Abnormally activated wingless/integrated signaling modulates tumor-associated macrophage polarization and potentially promotes hepatocarcinoma cell growth

In this article,we comment on the article by Huang et al.The urgent development of new therapeutic strategies targeting macrophage polarization is critical in the fight against liver cancer.Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs),primarily of the M2 subtype,are instrumental in cellular communication within the tumor microenvironment and are influenced by various signaling pathways,including the wingless/integrated(Wnt)pathway.Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is pivotal in promoting M2 TAMs polarization,which in turn can exacerbate hepatocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration.This manuscript emphasizes the burgeoning significance of the Wnt signaling pathway and M2 TAMs polarization in the pathogenesis and progression of liver cancer,highlighting the potential therapeutic benefits of inhibiting the Wnt pathway.Lastly,we point out areas in Huang et al’s study that require further research,providing guidance and new directions for similar studies.

Cell polarity protein Par3 complexes with DNA-PK via Ku70 and regulates DNA double-strand break repair

The partitioning-defective 3 （Par3）, a key component in the conserved Par3/Par6/aPKC complex, plays fundamental roles in cell polarity. Herein we report the identification of Ku70 and Ku80 as novel Par3-interacting proteins through an in vitro binding assay followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ku70/Ku80 proteins are two key regulatory subunits of the DNA-dependent protein kinase （DNA-PK）, which plays an essential role in repairing double-strand DNA breaks （DSBs）. We determined that the nuclear association of Par3 with Ku70/Ku80 was enhanced by γ-irradiation （IR）, a potent DSB inducer. Furthermore, DNA-PKcs, the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK, interacted with the Par3/Ku70/Ku80 complex in response to IR. Par3 over-expression or knockdown was capable of up- or downregulating DNA-PK activity, respectively. Moreover, the Par3 knockdown cells were found to be defective in random plasmid integration, defective in DSB repair following IR, and radiosensitive, phenotypes similar to that of Ku70 knockdown cells. These findings identify Par3 as a novel component of the DNA-PK complex and implicate an unexpected link of cell polarity to DSB repair.

PI3K/SHIP2/PTEN pathway in cell polarity and hepatitis C virus pathogenesis

Hepatitis C virus(HCV) infects hepatocytes, polarized cells in the liver. Chronic HCV infection often leads to steatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it has been identified as the leading cause of liver transplantation worldwide. The HCV replication cycle is dependent on lipid metabolism and particularly an accumulation of lipid droplets in host cells. Phosphoinositides(PIs) are minor phospholipids enriched in different membranes and their levels are tightly regulated by specific PI kinases and phosphatases. PIs are implicated in a vast array of cellular responses that are central to morphogenesis, such as cytoskeletal changes, cytokinesis and the recruitment of downstream effectors to govern mechanisms involved in polarization and lumen formation. Important reviews of the literature identified phosphatidylinositol(Ptd Ins) 4-kinases, and their lipid products Ptd Ins(4)P, as critical regulators of the HCV life cycle. SH2-containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase(SHIP2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K) and their lipid products Ptd Ins(3,4)P2 and Ptd Ins(3,4,5)P3, respectively, play an important role in the cell membrane and are key to the establishment of apicobasal polarity and lumen formation. In this review, we will focus on these new functions of PI3 K and SHIP2, and their deregulation by HCV, causing a disruption of apicobasal polarity, actin organization and extracellular matrix assembly. Finally we will highlight the involvement of this pathway in the event of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease related to HCV infection.

Comparision between Ga- and N-polarity InGaN solar cells with gradient-In-composition intrinsic layers

Performances of Ga-and N-polarity solar cells(SCs) adopting gradient-In-composition intrinsic layer(IL) are compared.It is found the gradient ILs can greatly weaken the negative influence from the polarization effects for the Gapolarity case,and the highest conversion efficiency(η) of 2.18%can be obtained in the structure with a linear increase of In composition in the IL from bottom to top.This is mainly attributed to the adsorptions of more photons caused by the higher In composition in the IL closer to the p-GaN window layer.In contrast,for the N-polarity case,the SC structure with an InGaN IL adopting fixed In composition prevails over the ones adopting the gradient-In-composition IL,where the highest η of 9.28%can be obtained at x of 0.62.N-polarity SC structures are proven to have greater potential preparations in high-efficient InGaN SCs.

Lethal（2）giant larvae is required in the follicle cells for formation of the initial AP asymmetry and the oocyte polarity during Drosophila oogenesis

The intricately regulated differentiation of the somatic follicle cell lineages into distinct subpopulations with specific functions plays an essential role in Drosophila egg development. At early oogenesis, induction of the stalk cells generates the first anteroposterior （AP） asymmetry in the egg chamber by inducing the posterior localization of the oocyte. Later, the properly specified posterior follicle cells signal to polarize the oocyte along the AP and dorsoventral （DV） axes at mid-oogenesis. Here, we show that lethal（2）giant larvae （lgl）, a Drosophila tumor suppressor gene, is required in the follicle cells for the differentiation of both stalk cells and posterior follicle cells. Loss-of-function mutations in lgl cause oocyte mispositioning in the younger one of the fused chambers, due to lack of the stalk. Removal oflgl function from the posterior follicle cells using the FLP/FRT system results in loss of the oocyte polarity that is elicited by the failure of those posterior cells to differentiate normally. Thus, we provide the first demonstration that lgl is implicated in the formation of the initial AP asymmetry and the patterning of the AP and DV axes in the oocyte by acting in the specification of a subset of somatic follicle cells.

Differential Expression of Genes Involved in Cell Polarity, EMT and Cell-Fate in Breast Cancer and Corresponding Normal Tissue

Objectives: Cell polarity and epithelial morphology are peculiar features of cells forming the terminal ductal lobular unit, and they are early lost during neoplastic transformation because of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To understand these early events we analyzed a set of 125 genes related to cell polarity, EMT and cell-fate decision in 26 breast cancer specimens and corresponding patient-matched normal tissue. Methods: The difference of gene expression was explored by t-paired test. In addition, to evidence latent variables accounting for genes correlations, a Factor Analysis was applied as exploratory technique. Results: Among the 90 differentially expressed genes, those coding for cell polarity complexes, apical-junctional components and luminal cytokeratins were overexpressed in tumor samples (suggesting a terminally differentiated phenotype) whereas those coding for stemness-associated features or related with EMT were expressed in normal tissues but not in tumor samples, suggesting the persistence of stem/progenitor cells. Factor analysis confirmed these findings and indicated that the difference between tumors and normal tissues can be synthesized in three main features representative of specific molecular/morphological alterations. Conclusions: The a priori definition of a selected panel of genes and the application of an exploratory statistical approach, greatly contribute to reduce the intrinsic biological complexity of tumor specimens and to describe the difference between tumor specimens and corresponding histologically normal tissues.

Restoration of cell polarity and bile excretion function of hepatocytes in sandwich-culture

Objective： To investigate the nature of the restoration of cell polarity and bile excretion function in Sandwich-cultured hepatocytes. Methods ： Freshly isolated hepatocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in a double layer collagen gel Sandwich configuration. Morphological changes were observed under a inverted microscope. The domain specific membrane associated protein DPP IV was tested by immunofluorescence, and the bile excretion function was determined by using fluorescein diacetate. Hepatocytes cultured on a single layer of collagen gel were taken as control. Results.. Adult rat hepatocytes cultured in a double layer collagen gel sandwich configuration regained its morphological and functional polarity and maintained polygonal morphology for at least 4 weeks. Immunofluorescence studies using antibodies against DPP IV showed polarity restoration as early as 48 h. After cultured in the double layer collagen gel Sandwich configuration for 96 h the hepatocytes began to excrete bile; while hepatocytes cultured on a single layer collagen gel had no bile excretion. Conclusion.. Hepatocytes cultured in a double layer collagen gel Sandwich configuration are able to regain their morphological and functional polarity given certain conditions. Hepaotcyte culture is a useful tool for the study of polarity restoration.

Mechanical force drives the polarization and orientation of cells

Collective cells are organized to form specific patterns which play important roles in various physiological and pathological processes, such as tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer invasion. Compared to single cell behaviors, which has been intensively studied from many aspects (cell migration, adhesion, polarization, proliferation, etc.) and at various scales (molecular, subcellular, and cellular), the multiple cell behaviors are relatively less understood, particularly in a quantitative manner. In this paper, we will present our recent studies of collective polarization and orientation of multiple cells through both experimental measurement and theoretical modeling, including those cell behaviors on/in 2D and 3D substrate/tissue. We find that the collective cell behaviors, including polarization, alignment and migration are closely related to local stress states in cell layer or tissue, which demonstrate the crucial roles of mechanical forces in the living organisms. Specifically, the cells prefer to polarize and align along the maximum principal stress in the cell layer, and the aspect ratio of cell increases with the in-plane maximum shear stress, suggesting that the maximum shear stress is the underlying driving force of cell polarization and orientation. This theory of stress-driven cell behaviors of polarization and orientation provides a new perspective for understanding cell behaviors in living organisms and the guideline for tissue engineering in biomedical applications.

Macrophage polarization in nerve injury： do Schwann cells play a role？

In response to peripheral nerve injury, the inflammatory response is almost entirely comprised of infiltrating macrophages. Macrophages are a highly plastic, heterogenic immune cell, playing an indispensable role in peripheral nerve injury, clearing debris and regulating the microenvironment to allow for efficient regeneration. There are several cells within the microenvironment that likely interact with macrophages to support their function – most notably the Schwann cell, the glial cell of the peripheral nervous system. Schwann cells express several ligands that are known to interact with receptors expressed by macrophages, yet the effects of Schwann cells in regulating macrophage phenotype remains largely unexplored. This review discusses macrophages in peripheral nerve injury and how Schwann cells may regulate their behavior.

Mesenchymal stem cells rescue acute hepatic failure by polarizing M2 macrophages

AIM To investigate whether M1 or M2 polarization contributes to the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) in acute hepatic failure(AHF).METHODS MSCs were transfused into rats with AHF induced by D-galactosamine(DGal N). The therapeutic effects of MSCs were evaluated based on survival rate and hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Hepatocyte regeneration capacity was evaluated by the expression of the hepatic progenitor surface marker epithelial cell adhesion molecule(Ep CAM). Macrophage polarization was analyzed by M1 markers [CD68,tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),interferon-γ(IFN-γ),inducible nitric oxide synthase(INOS)] and M2 markers [CD163,interleukin(IL)-4,IL-10,arginase-1(Arg-1)] in the survival and death groups after MSC transplantation.RESULTS The survival rate in the MSC-treated group was increased compared with the DPBS-treated control group(37.5% vs 10%). MSC treatment protected rats with AHF by reducing apoptotic hepatocytes and promoting hepatocyte regeneration. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that MSC treatment significantly increased the expression of Ep CAM compared with the control groups(P < 0.001). Expression of Ep CAM in the survival group was significantly up-regulated compared with the death group after MSC transplantation(P = 0.003). Transplantation of MSCs significantly improved the expression of CD163 and increased the gene expression of IL-10 and Arg-1 in the survival group. IL-4 concentrations were significantly increased compared to the death group after MSC transplantation(88.51 ± 24.51 pg/m L vs 34.61 ± 6.6 pg/m L,P < 0.001). In contrast,macrophages showed strong expression of CD68,TNF-α,and INOS in the death group. The concentration of IFN-γ was significantly increased compared to the survival group after MSC transplantation(542.11 ± 51.59 pg/m L vs 104.07 ± 42.80 pg/m L,P < 0.001).CONCLUSION M2 polarization contributes to the therapeutic effects of MSCs in AHF by altering levels of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory factors.

Development of Rice Leaves:How Histocytes Modulate Leaf Polarity Establishment

An ideal leaf shape is beneficial to the yield of rice.Molecular understanding of the leaf primordia and polarity establishment plays a significant role in exploring the genetic regulatory network of leaf morphogenesis.In recent years,researchers have cloned an array of coding genes and a few non-coding small RNAs involved in rice leaf development through regulating the development of leaf primordia,vascular bundles,sclerenchyma cells,bulliform cells,cell walls and epidermis cells.These genes and their interactions play critical roles in rice leaf development through the determination and regulatory role in gene expression,and their coordination with other genetic networks or signal pathways.But the relationship among these genes is poorly defined and the underlying network is still unclear.In this review,we introduced the regulatory pathways of leaf primordium development and leaf polarity establishment,mainly the relationship between cell development mechanism and leaf polarity establishment,focusing on how leaf tissue affects leaf shape.Hopefully,the regulation network reviewed here has immediate implications for future research and genomic design breeding.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells induce M2 microglia polarization through PDGF-AA/MANF signaling

BACKGROUND Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)are capable of shifting the microglia/macrophages phenotype from M1 to M2,contributing to BMSCsinduced brain repair.However,the regulatory mechanism of BMSCs on microglia/macrophages after ischemic stroke is unclear.Recent evidence suggests that mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor(MANF)and plateletderived growth factor-AA(PDGF-AA)/MANF signaling regulate M1/M2 macrophage polarization.AIM To investigate whether and how MANF or PDGF-AA/MANF signaling influences BMSCs-mediated M2 polarization.METHODS We identified the secretion of MANF by BMSCs and developed transgenic BMSCs using a targeting small interfering RNA for knockdown of MANF expression.Using a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)model transplanted by BMSCs and BMSCs-microglia Transwell coculture system,the effect of BMSCsinduced downregulation of MANF expression on the phenotype of microglia/macrophages was tested by Western blot,quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,and immunofluorescence.Additionally,microglia were transfected with mimics of miR-30a*,which inuenced expression of X-box binding protein(XBP)1,a key transcription factor that synergized with activating transcription factor 6(ATF6)to govern MANF expression.We examined the levels of miR-30a*,ATF6,XBP1,and MANF after PDGF-AA treatment in the activated microglia.RESULTS Inhibition of MANF attenuated BMSCs-induced functional recovery and decreased M2 marker production,but increased M1 marker expression in vivo or in vitro.Furthermore,PDGF-AA treatment decreased miR-30a*expression,had no influence on the levels of ATF6,but enhanced expression of both XBP1 and MANF.CONCLUSION BMSCs-mediated MANF paracrine signaling,in particular the PDGF-AA/miR-30a*/XBP1/MANF pathway,synergistically mediates BMSCs-induced M2 polarization.

Effects of polar cortical cytoskeleton and unbalanced cortical surface tension on intercellular bridge thinning during cytokinesis

To probe the contributions of polar cortical cytoskeleton and the surface tension of daughter cells to intercellular bridge thinning dynamics during cytokinesis,we applied cytochalasin D（CD） or colchicine（COLC） in a highly localized manner to polar regions of dividing normal rat kidney（NRK） cells.We observed cellular morphological changes and analyzed the intercellular bridge thinning trajectories of dividing cells with different polar cortical characteristics.Global blebbistatin（BS） application was used to obtain cells losing active contractile force groups.Our results show that locally released CD or colchicine at the polar region caused inhibition of cytokinesis before ingression.Similar treatment at phases after ingression allowed completion of cytokinesis but dramatically influenced the trajectories of intercellular bridge thinning.Disturbing single polar cortical actin induced transformation of the intercellular bridge thinning process,and polar cortical tension controlled deformation time of intercellular bridges.Our study provides a feasible framework to induce and analyze the effects of local changes in mechanical properties of cellular components on single cellular cytokinesis.

Upregulated adenosine 2A receptor accelerates post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome by promoting CD4+T cells’T helper 17 polarization

BACKGROUND Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome(PI-IBS)is generally regarded as a functional disease.Several recent studies have reported the involvement of lowgrade inflammation and immunological dysfunction in PI-IBS.T helper 17(Th17)polarization occurs in IBS.Adenosine and its receptors participate in intestinal inflammation and immune regulation.AIM To investigate the role of Th17 polarization of CD4+T cells regulated by adenosine 2A receptor(A2AR)in PI-IBS.METHODS A PI-IBS model was established by infecting mice with Trichinella spiralis.The intestinal A2AR and CD4+T lymphocytes were detected by immunohistochemistry,and the inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay.CD4+T lymphocytes present in the animal’s spleen were separated and cultured with or without A2AR agonist and antagonist.Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to determine the effect of A2AR on the cells and intestinal tissue.Cytokine production was determined.The protein and mRNA levels of A2AR associated signaling pathway molecules were also evaluated.Furthermore,A2AR agonist and antagonist were injected into the mouse model and the clinical features were observed.RESULTS The PI-IBS mouse model showed increased expression of ATP and A2AR(P<0.05),and inhibition of A2AR improved the clinical features in PI-IBS,including the abdominal withdrawal reflex and colon transportation test(P<0.05).The number of intestinal CD4+T cells and interleukin-17(IL-17)protein levels increased during PI-IBS,which was reversed by administration of the A2AR antagonist(P<0.05).CD4+T cells expressed A2AR and produced IL-17 in vitro,which was regulated by the A2AR agonist and antagonist.The A2AR antagonist increased the production of IL-17 by CD4+T cells via the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcriptionreceptor-related orphan receptorγsignaling pathway.CONCLUSION The results of the present study suggested that the upregulation of A2AR increases PI-IBS by promoting the Th17 polarization of CD4+T cells.

Ginsenoside Rb1 attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic neuroinflammation in mice by tuning glial cell polarization

Objective:To evaluate whether ginsenoside Rb1(Rb1) can attenuate lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced chronic neuroinflammation in mice and to explore its relationship with glial cell polarization.Methods:Intraperitoneal injection with an escalating dose of LPS was used to establish a chronic neuroinflammation model in mice.Once LPS was initiated,10 or 20 mg/kg Rbl,or sterile saline,was administered for 14 consecutive days.Open field test and beam walking test were used to monitor the changes in behavior.The concentration of cytokines in the serum and brain were used to monitor the systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation,respectively.Molecules specific to each glial cell phenotype were used to investigate glial cell polarization.Results:Mice in the LPS group had reduced spontaneous activities and impaired beam walking performance.Rbl obviously eased LPS-induced behavior distu rbances.Regarding the levels of serum cytokines,both tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) were significantly increased,while interleukin-10(IL-10) and transforming growth factor β(TGF-β) remarkably decreased after LPS treatment(all P <.001).Rb1 treatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced serum cytokine changes(all P <.05).The results of quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of TNF-α and complement component 3(C3) in the brain were significantly increased after LPS treatment(all P<.01).Rbl treatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced inflammation in the brain(all P <.05).Glial cell polarization analysis showed that M1 and M2 microglia,and A1 astrocytes increased following LPS treatment,while A2 astrocytes decreased.Rb1 treatment reduced M1 and M2 microglia,and A1 astrocytes,and significantly increased A2 astrocytes.Conclusion:Rb1 can attenuate chronic neuroinflammation induced by LPS in mice,which may be partially attributable to its fine tuning of microglia and astrocyte polarization.Rb1 has potential value for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Novel heat shock protein Hsp70L1 activates dendritic cells and acts as a Th1 polarizing adjuvant

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are reported to act as effective adjuvants to elicit anti-tumor and anti-infection immunity. Here, we report that Hsp70-like protein 1 (Hsp70L1), a novel HSP derived from human dendritic cells (DCs), has potent adjuvant effects that polarize responses toward Th1. With a calculated molecular weight of 54.8 kDa, Hsp70L1 is smaller in size than Hsp70 but resembles it both structurally and functionally. Hsp70L1 shares common receptors on DCs with Hsp70 and can interact with DCs, promoting DC maturation and stimulating secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 12p70 (IL-12p70), IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and the chemokines IP-10, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), MIP-1beta, and normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). The induction of interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) secretion by Hsp70L1 is not shared by Hsp70, and other functional differences include more potent stimulation of DC IL-12p70, CC-chemokine, and CCR7 and CXCR4 expression by Hsp70L1. Immunization of mice with the hybrid peptide Hsp70L1-ovalbumin(OVA)(257-264) induces an OVA(257-264)-specific Th1 response and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) that results in significant inhibition of E.G7-OVA tumor growth. The ability of Hsp70L1 to activate DCs indicates its potential as a novel adjuvant for use with peptide immunizations; the Hsp70L1 antigen peptide hybrid may serve as a more effective vaccine for the control of cancer and infectious diseases.

Dependence of InGaN solar cell performance on polarization-induced electric field and carrier lifetime

The effects of Mg-induced net acceptor doping concentration and carrier lifetime on the performance of a p-i-n InGaN solar cell are investigated. It is found that the electric field induced by spontaneous and piezoelectric polariza- tion in the i-region could be totally shielded when the Mg-induced net acceptor doping concentration is sufficiently high. The polarization-induced potential barriers are reduced and the short circuit current density is remarkably increased from 0.21 mA/cm2 to 0.95 mA/cm2 by elevating the Mg doping concentration. The carrier lifetime determined by defect density of i-InGaN also plays an important role in determining the photovoltaic properties of solar cell. The short circuit current density severely degrades, and the performance of InGaN solar cell becomes more sensitive to the polarization when carrier lifetime is lower than the transit time. This study demonstrates that the crystal quality of InGaN absorption layer is one of the most important challenges in realizing high efficiency InGaN solar cells.

Mechanical Force Drives the Polarization and Orientation of Collective Cells

Collective cell groups are organized to form specific patterns that play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes,such as tissue morphogenesis,wound healing,and cancer invasion.Compared to the behaviors of single cells that have been studied intensively from many aspects(cell migration,adhesion,polarization,proliferation,etc.)and at various length scales(molecular,subcellular,and cellular),the behaviors of multiple cells are less well understood,particularly from a quantitative perspective.In this talk,we present our recent studies of collective polarization and orientation of multiple cells through both experimental measurement and theoretical modeling,including cell behavior on/in 2D and 3D substrate/tissue.We find that collective cell behavior,including polarization,alignment,and migration,is closely related to local stress states in cell layers or tissue,which demonstrates the crucial role of mechanical forces in living organisms.Specifically,cells demonstrate preferential polarization and alignment along the maximum principal stress in the cell layer,and the cell aspect ratio increases with in-plane maximum shear stress,suggesting that the maximum shear stress is the underlying driving force of cell polarization and orientation.This theory of stress-driven cell behaviors of polarization and orientation provides a new perspective for understanding cell behaviors in living organisms and a guideline for tissue engineering in potential biomedical applications.Strikingly,we note that with regard to the polarization and alignment of collective cells,a typical feature of cell morphology is that the cells generally align along the edge of the pattern,which was called edge effect or boundary effect by assuming that the edge plays a role in cell alignment due to a phenomenon of chemistry.However,the edge effect is an obscure explanation.Here we showed that the edge effect could be explained by the theory of stress-driven cell behavior,i.e.,inplane stress-driven cell polarization and alignment.That is,the cell layer has a stress-free boundary condition at the edge,and thus the direction of the maximum principal stress should be precisely along the edge.According to the theory of stress-driven cell polarity,the cells then preferentially align with the edge of the cell layer,independently of the geometry of the pattern.Once there is a force-free condition at the edge or the boundary,the cells align along the edge of the pattern.Otherwise,the cell may not align with the edge;for example,the cells preferentially align in the radial direction of the wound because of the presence of the contractile force by the actin ring at the wound edge,which is in contradiction with the so-called edge effect but consistent with our theory of stress-driven cell polarity.

The Cell Sorting Process of Xenopus Gastrula Cells Progresses in a Stepwise Fashion Involving Concentrification and Polarization

Animal pole cells (AC) and vegetal pole cells (VC) dissociated from early Xenopus gastrulae were intermingled, and the cell sorting process occurring within the aggregate was analyzed. The overall process of cell sorting was found to morphologically consist of two steps, “concentrification” and “polarization”, as designated here. First, AC and VC clusters emerged at random positions in the aggregate, and the individual clusters gradually assembled themselves by 5 hours in culture (5 hC), forming a concentric arrangement, in which the AC cluster was enveloped by the VC cluster. This concentrification step is essentially consistent with the descriptions in earlier studies. As the next step, the AC and VC clusters moved up and down from 7.5 to 12 hC, resulting in the vertical polarization, namely, a serial array just like in vivo. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that AC expressed both C- and E-cadherins, while VC only expressed C-cadherin, as in vivo, suggesting the normal participation of cadherin system. On the other hand, the actin localization showed that the actin bundles accumulated at the edge of the AC cluster until the concentrification was completed, and gradually decreased during the polarization step. Another important finding was that AC cluster could generate cartilage tissues during the long-term (7 days) culture, evidence for a healthy inductive interaction between the AC and VC. Taken together, the present experimental system allows the AC and VC to be viable and grow into an embryo-like organization.

Hydrogel loaded with bone marrow stromal cell-derived exosomes promotes bone regeneration by inhibiting inflammatory responses and angiogenesis

BACKGROUND Bone healing is a complex process involving early inflammatory immune regu-lation,angiogenesis,osteogenic differentiation,and biomineralization.Fracture repair poses challenges for orthopedic surgeons,necessitating the search for efficient healing methods.AIM To investigate the underlying mechanism by which hydrogel-loaded exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)facilitate the process of fracture healing.METHODS Hydrogels and loaded BMSC-derived exosome(BMSC-exo)gels were charac-terized to validate their properties.In vitro evaluations were conducted to assess the impact of hydrogels on various stages of the healing process.Hydrogels could recruit macrophages and inhibit inflammatory responses,enhance of human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis,and promote the osteogenic differen-tiation of primary cranial osteoblasts.Furthermore,the effect of hydrogel on fracture healing was confirmed using a mouse fracture model.RESULTS The hydrogel effectively attenuated the inflammatory response during the initial repair stage and subsequently facilitated vascular migration,promoted the formation of large vessels,and enabled functional vascularization during bone repair.These effects were further validated in fracture models.CONCLUSION We successfully fabricated a hydrogel loaded with BMSC-exo that modulates macrophage polarization and angiogenesis to influence bone regeneration.