treated with 0.5 µg/ml CYR61, a combination of growth factors including VEGF, both together and compared to untreated control cells. Matrigel angiogenesis assay revealed an induction of angiogenesis, detected by induced sprouting of the cells, after CYR61 treatment of the MSC. Induced sprouting and vessel like structure formation after CYR61 treatment was similar to the results obtained after treatment with growth factors including the established angiogenesis inducer VEGF. This result clearly demonstrates the angiogenic potential of CYR61 on MSCs. Further studies revealed a migrative and proliferative effect of CYR61 on MSCs. Both properties are crucial for the induction of angiogenesis thus further strengthening the view of CYR61 as an angiogenic inducer. MSCs and EPCs are promising cells for tissue engineering applications in bone remodelling and reconstruction. MSCs due to their potential to differentiate into other lineages; EPCs induce neovascularisation within the construct. Both cell types respond to CYR61 treatment. Furthermore EPCs home to sides were CYR61 expression is detectable and both are induced by similar stimulators. Therefore CYR61 is a promising factor for tissue engineered bone reconstruction applications. WISP3 is expressed in cartilage in vivo and in chondrocytes in vitro. Loss of function mutations in the WISP3 gene are associated to the inherited human disease progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPD), that is characterised by cartilage loss and bone and joint destruction. Since MSCs also express the protein, the aim of this study was to elucidate if recombinant protein targets MSCs. A migratory effect of WISP3 treatment on MSCs and osteogenic differentiated MSCs has been proven in this study. To elucidate if global gene expression patterns are influenced by WISP3, cells were treated with 0.5 µg/ml WISP3 and compared to untreated control MSCs. Gene expression study by using affymetrix technology revealed an induction of interferon inducible genes including CXCL chemokines and members of the TNFSF family. Reevaluation by RT-PCR on identical RNA and an additional time series confirmed the results. Although no established cartilage associated genes were detected as regulated genes within this 24h treatment, anti-angiogenic and immunosuppressive genes indicate a protective role of WISP3 for the cartilage, which is sensitive to inflammatory processes. Both CCN-proteins CYR61 and WISP3 are valuable for the musculoskeletal system. This and previous studies revealed the role of CYR61 for osteogenesis and angiogenesis of tissue engineered applications. WISP3 is responsible for development, protection and maintenance of cartilage. Therefore further studies with the proteins in the musculoskeletal system are of high relevance.}, subject = {Endothel}, language = {en} } @article{SteinertWeissenbergerKunzetal.2012, author = {Steinert, Andre F. and Weissenberger, Manuel and Kunz, Manuela and Gilbert, Fabian and Ghivizzani, Steven C. and Goebel, Sascha and Jakob, Franz and N{\"o}th, Ulrich and Rudert, Maximilian}, title = {Indian hedgehog gene transfer is a chondrogenic inducer of human mesenchymal stem cells}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-75425}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Introduction: To date, no single most-appropriate factor or delivery method has been identified for the purpose of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based treatment of cartilage injury. Therefore, in this study we tested whether gene delivery of the growth factor Indian hedgehog (IHH) was able to induce chondrogenesis in human primary MSCs, and whether it was possible by such an approach to modulate the appearance of chondrogenic hypertrophy in pellet cultures in vitro. Methods: First-generation adenoviral vectors encoding the cDNA of the human IHH gene were created by cre-lox recombination and used alone or in combination with adenoviral vectors, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (Ad.BMP- 2), or transforming growth factor beta-1 (Ad.TGF-b1) to transduce human bone-marrow derived MSCs at 5 × 102 infectious particles/cell. Thereafter, 3 × 105 cells were seeded into aggregates and cultured for 3 weeks in serumfree medium, with untransduced or marker gene transduced cultures as controls. Transgene expressions were determined by ELISA, and aggregates were analysed histologically, immunohistochemically, biochemically and by RT-PCR for chondrogenesis and hypertrophy. Results: IHH, TGF-b1 and BMP-2 genes were equipotent inducers of chondrogenesis in primary MSCs, as evidenced by strong staining for proteoglycans, collagen type II, increased levels of glycosaminoglycan synthesis, and expression of mRNAs associated with chondrogenesis. IHH-modified aggregates, alone or in combination, also showed a tendency to progress towards hypertrophy, as judged by the expression of alkaline phosphatase and stainings for collagen type X and Annexin 5. Conclusion: As this study provides evidence for chondrogenic induction of MSC aggregates in vitro via IHH gene delivery, this technology may be efficiently employed for generating cartilaginous repair tissues in vivo.}, subject = {Medizin}, language = {en} } @article{HolzapfelProdingerPilgeetal.2013, author = {Holzapfel, Boris Michael and Prodinger, Peter M. and Pilge, Hakan and Banke, Ingo J. and B{\"u}rklein, Dominik and Miethke, Thomas and Gradinger, Reiner}, title = {Acute Osteomyelitis of the Humerus mimicking Malignancy: Streptococcus pneumoniae as Exceptional Pathogen in an Immunocompetent Adult}, series = {BMC Infectious Diseases}, journal = {BMC Infectious Diseases}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2334-13-266}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-95790}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background Chronic osteomyelitis due to direct bone trauma or vascular insufficiency is a frequent problem in orthopaedic surgery. In contrast, acute haematogenous osteomyelitis represents a rare entity that almost exclusively affects prepubescent children or immunodeficient adults. Case Presentation In this article, we report the case of acute pneumococcal osteomyelitis of the humerus in an immunocompetent and otherwise healthy 44-year-old male patient presenting with minor inflammation signs and misleading clinical features. Conclusions The diagnosis had to be confirmed by open biopsy which allowed the initiation of a targeted therapy. A case of pneumococcal osteomyelitis of a long bone, lacking predisposing factors or trauma, is unique in adults and has not been reported previously.}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilRaabRudert2013, author = {Nedopil, Alexander and Raab, Peter and Rudert, Maximilian}, title = {Desmoplastic Fibroma: A Case Report with Three Years of Clinical and Radiographic Observation and Review of the Literature}, series = {Open Orthopaedics Journal}, journal = {Open Orthopaedics Journal}, doi = {10.2174/1874325001307010040}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-96123}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background: Desmoplastic fibroma (DF) is an extremely rare locally aggressive bone tumor with an incidence of 0.11\% of all primary bone tumors. The typical clinical presentation is pain and swelling above the affected area. The most common sites of involvement are the mandible and the metaphysis of long bones. Histologically and biologically, desmoplastic fibroma mimics extra-abdominal desmoid tumor of soft tissue. Case Presentation and Literature Review: A case of a 27-year old man with DF in the ilium, including the clinical, radiological and histological findings over a 4-year period is presented here. CT scans performed in 3-year intervals prior to surgical intervention were compared with respect to tumor extension and cortical breakthrough. The patient was treated with curettage and grafting based on anatomical considerations. Follow-up CT scans over 18-months are also documented here. Additionally, a review and analysis of 271 cases including the presented case with particular emphasis on imaging patterns in MRI and CT as well as treatment modalities and outcomes are presented. Conclusion: In patients with desmoplastic fibroma, CT is the preferred imaging technique for both the diagnosis of intraosseus tumor extension and assessment of cortical involvement, whereas MRI is favored for the assessment of extraosseus tumor growth and preoperative planning. While tumor resection remains the preferred treatment for DF, curettage and grafting prove to be an acceptable alternative treatment modality with close follow-up when resection is not possible. Curettage and grafting have been shown to provide good clinical results and are associated with long recurrence free intervals.}, language = {en} }