Collagen-binding basic fibroblast growth factor improves functional remodeling of scarred endometrium in uterine infertile women: a pilot study

Intrauterine adhesion(IUA) is a common cause of uterine infertility and one of the most severe clinical features is endometrial fibrosis namely endometrial scarring for which there are few cures currently. Blocked angiogenesis is the main pathological change in the scarred endometrium. The fibroblast growth factor 2(b FGF), a member of FGF family, is usually applied to promote healing of refractory ulcer and contributes to angiogenesis of tissues. In this study, the sustained-release system of b FGF100 μg was administrated around scarred endometrium guiding by ultrasound every 4 weeks in 18 patients(2–4 times). Results showed that after treatment, the menstrual blood volume, endometrial thickness and the scarred endometrial area were improved.Histological study showed blood vessel density increased obviously. Three patients(3/18) achieved pregnancy over 20 gestational weeks. Therefore, administrating the b FGF surrounding scarred endometrium may provide a new therapeutic approach for the patients with endometrial fibrosis.

Engineered human spinal cord-like tissues with dorsal and ventral neuronal progenitors for spinal cord injury repair in rats and monkeys

Transplanting human neural progenitor cells is a promising method of replenishing the lost neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI), but differentiating neural progenitor cells into the diverse types of mature functional spinal cord neurons in vivo is challenging. In this study, engineered human embryonic spinal cord-like tissues with dorsal and ventral neuronal characters (DV-SC) were generated by inducing human neural progenitor cells (hscNPCs) to differentiate into various types of dorsal and ventral neuronal cells on collagen scaffold in vitro. Transplantation of DV-SC into complete SCI models in rats and monkeys showed better therapeutic effects than undifferentiated hscNPCs, including pronounced cell survival and maturation. DV-SC formed a targeted connection with the host’s ascending and descending axons, partially restored interrupted neural circuits, and improved motor evoked potentials and the hindlimb function of animals with SCI. This suggests that the transplantation of pre-differentiated hscNPCs with spinal cord dorsal and ventral neuronal characteristics could be a promising strategy for SCI repair.

Multi-(phenylthio)porphyrinato Ni(Ⅱ) compounds: Synthesis,structures and properties

A series of multi-(phe nylthio)porphyrinato Ni(Ⅱ) compounds were synthesized without the participation of transition metal catalysts.All of these products were well characterized by 1 H NMR,13C NMR and HRMS.Structures of three typical compounds were further confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction.Remarkable red shifts were observed in UV-vis absorption spectra of multi-(phenylthio)porphyrinato Ni(Ⅱ) compounds which meet well with the electrochemical data.DFT calculation indicates that the phenylthio groups have strong effects on the frontier orbitals of these molecules.The order of a_(1u)-like and a_(2u)-like orbitals mainly distributed in porphyrin moiety is often inversed in energy when multiphenylthio groups are attached.