Extension of bladder-based organ regeneration platform for tissue engineering of esophagus

Recent successes in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering of bladder and bladder-like neo-organs have leveraged regenerative constructs composed of a biodegradable scaffold seeded with a population of smooth muscle cells. We have shown that such smooth muscle cells are isolatable from adipose and other sources alternate to the primary organ. We hypothesize that this regenerative platform is not limited to regeneration of bladder and bladder-like neo-organs, but rather represents a foundational technology platform broadly applicable for regeneration of laminarly organized hollow organs. Using esophagus as an illustrative example in support of this hypothesis, we demonstrate that patch constructs composed of adipose-derived smooth muscle cells seeded on a biodegradable matrix catalyze complete regeneration of the esophageal wall in a rodent model of esophageal injury. By implication, such regenerative constructs may potentially be used to mediate the regeneration of any laminarly organized tubular organ.     

Mercury hygiene and biomedical waste management practices among dental health-care personnel in public hospitals in Lagos State,Nigeria

BackgroundIndiscriminate disposal of hospital wastes including mercury/amalgam wastes pose a serious threat to life and environment. There is a growing concern about biomedical waste (BMW) management among health care workers, however there are limited reports on BMW management by dental personnel in developing countries.ObjectivesThis study investigated the level of knowledge of BMW, observance of proper mercury hygiene and BMW management practice among public dental personnel in Lagos State, Nigeria.MethodsA cross-sectional study regarding BMW management across public hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria was conducted following institutional ethics committee approval. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to obtain data from different facilities selected by purposive and simple random sampling techniques as applicable. The questionnaires were distributed among 437 respondents by convenience sampling. The resulting data were statistically tested using Chi-square and G-test with p-value < 0.05 indicating significant level.ResultsAmongst 437 respondents, majority were females (62.5%) and the highest proportion fell within the age range of 25–34 years (44.4%). Only 17.2% of the respondents had good knowledge of BMW management/legislation and 4.1% had good BMW practice. Less than half (49.4%) of respondents disposed mercury-contaminated materials inside the trash and majority (92.2%) did not observe proper mercury hygiene. Significantly better mercury hygiene practices were observed in secondary facilities (p=0.040).ConclusionA minor proportion of public dental personnel had good knowledge and practice of proper mercury hygiene and BMW management. This shows there is an urgent need for training of health personnel on proper BMW handling and disposal in developing countries like Nigeria.