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 - TY - GEN A1 - Chavez Vega, Jhohan Harvey A1 - Böhm, Valter A1 - Scharff, Moritz A1 - Prem, Nina A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. A1 - Becker, Tatiana I. A1 - Günther, L. A1 - Alencastre, Jorge H. A1 - Grieseler, R. A1 - Zimmermann, Klaus T1 - Magneto-active elastomer as viscoelastic foundation material for artificial tactile sensors with tuneable properties T2 - Book of Abstracts of the 16th German Ferrofluid Workshop, Braunschweig, 18.-20.07.2018 Y1 - 2018 SP - 16 EP - 17 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Füchtmeier, Bernd A1 - Egersdörfer, Stefan A1 - Tuma, G. A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. A1 - Nerlich, Michael ED - Nerlich, Michael ED - Schächinger, Ulrich T1 - Development of a Robotic Navigation and Fracture Fixation System T2 - Integration of Health Telematics into Medical Practice Y1 - 2003 SP - 43 EP - 49 PB - IOS Press ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Putz, Christoph A1 - Schirmer, Maximilian A1 - Sattler, Robert A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. T1 - Fabrication of Bisphenol-free Boron-Siloxane Polymers JF - Materials Chemistry and Physics N2 - Interest in the preparation of magnetoactive boron-siloxane polymers (MBP) has been stimulated by recent scientific developments. However, recent regulations have prohibited the inclusion of Bisphenol-A normally employed in the manufacture of commercially available products. In the following publication, two different routes for the preparation of magnetoactive borosiloxane polymers have been taken. First, the possibilities of obtaining homogeneous mixtures of magnetoactive polymers by mixing the magnetic particles with the polymer using solid CO2 (dry ice) and stirring (shearing) are investigated. In the course of the work, an approach for the preparation of reference materials of different viscosities was made to prove the transferability to other elastomers. This is then followed by a brief review of the reaction of the polymer with different solvents in relation to the mixing with particles. In manually kneaded compounds, dispersions ranging from 0.00004 to 0.004 particles per mm3 are common. The process described in this work resulted in agglomerations of no greater than 0.00004 particles per mm3 A possible synthesis route for bisphenol-free boron-siloxanes is then considered, in which for the polymer matrix, polydimethylsilanes (dichloro(methyl)silane), boric acid and iron(III)chloride are used for this purpose by polycondensation. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2025.130567 N1 - Corresponding author der OTH Regensburg: Gareth J. Monkman PB - Elsevier ET - Journal Pre-proof ER -