Characterization of an emerging tendon progenitor cell network during early embryonic tendon development.
von Flotow, Friedrich.
2015
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Abstract:
Tendons are important tissues with unique mechanical properties necessary for their
function. Tendon injuries require lengthy rehabilitation, with adult healing resulting
in mechanically inferior scar tissue. A more complete understanding of the development
of embryonic tendon may lead to advances in the field of tendon tissue engineering and
regeneration. Mechanical properties of ... read moreembryonic tendon are not dependent on the same
factors as mature tendon, and during early development, embryonic tendon cells are
maintained at a high density. They also contain actin filaments that increase in
organization and span cells. These results suggest the importance of a tendon progenitor
cell (TPC) network to emerging tendon functional properties. We examine the
proliferation and apoptosis activities of resident TPCs as contributors to cell density
maintenance. We characterize the TPC network by visualizing points of cell-cell contact
via cell membrane staining as well as staining for the actin cytoskeleton. Finally, we
characterize various cell-cell proteins as crosslinks in the TPC network and compare
their expression and distribution. These data provide a deeper understanding of
embryonic tendon development and the role of cellular contributions to the emerging
functional characteristics of tendon.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2015.
Submitted to the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering.
Advisor: Catherine Kuo.
Committee: David Kaplan, and Pamela Yelick.
Keywords: Biomedical engineering, Molecular biology, and Cellular biology.read less - ID:
- x346dg591
- Component ID:
- tufts:21554
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
