Recent Progress in Engineering Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation.

Due to the ability to differentiate into variety of cell types, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold promise as source in cell-based therapy for treating injured tissue and degenerative diseases. The potential use of MSCs to replace or repair damaged tissues may depend on the efficient differentiation protocols to derive specialized cells without any negative side effects. Identification of appropriate cues that support the lineage-specific differentiation of stem cells is critical for tissue healing and cellular therapy.

Low-dose suspended graphene oxide nanosheets induce antioxidant response and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells via JNK-dependent FoxO1 activation.

Large bone defects caused by bone-related diseases and traumatic injuries can disrupt the self-healing potential of bone tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known as promising cell sources for bone tissue regeneration. Graphene oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, has been recently used for controlling the differentiation of stem cells towards bone-forming cells.

Tyrosol Facilitates Neovascularization by Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Cells Viability and Paracrine Function in Diabetic Hindlimb Ischemia Mice.

As one of the most severe manifestations of diabetes, vascular complications are the main causes of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. Hyperglycemia induces systemic abnormalities, including impaired angiogenesis, causing diabetic patients to be highly susceptible in suffering hindlimb ischemia (HLI). Despite its severe prognosis, there is currently no effective treatment for diabetic HLI.

Salidroside-Pretreated Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Diabetic Wound Healing by Promoting Paracrine Function and Survival of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Hyperglycemia.

Systemic abnormalities cause several complications in diabetes patients. Impaired wound healing is a serious complication that leads to severe foot ulcer and amputation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been considered a promising strategy for promoting wound healing due to their paracrine function.

Elevating VEGF-A and PDGF-BB secretion by salidroside enhances neoangiogenesis in diabetic hind-limb ischemia.

Hind-limb ischemia (HLI) is one of the major complication of diabetic patients. Angiogenesis potential in diabetic patients is severely disrupted, and the mechanism underlying it has not been fully elucidated, making it an obstacle for developing an efficient therapeutic angiogenesis strategy. Skeletal muscle cells, through their paracrine function, had been known to be critical for neoangiogenesis.

Inhibition of PHD3 by salidroside promotes neovascularization through cell-cell communications mediated by muscle-secreted angiogenic factors.

Therapeutic angiogenesis has been considered as a potential strategy for treating peripheral artery diseases including hind-limb ischemia (HLI); however, no effective drug-based treatment is currently available. Here we showed that intramuscular administration of salidroside, an active compound of Chinese herb Rhodiola, could robustly enhance blood perfusion recovery by promoting neovascularization in HLI mice. We revealed that salidroside promoted skeletal muscle cell migration and paracrine function through inhibiting the transcriptional level of prolyl-hydroxylase domain 3 (PHD3) without affecting PHD1 and PHD2.