Head-to-head comparison of relevant cell sources of small extracellular vesicles for cardiac repair: Superiority of embryonic stem cells.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) derived from various cell sources have been demonstrated to enhance cardiac function in preclinical models of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to compare different sources of sEV for cardiac repair and determine the most effective one, which nowadays remains limited. We comprehensively assessed the efficacy of sEV obtained from human primary bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC), human immortalized MSC (hTERT-MSC), human embryonic stem cells (ESC), ESC-derived cardiac progenitor cells (CPC), human ESC-derived cardiomyocytes (CM), and human primary ventricular cardiac fibroblasts (VCF), in in vitro models of cardiac repair. ESC-derived sEV (ESC-sEV) exhibited the best pro-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects in vitro. Then, we evaluated the functionality of the sEV with the most promising performances in vitro, in a murine model of MI-reperfusion injury (IRI) and analysed their RNA and protein compositions. In vivo, ESC-sEV provided the most favourable outcome after MI by reducing adverse cardiac remodelling through down-regulating fibrosis and increasing angiogenesis. Furthermore, transcriptomic, and proteomic characterizations of sEV derived from hTERT-MSC, ESC, and CPC revealed factors in ESC-sEV that potentially drove the observed functions. In conclusion, ESC-sEV holds great promise as a cell-free treatment for promoting cardiac repair following MI.

Effect of Diluents and Storage Time on the Cryopreservation of Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu) Semen after Cooling Storage in a Transport Container at 5 °C.

We verified the possibility of cooling peccary semen for 4, 24, and 48 h before cryopreservation, using different dilution media (TRIS + egg yolk (20%) and PRIMXcell Ultra). Ten ejaculates were divided equally into six aliquots and then diluted. Two aliquots were stored in a biological incubator (4 h), and the remaining aliquots were stored in a commercial container, the Botutainer® (24 and 48 h), both at 5 °C. The samples were cryopreserved and then evaluated for kinetic parameters, functionality, integrity, mitochondrial activity, morphology, and sperm binding capacity. After thawing, samples diluted in TRIS showed total motility of 43.4 ± 6.8%, 48.4 ± 6.2%, and 38.6 ± 5.0% after cooling for 4, 24, and 48 h before cryopreservation, respectively. Such results are significantly greater than those achieved with the use of PRIMXcell diluent for 4 (8.3 ± 2.8%), 24 (4.7 ± 1.4%), and 48 h (4.8 ± 2.9%) storage (p < 0.05). Furthermore, TRIS provided better preservation of sperm membrane integrity when samples were cooled for 24 h (44.5 ± 4.7%) before cryopreservation compared to those samples diluted in PRIMXcell Ultra stored for 24 (25.7 ± 4.0%) and 48 h (25.2 ± 4.0%) before freezing (p < 0.05). In summary, we suggest TRIS diluent + egg yolk (20%) as an effective option to allow semen to cool for 24 or 48 h in a transport container before cryopreservation.

Medical residency in Portugal: a cross-sectional study on the working conditions.

Objectives: The current European crisis in human resources in health has opened the debate about working conditions and fair wages. This is the case with Resident doctors, which have faced challenges throughout Europe. In Portugal, they account for about a third of the doctors in the Portuguese National Health Service. No studies to date objectively demonstrate the working conditions and responsibilities undertaken. This study aims to quantify the residents' workload and working conditions. Methods: Observational, retrospective cross-sectional study which involved a survey on the clinical and training activity of Portuguese residents, actively working in September 2020. The survey was distributed through e-mail to residents' representatives and directly to those affiliated with the Independent Union of Portuguese Doctors. The descriptive analysis assessed current workload, and logistic regression models analyzed associations with geographical location and residency seniority. Results: There were a total of 2,012 participants (19.6% of invited residents). Of the residents giving consultations, 85.3% do so with full autonomy. In the emergency department, 32.1% of the residents work 24 h shifts and 25.1% work shifts without a specialist doctor present. Regarding medical training, 40.8% invest over EUR 1,500 annually. Autonomy in consultations was associated with being a Family Medicine resident (OR 4.219, p < 0.001), being a senior resident (OR 5.143, p < 0.001), and working in the Center (OR 1.685, p = 0.009) and South regions (OR 2.172, p < 0.001). Seniority was also associated with investing over EUR 1,500 in training annually (OR 1.235, p = 0.021). Conclusion: Residents work far more than the contracted 40 h week, often on an unpaid basis. They present a high degree of autonomy in their practice, make a very significant personal and financial investment in medical training, with almost no time dedicated to studying during working hours. There is a need to provide better working conditions for health professionals, including residents, for the sake of the sustainability of health systems across Europe.

Different Methods for Seminal Plasma Removal and Sperm Selection on the Quality and Fertility of Collared Peccary Sperm.

Methods for seminal plasma (SP) removal and the selection of collared peccary sperm for fertilization were compared. The experiments evaluated the following: the (I) impact of centrifugation for SP removal before swim-up for sperm selection and (II) a comparison of different Percoll® gradient densities (PG 45-90% and PG 35-70%). Non-selected sperm served as the control. Sperm quality was assessed based on motility patterns, morphology, membrane functional integrity, viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and DNA integrity. Subsequently, the most successful group in the previous experiment and washing by centrifugation (WC) were compared for motility patterns and fertilization using pig oocytes. Swim-up decreased motility and enhanced ROS compared to the control. Centrifugation before swim-up harmed integrity and viability compared to the control. PG 45-90% (96.8 vs. 69.7 vs. 40.7 µm/s) allowed for a better velocity average pathway (VAP), a better velocity straight line, and better linearity (LIN) than those of the control and PG 35-70% (88.4 vs. 56.0 vs. 27.3 µm/s). Thus, PG 45-90% was used for fertilization. PG 45-90% obtained a higher VAP, a higher amplitude of the lateral head, straightness, and higher LIN than those of the control and WC. Cleavage (25.2-26.3%) and morula (8.1-10.5%) rates did not differ between the groups. Therefore, PG 45-90% and WC were efficient in isolating collared peccary sperm capable of fertilizing pig oocytes.

Changes in Sperm Morphology, Morphometry, and Motility from the Epididymis to the Vas Deferens in Rheas (Rhea americana, Linnaeus, 1758).

The objective was to characterize morphological, morphometric, and ultrastructural changes in rhea spermatozoa between the epididymis and the vas deferens. Sperm samples were collected from the reproductive tracts of seven adult individuals and evaluated for sperm characteristics using brightfield microscopy as well as ultrastructural features using scanning electron microscopy (SM). Mean sperm count tended to increase in the vas deferens (378.0 ± 135.0 × 106) compared to the epididymis (201.0 ± 77.4 × 106). Percentages of motile sperm grew from 37.0 ± 4.9% in the epididymis to 58.5 ± 7.7% in the vas deferens. The proportion of normal spermatozoa was 75.6 ± 1.8% and most common defects were bent tails (9.7 ± 0.9%). However, these proportions were not different between epididymis and vas deferens. SM analysis revealed further features of rhea spermatozoa. Normal rhea spermatozoa were threadlike with an acrosome (0.95 ± 0.0 µm), head (7.53 ± 0.01 µm), midpiece (2.08 ± 0.01 µm), and tail (30.7 ± 0.06 µm). Lengths of sperm acrosome, head, midpiece, and tail were longer in the vas deferens compared to the epididymis. Our findings suggest that rhea spermatozoa undergo a maturation process during the passage from the epididymis to the vas deferens.

Oncostatin M-Enriched Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Prevent Isoproterenol-Induced Fibrosis and Enhance Angiogenesis.

Myocardial fibrosis is a pathological hallmark of cardiac dysfunction. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a pleiotropic cytokine that can promote fibrosis in different organs after sustained exposure. However, OSM released by macrophages during cardiac fibrosis suppresses cardiac fibroblast activation by modulating transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) expression and extracellular matrix deposition. Small extracellular vesicles (SEVs) from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being investigated to treat myocardial infarction, using different strategies to bolster their therapeutic ability. Here, we generated TERT-immortalized human MSC cell lines (MSC-T) engineered to overexpress two forms of cleavage-resistant OSM fused to CD81TM (OSM-SEVs), which allows the display of the cytokine at the surface of secreted SEVs. The therapeutic potential of OSM-SEVs was assessed in vitro using human cardiac ventricular fibroblasts (HCF-Vs) activated by TGF-ß1. Compared with control SEVs, OSM-loaded SEVs reduced proliferation in HCF-V and blunted telo-collagen expression. When injected intraperitoneally into mice treated with isoproterenol, OSM-loaded SEVs reduced fibrosis, prevented cardiac hypertrophy, and increased angiogenesis. Overall, we demonstrate that the enrichment of functional OSM on the surface of MSC-T-SEVs increases their potency in terms of anti-fibrotic and pro-angiogenic properties, which opens new perspectives for this novel biological product in cell-free-based therapies.

Effect of Detergents Based on Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate on Functional Metrics of Frozen-Thawed Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu) Semen.

We evaluated the effects of detergents based on sodium dodecyl sulfoxide (SDS) on the functional parameters of collared peccary frozen-thawed sperm. Semen aliquots from ten individuals were diluted in a Tris-egg yolk-glycerol extender alone or with 0.5% Equex STM® paste or SDS (at 0.1%, 0.3% or 0.5% (v/v) concentration). Samples were fast frozen in liquid nitrogen with a post-thaw evaluation of motility, membrane functionality and integrity, mitochondrial activity, sperm binding ability and thermal resistance. The treatments without SDS (41.8 ± 3.5%) and those containing Equex (41.8 ± 4.4%) or 0.1% SDS (41.2 ± 5.5%) provided greater sperm motility (p < 0.05) than those containing SDS 0.3% (30.5 ± 4.7%) and 0.5% (31.2 ± 6.3%). Immediately after thawing, only treatments containing 0.1% SDS effectively preserved sperm straightness (STR) when compared to the negative control. All treatments preserved the amplitude of lateral head (ALH) and straightness (STR) during a thermal resistance test (p > 0.05), but SDS 0.5% impaired the membrane functionality and mitochondrial activity after thawing (p < 0.05). All treatments provided a similar recovery of sperm binding ability after thawing (p < 0.05). Our results showed that the addition of 0.1% SDS to the Tris-yolk-glycerol extender optimized the freeze-thaw recovery of peccary semen.

Evaluation of a Functional Craft Wheat Beer Fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A-905 to treat Salmonella Typhimurium infection in mice.

Functional foods containing probiotics are generally administered as dairy products. Non-dairy beverages are another possibility, but probiotic functionality must be confirmed in such vehicles. In the present study, a craft wheat beer brewed with the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae UFMG A-905 (905) was evaluated in a murine model of Salmonella Typhimurium infection. Unfiltered or filtered beer brewed with 905, a commercial wheat beer used as a negative control, or saline were administered orally to mice before and during oral S. Typhimurium challenge. High fecal levels of yeast were only counted in mice treated with the unfiltered 905 beer, which also had reduced mortality and body weight loss due to S. Typhimurium infection. Increased levels of intestinal IgA, translocation to liver and spleen, liver and intestinal lesions, pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver and ileum, and hepatic and intestinal myeloperoxidase and eosinophilic peroxidase activities were observed in animals infected with S. Typhimurium. All these parameters were reduced by the treatment with unfiltered 905 beer. In conclusion, the results show that a craft wheat beer brewed with S. cerevisiae UFMG A-905 maintained the probiotic properties of this yeast when administered orally to mice challenged with S. Typhimurium.

Feline microRNAome in ovary and testis: Exploration of in-silico miRNA-mRNA networks involved in gonadal function and cellular stress response.

The aim of the study was to perform the first in-depth analysis of miRNAs in ovarian and testicular tissues of the domestic cat, a critical biomedical model. Specifically, potential miRNA involvement was explored in gonadal function, testis development, and cellular stress response to preservation protocols. We performed miRNA-sequencing on 20 ovarian and 20 testicular samples from 15 cats, including different ages and tissue treatments. Using fresh tissues (n = 15), we confirmed gonadal expression of 183 miRNA precursors and discovered additional 52 novel feline candidate precursors. We integrated the mRNA data from our previous study on the same age and treatment groups to create in-silico miRNA-mRNA networks and their functional enrichment, which allows comprehensive exploration into possible miRNA functions in cat gonads. Clusters of miRNAs united by shared differentially expressed mRNA targets are potentially involved in testicular development and spermatogenesis. MicroRNAs could play a significant role in ovarian tissue response to stress from microwave-assisted dehydration, with smaller roles in cellular response to vitrification in both ovary and testis. This new list of miRNAs with potential function in cat gonads is a major step towards understanding the gonadal biology, as well as optimizing fertility preservation protocols.

Morphological, morphometric, ultrastructural, and functional evaluation of red-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) sperm during epididymal transit.

The red-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) is a hystricognath rodent with reproductive anatomical peculiarities presenting as an intra-abdominal testes-epididymis complex. This study was carried out to describe, for the first time, details related to the morphological and functional changes in sperm along the epididymal transit in agoutis. The testes-epididymal complexes were sampled from seven sexually mature agoutis. Sperm from different epididymal regions (caput, corpus, and cauda) were collected using the floating technique, and their morphology, morphometry, ultrastructure, mitochondrial activity, membrane structural integrity, and kinetic parameters were determined. The number of sperm collected (823.5 ×106 sperm) was higher in the epididymis cauda. No significant differences in normal sperm morphology among the different epididymal regions (caput, 82.42%; corpus, 86.71%; and cauda, 88.86 %) were observed. The mean head length, head width, and tail length were highest in the caput (5.15 µm, 3.44 µm, and 32.04 µm, respectively), decreasing along the epididymal transit. Ultrastructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed agglomeration of spermatozoa from caput and corpus, thus, enabling analysis of the gametes from only the epididymal cauda with clarity. Sperm from epididymis cauda showed the greatest proportion of membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity, followed by those from corpus and caput (79.71 %, 58.9 %, 47.7 %, respectively). Significant increase in total motility, progressive motility, velocity average pathway -VAP, velocity straightline - VSL, velocity curvilinear - VCL, and rapid sperm in the caput-corpus-cauda direction were observed. These novel data contribute to the knowledge of sperm maturation in the red-rumped agouti.

Cryopreservation of Testicular Tissue from Adult Red-Rumped Agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina Linnaeus, 1758).

This study measured the effects of different freezing techniques and permeating cryoprotectants on the preservation of testicular tissues from adult red-rumped agoutis. Tissue biopsies (3.0 mm3) from five individuals were allocated to different experimental groups: control (non-cryopreserved); slow freezing (SF), solid-surface vitrification (SSV), and conventional vitrification (CV). Each method used dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), or a DMSO + EG combination. Morphology, viability, mitochondrial activity, and proliferative potential were assessed in fresh and frozen tissue samples. Testicular morphology was better using SSV with a combination of DMSO and EG. Across the different cryopreservation approaches, as well as cryoprotectant combinations, cell viability was comparable. Regarding mitochondrial activity, DMSO + EG/SSV or CV, and DMSO + EG/CV were similar to the EG/SF group, which was the best group that provided values similar to fresh control groups. Adequate preservation of the proliferative potential of spermatogonia, Leydig cells, and Sertoli cells was obtained using SSV with DMSO + EG. Overall, the use of SSV with DMSO + EG was the best protocol for the preservation of testicular tissues from adult red-rumped agoutis.

Transcriptome dynamics in developing testes of domestic cats and impact of age on tissue resilience to cryopreservation.

BACKGROUND: Fundamental knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms in developing testicular tissues is critical to better understand gonadal biology and responses to non-physiological conditions. The objective of our study was to (1) analyze transcriptome dynamics in developing testis of the domestic cat and (2) characterize age effects on the initial response of the tissue to vitrification. Tissues from adult and juvenile cats were processed for histology, DNA integrity, and RNA sequencing analyses before and after vitrification. RESULTS: Transcriptomic findings enabled to further characterize juvenile period, distinguishing between early and late juvenile tissues. Changes in gene expression and functional pathways were extensive from early to late juvenile to adult development stages. Additionally, tissues from juvenile animals were more resilient to vitrification compared to adult counterparts, with early juvenile sample responding the least to vitrification and late juvenile sample response being closest to adult tissues. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting comprehensive datasets on transcriptomic dynamic coupled with structural analysis of the cat testis according to the age and exposure to cryopreservation. It provides a comprehensive network of functional terms and pathways that are affected by age in the domestic cat and are either enriched in adult or juvenile testicular tissues.

Quantification of protein cargo loading into engineered extracellular vesicles at single-vesicle and single-molecule resolution.

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) have been intensively explored for therapeutic delivery of proteins. However, methods to quantify cargo proteins loaded into engineered EVs are lacking. Here, we describe a workflow for EV analysis at the single-vesicle and single-molecule level to accurately quantify the efficiency of different EV-sorting proteins in promoting cargo loading into EVs. Expi293F cells were engineered to express EV-sorting proteins fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP). High levels of GFP loading into secreted EVs was confirmed by Western blotting for specific EV-sorting domains, but quantitative single-vesicle analysis by Nanoflow cytometry detected GFP in less than half of the particles analysed, reflecting EV heterogeneity. Anti-tetraspanin EV immunostaining in ExoView confirmed a heterogeneous GFP distribution in distinct subpopulations of CD63+, CD81+, or CD9+ EVs. Loading of GFP into individual vesicles was quantified by Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy. The combined results demonstrated TSPAN14, CD63 and CD63/CD81 fused to the PDGFRß transmembrane domain as the most efficient EV-sorting proteins, accumulating on average 50-170 single GFP molecules per vesicle. In conclusion, we validated a set of complementary techniques suitable for high-resolution analysis of EV preparations that reliably capture their heterogeneity, and propose highly efficient EV-sorting proteins to be used in EV engineering applications.

Extracellular vesicles for tissue repair and regeneration: Evidence, challenges and opportunities.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are biological nanoparticles naturally secreted by cells, acting as delivery vehicles for molecular messages. During the last decade, EVs have been assigned multiple functions that have established their potential as therapeutic mediators for a variety of diseases and conditions. In this review paper, we report on the potential of EVs in tissue repair and regeneration. The regenerative properties that have been associated with EVs are explored, detailing the molecular cargo they carry that is capable of mediating such effects, the signaling cascades triggered in target cells and the functional outcome achieved. EV interactions and biodistribution in vivo that influence their regenerative effects are also described, particularly upon administration in combination with biomaterials. Finally, we review the progress that has been made for the successful implementation of EV regenerative therapies in a clinical setting.

Effect of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) on in vitro development of collared peccary preantral follicles in ovarian tissues.

The aims were to identify the effects of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) on the in vitro development of ovarian preantral follicles (PAFs) of collared peccaries. Ovarian fragments were in vitro cultured for 1 or 7 days without or with inclusion of GDF-9 in the medium (0, 50, 100, or 200 ng/mL). The non-cultured (control) and cultured fragments were evaluated for PAF viability, activation, and cell proliferation. Although there were no differences in the percentage of morphologically normal follicles, the percentage of growing follicles was greater compared to the control in all treatment groups, especially those cultured with 200 ng/mL GDF-9 for 7 days (P < 0.05). The inclusion of GDF-9 in the medium did not interfere with PAF viability (P> 0.05); however, treatment with 200 ng/mL GDF-9 resulted in greater (P < 0.05) cell proliferation in PAFs cultured for 1 or 7 days (∼2.5 nucleolar organizing regions - NORs) compared to the follicles of the control group (2.0 NORs). In addition, peccary ovarian cortexes were subjected to PCR analysis and there was detection of the mRNA GDF-9 receptor transcripts of the BMPR2 (type I receptor) and ALK-5 (type II receptor) types. In conclusion, GDF-9, especially at a 200 ng/mL inclusion in the culture medium, was actively involved in the in vitro development of collared peccary PAFs.

A high-throughput Galectin-9 imaging assay for quantifying nanoparticle uptake, endosomal escape and functional RNA delivery.

RNA-based therapies have great potential to treat many undruggable human diseases. However, their efficacy, in particular for mRNA, remains hampered by poor cellular delivery and limited endosomal escape. Development and optimisation of delivery vectors, such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), are impeded by limited screening methods to probe the intracellular processing of LNPs in sufficient detail. We have developed a high-throughput imaging-based endosomal escape assay utilising a Galectin-9 reporter and fluorescently labelled mRNA to probe correlations between nanoparticle-mediated uptake, endosomal escape frequency, and mRNA translation. Furthermore, this assay has been integrated within a screening platform for optimisation of lipid nanoparticle formulations. We show that Galectin-9 recruitment is a robust, quantitative reporter of endosomal escape events induced by different mRNA delivery nanoparticles and small molecules. We identify nanoparticles with superior escape properties and demonstrate cell line variances in endosomal escape response, highlighting the need for fine-tuning of delivery formulations for specific applications.

Selection of Fluorescent, Bioluminescent, and Radioactive Tracers to Accurately Reflect Extracellular Vesicle Biodistribution in Vivo.

The ability to track extracellular vesicles (EVs) in vivo without influencing their biodistribution is a key requirement for their successful development as drug delivery vehicles and therapeutic agents. Here, we evaluated the effect of five different optical and nuclear tracers on the in vivo biodistribution of EVs. Expi293F EVs were labeled using either a noncovalent fluorescent dye DiR, or covalent modification with 111indium-DTPA, or bioengineered with fluorescent (mCherry) or bioluminescent (Firefly and NanoLuc luciferase) proteins fused to the EV marker, CD63. To focus specifically on the effect of the tracer, we compared EVs derived from the same cell source and administered systemically by the same route and at equal dose into tumor-bearing BALB/c mice. 111Indium and DiR were the most sensitive tracers for in vivo imaging of EVs, providing the most accurate quantification of vesicle biodistribution by ex vivo imaging of organs and analysis of tissue lysates. Specifically, NanoLuc fused to CD63 altered EV distribution, resulting in high accumulation in the lungs, demonstrating that genetic modification of EVs for tracking purposes may compromise their physiological biodistribution. Blood kinetic analysis revealed that EVs are rapidly cleared from the circulation with a half-life below 10 min. Our study demonstrates that radioactivity is the most accurate EV tracking approach for a complete quantitative biodistribution study including pharmacokinetic profiling. In conclusion, we provide a comprehensive comparison of fluorescent, bioluminescent, and radioactivity approaches, including dual labeling of EVs, to enable accurate spatiotemporal resolution of EV trafficking in mice, an essential step in developing EV therapeutics.

Fibrinogen and magnesium combination biomaterials modulate macrophage phenotype, NF-kB signaling and crosstalk with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells.

Macrophage behavior upon biomaterial implantation conditions the inflammatory response and subsequent tissue repair. The hypothesis behind this work was that fibrinogen (Fg) and magnesium (Mg) biomaterials, used in combination (FgMg) could act synergistically to modulate macrophage activation, promoting a pro-regenerative phenotype. Materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fg and Mg degradation products were quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy and ELISA. Whole blood immune cells and primary human monocyte-derived macrophages were exposed to the biomaterials extracts in unstimulated (M0) or pro-inflammatory LPS or LPS-IFNγ (M1) conditions. Macrophage phenotype was evaluated by flow cytometry, cytokines secreted by whole blood cells and macrophages were measured by ELISA, and signaling pathways were probed by Western blotting. The secretomes of macrophages preconditioned with biomaterials extracts were incubated with human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) and their effect on osteogenic differentiation was evaluated via Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity and alizarin red staining. Scaffolds of Fg, alone or in the FgMg combination, presented similar 3D porous architectures. Extracts from FgMg materials reduced LPS-induced TNF-α secretion by innate immune cells, and macrophage M1 polarization upon LPS-IFNγ stimulation, resulting in lower cell surface CD86 expression, lower NFκB p65 phosphorylation and reduced TNF-α secretion. Moreover, while biomaterial extracts per se did not enhance MSC osteogenic differentiation, macrophage secretome, particularly from cells exposed to FgMg extracts, increased MSC ALP activity and alizarin red staining, compared with extracts alone. These findings suggest that the combination of Fg and Mg synergistically influences macrophage pro-inflammatory activation and crosstalk with MSC. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Modulating macrophage phenotype by degradable and bioactive biomaterials is an increasingly explored strategy to promote tissue repair/regeneration. Fibrinogen (Fg) and magnesium (Mg)-based materials have been explored in this context. Previous work from our group showed that monocytes interact with fibrinogen adsorbed onto chitosan surfaces through TLR4 and that fibrinogen scaffolds promote in vivo bone regeneration. Also, magnesium ions have been reported to modulate macrophage pro-inflammatory M1 stimulation and to promote bone repair. Here we report, for the first time, the combination of Fg and Mg materials, hypothesizing that it could act synergistically on macrophages, directing them towards a pro-regenerative phenotype. As a first step towards proving/disproving our hypothesis we used extracts obtained from Fg, Mg and FgMg multilayer constructs. We observed that FgMg extracts led to a reduction in the polarization of macrophages towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Also, the secretome of macrophages exposed to extracts of the combination material promoted the expression of osteogenic markers by MSCs.

miR-543 regulates the epigenetic landscape of myelofibrosis by targeting TET1 and TET2.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by cytopenia and extramedullary hematopoiesis, resulting in splenomegaly. Multiple pathological mechanisms (e.g., circulating cytokines and genetic alterations, such as JAKV617F mutation) have been implicated in the etiology of MF, but the molecular mechanism causing resistance to JAK2V617F inhibitor therapy remains unknown. Among MF patients who were treated with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib, we compared noncoding RNA profiles of ruxolitinib therapy responders versus nonresponders and found miR-543 was significantly upregulated in nonresponders. We validated these findings by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. in this same cohort, in 2 additional independent MF patient cohorts from the United States and Romania, and in a JAK2V617F mouse model of MF. Both in vitro and in vivo models were used to determine the underlying molecular mechanism of miR-543 in MF. Here, we demonstrate that miR-543 targets the dioxygenases ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) and 2 (TET2) in patients and in vitro, causing increased levels of global 5-methylcytosine, while decreasing the acetylation of histone 3, STAT3, and tumor protein p53. Mechanistically, we found that activation of STAT3 by JAKs epigenetically controls miR-543 expression via binding the promoter region of miR-543. Furthermore, miR-543 upregulation promotes the expression of genes related to drug metabolism, including CYP3A4, which is involved in ruxolitinib metabolism. Our findings suggest miR-543 as a potentially novel biomarker for the prognosis of MF patients with a high risk of treatment resistance and as a potentially new target for the development of new treatment options.