TY - JOUR A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. A1 - Sindersberger, Dirk A1 - Prem, Nina T1 - Magnetically enhanced photoconductive high voltage control JF - ISSS Journal of Micro and Smart Systems N2 - The recent surge of interest in electrostatic actuators, particularly for soft robotic applications, has placed increasing demands on high voltage control technology. In this respect, optoelectronic bidirectional switching and analogue regulation of high voltages is becoming increasingly important. One common problem is the leakage current due to dark resistance of the material or device used. Another is the physical size of such elements. However, their ability to provide galvanic separation makes them a very attractive alternative to conventional (wired) semiconductor elements. This paper gives an overview of available methods and devices before introducing a concept based on the combination of photoresistive and magnetoresistive effects in Gallium Arsenide that are potentially applicable to other semiconductor materials. KW - GaAs KW - High voltage actuators KW - Magnetoresistance KW - Opto-sensors KW - Photoconduction KW - Soft robotics Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-30606 N1 - Corresponding author: Gareth J. Monkman VL - 11 SP - 317 EP - 328 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dillinger, Andrea Elisabeth A1 - Weber, Gregor R. A1 - Mayer, Matthias A1 - Schneider, Magdalena A1 - Göppner, Corinna A1 - Ohlmann, Andreas A1 - Shamonin (Chamonine), Mikhail A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. A1 - Fuchshofer, Rudolf A1 - Keller, Kate A1 - Lozano, Diana C. A1 - Clark, Abbot T1 - CCN2/CTGF-A Modulator of the Optic Nerve Head Astrocyte JF - Frontiers in cell and developmental biology (Front Cell Dev Biol.) N2 - In primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve (ON) and leading cause of blindness, the optic nerve head (ONH) undergoes marked structural extracellular matrix (ECM) changes, which contribute to its permanent deformation and to degeneration of ON axons. The remodeling process of the ECM causes changes in the biomechanical properties of the ONH and the peripapillary sclera, which is accompanied by an increased reactivity of the resident astrocytes. The molecular factors involved in the remodeling process belong to the Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily, especially TGF-β2. In previous publications we showed that TGF-β2 induced ECM alterations are mediated by Cellular Communication Network Factor (CCN)2/Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) and recently we showed that CCN2/CTGF is expressed by astrocytes of the ON under normal conditions. In this study we wanted to get a better understanding of the function of CCN2/CTGF under normal and pathologic conditions. To this end, we analyzed the glial lamina and peripapillary sclera of CCN2/CTGF overexpressing mice and studied the effect of CCN2/CTGF and increasing substratum stiffness on murine ON astrocytes in vitro. We observed enhanced astrocyte reactivity in the ONH, increased ECM protein synthesis in the peripapillary sclera and increased Ccn2/Ctgf expression in the ONH during the pathologic development in situ. CCN2/CTGF treatment of primary murine ON astrocytes induced a higher migration rate, and increase of ECM proteins including fibronectin, elastin and collagen type III. Furthermore, the astrocytes responded to stiffer substratum with increased glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, actin and CCN2/CTGF synthesis. Finally, we observed the reinforced appearance of CCN2/CTGF in the lamina cribrosa of glaucomatous patients. We conclude that reactive changes in ONH astrocytes, induced by the altered biomechanical characteristics of the region, give rise to a self-amplifying process that includes increased TGF-β2/CCN2/CTGF signaling and leads to the synthesis of ECM molecules and cytoskeleton proteins, a process that in turn augments the stiffness at the ONH. Such a scenario may finally result in a vicious circle in the pathogenesis of POAG. The transgenic CTGF-overexpressing mouse model might be an optimal model to study the chronic pathological POAG changes in the ONH. KW - astrocytes KW - extracellar matrix KW - glaucoma KW - glial lamina KW - growth factors KW - optic nerve KW - stiffness Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.864433 VL - 10 PB - frontiers ER -