Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells and their derivatives in sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is a common condition in the geriatric population. It refers to age-related and progressive decline in muscle mass and function, which has a great impact on one's mobility and quality of life. Patients with sarcopenia are mainly treated with nutritional therapy, exercise therapy, or a combination of both. Since the identification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) several decades ago, many studies have explored the application of MSCs in the field of regenerative medicine. MSCs are popular candidates for cell-based therapy owing to their multipotent nature and immunomodulatory properties. Even though MSCs do not naturally differentiate into myogenic cells, they are important players in skeletal muscle health, as MSCs support myogenic differentiation of other cells and promote recovery of injured skeletal muscle. Recent studies have found that MSCs may be of benefits in the treatment of sarcopenia. This article gives an overview of sarcopenia and the role of MSCs in skeletal muscle homeostasis. It also discusses the therapeutic potential of MSCs and their derivatives, as well as the underlying mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of MSCs and MSC-based products in sarcopenia.

COVID-19 vaccines and herd immunity: Perspectives, challenges and prospects.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the biggest public health threats in the 21st century. Nearly every country in the world has been affected by COVID-19. The magnitude of the problem, with over 179 million confirmed cases and 3.8 million deaths worldwide, has driven researchers to search for vaccines to combat the disease. The discovery and development of a new vaccine, from the initial stage to the vaccine finally reaching the patients, usually take many years. However, given the urgency of the situation, many clinical trials on the COVID-19 vaccines have been conducted at extraordinary speed, whereas several vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being administered worldwide. This article gives an overview of the different types of COVID-19 vaccines, with a focus on those with promising results and are commonly used worldwide. It also gives an overview of herd immunity and discusses the challenges in achieving herd immunity through the global vaccination campaigns. Last but not least, some strategies that may be used to address these challenges are discussed.

Role of circular RNAs in determining the fate of mesenchymal stem cells.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) has been well-understood for its linear form for many years. With advances in high-throughput sequencing, there is an increasing focus on circular RNAs (circRNAs) recently. Although they were previously regarded as splicing error by-products, research has shown that they play a pivotal role in many cellular processes, one of which is the control of stem cell differentiation and fate. On the other hand, decades of research have demonstrated the promising therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). To this end, there is a growing body of research on the role of circRNAs in the determination of the fate of MSCs. This review critically examines the current evidence and consolidates key findings from studies that explore the involvement of circRNAs in the regulation of MSC differentiation.

COVID-19 testing and diagnosis: A comparison of current approaches.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a novel coronavirus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation since March 2020. To date, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has exceeded 47 million and more than 1.2 million people have lost their lives to the disease. The disease is spreading at an exponential rate with no signs of slowing down. COVID-19 testing and early diagnosis play a crucial role in not just patient management, but also the prevention of the further spread of the disease. Various diagnostic approaches have been applied to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. This article will critically review these diagnostic approaches and compare each with the gold-standard, which is viral RNA detection using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Therapeutic potentials of neural stem cells in Alzheimer's disease.

The commonest cause of dementia among the elderly population is Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is a health concern globally as the number of people affected by dementia worldwide is rapidly increasing. Several genes have been linked to AD and the pathogenesis of the disease has been extensively and vigorously examined. Thus far, only a few drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the pharmacological treatment of AD and a growing body of research has turned to alternative options such as stem cell therapy. This review will give an overview of the pathological and clinical aspects of AD. Although researchers have explored the suitability and feasibility of using various types of stems cells to treat AD, this review will focus mainly on neural stem cells (NSCs)/ neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The behaviour and properties of NSCs will be described, accompanied by a comprehensive discussion of the therapeutic strategies involving the use of NSCs/NPCs in the treatment of the disease.