A5012188406- Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiac Structural Anomalies and Repair
- Elasticity and Material Modeling
- Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
- Cardiovascular Function and Risk Factors
- Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Protease and Inhibitor Mechanisms
- 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Bone Tissue Engineering Materials
- Orthopaedic implants and arthroplasty
- Mesenchymal stem cell research
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Platelet Disorders and Treatments
- Coronary Interventions and Diagnostics
- Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- Skin and Cellular Biology Research
- Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
- Venous Thromboembolism Diagnosis and Management
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
- Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies
- Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
- Esophageal Cancer Research and Treatment
University of Cape Town
2015-2024
University of South Africa
2021
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
2021
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
2020
Barnard College
2013-2019
University of Manitoba
2017
Western Cape Department of Health
2016
University of Pavia
2015
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
2012
Watford General Hospital
2012
Local, controlled induction of angiogenesis remains a challenge that limits tissue engineering approaches to replace or restore diseased tissues. We present new class bioactive synthetic hydrogel matrices based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and peptides exploits the activity vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) alongside base matrix functionality for cellular ingrowth, is, cell adhesion by pendant RGD-containing provision cell-mediated remodeling cross-linking metalloproteinase...
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, which leads to right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy and failure. The pathophysiological mechanisms of PH remain unclear but oxidative stress believed contribute RV dysfunction. Melatonin a powerful antioxidant cardioprotective against ischemia-reperfusion injury hypertension. Therefore, we hypothesized that chronic treatment with melatonin, given as curative or preventive therapy, may confer cardiovascular...
Tissue regeneration into a three-dimensional scaffold requires the stimulation of blood vessel ingrowth. We have employed freely interconnecting porous developed by us to determine utility covalently bound heparin surface coating for delivery vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived BB (PDGF-BB) in vivo. The was shown release VEGF far more rapidly than PDGF-BB vitro (VEGF: 75 ng/h 24 h; PDGF-BB: 86 pg/h >7 days). In rat subcutaneous implants, at 10 days alone increased...
Cells interact with mechanical and chemical environmental cues, such as cues from other cells signals growth factors. The current study aims to develop a mathematical model for combined chemically mechanically induced collective cell motility on planar substrates. In this model, an extension of previous simulates by strain energy density gradients in the substrate originating cellular traction forces is presented capture effect factor gradient describe chemo-mechanically deterministic...
Porosity is an important factor in the healing of prosthetic devices. To better understand this phenomenon, porous polyurethane scaffolds were produced by a variation phase inversion/porogen extraction technique which prepacked column spherical porogen particles was infiltrated with polymer solution before precipitation and extraction. Scaffolds contained pores well defined shape (approaching open faced pentagonal dodecahedra), narrow size distributions (66.1 +/- 1.3 microm, 84.2 1.7 156.9...
Regenerative therapies to improve prognosis after heart attack and mitigate the onset of failure are urgently needed. To this end, we developed a bioactive therapy sustained release morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh) anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) from coacervate delivery vehicle. This is combined with structural consisting biodegradable polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel, harnessing benefits both components. Upon injection into hearts rats attack, found that each component...
Objective Accumulating evidence links the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by smooth muscle cells (VSMC) to normal cell (EC) function, repair and maintenance. Using an in vitro model we investigate role cyclic stretch on both VEGF VSMC phosphorylation a receptor EC.Methods Bovine EC were exposed 10% strain for 4 hours. mRNA steady-state levels analysed northern blot hybridisation. The presence secreted from was determined assaying migration EC. stretched assayed...
Introduction: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a dynamic network that plays critical role in blood pressure regulation and fluid electrolyte homeostasis. Modulators of the RAS, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, are widely used to treat hypertension, heart failure myocardial infarction. Methods: effect ACE inhibitors (lisinopril C-domain-selective LisW-S) on constituent peptides RAS following infarction was examined rats. Ten angiotensin were analysed using...
The aim of this manuscript was to establish a consensus for the management acute and chronic venous obstruction among specialists in UK. Specialist physicians representing vascular surgery, interventional radiology hematology were invited 3 meetings discuss iliofemoral obstruction. outlined controversial areas, included topic-by-topic review; on completion reached when greater than 80% agreement each topic. Physicians from 19 UK hospitals agreed treatment protocols highlighted areas that...
Porous scaffolds play an integral role in many tissue-engineering approaches, and the ability to improve vascularization, without eliciting excessive inflammatory response, would constitute important step towards achieving long-term healing function of devices made from these materials. After having previously optimized dimensional requirements well-defined pores, present study aimed at a further shift inflammation vascularization via surface immobilization with heparin. polyurethane disks...
Objective The aim of the study was to compare yields newly diagnosed cases HIV infection and advanced immunodeficiency between individuals attending a mobile counselling testing (HCT) service as participants in population‐based seroprevalence survey those accessing same volunteers for routine testing. Methods conducted peri‐urban township within Cape Metropolitan Region, South Africa. Survey (recruited testers) were randomly selected, visited at home invited attend HCT service. They received...