Complex transmission of partiti-, ambi- and ourmiaviruses in the forest pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum.

Utilizing Heterobasidion partitivirus 13 strain an1 (HetPV13-an1) and 15 strain pa1 (HetPV15-pa1) in co-infection is considered a potential biocontrol approach against Heterobasidion root and butt rot. Both partitiviruses mediate debilitating effects in most Heterobasidion host isolates and are generally transmitted efficiently between host strains. In this investigation, we conducted transmission experiments in the laboratory (in vitro) using several H. parviporum isolates to test whether using dual partitivirus infections is a more efficient way of transmitting viruses to new hosts compared to using single partitivirus infections, and whether co-occurring single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses are co-transmitted during the process. The results showed that H. parviporum donors carrying both partitiviruses, HetPV13-an1 and HetPV15-pa1, transmitted HetPV15-pa1 more efficiently to recipients than the same donors infected with only HetPV15-pa1. In contrast, the transmission of HetPV13-an1 did not differ significantly between donors infected with both or only one partitivirus. Altogether, the transmission rates of HetPV13-an1 and HetPV15-pa1 were high on artificial media. Moreover, the transmission of the ssRNA viruses Heterobasidion ourmia-like virus 1(HetOlV1-pa7) and 4 (HetOlV4-an1) as well as Heterobasidion ambi-like virus 3 (HetAlV3-pa4) across different recipients were found to be variable. This study demonstrated for the first time the transmission of ambi- and ourmiaviruses between H. parviporum isolates in dual cultures and showed that H. parviporum mycelia can be cured of these ssRNA viruses using heat treatment.

Direct and Indirect Effects for Radiosensitization of Gold Nanoparticles in Proton Therapy.

The radiosensitization characteristics of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been investigated in a single cell irradiated with monoenergetic beams of protons of various energies using TOPAS-nBio, an advanced toolkit of TOPAS. Both direct and indirect effects against single-strand breaks (SSBs) are investigated and their double-strand breaks (DSBs) have been calculated. A single spherical cell interaction with a detailed DNA structure has been modeled and simulated under different conditions such as particle sizes and concentrations of GNPs, their biodistributions and associated proton energies. The physical interaction among protons, suspension water and GNPs has been simulated using a dual physics approach, while the interaction between water radiolysis and OH radicals was considered in the chemical process to save computational time. The present simulations involve irradiating the cell geometry with a dose of 1 Gy. The range of DSBs (Gy-1 Gbp-1) obtained was 2.1 ± 0.09 to 21.74 ± 0.4 for all GNPs of sizes 6-50 nm the proton energies in the range of 5-50 MeV. Regardless of proton energy and GNP size, the calculations showed that the contribution of indirect and hybrid DSBs remains higher in all simulation types than that of direct DSBs. New simulation outcomes of the indirect DSBs illustrate a percentage increase, while we cannot get an increase in the direct and hybrid DSBs in most cases when compared with no GNPs cases. The indirect DSBs provide the highest enhancement factor of 1.89 at 30 nm GNPs in size for 30 MeV protons energy, and the direct and hybrid DSBs indicate a slight increase in enhancement. The work indicates that the use of GNPs increased indirect DNA DSBs, while hybrid DSBs show only a slight increase in enhancement, and no enhancement is shown in direct DNA DSBs. It is significant to consider other mechanisms such as DNA damage repair when investigating DNA damage.

Towards a greener future: The impact of financial technology (FinTech) and climate finance on ecological sustainability.

Ecological sustainability has become a top priority for worldwide policymakers due to severe consequences. Innovative approaches, like climate finance and financial technology (FinTech), are crucial in combating climate change and its environmental hazards. This study aims to investigate the role of climate finance on ecological sustainability with FinTech and institutional quality as moderators from 2010 to 2022 in 58 advanced countries. Besides that, the COVID-19 spillover shock effect (pre-post), socio-economic conditions, and trade openness are also considered as other variables in this study. The study employed the two-step Sys GMM approach, and the robustness was checked by the D-K regression and bootstrap panel quantile regression for empirical analysis. The results reveal that climate finance improves the trajectory of long-term ecological sustainability by significantly lowering the ecological footprint (EF). FinTech has a strong positive effect on ecological performance by decreasing the EF. Furthermore, the combined influence of CF∗FinTech has significantly boosted ecological sustainability by diminishing the EF. Institutional quality substantially enhances ecological sustainability by reducing the EF. Similarly, the interaction term CF∗IQ improves ecological performance by lowering the EF. The outcomes have significant implications for sustainable development policy, influencing the transition to low-carbon economies and meeting net-zero emissions within this decade, contributing to improved ecological sustainability.

BCL11b interacts with RNA and proteins involved in RNA processing and developmental diseases.

BCL11b is a transcription regulator and a tumor suppressor involved in lymphomagenesis, central nervous system (CNS) and immune system developments. BCL11b favors persistence of HIV latency and contributes to control cell cycle, differentiation and apoptosis in multiple organisms and cell models. Although BCL11b recruits the non-coding RNA 7SK and epigenetic enzymes to regulate gene expression, BCL11b-associated ribonucleoprotein complexes are unknown. Thanks to CLIP-seq and quantitative LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry approaches complemented with systems biology validations, we show that BCL11b interacts with RNA splicing and non-sense-mediated decay proteins, including FUS, SMN1, UPF1 and Drosha, which may contribute in isoform selection of protein-coding RNA isoforms from noncoding-RNAs isoforms (retained introns or nonsense mediated RNA). Interestingly, BCL11b binds to RNA transcripts and proteins encoded by the same genes (FUS, ESWR1, CHD and Tubulin). Our study highlights that BCL11b targets RNA processing and splicing proteins, and RNAs that implicate cell cycle, development, neurodegenerative, and cancer pathways. These findings will help future mechanistic understanding of developmental disorders. IMPORTANCE: BCL11b-protein and RNA interactomes reveal BLC11b association with specific nucleoprotein complexes involved in the regulation of genes expression. BCL11b interacts with RNA processing and splicing proteins.

Genetic Signatures: CD44 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Affect Cell Surface Expression and Elevate Risk in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CD44 gene, specifically in the 3'UTR region (rs13347) and intronic region (rs187115), on the cell surface expression of CD44 protein and the risk of development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved analysis of 85 samples and 85 healthy controls. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and flow cytometry were used to assess cell surface protein expression using CD44 antibody. DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections was isolated and amplified using targeted primers. Sanger sequencing of the resultant amplified products was performed to determine the genotypes of the CD44 rs13347 and rs187115 SNPs. GTEx and RegulomeDB were queried to evaluate the genotypic effects of these variants on target gene expression and regulation. RESULTS: A comparison between patients with HNSCC and healthy controls revealed a significant association between CD44 rs13347 and an increased risk of HNSCC in all the analyzed models, especially the TT genotype showed a significantly higher risk with an odds ratio of 8.69 (95% CI, 2.35 to 32.09; P = .0003). However, no significant association was found between CD44 rs187115 and HNSCC in any of the models analyzed (all P > .05). Other notable findings included significant associations between CD44 rs13347 genotype and age (P = .031), number of CD44-positive tumor cells (P = .049), CD44 staining intensity (SI; P = .039), and CD44 immunoreactivity score (IRS) status (P = .019). CONCLUSION: The T allele and homozygous TT genotype of CD44 rs13347 SNP were associated with increased susceptibility to HNSCC and decreased proportion of CD44-positive tumor cells, low SI, and reduced IRS.

Tunable Nanoislands Decorated Tapered Optical Fibers Reveal Concurrent Contributions in Through-Fiber SERS Detection.

Creating plasmonic nanoparticles on a tapered optical fiber (TF) tip enables a remote surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing probe, ideal for challenging sampling scenarios like biological tissues, site-specific cells, on-site environmental monitoring, and deep brain structures. However, nanoparticle patterns fabricated from current bottom-up methods are mostly random, making geometry control difficult. Uneven statistical distribution, clustering, and multilayer deposition introduce uncertainty in correlating device performance with morphology. Ultimately, this limits the design of the best-performance remote SERS sensing probe. Here we employ a tunable solid-state dewetting method to create densely packed monolayer Au nanoislands with varied geometric parameters in direct contact with the silica TF surface. These patterns exhibit analyzable nanoparticle sizes, densities, and uniform distribution across the entire taper surface, enabling a systematic investigation of particle size, density, and analyte effects on the SERS performance of the through-fiber detection system. The study is focused on the SERS response of a widely employed benchmark molecule, rhodamine 6G (R6G), and serotonin, a highly relevant neurotransmitter for the neuroscience field. The numerical simulations and limit of detection (LOD) experiments on R6G show that the increase of the total near-field enhancement volume promotes the SERS sensitivity of the probe. However, we observed a different behavior for serotonin linked to its interaction with the nanoparticle's surface. The obtained LOD is as low as 10-7 M, a value not achieved so far in a through-fiber detection scheme. Therefore, our work offers a strategy to design nanoparticle-based remote SERS sensing probes and provides new clues to discover and understand intricate plasmonic-driven chemical reactions.

The Role of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background The neurological condition known as multiple sclerosis (MS) is crippling and has a complicated pathogenesis as well as a wide range of clinical symptoms, including fatigue, difficulty walking, numbness or tingling, muscle spasms and spasticity, weakness, vision problems, dizziness and vertigo, bladder and bowel dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and emotional changes. The complete scope of MS pathology cannot be fully captured by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, which has led to the investigation of sophisticated MRI methods for better diagnosis and treatment. Objective This study aims to evaluate the clinical relevance of advanced MRI sequences in multiple sclerosis. Methodology A retrospective cohort study was conducted across multiple specialized medical centers renowned for treating neurological disorders, particularly multiple sclerosis, and involved 310 patients with diverse geography seeking treatment throughout 2022. Records were searched to obtain patient information, demographics, and treatment history. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were among the statistical studies that investigated relationships between MRI biomarkers and clinical factors to help with the diagnosis and treatment of MS. A p-value of <0.05 was significant. Results The research group consisted of 310 MS patients, the majority of whom were female (67.42%) and had a mean age of 34.7 years. With hypertension (14.52%) and hyperlipidemia (19.35%) as prevalent comorbidities, the majority of patients (72.26%) were on disease-modifying treatments. The results of advanced MRI showed that lesions with white matter had higher mean diffusivity (1.25 ± 0.15 mm²/s) on DWI, lesions with reduced magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) (0.15 ± 0.03) on MTI, and lesions with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) (0.40 ± 0.08) on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Additionally, the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in cognitive processing regions (0.75 ± 0.10) on functional MRI were different from those with normal-appearing white matter (0.40 ± 0.08). Conclusion Advanced MRI sequences are essential for bettering MS diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment because they link imaging biomarkers to important clinical parameters, which improves patient care and quality of life.

Virus transmission frequencies in the pine root rot pathogen Heterobasidion annosum.

The combined use of Heterobasidion partitiviruses 13 and 15 (HetPV13-an1 and HetPV15-pa1) is considered a promising biocontrol approach against Heterobasidion root and butt rot. In a previous study, the transmission frequency of HetPV15-pa1 was found to be higher from a double partitivirus-infected donor than from a single partitivirus-infected donor. In this study, we included a wider array of recipient isolates to assess whether the phenomenon is widespread across different host strains and conducted transmission experiments on artificial media (in vitro) using a total of 45 different H. annosum donor-recipient pairs. In addition to investigating whether double partitivirus infection improves the transmission of HetPV13-an1 and HetPV15-pa1, we examined for the first time how efficiently co-infecting ssRNA viruses are concomitantly transmitted with the partitiviruses, and whether pre-existing ssRNA viruses in the recipients affect virus transmission. Generally, the transmission rates of HetPV13-an1 and HetPV15-pa1 were high from both single partitivirus-infected and double partitivirus-infected donors to most of the H. annosum recipient strains, with few exceptions. However, in contrast to previous experiments, the transmission frequency was not higher from the double partitivirus-infected donors. Also, ourmiavirus was transmitted between H. annosum strains, but the presence of another ourmiavirus in the recipient might affect the efficacy.

Advances in agar-based composites: A comprehensive review.

This review article explores the developments and applications in agar-based composites (ABCs), emphasizing various constituents such as metals, clay/ceramic, graphene, and polymers across diversified fields like wastewater treatment, drug delivery, food packaging, the energy sector, biomedical engineering, bioplastics, agriculture, and cosmetics. The focus is on agar as a sustainable and versatile biodegradable polysaccharide, highlighting research that has advanced the technology of ABCs. A bibliometric analysis is conducted using the Web of Science database, covering publications from January 2020 to March 2024, processed through VOSviewer Software Version 1.6.2. This analysis assesses evolving trends and scopes in the literature, visualizing co-words and themes that underscore the growing importance and potential of ABCs in various applications. This review paper contributes by showcasing the existing state-of-the-art knowledge and motivating further development in this promising field.

Work-related neck pain and its association with postural and ergonomic factors among Pakistani professional drivers.

BACKGROUND: Professional drivers are most likely to experience work-related neck pain due to awkward sitting positions for extended periods of time. Globally, millions of people depend on drivers who dedicate their lives to the craft. However, there is a paucity of data available on professional drivers suffering from neck pain or other musculoskeletal pain in Pakistan. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of neck pain and its association with postural and ergonomic factors among Pakistani professional drivers. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from January to June 2022 among 369 professional drivers located in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The data were collected by using a questionnaire comprising different sections, including personal, postural and ergonomic factors among drivers. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25 was used for data entry and analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 40.83±9.27 years. Among the 369 participants, 129 reported neck pain. The period and point prevalence of neck pain were 35% (n = 129) and 31% (n = 115), respectively. Professional drivers reported a significant association between habitual forward posture and head-neck posture (p = 0.000) and between habitual forward posture and trunk posture (p = 0.000) with neck pain. In addition, ergonomics training (p = 0.002), ergonomics awareness (p = 0.002), and mobile use while driving (p = 0.000) were significantly associated with neck pain. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that drivers have greater period prevalence of neck pain than point prevalence. Moreover, this study revealed that age, BMI, lifestyle, health status, medication use, and smoking habits were associated with neck pain in drivers. Drivers who had ergonomic training and awareness were significantly less likely to suffer from lower neck pain. Drivers with a habitual forward posture are more likely to suffer from neck pain than are drivers with a prone posture.

Comparison of the effects of dry needling and spinal manipulative therapy versus spinal manipulative therapy alone on functional disability and endurance in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is a global musculoskeletal ailment. Over the past few years, dry needling (DN) has garnered interest from both physical therapists and patients. Physical therapy commonly employs spinal manipulation to alleviate persistent LBP and other musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of spinal manipulation alone and in combination with DN on functional disability and endurance in individuals suffering from chronic nonspecific LBP. METHODS: Patients of both genders who had chronic nonspecific LBP and who had not received physical therapy within the last 3 months were included in this single-blind, randomized controlled trial using purposive sampling. All participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental (SMT + DN) or control (SMT alone) group using computer-generated random numbers. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. For between-group comparisons, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. A P-value < .05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis of the difference between the 2 groups revealed that the mean ±â€…standard deviation (SD) for the SMT alone group was 16.09 ±â€…3.963 at baseline and 12.66 ±â€…3.801 at 8 weeks, whereas for the DN + ST group, it was 13.67 ±â€…3.904 at baseline and 10.92 ±â€…3.534 at 8 weeks, with a P-value of .003. Thus, the RMDQ score improved gradually in both groups, and the mean endurance score reported for the ST group was 2.5 to 4.5, while that reported for the DN + ST group was 3.1 to 5.1. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that both therapies effectively reduced LBP. When comparing the effects of spinal manipulation alone to those of spinal manipulation combined with DN, the latter showed significantly greater benefits.

Dual catalytic potential of isoeugenol synthase in Asarum sieboldii Miq. (AsIGS): Unveiling isoeugenol preference in vitro and eugenol production in vivo, with insights into hydrogen bonding influence.

Asarum sieboldii Miq. is an important medicinal plant valued for its diverse health benefits in the pharmaceutical industry. In the present study, we isolated and characterized isoeugenol synthase from A. sieboldii (AsIGS), an essential enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of volatile phenylpropenes. We hoped to elucidate the secondary metabolic network of eugenol in A. sieboldii plants, which constructed the prerequisite for quality improvement of the well-known TCM Asari Radix et Rhizoma. Bioinformatics analysis revealed high similarity between the DNA sequences of AsIGS and isoeugenol synthase genes from other plants, and that the association of the candidate protein AsIGS with the PIP reductase family. Moreover, the AsIGS protein displayed a molecular weight of about 34.96 kDa, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.01 and an average hydrophobicity of -0.092, indicating the protein's partial acidity, stability, and hydrophilic nature. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AsIGS had a close relationship with isoeugenol synthases and fewer eugenol synthases found in other species. Alphafold2 predicted the structure of the AsIGS protein, and CB-Dock2 predicted the binding sites of the ASIGS-NADPH-coniferyl acetate ternary complex. In vitro enzymatic assay results demonstrated that the optimal temperature of the AsIGS-involved catalysis for coniferyl acetate was 30 °C, and several kinetics parameters were Km (12.21 mM), Vmax (27.9 U/mg), kcat (76.26 s-1), and kcat/Km (6.49 s-1·mM-1). Furthermore, it was also determined that the AsIGS protein had varying performance at different pH levels. While the candidate protein converted coniferyl acetate into both isoeugenol and eugenol at pH 5.5, it just catalyzed the production of isoeugenol at pH 6.5. However, isoeugenol has never been detected in A. sieboldii. Altering AsIGS expression in transgenic plants impacted only eugenol contents. Compared with wild type, overexpression of AsIGS increased eugenol content by 23.3 %, while RNAi-induced down-regulation of AsIGS decreased it by 25.3 %. Taken together, these results confirmed that the AsIGS gene was involved in the biosynthesis of eugenol in A. sieboldii with a dual catalytic potential.

Microsurgery of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations in a Resource-Limited Setting: The First Case-Series from Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can lead to significant morbidity and are particularly challenging to manage in resource-limited settings where endovascular treatment modalities are unaffordable for most patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe the first case series of AVM from Iraq with an analysis of the related clinicoradiologic characteristics, operative features, and outcomes. METHODS: A single-center database from October 2018 to December 2022 was reviewed to analyze the characteristics of cerebral AVMs who underwent surgical treatment in Baghdad, Iraq. We collected patient demographics, clinical, radiologic, operative, and the follow-up combined outcome results (modified Rankin Scale score and the presence of AVM remnants). RESULTS: Of the 54 AVM patients treated with microsurgery, the majority of lesions have Spetzler-Martin grade of 3 (31.5%), followed by grade 1 (29.6%). The parietal lobe was the most common location of AVM in 25.9% of the cases, and the temporal location had better outcomes. The mean duration of surgery was 8.5 hours, ranging from 3 to 14 hours, with 20.3% of cases having undergone preoperative stereotactic radiosurgery, and just one patient received preoperative embolization. Good combined outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2 and no AVM remnant) was associated with lower SM grades (P=0.003); location in the nondominant hemisphere (P=0.036), and noneloquent regions (P=0.006); absence of deep venous drainage (P=0.042) and no intraoperative brain swelling (P=0.004). The mortality rate in our series was 5.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Good clinicoradiologic outcomes can be achieved through microsurgery in a setting where endovascular treatment is inaccessible to patients due to limited resources.

Huntington's Disease-Related Mortality Patterns: A Two-Decade Analysis of Mortality Trends in the United States, from 1999-2019.

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder debilitating mainly in adults. Objective: This study aimed to assess the trends in HD-related mortality regarding various demographic factors. Methods: Death certificates from the CDC WONDER were studied from 1999 to 2019, for HD-related mortality in adults aged 25 + years. Age-adjusted Mortality Rate (AAMR) per 100,000 persons and Annual Percentage Change (APC) were calculated and stratified by year, age groups, gender, race/ethnicity, state, census region, urbanization, and place of death. Results: Between 1999 to 2019, 22,595 deaths occurred in adults due to HD. The AAMR increased from 0.43 to 0.54 during this period (APC = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.84). Old adults (65-85 + years) had the highest overall AAMR, followed by middle-aged adults (45-64 years) and young adults (25-44 years) (AAMR old: 1.01 vs. AAMR middle-age: 0.68 vs. AAMR young: 0.16). Men had slightly greater overall AAMRs than women (AAMR men: 0.54 vs. AAMR women: 0.48). When stratified by race, non-Hispanic (NH) Whites had significantly higher mortality rates than NH African Americans (AAMR NH White: 0.61 vs. NH African American: 0.35), while the AAMR were lowest in Hispanic/Latino (0.28). The AAMRs also showed variation by region (overall AAMR: Midwest: 0.63, Northeast: 0.47, West: 0.48, South: 0.46), and non-metropolitan areas had higher HD-related AAMR (0.66) than metropolitan areas (0.47). Conclusions: HD-related mortality in US adults has increased since 1999. Reflecting on the variations in trends observed, new strategies are required to optimize the quality of care in long-term care facilities.

Evaluation of South Korean marine waste resources for hydrochar production: Effect of process variables.

This study assessed the hydrochar production potential of fish and crustacean waste from 8 marine species (Scomber japonicus, Trichiurus lepturus, Larimichthys polyactis, Trachurus trachurus, Paralichthys olivaceus Litopenaeus vannamei, Portunus trituberculatus, and Penaeus monodon) through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of their waste fractions. The impact of reaction temperature (200 - 240°C), fixed residence time (5 h), and water-to-biomass ratio (7) on HTC was analyzed. The results showed that hydrochar yields varied between fish (15.1 - 21.5 %) and crustaceans (36.9 - 69.3 %). The elemental composition and surface properties of the hydrochar were influenced by reaction temperature, as indicated by the pH point of zero charge. The adsorption capacity of hydrochar was tested for methylene blue (MB, 2.7 - 10.8 mg/g) and methyl orange (MO, 5.9 - 9.2 mg/g), with MO showing higher adsorption, except for Scomber japonicus, Larimichthys polyactis, and Trachurus trachurus. These findings highlight the significant potential for converting marine waste into valuable hydrochar, contributing to waste management and sustainable resource utilization.

Potential of plasmonics and nanoscale light-matter interactions for the next generation of optical neural interfaces.

Within the realm of optical neural interfaces, the exploration of plasmonic resonances to interact with neural cells has captured increasing attention among the neuroscience community. The interplay of light with conduction electrons in nanometer-sized metallic nanostructures can induce plasmonic resonances, showcasing a versatile capability to both sense and trigger cellular events. We describe the perspective of generating propagating or localized surface plasmon polaritons on the tip of an optical neural implant, widening the possibility for neuroscience labs to explore the potential of plasmonic neural interfaces.

Efficacy and Safety of Stem Cell Therapy for Orthopedic Conditions, Including Osteoarthritis and Bone Defects.

INTRODUCTION: Orthopedic conditions like osteoarthritis and bone defects pose significant challenges due to their impact on individuals' quality of life. Traditional treatments often provide only symptomatic relief, necessitating alternative therapies for long-term management. Stem cell therapy has grabbed attention for its regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, offering potential for tissue repair and functional restoration. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions, specifically osteoarthritis and bone defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from patients who underwent stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis or bone defects between January and September 2023. Outcome measures focused on pain and function improvements using tools such as Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), alongside radiographic assessments. Adverse events, range of motion, quality of life, and demographic factors were also examined. Data were collected from electronic medical records while maintaining patient confidentiality. Descriptive statistics using SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) were employed to analyze patient characteristics, treatment variables, and outcomes, with statistical significance determined using Chi-square test and Independent t-test. RESULTS: Out of 50 individuals, the majority, i.e., 35 (or 70%), were diagnosed with osteoarthritis, while the remaining 15 (30%) had bone defects. Treatment outcomes showed significant improvements in pain and function, with a decrease in mean VAS and WOMAC scores at the six-month follow-up. Seven participants (28%) reported adverse events, and two participants (8%) experienced serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating orthopedic conditions like osteoarthritis and bone defects. While demonstrating efficacy in pain management and functional improvement, safety considerations warrant further investigation and optimization of treatment protocols. Future research should focus on refining stem cell therapy techniques and addressing safety concerns to maximize its therapeutic potential in orthopedic practice.