ArticlePloS one2025
Atelocollagen exhibits superior performance compared to growth factors in upregulating proteins associated with tendon healing.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeWe aimed to compare the effects of atelocollagen (AC) and individual growth factors on the expression of key molecular markers associated with tendon healing.
methodsC2C12 myoblasts were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and treated with 1 nM or 10 nM of Atelocollagen (AC), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for 5 days. After 5 days of treatment, cells were harvested from the culture medium, and Western blot analysis was performed to quantify the expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), Collagen type I (Col I), Collagen type Ⅲ (Col Ⅲ), and Tenascin C (TnC). Additionally, immunofluorescence staining was conducted to qualitatively assess cytoskeletal organization and cell adhesion, which are key factors in tendon healing.
resultsIn the AC-treated groups, the expression levels of p-ERK, Col I/Col Ⅲ, and TnC were significantly higher compared to the groups treated with individual growth factors (BMP-2, IGF, VEGF, and TGF-β1) (p < 0.05). These changes were dose-dependent, as there was no significant difference in protein expression between AC and the growth factors at 1 nM, whereas at 10 nM, AC treatment resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05). In the cell proliferation assay, C2C12 myoblasts treated with AC at 10 nM exhibited significantly higher proliferation rates compared to those treated with individual growth factors (p < 0.05). Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed greater cytoskeletal alignment in AC-treated cells, suggesting enhanced cell adhesion, structural organization, and mechanical stability.
conclusionsAC significantly upregulated key molecular markers involved in cell proliferation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and tendon structural integrity more effectively than individual growth factors. The increased expression of these genes in myoblasts suggests AC's potential role in promoting tendon healing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Through the modulation of key molecular pathways critical to tendon healing, AC presents strong potential as an effective biological augmentation strategy for improving tendon-to-bone interface healing after surgical repair.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.