Stem cell therapy in liver regeneration: Focus on mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

The liver has the ability to repair itself after injury; however, a variety of pathological changes in the liver can affect its ability to regenerate, and this could lead to liver failure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a good source of cells for regenerative medicine, as they regulate liver regeneration through different mechanisms, and their efficacy has been demonstrated by many animal experiments and clinical studies. Induced pluripotent stem cells, another good source of MSCs, have also made great progress in the establishment of organoids, such as liver disease models, and in drug screening. Owing to the recent developments in MSCs and induced pluripotent stem cells, combined with emerging technologies including graphene, nano-biomaterials, and gene editing, precision medicine and individualized clinical treatment may be realized in the near future.

Self-transport of underwater bubbles on a microholed hydrophobic surface with gradient wettability.

Manipulation of underwater bubbles is of great importance in both scientific research and industrial applications. In this work, the motion of underwater bubbles on a microholed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface with gradient wettability is studied using a high-speed camera. It was found that underwater bubbles self-transported directionally from the smaller area fraction (SAF) to the larger area fraction (LAF) of the surface. Besides, the bubble motion was triggered by an effective depth range from hcr,min to hcr,max. Only the depth of the bubble was within the range when the self-transport motion occurred. Otherwise the bubble would adhere onto the surface eventually. The main cause for the motion is the trapped air inside the microholes, which generates the torque Tb and the retention force Fr driving the bubble directionally. The mathematical model is established to reveal the motion mechanism, which is verified by the experimental results. The outcomes of our work shed new light on the target transportation fields such as drug delivery and submarine gas collection.