Potential advantages of genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases.

Liver damage caused by toxicity can lead to various severe conditions, such as acute liver failure (ALF), fibrogenesis, and cirrhosis. Among these, liver cirrhosis (LC) is recognized as the leading cause of liver-related deaths globally. Unfortunately, patients with progressive cirrhosis are often on a waiting list, with limited donor organs, postoperative complications, immune system side effects, and high financial costs being some of the factors restricting transplantation. Although the liver has some capacity for self-renewal due to the presence of stem cells, it is usually insufficient to prevent the progression of LC and ALF. One potential therapeutic approach to improving liver function is the transplantation of gene-engineered stem cells. Several types of mesenchymal stem cells from various sources have been suggested for stem cell therapy for liver disease. Genetic engineering is an effective strategy that enhances the regenerative potential of stem cells by releasing growth factors and cytokines. In this review, we primarily focus on the genetic engineering of stem cells to improve their ability to treat damaged liver function. We also recommend further research into accurate treatment methods that involve safe gene modification and long-term follow-up of patients to increase the effectiveness and reliability of these therapeutic strategies.

Suggesting Tissue-Specific MSMB Gene Promoter as a Novel Approach for Prostate Targeted Gene Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men that has affected their quality of life. This study aimed to find prostate tissue-specific genes using bioinformatics methods to specifically target prostate cells in case of metastasis to other tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, after finding a specific gene (MSMB)  that is highly expressed in cancer, the optimal promoter region of this gene was isolated and inserted in an expression vector. Then, this vector was transfected into two prostate cancer cell lines (DU145 and LNCaP) and three non-prostate cell lines  (LX-2, MRC-5, and U87) using the PEI chemical method. The expression of this vector in these cells was examined using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. RESULTS: We observed that the expression of MSMB promoter in DU145 cell line has a much higher activity than the CMV promoter, which is a ubiquitous promoter. The MSMB promoter didn't show any activity in cells other than that of prostate derived cell lines. CONCLUSION: MSMB  gene promoter with specific expression and high efficiency in prostate tissue compared to CMV promoter can play an essential role in gene therapy of prostate cancer.