Tendons refer to cords made of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. According to Russo, et al . (2014), the transformation of tendons in the development process to a highly differentiated structure results from a plastic membrane. Any injury in the later stages of human development that affects the muscles renders it unable to regenerate. The cell-based regenerative approaches are examined using the sheep tendon as a translational model, Mattioli et al ., (2013). The researchers carried out a comprehensive analysis of the biochemical and morphological study which characterizes the maturation of tissue in both the mid, late fetal life and adulthood, Ruzzini et al . (2013). The said analysis took place due to the unavailability of the baseline studies on the development of sheep tendons from maturation to adult life.
The outcome of the study revealed that the ovine tendon morphology passes through various transformations and that the endotenon was found to develop more in fetal tendons compared to the adult tissues. During the tendon development, an analysis of the ECM tendon molecules expression which includes the Collagen type 1 and III, Scleraxis B, Tenomodulin, Thrombospondin 4 and Osteocalcin, and the genes, were found to overexpress in mid-fetal tendons. It was only in the mid-fetal stage of tendon development that two classes of cells of different kinds which confine OCN within the cytoplasm observed.
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The study concludes that the ovine tendon undergoes various changes during fetal tendon development which involve both the cells and the ECM and that the biochemical changes triggered a significant reduction of ECM molecules, nerve fibers in adults and the blood vessels.
The sources used in the study are hence credible given that they are journals and are discussions by specialists and qualified personnel in the field of medicine. These publications are thoroughly researched and based on the entire medical practice. Thus the study is exhaustive in its approach to sheep tendon maturation, and it provided a transparent process leading to tendon differentiation and therefore giving a clear understanding on the progressive reduction of the regenerative properties in adult tendons. The study also provides useful information on the ovine cords which is helpful in the development of new cell-based therapeutic strategies which improves the healing of the muscles.
References
Ackermann, P.W (2013). Neuronal regulation of tendon homeostasis. Int J Exp Pathol 94, pp 271–286.
Liu CF, Aschbacher-Smith L, Barthelery NJ, et al. (2011) What we should know before using tissue engineering techniques to repair injured tendons: a developmental biology perspective. Tissue Eng Part B Rev 17, pp 165–176.
Mattioli M, Gloria A, Turriani M, et al. (2012) Stemness characteristics and osteogenic potential of sheep amniotic epithelial cells. Cell Biology 36, pp 7 –19 .
Russo, V., Mauro, A., Martelli, A., Di Giacinto, O., Di Marcantonio, L., Nardinocchi, D., Barboni, B. (2014). Cellular and molecular maturation in fetal and adult ovine calcaneal tendons. Journal of Anatomy, 226(2), 126-142. doi:10.1111/joa.12269.
Ruzzini L, Abbruzzese F, Rainer A, et al. (2013) Characterization of age-related changes of tendon stem cells from adult human tendons. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 22(11) pp 2856–2866. doi:10.1007/s00167-013-2457-4.
