Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells attenuate NLRP3-related pyroptosis in autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency via the NF-κB pathway.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-Exos) on the pyroptosis and recovery of granulosa cells in autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)? DESIGN: In vitro, KGN cells were exposed to interferon-gamma to simulate immune injury. Samples were collected after a 48 h incubation with MSC-Exos (30 µg/ml). The cell viability, secretion of oestrogen and expression of key molecules in pyroptosis and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway were tested. In vivo, the BALB/c mouse model of autoimmune POI model induced by zona pellucida glycoprotein 3 was used. Fertility testing and sample collection were applied 4 weeks after the ovarian subcapsular injection of MSC-Exos (150 µg for each ovary). Hormone concentration measurements, follicle counting and pyroptotic pathway analyses were conducted for each group. RESULTS: In vitro, MSC-Exos significantly promoted the proliferation rate and secretion of oestrogen, while at the same time suppressing apoptosis and pyroptosis. In vivo, exosomal treatment normalized the irregular oestrous cycles, rescued the follicular loss and increased the pregnancy rate and number of offspring in POI mice. Elevated serum concentrations of oestrogen and anti-Müllerian hormone, as well as decreased concentrations of FSH and interleukin-1ß, were shown. Furthermore, MSC-Exos down-regulated the expression of the NLRP3/Casp1/GSDMD pathway and inhibited activation of the NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate for the first time that MSC-Exos exert a significant effect on restoring ovarian function in autoimmune POI in vivo and in vitro by suppressing the NLRP3/Casp1/GSDMD pathway and pyroptosis. The NF-κB pathway may contribute to the regulation of NLRP3-related pyroptosis.

miR-21-5p-loaded bone mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes repair ovarian function in autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency by targeting MSX1.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of micro-RNA (miR)-21-5p-loaded bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (miR-21-Exo) on autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)? DESIGN: The Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, western blotting, quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT)-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) verified the effect of miR-21-Exo on interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced KGN cells. qRT-PCR, western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays verified that miR-21-Exo mediated Msh homeobox 1 (MSX1) regulation of the Notch signalling pathway and that miR-21 interacted directly with MSX1. The effects of miR-21-Exo on the ovaries were verified by monitoring of the oestrous cycle, haematoxylin and eosin staining, follicle counts, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL), western blotting and qRT-PCR. RESULTS: The results showed that miR-21-Exo promoted IFN-γ-induced KGN cell proliferation and hormone synthesis, and inhibited apoptosis. Using dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, miR-21 and MSX1 were shown to have direct interactions. Moreover, the findings elucidated that miR-21-Exo inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted hormone synthesis by mediating MSX1 to regulate the Notch signalling pathway. miR-21-Exo restored the ovarian structure in a mouse model of autoimmune POI, promoted endocrine function and proliferation, and inhibited apoptosis and inflammation in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that miR-21-Exo regulates the MSX1-mediated Notch signalling pathway to inhibit granulosa cell apoptosis and improve hormone synthesis function, providing insight into a potential mechanism of molecular therapy for the treatment of autoimmune POI.

Regulatory T Cells Overexpressing Peli1 Show Better Efficacy in Repairing Ovarian Endocrine Function in Autoimmune Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

Regulatory T (Treg) cell dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Adoptive transfer of Treg cells has been shown to be effective in the treatment of autoimmune POI in mice. However, the therapeutic effect of Treg cell therapy is limited because the phenotype and function of Treg cells is not properly maintained when they are reinfused in an inflammatory environment. Therefore, enhancing the function of Treg cells using genetic engineering is of great significance for improving the efficacy of Treg cells in the treatment of immune diseases. In this study, we investigated the role of the E3 ubiquitinated ligase Pellino 1 (Peli1) in the proliferation and immunosuppressive function of Treg cells and the therapeutic effect of Treg cells overexpressing Peli1 on autoimmune POI. The results showed that the overexpression of Peli1 promoted cell proliferation and enhanced the immunosuppressive function of Treg cells in vitro. After the adoptive transfer of Treg cells overexpressing Peli1 in autoimmune POI mice, the apoptosis rate of ovarian granulosa cells declined. The levels of the inflammatory inhibitors interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor-ß as well as the ovarian hormone estradiol were elevated. The number of primordial, primary, secondary, and mature follicles was restored to a certain extent compared with those in control subjects. These results revealed that the adoptive transfer of Treg cells overexpressing Peli1 promoted its efficacy against zona pellucida protein 3 peptide-induced POI, which provides new insights into the treatment of autoimmune POI.

Anthracycline cardiotoxicity is exacerbated by global p38ß genetic ablation in a sexually dimorphic manner but unaltered by cardiomyocyte-specific p38α loss.

Severe cardiotoxic effects limit the efficacy of doxorubicin (DOX) as a chemotherapeutic agent. Activation of intracellular stress signaling networks, including p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), has been implicated in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). However, the roles of the individual p38 isoforms in DIC remain incompletely elucidated. We recently reported that global p38δ deletion protected female but not male mice from DIC, whereas global p38γ deletion did not significantly modulate it. Here we studied the in vivo roles of p38α and p38ß in acute DIC. Male and female mice with cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of p38α or global deletion of p38ß and their wild-type counterparts were injected with DOX. Survival and health were tracked for 10 days postinjection. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and electrocardiography and fibrosis by Picrosirius red staining. Expression and activation of signaling proteins and inflammatory markers were measured by Western blot, phosphorylation array, and chemokine/cytokine array. Global p38ß deletion significantly aggravated DIC and worsened cardiac electrical and mechanical function deterioration in female mice. Mechanistically, DIC in p38ß-null female mice correlated with increased autophagy, sustained hyperactivation of proapoptotic JNK signaling, as well as remodeling of a myocardial inflammatory environment. In contrast, cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of p38α improved survival of DOX30-treated male mice 5 days posttreatment but did not influence cardiac function in DOX-treated male or female mice. Our data highlight the sex- and isoform-specific roles of p38α and p38ß MAPKs in DOX-induced cardiac injury and suggest a novel in vivo function of p38ß in protecting female mice from DIC.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that p38α and p38ß have distinct in vivo functions in a murine model of acute DIC. Specifically, although conditional cardiomyocyte-specific p38α deletion exhibited mild cardioprotective effects in male mice, p38ß deletion exacerbated the DOX cardiotoxicity in female mice. Our findings caution against employing pyridinyl imidazole inhibitors that target both p38α and p38ß isoforms as a cardioprotective strategy against DIC. Such an approach could have undesirable sex-dependent effects, including attenuating p38ß-dependent cardioprotection in females.

A Sewing Approach to the Fabrication of Eco/bioresorbable Electronics.

Eco/bioresorbable electronics represent an emerging class of technology defined by an ability to dissolve or otherwise harmlessly disappear in environmental or biological surroundings after a period of stable operation. The resulting devices provide unique capabilities as temporary biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and related systems. Recent publications report schemes to overcome challenges in fabrication that follow from the low thermostability and/or high chemical reactivity of the eco/bioresorbable constituent materials. Here, this work reports the use of high-speed sewing machines, as the basis for a high-throughput manufacturing technique that addresses many requirements for these applications, without the need for high temperatures or reactive solvents. Results demonstrate that a range of eco/bioresorbable metal wires and polymer threads can be embroidered into complex, user-defined conductive patterns on eco/bioresorbable substrates. Functional electronic components, such as stretchable interconnects and antennas are possible, along with fully integrated systems. Examples of the latter include wirelessly powered light-emitting diodes, radiofrequency identification tags, and temporary cardiac pacemakers. These advances add to a growing range of options in high-throughput, automated fabrication of eco/bioresorbable electronics.

Human Bone Marrow Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treatment for Autoimmune Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a relatively common gynecologic endocrine disorder, which is hypogonadism associated with amenorrhea, increased levels of gonadotropins, and hypoestrogenism. POI resulting from ovarian autoimmunity is a poorly understood clinical condition lacking effective treatments. This study is aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on autoimmune premature ovarian insufficiency. METHODS: In this study, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to clarify the therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMSCs) on autoimmune POI, and to provide an experimental evidence for the treatment of autoimmune POI by hBMSCs. Noteworthy, in this study, we used interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) to induce autoimmune inflammation in human granulosa cell line KGN, simulating the pathophysiological changes of granulosa cells in autoimmune POI, and therefore sought to establish an in vitro cell model of autoimmune POI, which is still lacking in experimental methodology. RESULTS: And we found that, in vitro, co-culture of hBMSCs could promote granulosa cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, improve hormone synthesis capacity, and reduce the occurrence of pyroptosis; and in vivo, hBMSCs resulted in improved estrous cycle disorders in autoimmune POI mice, increased serum estradiol, decreased follicle-stimulating hormone, improved ovarian morphology, increased number of primordial and primary follicles, decreased number of atretic follicles, and decreased ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: hBMSCs have therapeutic effects on autoimmune POI both in vitro and in vivo.

Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Disease Biosensors and Monitoring Technologies.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes significant mortality and remains the leading cause of death globally. Thus, to reduce mortality, early diagnosis by measurement of cardiac biomarkers and heartbeat signals presents fundamental importance. Traditional CVD examination requires bulky hospital instruments to conduct electrocardiography recording and immunoassay analysis, which are both time-consuming and inconvenient. Recently, development of biosensing technologies for rapid CVD marker screening attracted great attention. Thanks to the advancement in nanotechnology and bioelectronics, novel biosensor platforms are developed to achieve rapid detection, accurate quantification, and continuous monitoring throughout disease progression. A variety of sensing methodologies using chemical, electrochemical, optical, and electromechanical means are explored. This review first discusses the prevalence and common categories of CVD. Then, heartbeat signals and cardiac blood-based biomarkers that are widely employed in clinic, as well as their utilizations for disease prognosis, are summarized. Emerging CVD wearable and implantable biosensors and monitoring bioelectronics, allowing these cardiac markers to be continuously measured are introduced. Finally, comparisons of the pros and cons of these biosensing devices along with perspectives on future CVD biosensor research are presented.

RSK inhibitors as potential anticancer agents: Discovery, optimization, and challenges.

Ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) family is a group of serine/threonine kinases, including four isoforms (RSK1/2/3/4). As a downstream effector of the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (Ras-MAPK) pathway, RSK participates in many physiological activities such as cell growth, proliferation, and migration, and is intimately involved in tumor occurrence and development. As a result, it is recognized as a potential target for anti-cancer and anti-resistance therapies. There have been several RSK inhibitors discovered or designed in recent decades, but only two have entered clinical trials. Low specificity, low selectivity, and poor pharmacokinetic properties in vivo limit their clinical translation. Published studies performed structure optimization by increasing interaction with RSK, avoiding hydrolysis of pharmacophores, eliminating chirality, adapting to binding site shape, and becoming prodrugs. Besides enhancing efficacy, the focus of further design will move towards selectivity since there are functional differences among RSK isoforms. This review summarized the types of cancers associated with RSK, along with the structural characteristics and optimization process of the reported RSK inhibitors. Furthermore, we addressed the importance of RSK inhibitors' selectivity and discussed future drug development directions. This review is expected to shed light on the emergence of RSK inhibitors with high potency, specificity, and selectivity.