Stem cells and burns: review and therapeutic implications.

Despite significant advances in burn resuscitation and wound care over the past 30 years, morbidity and mortality from thermal injury remain high. Limited donor skin in severely burned patients hinders effective wound excision and closure, leading to infectious complications and prolonged hospitalizations. Even with large-volume fluid resuscitation, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome compromises end-organ perfusion in burn patients, with resultant multiorgan failure.

Optimization and validation of FePro cell labeling method.

Current method to magnetically label cells using ferumoxides (Fe)-protamine (Pro) sulfate (FePro) is based on generating FePro complexes in a serum free media that are then incubated overnight with cells for the efficient labeling. However, this labeling technique requires long (>12-16 hours) incubation time and uses relatively high dose of Pro (5-6 microg/ml) that makes large extracellular FePro complexes. These complexes can be difficult to clean with simple cell washes and may create low signal intensity on T2* weighted MRI that is not desirable.

AC133+ progenitor cells as gene delivery vehicle and cellular probe in subcutaneous tumor models: a preliminary study.

Background: Despite enormous progress in gene therapy for breast cancer, an optimal systemic vehicle for delivering gene products to the target tissue is still lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AC133+ progenitor cells (APC) can be used as both gene delivery vehicles and cellular probes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we used superparamagentic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled APCs to carry the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene to the sites of implanted breast cancer in mouse model.

Investigation of relationships between transverse relaxation rate, diffusion coefficient, and labeled cell concentration in ischemic rat brain using MRI.

MRI has been used to evaluate labeled cell migration and distribution. However, quantitative determination of labeled cell concentration using MRI has not been systematically investigated. In the current study, we investigated the relationships between labeled cell concentration and MRI parameters of transverse relaxation rate, R(2), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), in vitro in phantoms and in vivo in rats after stroke.

Effects of ferumoxides-protamine sulfate labeling on immunomodulatory characteristics of macrophage-like THP-1 cells.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide (SPIO) complexed with cationic transfection agent is used to label various mammalian cells. Labeled cells can then be utilized as an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes. However, certain number of in vivo administered labeled cells may be cleared from tissues by the host's macrophages.

Detection of migration of locally implanted AC133+ stem cells by cellular magnetic resonance imaging with histological findings.

This study investigated the factors responsible for migration and homing of magnetically labeled AC133(+) cells at the sites of active angiogenesis in tumor. AC133(+) cells labeled with ferumoxide-protamine sulfate were mixed with either rat glioma or human melanoma cells and implanted in flank of nude mice. An MRI of the tumors including surrounding tissues was performed.

Measurement of quantity of iron in magnetically labeled cells: comparison among different UV/VIS spectrometric methods.

Cell labeling with superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIO) is becoming a routine procedure in cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Quantifying the intracellular iron in labeled cells is a prerequisite for determining the number of accumulated cells by quantitative MRI studies. To establish the most sensitive and reproducible method for measuring iron concentration in magnetically labeled cells, we investigated and compared four different methods using an ultraviolet-visible (UV/VIS) spectrophotometer.

Magnetically-labeled sensitized splenocytes to identify glioma by MRI: a preliminary study.

This study investigated the feasibility of imaging the migration and incorporation of magnetically-labeled sensitized splenocytes in an experimental 9L glioma brain tumor model. Splenocytes collected from tumor-bearing (sensitized splenocytes) or control (nonsensitized splenocytes) host rats were analyzed to determine the population of different cells, labeled with ferumoxides-protamine sulfate (FePro) and injected intravenously to recipient rats (N=4, for each group) bearing intracranial 9L tumors. Day 3 postinjection of splenocytes multiecho T2*-weighted and three-dimensional (3D) gradient echo MRI were obtained using a 7 Tesla MR system.

Quantification of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled cells using MRI.

Purpose: To show the feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled cells.

Materials And Methods: Lymphocytes and 9L rat gliosarcoma cells were labeled with ferumoxides-protamine sulfate complex (FE-PRO). The cells were labeled efficiently (more than 95%) and the iron concentration inside each cell was measured by spectrophotometry (4.

The role of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1/ very late activation antigen 4 in endothelial progenitor cell recruitment to rheumatoid arthritis synovium.

Objective: Marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are important in the neovascularization that occurs in diverse conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory diseases, and neoplasms. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial neovascularization propels disease by nourishing the inflamed and hyperproliferative synovium. This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that EPCs selectively home to inflamed joint tissue and may perpetuate synovial neovascularization.

A study of relationship between managers' leadership style and employees' job satisfaction.

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive and cross-sectional study is to explore the relationships between managers' leadership styles and employees' job satisfaction in Isfahan University Hospitals, Isfahan, Iran, 2004.

Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected through the distribution of two questionnaires among the 814 employees, first line, middle and senior managers of these hospitals through a stratified random sampling.

Findings: The dominant leadership style of managers was participative.

Labeling of cells with ferumoxides-protamine sulfate complexes does not inhibit function or differentiation capacity of hematopoietic or mesenchymal stem cells.

Two FDA-approved agents, ferumoxides (Feridex), a suspension of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and protamine sulfate, a drug used to reverse heparin anticoagulation, can be complexed and used to label cells magnetically ex vivo. Labeling stem cells with ferumoxides-protamine sulfate (FePro) complexes allows for non-invasive monitoring by MRI. However, in order for stem cell trials or therapies to be effective, this labeling technique must not inhibit the ability of cells to differentiate.

A survey of total quality management in Iran.

Purpose: The objective of this research is to investigate the success of TQM and barriers to its successful implementation in health care services organizations in Isfahan province, Iran, 2004.

Design/methodology/approach: This descriptive and cross-sectional research was done via two questionnaires (TQM success and its barriers). The statistical population of this research consists of all managers of health care services organizations who implemented TQM in their organizations (90 managers).