A Reliable Stem Cell Carrier: An Experimental Study in Wistar Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Treatments based on cell biology need reliable and precise carriers for reaching the desired targets. For that reason, a PDO-based cell carrier was idealized, with the purpose of carrying stem cells to distant sites at room temperature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three modalities of the same carrier were evaluated: one containing undifferentiated human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs); one loaded with stem cells induced to neurogenic differentiation (DPSCNs); and one without cells (Blank). The carriers were implanted in sciatic nerve gaps in 48 Wistar rats that were divided in three groups. Two other rats were included in a SHAM control group. Immunohistochemical, histological and clinical analyses were performed in two, four, six and eight weeks of time. RESULTS: Efficacy of human stem cell transportation at room temperature to rats was attested. Moreover, it was possible to confirm that those cells show tropism for inflamed environments and are also prone to induction of neurogenesis in the first two weeks, vanishing after that period. CONCLUSION: Clinical evaluation of the animals' gait recovery shows a promising perspective of success with the inclusion of stem cell-loaded PDO tubes in nerve gaps, which may be positively compared to previously published studies. NO LEVEL ASSIGNED: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors - www.springer.com/00266.

Padrão de repigmentação em um paciente com vitiligo após a utilização de células tronco / Repigmentation pattern in a vitiligo patient after autologous stem cells implantation

Vitiligo é desordem de hipopigmentação caracterizada pela destruição seletiva de melanócitos epidérmicos funcionais e por máculas e manchas despigmentadas circunscritas. Vitiligo afeta de 0,5% a 2% da população e não é observada preferência por sexo e etnia. Os objetivos do tratamento são repigmentação das lesões e estabilização do processo de despigmentação. Relatamos o caso de uma paciente de 53 anos de idade submetida à terapia experimental com células-tronco autólogas isoladas do folículo piloso e expandidas biologicamente. Foram realizadas três sessões com três meses de intervalo. A área afetada apresentou repigmentação importante.

Vitiligo is a hypopigmentation disorder that is characterized by macules and selective destruction of functional epidermal melanocytes. It is characterized by defilements and circumscribed depigmented patches. Vitiligo affects around 0,5% about 0.5% -2% of the general population worldwide, and is not observed preference for sex and ethnicity. The goals of treatment are repigmentation of vitiligo and stabilization of depigmentation process. We report the case of a 53-year-old female patient who underwent underwent experimental stem cell therapy with autologous biologically expanded stem cells isolated from hair follicle, holding three sessions with three months apart. The vitiligo affected area was relatively decreased in density with a rare repigmentation pattern.