Advances in Translational Medicine

Comparative functional aspects of 3T3 fibroblasts in 2D and 3D cell-culture environment

Madhusudan Chaturvedi — 2025-09-22

Tissue engineering is a versatile and valuable approach that has been widely used for constructing tissue architecture and evaluating drug efficacy, among other applications. It particularly focuses on techniques aimed at restoring or replacing parts of or entire tissues and organs. The development of in-vitro bioengineered skin models holds a significant potential for clinical applications. Most existing methods for skin bioengineering primarily rely on two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures, which present notable limitations, particularly in assessing the safety and effectiveness of topical pharmaceutical agents due to the absence of dermal-epidermal interactions. In contrast, three-dimensional (3D) skin bioengineering models enable the culture of epidermal keratinocytes in combination with fibroblasts embedded within 3D matrices, better mimicking natural skin structure and function. In this study, we designed a comprehensive experimental approach to investigate the role of Swiss 3T3 fibroblast cells, and their variants pre-exposed to a single pulse of varying doses of Mitomycin C, in supporting the growth of keratinocytes when embedded in collagen. We examined the proliferation and viability of 3T3 cells to assess their ability to promote the growth of epidermal cells within this embedded niche. Additionally, we analysed the level of paracrine secretion of Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) by fibroblasts in both conditions of 2D and 3D cell culture. Furthermore, we conducted a histological comparison of the epidermal layers and evaluated the expression of various epidermal markers to elucidate their structural and functional differences in 2D and 3D culture conditions. This study demonstrates the crucial role of both 2D and 3D skin bioengineering models and their potential applications in dermatological research and pharmaceutical development.

Explanatory model of South Asian newcomer mother and Canadian-born mother comprehension: A cross-sectional

Dahlia Khajeei — 2025-11-21

Maternal health literacy refers to the skills mothers use to manage their own health and their family’s health in healthcare settings. Newcomer mothers face unique barriers to healthcare access, which can be reduced through health education to improve comprehension. An applied, cross-sectional design was used to recruit 20 English-speaking South Asian newcomer mothers (SANMs) and 20 English-speaking Canadian-born mothers (CANMs). This cross-sectional study utilized fuzzy-trace theory to develop an explanatory model for how mothers comprehend health information, with a focus on gist understanding. A digital survey collected data on the ability to comprehend the main idea of pregnancy health information. Additionally, three validated psychometric instruments were administered to measure differences in functional health literacy. Descriptive statistics were conducted on responses to a questionnaire, and accuracy scores were calculated using observation oriented modelling. Data analysis examined the accuracy of models in explaining patterns of observations, supplemented by a visual "eye test" using a histogram to describe observed events. Results indicate that both samples of mothers self-reported adequate numeracy abilities, but performed poorly on functional assessments. In Experiment 1, CANMs who engaged more frequently in numerical reasoning showed a meaningful, non-random pattern of comprehension regarding the chance of viral infection. In Experiment 2, SANMs who more frequently counted or read numbers demonstrated a meaningful pattern of correctly identifying medication timing. These results suggest that gist-based processing supports comprehension in both samples, but the causal patterns linking numerical engagement and comprehension differ. Numerical reasoning relates to comprehension differently across SANMs and CANMs, and therefore health education must be ethno-culturally responsive. Ultimately, this research highlights the need for ‘kind’ learning environments to help ethno-culturally diverse mothers practice and improve their comprehension in healthcare settings and recommends health numeracy education and medication literacy programs to improve numerical reasoning.

Testosterone rescue for failing livers? Target-trial signals survival gains in hypogonadic men with cirrhosis

Amedeo Lonardo — 2025-08-07