Induced pluripotent stem cells as a potential therapeutic source for corneal epithelial stem cells.

Corneal blindness caused by limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is one of the most common debilitating eye disorders. Thus far, the most effective treatment for LSCD is corneal transplantation, which is often hindered by the shortage of donors. Pluripotent stem cell technology including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have opened new avenues for treating this disease. iPSCs-derived corneal epithelial cells provide an autologous and unlimited source of cells for the treatment of LSCD. On the other hand, iPSCs of LSCD patients can be used for iPSCs-corneal disease model and new drug discovery. However, prior to clinical trial, the efficacy and safety of these cells in patients with LSCD should be proved. Here we focused on the current status of iPSCs-derived corneal epithelial cells used for cell therapy as well as for corneal disease modeling. The challenges and potential of iPSCs-derived corneal epithelial cells as a choice for clinical treatment in corneal disease were also discussed.

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of lanthanum(III) complexes containing 2-methylene-1,10-phenanthroline units bridged by aliphatic diamines.

Two novel lanthanum(III) complexes containing 2-methylene-1,10-phenanthroline units bridged by aliphatic diamines were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR, thermal analysis and conductance measurements. They have been assayed for anticancer activity in vitro against HL-60 (human leukocytoma) cells, PC-3MIE8 (human prostate carcinoma) cells, BGC-823 (human stomach carcinoma) cells, MDA-MB-435 (human galactophore carcinoma) cells, Bel-7402 (human liver carcinoma) cells, and Hela (human cervix carcinoma) cells. The results show that the two complexes exhibit good cytotoxic activities against different cell lines in general, especially more effective than cisplatin against Bel-7402, BGC-823 and MDA-MB-435 cell lines. DNA-binding studies indicate that, besides the intercalation, the complexes bind to DNA by the other interaction(s), which might be responsible for the production of more compact DNA, coinciding with more A-like feature of DNA as suggested by CD spectra.

Spectroscopy, cytotoxicity and DNA-binding of the lanthanum(III) complex of an L-valine derivative of 1,10-phenanthroline.

The interaction of the lanthanum(III) La(III)-L (L=N,N'-bis-(1-carboxy-2-methylpropyl)-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dimethanamine) complex with calf thymus DNA was studied by electronic spectra, fluorescence spectra and circular dichroic spectra. The La(III)-L complex was assayed for antitumor activity in vitro against the HL-60 (the human leucocytoma) cells, HCT-8 (the human coloadenocarcinoma) cells, BGC-823 (the human carcinoma of stomach) cells, Bel-7402 (the human liver carcinoma) cells and KB (the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma) cells. The results show that the La(III)-L complex has activity against HL-60 cells, Bel-7402 cells and KB cells. Moreover, it is slightly more effective against Bel-7402 cell line than cisplatin. Using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe, the binding mode of the La(III)-L complex to calf-thymus DNA was studied spectroscopically. For comparison, the same measurements were carried out with La(III)-Phen [La(III)-1,10-phenanthroline complex] and La(III)-Val [La(III)-L-valine complex]. The results indicate that the La(III)-L and La(III)-Phen complexes possibly interact with calf-thymus DNA by both intercalative and coordination binding, whereas the La(III)-Val complex interacts with calf-thymus DNA by coordination binding. Kinetics of binding of the three complexes to DNA is for the first time studied using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe with stopped-flow spectrophotometer under pseudo-first-order condition. The strong two-step mechanisms in the process of the La(III)-L and La(III)-Phen complexes and one step in the process of the complex La(III)-Val interacting with DNA are observed, and the k(obs) (observed pseudo-first-order rate constant) and E(a) (observed energy of activation) values of binding to DNA are obtained.