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1.
Am J Transplant ; 24(6): 1046-1056, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38342183

ABSTRACT

Donor-derived infections (DDIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) in solid organ transplant recipients are potentially life-threatening. In this prospective study, we evaluated the incidence, factors associated with transmission, and the outcome of recipients with unexpected CR-GNB DDIs after the implementation of our local active surveillance system (LASS). LASS provides for early detection of unexpected donor CR-GNB infections, prophylaxis of recipients at high risk, and early diagnosis and treatment of DDIs. Whole genome sequencing confirmed DDI. Among 791 recipients, 38 (4.8%) were at high risk of unexpected CR-GNB DDI: 25 for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and 13 for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Transmission did not occur in 27 (71%) cases, whereas DDIs occurred in 9 of 25 of CRE and 2 of 13 of CRAB cases. Incidence of CR-GNB DDI was 1.4%. Recipients of organs with CR-GNB-positive preservation fluid and liver recipients from a donor with CRE infection were at the highest risk of DDI. There was no difference in length of hospital stay or survival in patients with and without CR-GNB DDI. Our LASS contains transmission and mitigates the negative impacts of CR-GNB DDI. Under well-defined conditions, organs from donors with CR-GNB may be considered after a thorough evaluation of the risk/benefit profile.


Subject(s)
Carbapenems , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections , Organ Transplantation , Tissue Donors , Transplant Recipients , Humans , Organ Transplantation/adverse effects , Male , Carbapenems/pharmacology , Carbapenems/therapeutic use , Prospective Studies , Female , Middle Aged , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/epidemiology , Adult , Risk Factors , Incidence , Follow-Up Studies , Prognosis , Aged , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/isolation & purification , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Postoperative Complications
2.
Infection ; 52(1): 259-263, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37759073

ABSTRACT

CASE PRESENTATION: A pregnant woman developed hepatitis due to a herpes simplex virus 2 primary infection with a severe systemic inflammatory response. Treatment with acyclovir and human immunoglobulin was given and both mother and baby survived. PURPOSE: We provide the first description of the inflammatory response associated with herpetic hepatitis in pregnancy.


Subject(s)
Hepatitis A , Hepatitis , Herpes Simplex , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious , Pregnancy , Female , Humans , Herpesvirus 2, Human , Herpes Simplex/diagnosis , Herpes Simplex/drug therapy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/diagnosis , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/drug therapy , Cytokine Release Syndrome/complications , Acyclovir/therapeutic use , Hepatitis/complications
3.
Clin Infect Dis ; 76(3): e1484-e1491, 2023 02 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35686318

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Molecular analysis (MA) on heart valve (HV) improves the microbiologic diagnosis of infectious endocarditis (IE). The main drawback of MA is the lack of antimicrobial susceptibility information. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort observational study of consecutive adult patients from April 2012 to May 2021 who underwent valve surgery at our hospital. The performance of MA, blood cultures (BC) and valve cultures (VC), and the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of MA were evaluated. Molecular antibiogram results were compared to culture-based antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). RESULTS: A total of 137 patients with definite IE and 52 patients with no IE were enrolled in the study. Among IE cases BC, VC, and MA were positive in 75 (55%), 30 (22%), and 120 (88%) of IE cases, respectively. Among 62 cases of BC-negative IE (BCNE), 57 achieved diagnosis with MA. MA led to a change of antimicrobial therapy in 92% of BCNE. MA was negative in 100% of patients with no IE. Molecular antibiogram performed on 17 valve specimens that resulted positive for pathogens potential carrier of genes encoding for multidrug resistant mechanisms showed 100% concordance with AST. CONCLUSIONS: MA showed a high specificity and sensitivity in etiological diagnosis of IE. Molecular antibiogram could overcome the major limitation of MA that is the lack of susceptibility testing. We advocate for the inclusion of MA among diagnostic criteria for IE and for a more extensive use of molecular antibiogram when the culture result is negative, and MA is the only positive test.


Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents , Endocarditis, Bacterial , Endocarditis , Adult , Humans , Prospective Studies , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Endocarditis, Bacterial/diagnosis , Endocarditis, Bacterial/drug therapy , Endocarditis, Bacterial/microbiology , Endocarditis/diagnosis , Endocarditis/drug therapy , Endocarditis/microbiology , DNA/therapeutic use , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use , Microbial Sensitivity Tests
4.
Curr Issues Mol Biol ; 45(2): 1471-1482, 2023 Feb 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36826040

ABSTRACT

SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has altered human activities all over the world and has become a global hazard to public health. Despite considerable advancements in pandemic containment techniques, in which vaccination played a key role, COVID-19 remains a global threat, particularly for frail patients and unvaccinated individuals, who may be more susceptible to developing ARDS. Several studies reported that patients with COVID-19-related ARDS who were treated with ECMO had a similar survival rate to those with COVID-19-unrelated ARDS. In order to shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying the COVID-19 infection, we conducted this proof-of-concept study using single-cell V(D)J and gene expression sequencing of B cells to examine the dynamic changes in the transcriptomic BCR repertoire present in patients with COVID-19 at various stages. We compared a recovered and a deceased COVID-19 patient supported by ECMO with one COVID-19-recovered patient who did not receive ECMO treatment and one healthy subject who had never been infected previously. Our analysis revealed a downregulation of FXYD, HLA-DRB1, and RPS20 in memory B cells; MTATP8 and HLA-DQA1 in naïve cells; RPS4Y1 in activated B cells; and IGHV3-73 in plasma cells in COVID-19 patients. We further described an increased ratio of IgA + IgG to IgD + IgM, suggestive of an intensive memory antibody response, in the COVID ECMO D patient. Finally, we assessed a V(D)J rearrangement of heavy chain IgHV3, IGHJ4, and IGHD3/IGHD2 families in COVID-19 patients regardless of the severity of the disease.

5.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(17)2023 Aug 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37686355

ABSTRACT

Neural stem cells (NSCs) were described for the first time more than two decades ago for their ability to differentiate into all neural cell lineages. The isolation of NSCs from adults and embryos was carried out by various laboratories and in different species, from mice to humans. Similarly, no more than two decades ago, cancer stem cells were described. Cancer stem cells, previously identified in hematological malignancies, have now been isolated from several solid tumors (breast, brain, and gastrointestinal compartment). Though the origin of these cells is still unknown, there is a wide consensus about their role in tumor onset, propagation and, in particular, resistance to treatments. Normal and neoplastic neural stem cells share common characteristics, and can thus be considered as two sides of the same coin. This is particularly true in the case of the Zika virus (ZIKV), which has been described as an inhibitor of neural development by specifically targeting NSCs. This understanding prompted us and other groups to evaluate ZIKV action in glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). The results indicate an oncolytic activity of this virus vs. GSCs, opening potentially new possibilities in glioblastoma treatment.


Subject(s)
Glioblastoma , Zika Virus Infection , Zika Virus , Adult , Humans , Animals , Mice , Glioblastoma/therapy , Neoplastic Stem Cells , Brain
6.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(24)2023 Dec 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38139100

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality. Recently, our group and others have demonstrated the oncolytic activity of the Zika virus (ZIKV) against glioblastoma. The peculiar features of this virus offer the opportunity to use an agent already tested in vivo through natural transmission, with minimal effects on adults, to specifically target a tumor such as glioblastoma. This remarkable specificity prompted us to explore the potential use of ZIKV oncolytic action against other tumor types. In particular, we focused on the subgroup of pancreatic tumors with a neuroendocrine origin known as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). We found that ZIKV exerts its oncolytic activity by specifically infecting NET cells, leading to growth inhibition and cell death. We also assessed whether the oncolytic action could be extended to pancreatic tumors different from NETs. However, as expected, the viral specificity is limited to NETs and is not applicable to adenocarcinoma tumors, indicating a narrow spectrum of action for this virus. These findings support the potential use of ZIKV in therapeutic approaches not only in glioblastoma, but also against other tumors, such as neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors.


Subject(s)
Glioblastoma , Neuroendocrine Tumors , Oncolytic Virotherapy , Oncolytic Viruses , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Zika Virus Infection , Zika Virus , Adult , Humans , Zika Virus/physiology , Glioblastoma/therapy , Neuroendocrine Tumors/pathology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatic Hormones
7.
Langmuir ; 38(11): 3403-3411, 2022 03 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35262354

ABSTRACT

Biomolecule-targeted imaging represents one of the most difficult challenges in medicine. Nanoerythrosomes (NERs) are nanovesicles obtained after lysis of red blood cells, and they are promising tools for drug delivery and imaging. In this work, a formulation based on NERs functionalized with 7-amino-3-methylcoumarin via cross-linking was tested on rat INS-1E and mouse MIN6 ß-cells and endothelial MSI cell lines. First, the morphology, size, ζ-potentials, and spectroscopic properties of the aggregates were investigated, highlighting that the functionalization did not significantly affect the nanoparticles' physicochemical features. In vitro, the nanoparticles did not significantly affect the proliferation and function of INS-1E and MIN6 ß-cells at different concentrations. Only at the highest concentration tested on the MSI cell line, the formulation inhibited proliferation. Furthermore, NER aggregates were not internalized in both INS-1E and MIN6 cell lines, while a diffuse fluorescence was noticed in the cytosol of the MSI cell line at the highest concentrations. These findings proved that NER formulations might represent a new nanotool for ß-cell imaging as a part of a strategy aimed to prevent any intracellular accumulation, thus reducing/avoiding side effects.


Subject(s)
Endothelial Cells , Insulin-Secreting Cells , Animals , Biological Transport , Cell Line , Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Insulin/metabolism , Insulin-Secreting Cells/metabolism , Mice , Rats
8.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(2)2022 Jan 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35055040

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a severe and often fatal infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites. The only cure for SBP is antibiotic therapy, but the emerging problem of bacterial resistance requires novel therapeutic strategies. Human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hA-MSCs) possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties that can be harnessed as a therapy in such a context. METHODS: An in vitro applications of hA-MSCs in ascitic fluid (AF) of cirrhotic patients, subsequently infected with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, was performed. We evaluated the effects of hA-MSCs on bacterial load, innate immunity factors, and macrophage phenotypic expression. RESULTS: hA-MSCs added to AF significantly reduce the proliferation of both bacterial strains at 24 h and diversely affect M1 and M2 polarization, C3a complement protein, and ficolin 3 concentrations during the course of infection, in a bacterial strain-dependent fashion. CONCLUSION: This study shows the potential usefulness of hA-MSC in treating ascites infected with carbapenem-resistant bacteria and lays the foundation to further investigate antibacterial and anti-inflammatory roles of hA-MSC in in vivo models.


Subject(s)
Amnion/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Peritoneal Fibrosis/etiology , Peritoneal Fibrosis/therapy , Bacterial Load , Biomarkers , Carbapenems/pharmacology , Complement Activation/immunology , Complement System Proteins/immunology , Complement System Proteins/metabolism , Disease Susceptibility , Enterobacter/drug effects , Enterobacter/genetics , Enterobacteriaceae Infections/complications , Enterobacteriaceae Infections/microbiology , Humans , Immunomodulation , Inflammation Mediators , Macrophages , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Peritoneal Fibrosis/metabolism , Peritonitis/complications , Peritonitis/microbiology , Phagocytosis , Receptors, Pattern Recognition/metabolism , Treatment Outcome , beta-Lactam Resistance
9.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(2)2022 Jan 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35054891

ABSTRACT

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor mainly occurring in young adults and derived from primitive bone-forming mesenchyme. OS develops in an intricate tumor microenvironment (TME) where cellular function regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) may affect communication between OS cells and the surrounding TME. Therefore, miRNAs are considered potential therapeutic targets in cancer and one of the goals of research is to accurately define a specific signature of a miRNAs, which could reflect the phenotype of a particular tumor, such as OS. Through NGS approach, we previously found a specific molecular profile of miRNAs in OS and discovered 8 novel miRNAs. Among these, we deepen our knowledge on the fifth candidate renamed now miR-CT3. MiR-CT3 expression was low in OS cells when compared with human primary osteoblasts and healthy bone. Through TargetScan, VEGF-A was predicted as a potential biological target of miR-CT3 and luciferase assay confirmed it. We showed that enforced expression of miR-CT3 in two OS cell lines, SAOS-2 and MG-63, reduced expression of VEGF-A mRNA and protein, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Enforced expression of miR-CT3 also reduced OS cell migration and invasion as confirmed by soft agar colony formation assay. Interestingly, we found that miR-CT3 behaves inducing the activation of p38 MAP kinase pathway and modulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins, in particular reducing Vimentin expression. Overall, our study highlights the novel role of miR-CT3 in regulating tumor angiogenesis and progression in OS cells, linking also to the modulation of EMT proteins.


Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition , MAP Kinase Signaling System , MicroRNAs , Neovascularization, Pathologic , Osteosarcoma , Humans , Bone Neoplasms/genetics , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Line , Cell Line, Tumor , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/physiology , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics , Osteoblasts/metabolism , Osteoblasts/physiology , Osteosarcoma/genetics , Osteosarcoma/secondary
10.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(23)2022 Nov 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36499373

ABSTRACT

At present, there is a lack of clinical evidence about the impact and long-term durability of the immune response induced by the third dose of mRNA vaccines. In this study, we followed up the B cell compartment behavior in a cohort of immunocompetent individuals three and six months after the third dose of vaccine. During this period, some subjects contracted the virus. In uninfected vaccinated subjects, we did not report any changes in serum spike-specific IgG levels, with a significant reduction in IgA. Instead, subjects recovered from natural infection showed a significant increase in both specific IgG and IgA. Moreover, we showed a time-related decrease in IgG neutralizing potential to all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in uninfected compared to recovered subjects, who displayed an increased neutralizing ability, particularly against the omicron variant. Finally, we underlined the presence of a pool of SARS-CoV-2-specific B cells in both groups that are prone to respond to restimulation, as demonstrated by their ability to differentiate into plasma cells and to produce anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulins. These data lead us to assert the long-term effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine in contrasting the severe form of the pathology and prevent COVID-19-associated hospitalization.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Memory B Cells , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , BNT162 Vaccine , COVID-19/prevention & control , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Immunoglobulin G , Antibodies, Viral
11.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(2)2022 Jan 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35055049

ABSTRACT

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are believed to function in vivo as a homeostatic tool that shows therapeutic properties for tissue repair/regeneration. Conventionally, these cells are expanded in two-dimensional (2D) cultures, and, in that case, MSCs undergo genotypic/phenotypic changes resulting in a loss of their therapeutic capabilities. Moreover, several clinical trials using MSCs have shown controversial results with moderate/insufficient therapeutic responses. Different priming methods were tested to improve MSC effects, and three-dimensional (3D) culturing techniques were also examined. MSC spheroids display increased therapeutic properties, and, in this context, it is crucial to understand molecular changes underlying spheroid generation. To address these limitations, we performed RNA-seq on human amnion-derived MSCs (hAMSCs) cultured in both 2D and 3D conditions and examined the transcriptome changes associated with hAMSC spheroid formation. We found a large number of 3D culture-sensitive genes and identified selected genes related to 3D hAMSC therapeutic effects. In particular, we observed that these genes can regulate proliferation/differentiation, as well as immunomodulatory and angiogenic processes. We validated RNA-seq results by qRT-PCR and methylome analysis and investigation of secreted factors. Overall, our results showed that hAMSC spheroid culture represents a promising approach to cell-based therapy that could significantly impact hAMSC application in the field of regenerative medicine.


Subject(s)
Amnion/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Transcriptome , Biomarkers , Cell Culture Techniques , Cell Differentiation , Cell Separation , Cells, Cultured , Computational Biology/methods , Epigenesis, Genetic , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation , Gene Ontology , Humans , Immunophenotyping , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Molecular Sequence Annotation , Regenerative Medicine
12.
Lancet Oncol ; 22(3): e93-e104, 2021 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33662300

ABSTRACT

For patients diagnosed with cancer who have previously received an organ transplant, radiotherapy represents a challenging clinical scenario without well established care algorithms. Immunosuppressive therapy can be a cause for concern among clinicians treating this category of patients. Potential immune modulation following irradiation could affect recipient organ tolerance and the outcomes of the transplantation itself. The main aim of this systematic review was to define the safety and effectiveness of radiotherapy in patients diagnosed with cancer who have previously received an organ transplant. We searched PubMed and Embase for articles published between Jan 1, 1995, and April 30, 2020 for studies in patients who had undergone radiotherapy for post-transplantation malignancies. The Review is framed by the PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcomes) criteria, and primarily focuses on modern treatment techniques.


Subject(s)
Immunosuppression Therapy/adverse effects , Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Organ Transplantation/adverse effects , Radiation Oncology/standards , Humans , Neoplasms/etiology , Neoplasms/pathology
13.
J Cell Mol Med ; 25(18): 8687-8700, 2021 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34390171

ABSTRACT

In developed countries, cardiovascular diseases are currently the first cause of death. Cardiospheres (CSs) and cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) have been found to have the ability to regenerate the myocardium after myocardial infarction (MI). In recent years, much effort has been made to gain insight into the human heart repair mechanisms, in which miRNAs have been shown to play an important role. In this regard, to elucidate the involvement of miRNAs, we evaluated the miRNA expression profile across human heart biopsy, CSs and CDCs using microarray and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. We identified several miRNAs more represented in the progenitors, where some of them can be responsible for the proliferation or the maintenance of an undifferentiated state, while others have been found to be downregulated in the undifferentiated progenitors compared with the biopsies. Moreover, we also found a correlation between downregulated miRNAs in CSs/CDCs and patient age (eg miR-490) and an inverse correlation among miRNAs upregulated in CSs/CDCs (eg miR-31).


Subject(s)
Aging/metabolism , Cardiovascular Diseases , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Adult , Aged , Cardiovascular Diseases/metabolism , Cardiovascular Diseases/therapy , Cell Proliferation , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Stem Cells , Young Adult
14.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(20)2021 Oct 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34681654

ABSTRACT

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive among the neurological tumors. At present, no chemotherapy or radiotherapy regimen is associated with a positive long-term outcome. In the majority of cases, the tumor recurs within 32-36 weeks of initial treatment. The recent discovery that Zika virus (ZIKV) has an oncolytic action against GBM has brought hope for the development of new therapeutic approaches. ZIKV is an arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family, and its infection during development has been associated with central nervous system (CNS) malformations, including microcephaly, through the targeting of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs). This finding has led various groups to evaluate ZIKV's effects against glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), supposedly responsible for GBM onset, progression, and therapy resistance. While preliminary data support ZIKV tropism toward GSCs, a more accurate study of ZIKV mechanisms of action is fundamental in order to launch ZIKV-based clinical trials for GBM patients.


Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Glioblastoma/therapy , Oncolytic Virotherapy/methods , Zika Virus/genetics , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Glioblastoma/pathology , Humans , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Neoplastic Stem Cells/cytology , Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism , Neoplastic Stem Cells/virology , Neural Stem Cells/cytology , Neural Stem Cells/metabolism , Neural Stem Cells/virology , Zika Virus/physiology
15.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(2)2021 Jan 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33466583

ABSTRACT

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that support homeostasis during tissue regeneration. In the last decade, cell therapies based on the use of MSCs have emerged as a promising strategy in the field of regenerative medicine. Although these cells possess robust therapeutic properties that can be applied in the treatment of different diseases, variables in preclinical and clinical trials lead to inconsistent outcomes. MSC therapeutic effects result from the secretion of bioactive molecules affected by either local microenvironment or MSC culture conditions. Hence, MSC paracrine action is currently being explored in several clinical settings either using a conditioned medium (CM) or MSC-derived exosomes (EXOs), where these products modulate tissue responses in different types of injuries. In this scenario, MSC paracrine mechanisms provide a promising framework for enhancing MSC therapeutic benefits, where the composition of secretome can be modulated by priming of the MSCs. In this review, we examine the literature on the priming of MSCs as a tool to enhance their therapeutic properties applicable to the main processes involved in tissue regeneration, including the reduction of fibrosis, the immunomodulation, the stimulation of angiogenesis, and the stimulation of resident progenitor cells, thereby providing new insights for the therapeutic use of MSCs-derived products.


Subject(s)
Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Regenerative Medicine/methods , Animals , Culture Media, Conditioned/metabolism , Exosomes/metabolism , Humans , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , Neovascularization, Physiologic , Paracrine Communication
16.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(15)2021 Jul 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34360991

ABSTRACT

The possibility to reproduce key tissue functions in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is offering an incredible opportunity to gain better insight into biological mechanisms underlying development and disease, and a tool for the rapid screening of drug candidates. This review attempts to summarize recent strategies for specification of iPSCs towards hepatobiliary lineages -hepatocytes and cholangiocytes-and their use as platforms for disease modeling and drug testing. The application of different tissue-engineering methods to promote accurate and reliable readouts is discussed. Space is given to open questions, including to what extent these novel systems can be informative. Potential pathways for improvement are finally suggested.


Subject(s)
Cellular Reprogramming Techniques/methods , Digestive System Diseases/therapy , Drug Discovery/methods , Hepatocytes/cytology , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology , Precision Medicine/methods , Animals , Cell Lineage , Digestive System Diseases/metabolism , Digestive System Diseases/pathology , Hepatocytes/metabolism , Humans , Tissue Engineering/methods
17.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(2)2021 Jan 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33419219

ABSTRACT

The clinical results of lung transplantation (LTx) are still less favorable than other solid organ transplants in both the early and long term. The fragility of the lungs limits the procurement rate and can favor the occurrence of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) with Steen SolutionTM (SS) aims to address problems, and the implementation of EVLP to alleviate the activation of IRI-mediated processes has been achieved using mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC)-based treatments. In this study, we investigated the paracrine effects of human amnion-derived MSCs (hAMSCs) in an in vitro model of lung IRI that includes cold ischemia and normothermic EVLP. We found that SS enriched by a hAMSC-conditioned medium (hAMSC-CM) preserved the viability and delayed the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells (A549) through the downregulation of inflammatory factors and the upregulation of antiapoptotic factors. These effects were more evident using the CM of 3D hAMSC cultures, which contained an increased amount of immunosuppressive and growth factors compared to both 2D cultures and encapsulated-hAMSCs. To conclude, we demonstrated an in vitro model of lung IRI and provided evidence that a hAMSC-CM attenuated IRI effects by improving the efficacy of EVLP, leading to strategies for a potential implementation of this technique.


Subject(s)
Alveolar Epithelial Cells/drug effects , Cold Ischemia/methods , Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects , Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy , A549 Cells , Alveolar Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Amnion/cytology , Apoptosis/drug effects , Apoptosis/genetics , Cell Cycle/drug effects , Cell Cycle/genetics , Cell Differentiation/drug effects , Cell Differentiation/genetics , Cell Survival/drug effects , Cell Survival/genetics , Cells, Cultured , Cytokines/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects , Humans , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , NF-kappa B/genetics , Reperfusion Injury/physiopathology
18.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(4)2021 Feb 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33669517

ABSTRACT

Despite low levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, the secretome of human Wharton's jelly (WJ) mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) effectively promoted proangiogenic responses in vitro, which were impaired upon the depletion of small (~140 nm) extracellular vesicles (EVs). The isolated EVs shared the low VEGF-A profile of the secretome and expressed five microRNAs, which were upregulated compared to fetal dermal MSC-derived EVs. These upregulated microRNAs exclusively targeted the VEGF-A gene within 54 Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes, 18 of which are associated with angiogenesis. Moreover, 15 microRNAs of WJ-MSC-derived EVs were highly expressed (Ct value ≤ 26) and exclusively targeted the thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) gene within 75 GO biological processes, 30 of which are associated with the regulation of tissue repair. The relationship between predicted microRNA target genes and WJ-MSC-derived EVs was shown by treating human umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with appropriate doses of EVs. The exposure of HUVECs to EVs for 72 h significantly enhanced the release of VEGF-A and THBS1 protein expression compared to untreated control cells. Finally, WJ-MSC-derived EVs stimulated in vitro tube formation along with the migration and proliferation of HUVECs. Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the proangiogenic responses induced by human umbilical cord-derived MSCs, suggesting a key regulatory role for microRNAs delivered by EVs.


Subject(s)
Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Neovascularization, Physiologic , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism , Wharton Jelly/cytology , Cell Movement , Cell Proliferation , Cell Separation , Fetus/cytology , Fluoresceins/metabolism , Gene Ontology , Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism , Humans , Immunophenotyping , MicroRNAs/genetics , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Reproducibility of Results , Skin/cytology , Succinimides/metabolism , Thrombospondin 1/metabolism , Umbilical Cord/cytology
19.
Carcinogenesis ; 41(5): 666-677, 2020 07 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31294446

ABSTRACT

Bone microenvironment provides growth and survival signals essential for osteosarcoma (OS) initiation and progression. OS cells regulate communications inside tumor microenvironment through different ways and, among all, tumor-derived exosomes support cancer progression and metastasis. To define the contribution of OS-derived exosomes inside the microenvironment, we investigated the effects induced in bone remodeling mechanism and tumor angiogenesis. We demonstrated that exosomes promoted osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption activity. Furthermore, exosomes potentiated tube formation of endothelial cells and increased angiogenic markers expression. We therefore investigated the micro RNA (miRNA) cargo from exosomes and their parental cells by performing small RNA sequencing through NGS Illumina platform. Hierarchical clustering highlighted a unique molecular profile of exosomal miRNA; bioinformatic analysis by DIANA-mirPath revealed that miRNAs identified take part in various biological processes and carcinogenesis. Among these miRNAs, some were already known for their involvement in the tumor microenvironment establishment, as miR-148a and miR-21-5p. Enforced expression of miR-148a and miR-21-5p in Raw264.7 and hTert immortalized umbilical vein endothelial cells recapitulated the effects induced by exosomes. Overall, our study highlighted the importance of OS exosomes in tumor microenvironment also by a specific packaging of miRNAs.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Endothelium, Vascular/pathology , Exosomes/pathology , MicroRNAs/genetics , Neovascularization, Pathologic/pathology , Osteosarcoma/pathology , Bone Neoplasms/genetics , Bone Neoplasms/metabolism , Cell Movement , Cell Proliferation , Cells, Cultured , Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism , Exosomes/genetics , Exosomes/metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics , Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism , Osteosarcoma/genetics , Osteosarcoma/metabolism , Tumor Microenvironment
20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31964792

ABSTRACT

This study reports on the characterization of two ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA)-resistant KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (KP-14159 and KP-8788) sequentially isolated from infections occurred in a patient never treated with CZA. Whole-genome sequencing characterization using a combined short- and long-read sequencing approach showed that both isolates belonged to the same ST258 strain, had altered outer membrane porins (a truncated OmpK35 and an Asp137Thr138 duplication in the L3 loop of OmpK36), and carried novel pKpQIL plasmid derivatives (pIT-14159 and pIT-8788, respectively) harboring two copies of the Tn4401a KPC-3-encoding transposon. Plasmid pIT-8788 was a cointegrate of pIT-14159 with a ColE replicon (that was also present in KP-14159) apparently evolved in vivo during infection. pIT-8788 was maintained at a higher copy number than pIT-14159 and, upon transfer to Escherichia coli DH10B, was able to increase the CZA MIC by 32-fold. The present findings provide novel insights about the mechanisms of acquired resistance to CZA, underscoring the role that the evolution of broadly disseminated pKpQIL plasmid derivatives may have in increasing the blaKPC gene copy number and KPC-3 expression in bacterial hosts. Although not self-transferable, similar elements, with multiple copies of Tn4401 and maintained at a high copy number, could mediate transferable CZA resistance upon mobilization.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Azabicyclo Compounds/pharmacology , Ceftazidime/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics , Klebsiella Infections/drug therapy , Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects , Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , DNA Transposable Elements/genetics , Drug Combinations , Escherichia coli/genetics , Gene Dosage/genetics , Genome, Bacterial/genetics , Humans , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Klebsiella pneumoniae/isolation & purification , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plasmids/genetics , Porins/genetics , Whole Genome Sequencing , beta-Lactamase Inhibitors/pharmacology , beta-Lactamases/genetics
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