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Investigating the Biophysical Properties of Ageing of Collagenous Tissue at the Nanoscale

Ahmed, Tarek; (2019) Investigating the Biophysical Properties of Ageing of Collagenous Tissue at the Nanoscale. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and there are a number of changes that occur to collagen as we age, the main being the accumulation of adventitious advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These can be in the form of covalent cross-links forming between residues within neighbouring collagen molecules. Glucosepane is the most common AGE cross-link found in collagenous tissue and like other AGEs, its impact on the collagen matrix at the nanoscale is not fully understood. This thesis investigates the biophysical properties of collagenous tissue as a function of ageing due to AGE accumulation, in particular Glucosepane. The study identifies nanoscale markers of ageing (morphological and mechanical) and assesses the presence of these markers in various human tissues. The study takes an in-vitro approach to develop glycated tissue models, mimicking the ageing of tissue in the lab. Ex-vivo collagenous tissue samples from donors spanning a variety of ages are also assessed to identify the presence of the markers discovered. The study identifies unique features of the properties of collagen at the nanoscale spurred by age and accumulation of AGEs, including changes in collagen fibrillar structure as well as fibrillar mechanical properties. This thesis proposes a novel collagen-water interaction mechanism which has significant effects on the biophysical properties of collagen as AGEs accumulate.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Investigating the Biophysical Properties of Ageing of Collagenous Tissue at the Nanoscale
Event: UCL (University College London)
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2019. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10066149
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