Hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells protect neurons from cardiac arrest-induced pyroptosis

Cardiac arrest can lead to severe neurological impairment as a result of inflammation,mitochondrial dysfunction,and post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation neurological damage.Hypoxic preconditioning has been shown to improve migration and survival of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and reduce pyroptosis after cardiac arrest,but the specific mechanisms by which hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells protect against brain injury after cardiac arrest are unknown.To this end,we established an in vitro co-culture model of bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and oxygen–glucose deprived primary neurons and found that hypoxic preconditioning enhanced the protective effect of bone marrow stromal stem cells against neuronal pyroptosis,possibly through inhibition of the MAPK and nuclear factor κB pathways.Subsequently,we transplanted hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricle after the return of spontaneous circulation in an 8-minute cardiac arrest rat model induced by asphyxia.The results showed that hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells significantly reduced cardiac arrest–induced neuronal pyroptosis,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial damage,whereas knockdown of the liver isoform of phosphofructokinase in bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells inhibited these effects.To conclude,hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells offer a promising therapeutic approach for neuronal injury following cardiac arrest,and their beneficial effects are potentially associated with increased expression of the liver isoform of phosphofructokinase following hypoxic preconditioning.

Transplantation of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for repair of neurological damage in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is often associated with permanent cerebral palsy,neurosensory impairments,and cognitive deficits,and there is no effective treatment for complications related to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The therapeutic potential of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for various diseases has been explored.However,the potential use of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has not yet been investigated.In this study,we injected human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricle of a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy rat model and observed significant improvements in both cognitive and motor function.Protein chip analysis showed that interleukin-3 expression was significantly elevated in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model rats.Following transplantation of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells,interleukin-3 expression was downregulated.To further investigate the role of interleukin-3 in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,we established an in vitro SH-SY5Y cell model of hypoxic-ischemic injury through oxygen-glucose deprivation and silenced interleukin-3 expression using small interfering RNA.We found that the activity and proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation were further suppressed by interleukin-3 knockdown.Furthermore,interleukin-3 knockout exacerbated neuronal damage and cognitive and motor function impairment in rat models of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.The findings suggest that transplantation of hpcMSCs ameliorated behavioral impairments in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,and this effect was mediated by interleukin-3-dependent neurological function.

Cell transplantation therapies for spinal cord injury focusing on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells:Advances and challenges

Spinal cord injury(SCI)is a devastating condition with complex pathological mechanisms that lead to sensory,motor,and autonomic dysfunction below the site of injury.To date,no effective therapy is available for the treatment of SCI.Recently,bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(BMMSCs)have been considered to be the most promising source for cellular therapies following SCI.The objective of the present review is to summarize the most recent insights into the cellular and molecular mechanism using BMMSC therapy to treat SCI.In this work,we review the specific mechanism of BMMSCs in SCI repair mainly from the following aspects:Neuroprotection,axon sprouting and/or regeneration,myelin regeneration,inhibitory microenvironments,glial scar formation,immunomodulation,and angiogenesis.Additionally,we summarize the latest evidence on the application of BMMSCs in clinical trials and further discuss the challenges and future directions for stem cell therapy in SCI models.

Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study (SCOTS)： bone marrow-derived stem cells in the treatment of Leber＇s hereditary optic neuropathy

The Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study （SCOTS） is currently the largest-scale stem cell ophthal- mology trial registered at ClinicalTrials.gov （identifier： NCT01920867）. SCOTS utilizes autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells （BMSCs） to treat optic nerve and retinal diseases. Treatment approaches include a combination of retrobulbar, subtenon, intravitreal, intra-optic nerve, subretinal, and intravenous injection of autologous BMSCs according to the nature of the disease, the degree of visual loss, and any risk factors related to the treatments. Patients with Leber＇s hereditary optic neuropathy had visual acuity gains on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study （ETDRS） of up to 35 letters and Snellen acuity improvements from hand motion to 20/200 and from counting fingers to 20/100. Visual field improvements were noted. Macular and optic nerve head nerve fiber layer typically thickened. No serious complications were seen. The increases in visual acuity obtained in our study were encouraging and suggest that the use of autolo- gous BMSCs as provided in SCOTS for ophthalmologic mitochondrial diseases including Leber＇s hereditary optic neuropathy may be a viable treatment option.

Adipose derived stem cells and nerve regeneration

Injuries to peripheral nerves are common and cause life-changing problems for patients alongside high social and health care costs for society. Current clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injuries predominantly relies on sacrificing a section of nerve from elsewhere in the body to provide a graft at the injury site. Much work has been done to develop a bioengineered nerve graft, precluding sacrifice of a functional nerve. Stem cells are prime candidates as accelerators of regeneration in these nerve grafts. This review examines the potential of adipose-derived stem cells to improve nerve repair assisted by bioengineered nerve grafts.

Osteogenesis of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Current treatment options for skeletal repair, including immobilization, rigid fixation, alloplastic materials and bone grafts, have significant limitations. Bone tissue engineering offers a promising method for the repair of bone deficieny caused by fractures, bone loss and tumors. The use of adipose derived stem cells （ASCs） has received attention because of the self-renewal ability, high proliferative capacity and potential of osteogenic differentiation in vitro and in vivo studies of bone regeneration. Although cell therapies using ASCs are widely promising in various clinical fields, no large human clinical trials exist for bone tissue engineering. The aim of this review is to introduce how they are harvested, examine the characterization of ASCs, to review the mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation, to analyze the effect of mechanical and chemical stimuli on ASC osteodifferentiation, to summarize the current knowledge about usage of ASC in vivo studies and clinical trials, and finally to conclude with a general summary of the field and comments on its future direction.

Methods to produce induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Mesenchymal stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)have received significant attention in recent years due to their large potential for cell therapy.Indeed,they secrete a wide variety of immunomodulatory factors of interest for the treatment of immune-related disorders and inflammatory diseases.MSCs can be extracted from multiple tissues of the human body.However,several factors may restrict their use for clinical applications:the requirement of invasive procedures for their isolation,their limited numbers,and their heterogeneity according to the tissue of origin or donor.In addition,MSCs often present early signs of replicative senescence limiting their expansion in vitro,and their therapeutic capacity in vivo.Due to the clinical potential of MSCs,a considerable number of methods to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)into MSCs have emerged.iPSCs represent a new reliable,unlimited source to generate MSCs(MSCs derived from iPSC,iMSCs)from homogeneous and well-characterized cell lines,which would relieve many of the above mentioned technical and biological limitations.Additionally,the use of iPSCs prevents some of the ethical concerns surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells.In this review,we analyze the main current protocols used to differentiate human iPSCs into MSCs,which we classify into five different categories:MSC Switch,Embryoid Body Formation,Specific Differentiation,Pathway Inhibitor,and Platelet Lysate.We also evaluate common and method-specific culture components and provide a list of positive and negative markers for MSC characterization.Further guidance on material requirements to produce iMSCs with these methods and on the phenotypic features of the iMSCs obtained is added.The information may help researchers identify protocol options to design and/or refine standardized procedures for large-scale production of iMSCs fitting clinical demands.

Autologous bone marrow derived stem cell therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus-defining adequate administration methods

AIM To carry out randomized trial for evaluating effects of autologous bone marrow derived stem cell therapy(ABMSCT) through different routes.METHODS Bone marrow aspirate was taken from the iliac crest of patients. Bone marrow mononuclear cells were separatedand purified using centrifugation. These cells were then infused in a total of 21 patients comprising three groups of 7 patients each. Cells were infused into the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery(Group Ⅰ), splenic artery(Group Ⅱ) and through the peripheral intravenous route(Group Ⅲ). Another group of 7 patients acted as controls and a sham procedure was carried out on them(Group Ⅳ). The cells were labelled with the PET tracer F18-FDG to see their homing and in vivo distribution. Data for clinical outcome was expressed as mean ± SE. All other data was expressed as mean ± SD. Baseline and post treatment data was compared at the end of six months, using paired t-test. Cases and controls data were analyzed using independent t-test. A probability(P) value of < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Measures of clinical outcome were taken as the change or improvement in the following parameters:(1) C-peptide assay;(2) HOMA-IR and HOMA-B;(3) reduction in Insulin dose; subjects who showed reduction of insulin requirement of more than 50% from baseline requirement were regarded as responders; and(4) reduction in HbA 1c. RESULTS All the patients, after being advised for healthy lifestyle changes, were evaluated at periodical intervals and at the end of 6 mo. The changes in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and percentage of body fat in all groups were not significantly different at the end of this period. The results of intra-group comparison before and after ABMSCT at the end of six months duration was as follows:(1) the area under C-peptide response curve was increased at the end of 6 mo however the difference remained statistically non-significant(P values for fasting C-peptide were 0.973, 0.103, 0.263 and 0.287 respectively and the P values for stimulated C-peptide were 0.989, 0.395, 0.325 and 0.408 respectively for groups Ⅰ?to Ⅳ);(2) the Insulin sensitivity indices of HOMA IR and HOMA B also did not show any significant differences(P values for HOMA IR were 0.368, 0.223, 0.918 and 0.895 respectively and P values for HOMA B were 0.183, 0.664, 0.206 and 0.618 respectively for groups Ⅰto Ⅳ);(3) Group Ⅰshowed a significant reduction in Insulin dose requirement(P < 0.01). Group Ⅱ patients also achieved a significant reduction in Insulin dosages(P = 0.01). The Group Ⅰand Group Ⅱ patients together constituted the targeted group wherein the feeding arteries to pancreas were used for infusing stem cells. Group Ⅲ, which was the intravenous group, showed a non-significant reduction in Insulin dose requirement(P = 0.137). Group Ⅳ patients which comprised the control arm also showed a significant reduction in Insulin dosages at the end of six months(P < 0.05); and(4) there was a non-significant change in the Hb A1 c levels at the end of 6 mo across all groups(P = 0.355, P = 0.351, P = 0.999 and P = 0.408 respectively for groups Ⅰto Ⅳ). CONCLUSION Targeted route showed a significant reduction in Insulin requirement at the end of six months of study period whereas the intravenous group failed to show reduction.

Umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell implantation in retinitis pigmentosa: a 6-month follow-up results of a phase 3 trial

AIM:To investigate the efficacy and the safety of umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell(UC-MSC)implantation in patients with retinitis pigmentosa(RP).METHODS:This prospective,single-center,phase 3 clinical study enrolled 124 eyes of 82 RP patients.The patients received 5 million UC-MSCs to the suprachoroidal area with a surgical procedure.Patients were evaluated on the 1st day,1st,and 6th months postoperatively.Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA),anterior segment and fundus examinations,color photography,optical coherence tomography(OCT),and visual field(VF)tests were carried out at each visit.Fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)and multifocal electroretinography(mfERG)recordings were performed at the end of the 6th month.Ocular and systemic adverse events of the surgical procedure were also noted.RESULTS:All of the 82 patients completed the 6-month follow-up period.None of them had any serious systemic or ocular complications.There were statistically significant improvements in BCVA and VF during the study(all P<0.05).The amplitudes of the P1 waves in the central areas showed significant improvements in mfERG recordings.There were also significant increases in implicit times of P1 waves in the central areas.CONCLUSION:Suprachoroidal administration of UC-MSCs has beneficial effect on BCVA,VF,and mfERG measurements during the 6-month follow-up period.Cell mediated therapy based on the secretion of growth factors(GFs)seems to be an effective and safe option for degenerative retinal diseases.

Neurogenic Differentiation of Murine Adipose Derived Stem Cells Transfected with EGFP in vitro

Some studies indicate that adipose derived stem cells(ADSCs)can differentiate into adipogenic,chondrogenic,myogenic,and osteogenic cells in vitro.However,whether ADSCs can be induced to differentiate into neural cells in vitro has not been clearly demonstrated.In this study,the ADSCs isolated from the murine adipose tissue were cultured and transfected with the EGFP gene,and then the cells were induced for neural differentiation.The morphology of those ADSCs began to change within two days which developed i...

Deriving striatal projection neurons from human pluripotent stem cells with Activin A

The striatum is the main input structure of the basal ganglia and is involved in voluntary motor control,habit learning and reward processing.Medium spiny neurons（MSNs）comprise80%and 95%of striatal neurons in primates and rodents,respectively.

Conditioned Medium from Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Promotes Proliferation,Migration,Invasion and Angiogenesis of Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Preeclampsia（PE） is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive complication,closely related to endothelial dysfunction.Adipose derived stem cells（ADSCs） have the capacity to differentiate into endothelial cells for vascular repair.Therefore,we hypothesized that induced endothelial differentiation of ADSCs might hold great potential for the treatment of PE.In this study,the primary ADSCs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells（HUVECs） were isolated by the collagenase digestion method.The supernatant of HUVECs was collected from the first generation of cells.Then,ADSCs were divided into two groups：ADSCs alone group and induced ADSCs（i ADSCs） group.In i ADSCs group,ADSCs were induced by HUVECs conditioned medium and ADSCs special culture medium at a ratio of 1：1 over a two-week period.In order to identify the endothelial characteristics of i ADSCs,CD31 and CD34 were examined by flow cytometry.The proliferation,migration,invasion and angiogenesis assays were employed to compare the bioactivity of i ADSCs and ADSCs.Furthermore,The levels of angiogenic related factors including vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and placenta growth factor（Pl GF） were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.Results showed conditioned medium from HUVECs promoted ADSCs proliferation,migration,invasion and angiogenesis.In addition,the levels of VEGF and Pl GF were significantly enhanced in i ADSCs group.This study uncovered the i ADSCs application potential in the therapy and intervention of PE.

Does Stem Cell Implantation Have an Effect on Severity of Retinitis Pigmentosa: Evaluation with a Classification System?

Background: Cell replacement therapies have been evaluated in recent years as an alternative for various retinal pathologies to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cell therapy, it is important to measure the severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of umbilical cord derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (UC-MSC) implantation on severity of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Methods: This single-center, clinical study included data of 138 eyes of 92 patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of RP and received stem cell implantation to the suprachoroidal area with a surgical procedure. Patients were evaluated before and 1 year after the surgery regarding to the outcome measures of Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Visual Field (VF) tests. BCVA, VF width and ellipsoid zone (EZ) width on OCT were recorded for each patient and a scoring criterion was established for each variable varying from 0 to 5 depending on its distribution. The cumulative score (from 0 to 15) was used to classify disease severity from grade 0 to 5. Results: All of the patients completed 12-month follow-up period. The median age of the patients was 40.8 years, 46% were female, 77% had been diagnosed within 10 years and 41% had a family history. 79% of the patients with family history had autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. There were statistically significant improvements in the mean BCVA and VF scores during the study (p < 0.05). The mean score and the mean grade of the disease also improved after the treatment (p < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between BCVA improvement and scoring and grading of the disease. Conclusions: This study demonstrated beneficial effect of suprachoroidally applied UC-MSCs on BCVA, VF and the severity score and grade of the disease during 12-month follow-up period. Cell mediated therapy based on the secretion of Growth Factors (GFs) seems to be an effective and safe option for the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases. This classification is simple, produces objective measure of disease severity and gives opportunity to compare the results of different treatment modalities.

The Evaluation of Vision Related Quality of Life in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa after Suprachoroidal Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate vision related quality of life (VRQoL) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) after suprachoroidal umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) treatment. Methods: The patients were evaluated regarding to the VRQoL before the treatment and at the end of the first year. The study was performed in an affiliated hospital of a university between 2018 and 2020. The patients were operated by a single surgeon and evaluated at baseline and at first, sixth and twelfth month after stem cell implantation. To assess patients’ subjective visual situation, we used Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) Profile 28-item questionnaire. It basically evaluated vision-related activities in three subscales: “reading and accessing information”, “mobility and independence” and “emotional well-being”. This test is established to assess VRQoL in low vision patients. Results: A total of 123 people, ranging in age from 18 to 48 years, participated in the study and 43.9% (n = 54) were women. The study patients were followed up for one year and the questionnaire was filled by patients at baseline and one year after surgery. In all groups, no difficulty was observed in understanding the questionnaire. The results showed significant improvements in VRQoL after stem cell treatment (p < 0.05). The analysis of each subscale score including “reading and accessing information”, “mobility and independence” and “emotional well-being” before and after treatment showed significant improvements in all subscale scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: IVI 28 item questionnaire seems to be an effective test for the assessment of VRQoL in low vision patients. The suprachoroidal implantation of UC-MSC for the treatment of RP can improve the quality of life of these patients.

Microvesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells inhibit acute respiratory distress syndrome-related pulmonary fibrosis in mouse partly through hepatocyte growth factor

BACKGROUND Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the main reasons for the high mortality rate among acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)patients.Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived microvesicles(MSC-MVs)have been shown to exert antifibrotic effects in lung diseases.AIM To investigate the effects and mechanisms of MSC-MVs on pulmonary fibrosis in ARDS mouse models.METHODS MSC-MVs with low hepatocyte growth factor(HGF)expression(siHGF-MSC-MVs)were obtained via lentivirus transfection and used to establish the ARDS pulmonary fibrosis mouse model.Following intubation,respiratory mechanics-related indicators were measured via an experimental small animal lung function tester.Homing of MSC-MVs in lung tissues was investigated by near-infrared live imaging.Immunohistochemical,western blotting,ELISA and other methods were used to detect expression of pulmonary fibrosis-related proteins and to compare effects on pulmonary fibrosis and fibrosis-related indicators.RESULTS The MSC-MVs gradually migrated and homed to damaged lung tissues in the ARDS model mice.Treatment with MSC-MVs significantly reduced lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis scores.However,low expression of HGF(siHGF-MSC-MVs)significantly inhibited the effects of MSC-MVs(P<0.05).Compared with the ARDS pulmonary fibrosis group,the MSC-MVs group exhibited suppressed expression of type I collagen antigen,type III collagen antigen,and the proteins transforming growth factor-βandα-smooth muscle actin,whereas the siHGF-MVs group exhibited significantly increased expression of these proteins.In addition,pulmonary compliance and the pressure of oxygen/oxygen inhalation ratio were significantly lower in the MSC-MVs group,and the effects of the MSC-MVs were significantly inhibited by low HGF expression(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION MSC-MVs improved lung ventilation functions and inhibited pulmonary fibrosis in ARDS mice partly via HGF mRNA transfer.

Proliferation and apoptosis property of mesenchymal stem cells derived from peripheral blood under the culture conditions of hypoxia and serum deprivation

Background The proliferation and apoptosis property of mesenchymal stem cells derived from peripheral blood （PB-MSCs） were investigated under hypoxia and serum deprivation conditions in vitro so as to evaluate the feasibility for autologous PB-MSCs applications in cartilage repair. Methods MSCs were mobilized into peripheral blood by granulocyte colony stimulating factor （G-CSF） and AMD3100. The blood samples were collected from central ear artery of rabbits. Adhered cells were obtained by erythrocyte lysis buffer and identified as MSCs by adherence to plastic, spindle shaped morphology, specific surface markers, differentiation abilities into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts in vitro under appropriate conditions. MSCs were cultured in four groups at different oxygen tension （20% 02 and 2% O2）, with or without 10% fetal bovine serum （FBS） conditions： 20% 02 and 10% FBS complete medium （normal medium, N）, 20% 02 and serum deprivation medium （D）, 2% 02 and 10% FBS complete medium （hypoxia, H）, 2% 02 and serum deprivation （HD）. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was detected by Annexin V/PI and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） staining. Results Spindle-shaped adherent cells were effectively mobilized from peripheral blood by a combined administration of G-CSF plus AMD3100. These cells showed typical fibroblast-like phenotype similar to MSCs from bone marrow （BM-MSCs）, and expressed a high level of typical MSCs markers CD29 and CD44, but lacked in the expression of hematopoietic markers CD45 and major histocompatibility complex Class II （MHC II）. They could also differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts in vitro under appropriate conditions. No significant morphological differences were found among the four groups. It was found that hypoxia could enhance proliferation of PB-MSCs regardless of serum concentration, but serum deprivation inhibited proliferation at the later stage of culture. Apart from that, hypoxia or serum deprivation could promote the apoptosis of PB-MSCs after 48 hours; the effect was stronger when these two conditions combined together. Furthermore, the effect of serum deprivation on apoptosis was stronger compared with that of hypoxia. Conclusions PB-MSCs possess similar phenotypes as BM-MSCs. Their differentiation and proliferation abilities make them a new source of seed cells for ischemia-related cell therapy and tissue engineering in the field of the articular cartilage repair.

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells： a better cell source for nervous system regeneration

Background In order to suggest an ideal source of adult stem cells for the treatment of nervous system diseases,MSCs from human adipose tissue and bone marrow were isolated and studied to explore the differences with regard to cell morphology,surface markers,neuronal differentiation capacity,especially the synapse structure formation and the secretion of neurotrophic factors.Methods The neuronal differentiation capacity of human mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue （hADSCs） and bone marrow （hBMSCs） was determined based on nissl body and synapse structure formation,and neural factor secretion function.hADSCs and hBMSCs were isolated and differentiated into neuron-like cells with rat brain-conditioned medium,a potentially rich source of neuronal differentiation promoting signals.Specific neuronal proteins and neural factors were detected by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis,respectively.Results Flow cytometric analysis showed that both cell types had similar phenotypes.Cell growth curves showed that hADSCs proliferated more quickly than hBMSCs.Both kinds of cells were capable of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.The morphology of hADSCs and hBMSCs changed during neuronal differentiation and displayed neuronlike cell appearance after 14 days＇ differentiation.Both hADSCs and hBMSCs were able to differentiate into neuron-like cells based on their production of neuron specific proteins including β-tubulin-Ⅲ,neuron-specific enolase （NSE）,nissl bodies,and their ability to secrete brain derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） and nerve growth factor （NGF）.Assessment of synaptop hysin and growth-associated protein-43 （GAP-43） suggested synapse structure formation in differentiated hADSCs and hBMSCs.Conclusions Our results demonstrate that hADSCs have neuronal differentiation potential similar to hBMSC,but with a higher proliferation capacity than hBMSC.Adipose tissue is abundant,easily available and would be a potential ideal source of adult stem cells for neural-related clinical research and application.

Derivation of stem cells with totipotent features in mice and humans

Subject Code:C07 With the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,a research group led by Prof.Deng Hongkui(邓宏魁)from Peking University,in collaboration with researchers from the Salk Institute and Peking University People’s Hospital,demonstrates that the developmental potentials of stem cell

Adipose tissue derived stromal cells in a gelatin-based 3D matrix with exclusive ascorbic acid signalling emerged as a novel neural tissue engineering construct:an innovative prototype for soft tissue

The current study investigated a triad,which comprises of adipose tissue derived stem cells isolated from infrapatellar fat pad and gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-based matrix with exclusive ascorbic acid signalling.Though,the bio-mechanical properties of the gelatin–PVA blended scaffolds in wet condition are equivalent to the ECM of soft tissues in general,in this study,the triad was tested as a model for neural tissue engineering.Apart from being cytocompatible and biocompatible,the porosity of the scaffold has been designed in such a manner that it facilitates the cell signalling and enables the exchange of nutrients and gases.The highly proliferative stem cells from Passage 2 were characterized using both,mesenchymal and embryonic stem cell markers.As an initial exploration the mesenchymal stem cells at Passage 4 were exposed to ascorbic acid and basic fibroblast growth factor signalling for neuronal differentiation in 2D environment independently.The MSCs successfully differentiated and acquired neuron specific markers related to cytoskeleton and synapses.Subsequently,three phases of experiments have been conducted on the 3D gelatin/PVA matrix to prove their efficacy,the growth of stem cells,growth of differentiated neurons and the in situ growth and differentiation of MSCs.The scaffold was conducive and directed MSCs to neuronal lineage under specific signalling.Overall,this organotypic model triad could open a new avenue in the field of soft tissue engineering as a simple and effective tissue construct.

Nerve regeneration in vascularized composite allotransplantation:current strategies and future directions

Vascularized composite allotransplantation(VCA)has emerged as a viable treatment option for limb and face reconstruction of severe tissue defects.Functional recovery after VCA requires not only effective immunosuppression,but also consideration of peripheral nerve regeneration to facilitate motor and sensory reinnervation of donor tissue.At the time of transplantation,the donor and recipient nerves are typically coapted in an end-to-end fashion.Following transplantation,there are no therapies available to enhance nerve regeneration and graft reinnervation,and functional outcomes are dependent on the recipients’innate regenerative capacities.Functional outcomes to date have been promising,but there is still much room for improvement,studies have demonstrated reliable return of protective sensation(pain,thermal,gross tactile),while discriminative sensation and motor function show more inconsistent results.In order to maximize the benefit afforded to the by VCA,we must develop consistent and reliable procedures and therapies to ensure effective nerve regeneration and functional outcomes.New technologies,such as nerve guidance conduits and fibrin glues,and the use of stem cells to facilitate nerve regeneration remain untested in VCA but are proving worthwhile in the context of peripheral nerve repair.VCA presents a unique set of challenges with regards to surgical techniques,postoperative regimen,and health of donor tissue.In this review,we discuss current challenges underlying achievement of nerve regeneration in VCA and discuss novel technologies and approaches to translate nerve regeneration into functional restoration.