Unveiling impaired vascular function and cellular heterogeneity in diabetic donor-derived vascular organoids.

Vascular organoids (VOs), derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), hold promise as in vitro disease models and drug screening platforms. However, their ability to faithfully recapitulate human vascular disease and cellular composition remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that VOs derived from iPSCs of donors with diabetes (DB-VOs) exhibit impaired vascular function compared to non-diabetic VOs (ND-VOs). DB-VOs display elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), heightened mitochondrial content and activity, increased proinflammatory cytokines, and reduced blood perfusion recovery in vivo. Through comprehensive single-cell RNA sequencing, we uncover molecular and functional differences, as well as signaling networks, between vascular cell types and clusters within DB-VOs. Our analysis identifies major vascular cell types (endothelial cells [ECs], pericytes, and vascular smooth muscle cells) within VOs, highlighting the dichotomy between ECs and mural cells. We also demonstrate the potential need for additional inductions using organ-specific differentiation factors to promote organ-specific identity in VOs. Furthermore, we observe basal heterogeneity within VOs and significant differences between DB-VOs and ND-VOs. Notably, we identify a subpopulation of ECs specific to DB-VOs, showing overrepresentation in the ROS pathway and underrepresentation in the angiogenesis hallmark, indicating signs of aberrant angiogenesis in diabetes. Our findings underscore the potential of VOs for modeling diabetic vasculopathy, emphasize the importance of investigating cellular heterogeneity within VOs for disease modeling and drug discovery, and provide evidence of GAP43 (neuromodulin) expression in ECs, particularly in DB-VOs, with implications for vascular development and disease.

MmCMS: mouse models' consensus molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) primary tumours are molecularly classified into four consensus molecular subtypes (CMS1-4). Genetically engineered mouse models aim to faithfully mimic the complexity of human cancers and, when appropriately aligned, represent ideal pre-clinical systems to test new drug treatments. Despite its importance, dual-species classification has been limited by the lack of a reliable approach. Here we utilise, develop and test a set of options for human-to-mouse CMS classifications of CRC tissue. METHODS: Using transcriptional data from established collections of CRC tumours, including human (TCGA cohort; n = 577) and mouse (n = 57 across n = 8 genotypes) tumours with combinations of random forest and nearest template prediction algorithms, alongside gene ontology collections, we comprehensively assess the performance of a suite of new dual-species classifiers. RESULTS: We developed three approaches: MmCMS-A; a gene-level classifier, MmCMS-B; an ontology-level approach and MmCMS-C; a combined pathway system encompassing multiple biological and histological signalling cascades. Although all options could identify tumours associated with stromal-rich CMS4-like biology, MmCMS-A was unable to accurately classify the biology underpinning epithelial-like subtypes (CMS2/3) in mouse tumours. CONCLUSIONS: When applying human-based transcriptional classifiers to mouse tumour data, a pathway-level classifier, rather than an individual gene-level system, is optimal. Our R package enables researchers to select suitable mouse models of human CRC subtype for their experimental testing.

Differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells toward tenocyte by platelet-derived growth factor-BB and growth differentiation factor-6.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are important in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering and will be a very sensible choice for repair and regeneration of tendon. New biological practices, such as cellular therapy using stem cells, are promising for facilitating or expediting tendon therapy. Before using these cells clinically, it is best to check and confirm the optimal conditions for differentiation of these cells in the laboratory. Hence, in the present study, the impacts of PDGF-BB and GDF-6 supplementation on adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs) culture were studied. The frozen ASC were recovered and expanded in basic culture medium (DMEM with 10%FBS). The cells after passage five (P5) were treated with basic medium containing L-Prolin, Ascorbic Acid and only PDGF-BB or GDF-6 (20 ng/ml) or both of them (mix) as 3 groups for 14 days to investigate efficiency of ASCs differentiation towards tenocytes. The cells culturing in basic medium were used as control group. To validate tenogenic differentiation, H&E and Sirius Red staining were used to assess cell morphology and collagen production, respectively. In addition, mRNA levels of collagen I and III, Scleraxis and Tenomodulin as tenogenic markers were analyzed using qPCR. In all test groups, cells appeared slenderer, elongated cytoplasmic attributes compared to the control cells. The intensity of Sirius Red staining was significantly higher in GDF-6, PDGF-BB alone, than in group without supplements. The optical density was higher in the GDF-6 than PDGF-BB and mix-group. QPCR results showed that Col I and III gene expression was increased in all groups compared to the control. SCX expression was significantly increased only in the PDGF-BB group. TNMD mRNA expression was not significant among groups. In this study, we have corroborated that human ASCs are reactionary to tenogenic induction by GDF-6 and PDGF-BB alone or in combination. These outcomes will help greater insight into GDF-6 and PDGF-BB driven tenogenesis of ASCs and new directions of discovery in the design of ASC-based treatments for tendon healing.

The effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone on alpha-2-macroglobulin in osteoblasts derived from human mesenchymal stem cells.

Nowadays, alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) gene has allocated escalating interest among several genes involved in the pathogenesis of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH). This molecule could interact with several osteogenic-related proteins. It was reported that adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) affects bones through its receptor located on osteoblasts, suggesting it as a potential target in ANFH treatment. In this study, the effect of ACTH on A2M expression was investigated in osteoblasts as well as during the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into osteoblasts. In this study, MSCs derived from bone marrow were isolated and purified using Ficoll gradient and several passaging. MSCs were characterized by induction with osteogenic and adipogenic medium followed by Oil Red O, Alizarin Red and alkaline phosphatase staining. Besides, MSCs were exposed to various concentrations of ACTH to evaluate the cell variability by MTT assay. MSCs and differentiated osteoblasts were treated with 10-8 molar ACTH for 16 and 26 days, respectively. Then, the total RNA was extracted and A2M expression was quantified by real-time qPCR. The protein expression levels of osteoblast markers including alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) and bone gamma-carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP) were also measured. The results showed that A2M expression in cells treated with ACTH was up-regulated significantly compared to the control group. Similarly, the expression of osteoblast gene markers including ALPL and BGLAP was significantly increased. ACTH, as an osteoblastic differentiation enhancer, up-regulates A2M, which promotes osteoblastic differentiation probably through TGF-ß induction.

CRISPR/Cas9 mediated GFP-human dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) promoter knock-in at the ROSA26 locus in mesenchymal stem cell for monitoring osteoblast differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is highly expressed in mineralized tooth and bone, playing a critical role in mineralization and phosphate metabolism. One important role for the expression of DMP1 in the nucleus of preosteoblasts is the up-regulation of osteoblast-specific genes such as osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase1 . The present study aimed to investigate the potential application of human DMP1 promoter as an indicator marker of osteoblastic differentiation. METHODS: In the present study, we developed DMP1 promoter-DsRed-GFP knock-in mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) via the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system that enabled automatic detection of osteoblast differentiation. With the application of a homology-directed knock-in strategy, a 2-kb fragment of DMP1 promoter, which was inserted upstream of the GFP and DsRed reporter cassette, was integrated into the human ROSA locus to generate double fluorescent cells. We further differentiated MSCs under osteogenic media to monitor the fate of MSCs. First, cells were transfected using CRISPR/Cas9 plasmids, which culminated in MSCs with a green fluorescence intensity, then GFP-positive cells were selected using puromycin. Second, the GFP-positive MSCs were differentiated toward osteoblasts, which demonstrated an increased red fluorescence intensity. The osteoblast differentiation of MSCs was also verified by performing alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin Red assays. RESULTS: We have exploited the DMP1 promoter as a predictive marker of MSC differentiation toward osteoblasts. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we have identified a distinctive change in the fluorescence intensities of GFP knock-in (green) and osteoblast differentiated MSCs 2 . CONCLUSIONS: The data show that DMP1-DsRed-GFP knock-in MSCs through CRISPR/Cas9 technology provide a valuable indicator for osteoblast differentiation. Moreover, The DMP1 promoter might be used as a predictive marker of MSCs differentiated toward osteoblasts.

Exosomal lncRNAs and cancer: connecting the missing links.

Motivation: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are potent and clinically valuable tools for early diagnosis, prognosis and potentially the targeted treatment of cancer. The content of EVs is closely related to the type and status of the EV-secreting cell. Circulating exosomes are a source of stable RNAs including mRNAs, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Results: This review outlines the links between EVs, lncRNAs and cancer. We highlight communication networks involving the tumor microenvironment, the immune system and metastasis. We show examples supporting the value of exosomal lncRNAs as cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We demonstrate how a system biology approach can be used to model cell-cell communication via exosomal lncRNAs and to simulate effects of therapeutic interventions. In addition, we introduce algorithms and bioinformatics resources for the discovery of tumor-specific lncRNAs and tools that are applied to determine exosome content and lncRNA function. Finally, this review provides a comprehensive collection and guide to databases for exosomal lncRNAs. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Induction of tenogenic differentiation of equine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells by platelet-derived growth factor-BB and growth differentiation factor-6.

Managing tendon healing process is complicated mainly due to the limited regeneration capacity of tendon tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have potential applications in regenerative medicine and have been considered for tendon repair and regeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of equine adipose tissue-derived cells (eASCs) to differentiate into tenocytes in response to platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and growth differentiation factor-6 (GDF-6) in vitro. Frozen characterized eASCS of 3 mares were thawed and the cells were expanded in basic culture medium (DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS). The cells at passage 5 were treated for 14 days in different conditions including: (1) control group in basic culture medium (CM), (2) induction medium as IM (CM containing L-prolin, and ascorbic acid (AA)) supplemented with PDGF-BB (20 ng/ml), (3) IM supplemented with GDF-6 (20 ng/ml), and (4) IM supplemented with PDGF-BB and GDF-6. At the end of culture period (14th day), tenogenic differentiation was evaluated. Sirius Red staining was used to assess collagen production, and H&E was used for assessing cell morphology. mRNA levels of collagen type 1 (colI), scleraxis (SCX), and Mohawk (MKX), as tenogenic markers, were analyzed using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). H&E staining showed a stretching and spindle shape (tenocyte-like) cells in all treated groups compared to unchanged from of cells in control groups. Also, Sirius red staining data showed a significant increase in collagen production in all treated groups compared with the control group. MKX expression was significantly increased in PDGF-BB and mixed groups and COLI expression was significantly increased only in PDGF-BB group. In conclusion, our results showed that PDGF-BB and GDF-6 combination could induce tenogenic differentiation in eASCs. These in vitro findings could be useful for cell therapy in equine regenerative medicine.

Comparison the effects of hypoxia-mimicking agents on migration-related signaling pathways in mesenchymal stem cells.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) have been designated as the promising agents for clinical applications for easy accessibility, multi-linage differentiation and immunomodulation capacity. Despite this, optimal cell delivery conditions have remained as a clinical challenge and improvement of stem cell homing to the target organs is being considered as a major strategy in cell therapy systemic injection. It has been shown that homing of mesenchymal stem cells are increased when treated with physical or chemical hypoxia-mimicking factors, however, efficiency of different agents remained to be determined. In this study, hypoxia-mimicking agents, including valproic acid (VPA), cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and deferoxamine (DFX) were examined to determine whether they are able to activate signaling molecules involved in migration of Ad-MSCs in vitro. We report that Ad-MSCs treated by DFX resulted in a significantly enhanced mRNA expression of MAPK4 (associated with MAPK signaling pathway), INPP4B (associated with Inositol polyphosphate pathway), VEGF-A and VEGF-C (associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor pathways), IL-8 and its receptor, CXCR2 (associated with IL-8 signaling pathway). While the cells treated with VPA did not show such effects and CoCl2 only upregulated VEGF-A and VEGF-C gene expression. Furthermore, results of wound-healing assays showed migration capacity of Ad-MSCs treated with DFX significantly increased 8 and 24 h of the treatment. This study provides credible evidence around DFX, which might be an effective drug for pharmacological preconditioning of Ad-MSCs to boost their homing capacity and regeneration of damaged tissues though, activation of the migration-related signaling pathways.

Adipocyte lineage differentiation potential of MSCs isolated from reaming material.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from various sources have been used for different therapeutic applications including tissue regeneration. Reamer/irrigator/aspirator (RIA) has been increasingly used in recent years for the derivation of MSCs. Here in this investigation we have comparatively analyzed MSCs obtained from iliac crest bone marrow (ICBM) and RIA for their morphology, cluster determinant (CD) markers, and adipogenic differentiation capacity. MSCs were isolated, cultured, and purified from both sources and then flow cytometric studies were performed to study their characteristics. The differentiation potential of RIA and ICBM was examined by an Oil Red O staining protocol. Moreover, the tissue-specific markers related to adipogenesis were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The cells were cultured in the relevant induction medium and then adipogenic lineage differentiation was tested and confirmed for all MSC preparations. Additionally, analysis by flow cytometer was indicative of RIA derived MSCs (RIA-MSCs) having a more homogenous population than ICBM derived MSCs. The RIA-MSCs differentiation toward adipogenic lineage was more efficient compared with ICBM-MSCs. Direct comparative analysis of RIA to ICBM-MSCs indicated that the RIA-MSCs had a higher potential toward adipocyte lineage differentiation compared with ICBM-MSCs.

Overexpression of MicroRNA-148b-3p stimulates osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: the role of MicroRNA-148b-3p in osteogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive choices in regenerative medicine and can be genetically modified to obtain better results in therapeutics. Bone development and metabolism are controlled by various factors including microRNAs (miRs) interference, which are small non-coding endogenous RNAs. METHODS: In the current study, the effects of forced miR-148b expression was evaluated on osteogenic activity. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were transduced with bicistronic lentiviral vector encoding hsa-miR-148b-3p or -5p and the enhanced green fluorescent protein. Fourteen days post-transduction, immunostaining as well as Western blotting were used to analyze osteogenesis. RESULTS: Overexpression of miR-148b-3p increased the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs as demonstrated by anenhancement of mineralized nodular formation and an increase in the levels of osteoblastic differentiation biomarkers, alkaline phosphatase and collagen type I. CONCLUSIONS: Since lentivirally overexpressed miR-148b-3p increased osteogenic differentiation capability of BM-MSCs, this miR could be applied as a therapeutic modulator to optimize bone function.

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells and keratinocytes co-culture on gelatin/chitosan/ß-glycerol phosphate nanoscaffold in skin regeneration.

Using cell-based engineered skin is an emerging strategy for treating difficult-to-heal wounds. To date, much endeavor has been devoted to the fabrication of appropriate scaffolds with suitable biomechanical properties to support cell viability and growth in the microenvironment of a wound. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) and keratinocytes on gelatin/chitosan/ß-glycerol phosphate (GCGP) nanoscaffold in full-thickness excisional skin wound healing of rats. For this purpose, AD-MSCs and keratinocytes were isolated from rats and GCGP nanoscaffolds were electrospun. Through an in vivo study, the percentage of wound closure was assessed on days 7, 14, and 21 after wound induction. Samples were taken from the wound sites in order to evaluate the density of collagen fibers and vessels at 7 and 14 days. Moreover, sampling was done on days 7 and 14 from wound sites to assess the density of collagen fibers and vessels. The wound closure rate was significantly increased in the keratinocytes-AD-MSCs-scaffold (KMS) group compared with other groups. The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor, collagen type 1, and CD34 were also significantly higher in the KMS group compared with the other groups. These results suggest that the combination of AD-MSCs and keratinocytes seeded onto GCGP nanoscaffold provides a promising treatment for wound healing.

Bone defect healing is induced by collagen sponge/polyglycolic acid.

We have evaluated the capability of a collagen/poly glycolic acid (PGA) scaffold in regeneration of a calvarial bone defects in rabbits. 4 bone critical size defects (CSD) were created in the calvarial bone of each rabbit. The following 4 treatment modalities were tested (1) a collagen/PGA scaffold (0.52% w/w); (2) the collagen/PGA scaffold (0.52% w/w) seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs, 1 × 106 cells per each defect); (3) AD-MSCs (1 × 106 cells) no scaffold material, and (4) blank control. The rabbits were then divided into 3 random groups (of 5) and the treatment outcomes were evaluated at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. New bone formation was histologically assessed. Experimental groups were analyzed by CT scan and real-time PCR. Histological analysis of bone defects treated with collagen/PGA alone exhibited significant fibrous connective tissue formation at the 12 weeks of treatments (P ≤ 0.05). There was no significant difference between collagen/PGA alone and collagen/PGA + AD-MSCs groups. The results were confirmed by CT scan data showing healing percentages of 34.20% for the collage/PGA group alone as compared to the control group and no difference with collagen/PGA containing AD-MSCs (1 × 106 cells). RT-PCR analysis also indicated no significant differences between collagen/PGA and collagen/PGA + AD-MSC groups, although both scaffold containing groups significantly express ALP and SIO rather than groups without scaffolds. Although there was no significant difference between the scaffolds containing cells with non-cellular scaffolds, our results indicated that the Collagen/PGA scaffold itself had a significant effect on wound healing as compared to the control group. Therefore, the collagen/PGA scaffold seems to be a promising candidate for research in bone regeneration.

Cancer metastasis versus stem cell homing: Role of platelets.

One of the major obstacles in achieving a successful stem cell therapy is insufficient homing of transplanted cells. To overcome this obstacle, understanding the underlying mechanisms of stem cell homing is of obvious importance. Central to this review is the concept that cancer metastasis can be viewed as a role model to build up a comprehensive concept of stem cell homing. In this novel perspective, the prosurvival choices of the cancerous cells in the bloodstream, their arrest, extravasation, and proliferation at the secondary site can be exploited in favor of targeted stem cell homing. To date, tumor cells have been found to employ a wide variety of strategies to promote metastasis. One of these strategies is through their ability to activate platelets and subsequently activated platelets serve cancer cell survival and metastasis. Accordingly, in the first part of this review the roles of platelets in cancer metastasis as well as stem cell homing are discussed. Next, we provide some lessons learned from cancer metastasis in favor of developing strategies for improvement of stem cell homing with emphasis on the role of platelets. Based on direct or indirect evidence from metastasis, strategies such as manipulation of stem cells to enhance interaction with platelets, preconditioning-pretreatment of stem cells with platelets in vitro, and coinjection of both stem cells and platelets are proposed to improve stem cell homing.

Cardiomyogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells transduced with Tbx20-encoding lentiviral vectors.

Ischemic heart disease often results in myocardial infarction and is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Improvement in the function of infarcted myocardium is a main purpose of cardiac regenerative medicine. One possible way to reach this goal is via stem cell therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types but display limited cardiomyogenic differentiation potential. Members of the T-box family of transcription factors including Tbx20 play important roles in heart development and cardiomyocyte homeostasis. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the potential of Tbx20 to enhance the cardiomyogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived MSCs (ADMSCs). Human ADMSCs were transduced with a bicistronic lentiviral vector encoding Tbx20 (murine) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and analyzed 7 and 14 days post transduction. Transduction of human ADMSCs with this lentiviral vector increased the expression of the cardiomyogenic differentiation markers ACTN1, TNNI3, ACTC1, NKX2.5, TBX20 (human), and GATA4 as revealed by RT-qPCR. Consistently, immunocytological results showed elevated expression of α-actinin and cardiac troponin I in these cells in comparison to the cells transduced with control lentiviral particles coding for eGFP alone. Accordingly, forced expression of Tbx20 exerts cardiomyogenic effects on human ADMSCs by increasing the expression of cardiomyogenic differentiation markers at the RNA and protein level.

Cardiogenic effects of characterized Geum urbanum extracts on adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells.

Stem cell therapy is considered as a promising treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) have the ability to undergo cardiomyogenesis. Medicinal plants are effective and safe candidates for cell differentiation. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate cardiogenic effects of characterized (HPLC-UV) extracts of Geum urbanum on ADMSCs of adipose tissue. The methanolic extracts of the root and aerial parts of G. urbanum were obtained and MTT assay was used for studying their cytotoxic effects. Then, cells were treated with 50 or 100 µg/mL of the extracts from root and aerial parts of G. urbanum. MTT assay showed that the extracts of G. urbanum did not have any toxic effects on ADMSCs. Immunostaining results showed increase in the expression of α-actinin and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR data confirmed the upregulation of ACTN, ACTC1, and TNNI3 genes in ADMSCs after treatment. According to HPLC fingerprinting, some cardiogenic effects of G. urbanum extracts are probably due to ellagic and gallic acid derivatives. Our findings indicated that G. urbanum extracts effectively upregulated some essential cardiogenic markers, which confirmed the therapeutic role of this plant as a traditional cardiac medicine.

The RNA world in the 21st century-a systems approach to finding non-coding keys to clinical questions.

There was evidence that RNAs are a functionally rich class of molecules not only since the arrival of the next-generation sequencing technology. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) could be the key to accelerated diagnosis and enhanced prediction of disease and therapy outcomes as well as the design of advanced therapeutic strategies to overcome yet unsatisfactory approaches.In this review, we discuss the state of the art in RNA systems biology with focus on the application in the systems biomedicine field. We propose guidelines for analysing the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in human pathologies. We introduce RNA expression profiling and network approaches for the identification of stable and effective RNomics-based biomarkers, providing insights into the role of ncRNAs in disease regulation. Towards this, we discuss ways to model the dynamics of gene regulatory networks and signalling pathways that involve ncRNAs. We also describe data resources and computational methods for finding putative mechanisms of action of ncRNAs. Finally, we discuss avenues for the computer-aided design of novel RNA-based therapeutics.

Supportive properties of basement membrane layer of human amniotic membrane enable development of tissue engineering applications.

Human amniotic membrane (HAM) has been widely used as a natural scaffold in tissue engineering due to many of its unique biological properties such as providing growth factors, cytokines and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. This study aimed at finding the most suitable and supportive layer of HAM as a delivery system for autologous or allogeneic cell transplantation. Three different layers of HAM were examined including basement membrane, epithelial and stromal layers. In order to prepare the basement membrane, de-epithelialization was performed using 0.5 M NaOH and its efficiency was investigated by histological stainings, DNA quantification, biomechanical testing and electron microscopy. Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) and a human immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) were seeded on the three different layers of HAM and cultured for 3 weeks. The potential of the three different layers of HAM to support the attachment and viability of cells were then monitored by histology, electron microscopy and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Moreover, mechanical strengths of the basement membrane were assessed before and after cell culture. The results indicated that the integrity of extra cellular matrix (ECM) components was preserved after de-epithelialization and resulted in producing an intact basement amniotic membrane (BAM). Moreover, all three layers of HAM could support the attachment and proliferation of cells with no visible cytotoxic effects. However, the growth and viability of both cell types on the BAM were significantly higher than the other two layers. We conclude that growth stimulating effectors of BAM and its increased mechanical strength after culturing of ASCs, besides lack of immunogenicity make it an ideal model for delivering allogeneic cells and tissue engineering applications.

Using paracrine effects of Ad-MSCs on keratinocyte cultivation and fabrication of epidermal sheets for improving clinical applications.

Recent advances in wound healing have made cell therapy a potential approach for the treatment of various types of skin defects such as trauma, burns, scars and diabetic leg ulcers. Cultured keratinocytes have been applied to burn patients since 1981. Patients with acute and chronic wounds can be treated with autologous/allograft cultured keratinocytes. There are various methods for cultivation of epidermal keratinocytes used in cell therapy. One of the important properties of an efficient cell therapy is the preservation of epidermal stem cells. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are major regulatory cells involved in the acceleration of wound healing via induction of cell proliferation, angiogenesis and stimulating the release of paracrine signaling molecules. Considering the beneficial effects of MSCs on wound healing, the main aim of the present study is investigating paracrine effects of Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (Ad-MSCs) on cultivation of keratinocytes with focusing on preservation of stem cells and their differentiation process. We further introduced a new approach for culturing isolated keratinocytes in vitro in order to generate epidermal keratinocyte sheets without using a feeder layer. To do so, Ad-MSC conditioned medium was applied as an alternative to commercial media for keratinocyte cultivation. In this study, the expression of several stem/progenitor cell (P63, K19 and K14) and differentition (K10, IVL and FLG) markers was examined using real time PCR on days 7, 14 and 21 of culture in keratinocytes in Ad-MSC conditioned medium. P63 and α6 integrin expression was also evaluated via flow cytometry. The results were compared with control group including keratinocytes cultured in EpiLife medium and our data indicated that this Ad-MSC conditioned medium is a good alternative for keratinocyte cultivation and producing epidermal sheets for therapeutic and clinical purposes. The reasons are the expression of stem cell and differentiation markers and overcoming the requirement for feeder layer which leads to a xenograft-free transplantation. Besides, this approach has low cost and is easier to perform. However, more in vitro and in vivo experiments as well as safety evaluation required before clinical applications.

Synthesis and characterization of PLGA/collagen composite scaffolds as skin substitute produced by electrospinning through two different approaches.

Skin damage can occur for many reasons, including burns and injuries, which in extreme cases can even lead to death. Different methods such as electrospinning are used to produce scaffolds used in skin tissue engineering. Natural and synthetic polymers were used in this method. It was observed that the use of both natural and synthetic polymers gives better results for cell culturing rather than using of each material solely. In this study, scaffolds of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and collagen were prepared using coating and common solvent methods. The characteristics of samples were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy, porosimetry, mechanical testing, degradation behavior, and in vitro assays. The mechanical and biocompatibility test results of the scaffold prepared by coating method were better than the other one. However, the degradation rate of the common solvent was nearly five times more than coating sample that leads to cytotoxicity in contact with the skin cells.

Standardized Sophora pachycarpa Root Extract Enhances Osteogenic Differentiation in Adipose-derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Bone defect is an important topic in public health. Novel therapies are based on osteogenic induction by natural antiosteoporotic compounds including plant-derived estrogens. In the current study, the osteogenic potential of Sophora pachycarpa root extract (SPRE) was explored on human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Herein, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were osteoinducted in the presence of increased concentrations of the extract for 21 days. Then, cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and the differentiated cells were stained by Alizarin Red S for calcium deposition and subjected to alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay for enzymatic activity. To assess the expression of bone-related genes, treated cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The MTT test demonstrated that SPRE had no toxic effects on the cell viability. Treating the cells with SPRE noticeably promoted ALP activity, mineralization, and mRNA expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone gamma-carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1). Additionally, cells subjected to 0.1 µg/mL SPRE showed the highest osteogenic effects. According to high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprinting of SPRE, the osteoprotective effects of SPRE is probably due to presence of phytochemicals with estrogen-like activity in the extract. Thus, SPRE might be a suitable therapeutic agent for bone defects therapy in the future research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.