This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, and a cure remains elusive. Although its hallmarks are motor symptoms resulting from neuronal loss, increasing attention has been paid to the effect of gut microbiota on PD. A recent study examined this connection by focusing on the effect of a unique protein. Osteocalcin (OCN), a protein secreted by osteoblasts during bone formation, can pass through the blood-brain barrier. OCN can modulate brain function, and patients with PD are highly susceptible to osteoporosis, suggesting a link between bone health and PD. Using a mouse model of PD, researchers found that injecting OCN had a protective effect, ameliorating motor deficits and neuronal loss. Antibiotic exposure prior to OCN treatment revealed that this effect was dependent on gut microbiota..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students operate mock 3D bioprinters in order to print tissue constructs of bone, muscle and skin for a fictitious trauma patient, Bill. The model bioprinters are made from ordinary materials— cardboard, dowels, wood, spools, duct tape, zip ties and glue (constructed by the teacher or the students)—and use squeeze bags of icing to lay down tissue layers. Student groups apply what they learned about biological tissue composition and tissue engineering in the associated lesson to design and fabricate model replacement tissues. They tangibly learn about the technical aspects and challenges of 3D bioprinting technology, as well as great detail about the complex cellular composition of tissues. At activity end, teams present their prototype designs to the class.

Students learn about the current applications and limitations of 3D bioprinting, as well as its amazing future potential. This lesson, and its fun associated activity, provides a unique way to review and explore concepts such as differing cell functions, multicellular organism complexity, and engineering design steps. As introduced through a PowerPoint® presentation, students learn about three different types of bioprinters, with a focus on the extrusion model. Then they learn the basics of tissue engineering and the steps to design printed tissues. This background information prepares students to conduct the associated activity in which they use mock-3D bioprinters composed of a desktop setup that uses bags of icing to “bioprint” replacement skin, bone and muscle for a fictitious trauma patient, Bill. A pre/post-quiz is also provided.

This course covers the growth, development and structure of normal bone and joints, the biomechanics of bone connective tissues, and their response to stress, calcium and phosphate homeostasis. Additional topics include regulation by parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, the pathogenesis of metabolic bone diseases and diseases of connective tissues, joints and muscle with consideration of possible mechanisms and underlying metabolic derangements.

This course focuses on the latest scientific developments and discoveries in the field of nanomechanics, the study of forces and motion on extremely tiny (10-9 m) areas of synthetic and biological materials and structures. At this level, mechanical properties are intimately related to chemistry, physics, and quantum mechanics. Most lectures will consist of a theoretical component that will then be compared to recent experimental data (case studies) in the literature. The course begins with a series of introductory lectures that describes the normal and lateral forces acting at the atomic scale. The following discussions include experimental techniques in high resolution force spectroscopy, atomistic aspects of adhesion, nanoindentation, molecular details of fracture, chemical force microscopy, elasticity of single macromolecular chains, intermolecular interactions in polymers, dynamic force spectroscopy, biomolecular bond strength measurements, and molecular motors.

This lesson covers the topic of human bones and joints. Students learn about the skeleton, the number of and types of bones in the body, and how outer space affects astronauts' bones. Students also learn how to take care of their bones here on Earth to prevent osteoporosis or weakening of the bones.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are at the center of a vast array of physiological processes, making them attractive targets for drug discovery. One GPCR – GPR55 – has been implicated in multiple biological functions, including bone turnover and inflammatory pain. To better understand the mechanisms behind GPR55-mediated signal transduction, a recent study evaluated GPR55 in human cell lines. In HeLa cells, GPR55 Lys⁸⁰ was required for lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI)-induced activation of MAPK signaling and for receptor internalization, and in macrophages, silencing GPR55 blocked cytoskeletal reorganization and calcium signaling pathways. Osteoclast differentiation was associated with a 14-fold increase in GPR55 mRNA levels, and silencing GPR55 impaired the expression of a variety of osteoclastogenesis markers. A GPR55-specific peptide inhibitor, P1, was identified and shown to inhibit in-vitro osteoclast maturation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students are introduced to prosthetics history, purpose and benefits, main components, main types, materials, control methods, modern examples including modern materials used to make replacement body parts and the engineering design considerations to develop prostheses. They learn how engineers and medical doctors work together to improve the lives of people with amputations and the challenges faced when designing new prostheses with functional and cosmetic criteria and constraints. A PowerPoint(TM) presentation and two worksheets are provided.

The principles and practice of tissue engineering (and regenerative medicine) are taught by faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) and Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. The principles underlying strategies for employing selected cells, biomaterial scaffolds, soluble regulators or their genes, and mechanical loading and culture conditions, for the regeneration of tissues and organs in vitro and in vivo are addressed. Differentiated cell types and stem cells are compared and contrasted for this application, as are natural and synthetic scaffolds. Methodology for the preparation of cells and scaffolds in practice is described. The rationale for employing selected growth factors is covered and the techniques for incorporating their genes into the scaffolds are examined. Discussion also addresses the influence of environmental factors including mechanical loading and culture conditions (e.g., static versus dynamic). Methods for fabricating tissue-engineered products and devices for implantation are taught. Examples of tissue engineering-based procedures currently employed clinically are analyzed as case studies.
Archived webcast lecture videos for the Fall 2008 version of this class can be found at the HST.535 Fall 2008 website.

Student teams investigate biomedical engineering and the technology of prosthetics. Students create a model prosthetic lower leg using various materials. Each team demonstrate its prosthesis' strength and consider its pros and cons, giving insight into the characteristics and materials biomedical engineers consider in designing artificial limbs.

Students learn about how biomedical engineers aid doctors in repairing severely broken bones. They learn about using pins, plates, rods and screws to repair fractures. They do this by designing, creating and testing their own prototype devices to repair broken turkey bones.

Through this unit, written for an honors anatomy and physiology class, students become familiar with the human skeletal system and answer the Challenge Question: When you get home from school, your mother grabs you, and you race to the hospital. Your grandmother fell and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctor tells your family your grandmother has a fractured hip, and she is referring her to an orthopedic specialist. The orthopedic doctor decides to perform a DEXA scan. The result show her BMD is -3.3. What would be a probable diagnosis to her condition? What are some possible causes of her condition? Should her daughter and granddaughter be worried about this condition, and if so, what are measures they could take to prevent this from happening to them?

Astronaut Randy Bresnik explains why exercising in space is so important. Also learn about bone density in a hands-on classroom activity using cereal.

Students review what they know about the 20 major bones in the human body (names, shapes, functions, locations, as learned in the associated lesson) and the concept of density (mass per unit of volume). Then student pairs calculate the densities for different bones from a disarticulated human skeleton model of fabricated bones, making measurements via triple-beam balance (for mass) and water displacement (for volume). All groups share their results with the class in order to collectively determine the densities for every major bone in the body. This activity prepares students for the next activity, "Can It Support You? No Bones about It," during which they act as biomedical engineers and design artificial bones, which requires them to find materials of suitable density to perform as human body implants.

Students learn about the strength of bones and methods of helping to mend fractured bones. During a class demonstration, a chicken bone is broken by applying a load until it reaches a point of failure (fracture). Then, working as biomedical engineers, students teams design their own splint or cast to help repair a fractured bone, learning about the strength of materials used.

As taught Semesters 1 and 2, 2011

This learning object describes the cells involved in the production & maintenance of bone, the nature of the extracellular matrix, and compares the structural and functional differences between cartilage and bone. This learning object is used as part of the level 1 Biological Sciences module delivered by the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy.

Dr Andy Meal, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the growth of bone where it doesn’t belong, such as in muscle tissue HO is most often observed after joint surgery in patients with severe trauma and can cause swelling, pain, nerve compression, and other complications While effective treatment and prevention strategies are currently lacking researchers are beginning to zero in on the molecular pathways that trigger HO It all starts with hypoxia, a state of oxygen deprivation that accompanies tissue damage Hypoxia activates the protein HIF-1α In certain patients, HIF-1α acts as a gateway to HO in at least three ways By stimulating proteins that lay the groundwork for new bone and cartilage By promoting blood vessel formation And by suppressing a protein that normally limits bone growth Drugs that reduce hypoxia or block HIF-1α could therefore prove powerful helping to stop HO early in its development.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students are introduced to the concepts of the challenge question. First independently, and then in small groups, they generate ideas for solving the grand challenge introduced in the associated lesson: Your grandmother has a fractured hip and a BMD of -3.3. What medical diagnosis explains her condition? What are some possible causes? What are preventative measures for other family members? Students complete a worksheet that contains the pertinent questions, as well as develop additional questions of their own, all with the focus on determining what additional background knowledge they need to research. Finally, as a class, students compile their ideas, resulting in a visual as a learning supplement.

Students experience the engineering design process as they design and construct lower-leg prostheses in response to a hypothetical zombie apocalypse scenario. Like the well-known Apollo 13 story during which engineers were challenged to fix the crippled spacecraft with limited supplies in order to save astronauts' lives, in this activity, students act as engineers during an imaginary disaster in which a group member's leg was amputated in order to survive a zombie attack. Building on what they learned and researched in the associated lesson, they design and fabricate a replacement prosthetic limb using given specific starting material and limited additional supplies, similar to how engineers design for individuals while working within constraints. A more-advanced scenario challenges students to design a prosthesis that is able to provide a more-specific movement function.