T Cells in Osteoarthritis: Alterations and Beyond.

Although osteoarthritis (OA) has been traditionally regarded as a non-inflammatory disease, reports increasingly suggest that it is inflammatory, at least in certain patients. OA patients often exhibit inflammatory infiltration of synovial membranes by macrophages, T cells, mast cells, B cells, plasma cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, granulocytes, etc. Although previous reviews have summarized the knowledge of inflammation in the pathogenesis of OA, as far as we know, no report review our current understanding about T cells, especially, each T cell subtype, in the biology of OA. This review highlights the current understanding of the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of OA, with attention to Th1 cells, Th2 cells, Th9 cells, Th17 cells, Th22 cells, regulatory T cells, follicular helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, T memory cells, and even unconventional T cells (e.g., γδ T cells and cluster of differentiation 1 restricted T cells). The findings highlight the importance of T cells to the development and progression of OA and suggest new therapeutic approaches for OA patients based on the manipulation of T-cell responses.

Tissue engineered bulking agent with adipose-derived stem cells and silk fibroin microspheres for the treatment of intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency.

In this study we developed a tissue engineered bulking agent that consisted of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and silk fibroin microspheres to treat stress urinary incontinence caused by severe intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). ISD models were established by completely transection of the bilateral pudendal nerve (PNT) and confirmed by the decreased leak-point pressure (LPP) and increased lumen area of urethra. Injection of silk fibroin microspheres could recover LPP and lumen area at 4 weeks but its efficacy disappears at 8, 12 weeks. Moreover, it was exciting to find that tissue engineered bulking agent brought long-term efficacy (at 4, 8, 12 weeks post-injection) on the recovery of LPP and lumen area. Concomitantly with the function, tissue engineered bulking agent treated group also improved the urethral sphincter structure as exhibited by better tissue regeneration. The findings showed that silk fibroin microspheres alone could work effectively in short-term, while tissue engineered bulking agent that combined silk fibroin microspheres with ADSCs exhibited promising long-term efficacy. This study developed a new strategy of tissue engineered bulking agent for future ISD therapy.

3-Deoxy-aconitine from the root of Aconitum Carmichaeli Debx.

THE TITLE COMPOUND (SYSTEMATIC NAME: 8ß-acet-oxy-14α-benzo-yloxy-N-ethyl-13ß,15α-dihydr-oxy-1α,6α,16ß-trimeth-oxy-4ß-methoxy-methyl-eneaconitane), C(34)H(47)NO(10), is a typical aconitine-type C(19)-diterpenoid alkaloid, and was isolated from the roots of the Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. The mol-ecule has an aconitine carbon skeleton with four six-membered rings and two five-membered rings, whose geometry is similar to these observed in other C(19)-diterpenoid alkaloids; both of five-membered rings have the envelope configurations and the six-membered N-containing heterocyclic ring displays a chair conformation. Intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding occurs. Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is observed in the crystal structure.