How do we transfuse children in Italy? Results of a national survey.

Background: Adherence to optimal practices in the preparation and issuance of pediatric blood components can significantly influence patient care outcomes. This study aims to examine the blood banking procedures across prominent Italian children's hospitals, with the goal of identifying both consistent and potentially divergent standards within this field.

Materials And Methods: A survey was conducted among the blood banks affiliated with the Italian Association of Pediatric Hospitals.

Extracellular vesicles of different cellular origin feature distinct biomolecular corona dynamics.

Initially observed on synthetic nanoparticles, the existence of biomolecular corona and its role in determining nanoparticle identity and function are now beginning to be acknowledged in biogenic nanoparticles, particularly in extracellular vesicles - membrane-enclosed nanoparticle shuttling proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites which are released by cells for physiological and pathological communication - we developed a methodology based on fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to track biomolecular corona formation on extracellular vesicles derived from human red blood cells and amniotic membrane mesenchymal stromal cells when these vesicles are dispersed in human plasma. The methodology allows for tracking corona dynamics under physiological conditions. Results evidence that the two extracellular vesicle populations feature distinct corona dynamics.

In Vitro Biocompatibility Assessment of Bioengineered PLA-Hydrogel Core-Shell Scaffolds with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Bone Regeneration.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), whether used alone or together with three-dimensional scaffolds, are the best-studied postnatal stem cells in regenerative medicine. In this study, innovative composite scaffolds consisting of a core-shell architecture were seeded with bone-marrow-derived hMSCs (BM-hMSCs) and tested for their biocompatibility and remarkable capacity to promote and support bone regeneration and mineralization. The scaffolds were prepared by grafting three different amounts of gelatin-chitosan (CH) hydrogel into a 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) core (PLA-CH), and the mechanical and degradation properties were analyzed.

Progesterone receptor is constitutively expressed in induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs).

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are nowadays a common starting point for wide-ranging applications including 3D disease modeling (i.e. organoids) and in future regenerative medicine.

Successful CAR-T cell therapy in a refractory MCL patient with bacterial, fungal and COVID-19 infection: a case report.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the management and care of onco-hematological patients, particularly those with lymphoproliferative disorders who are at higher risk for COVID-19 associated bacterial and fungal superinfections.

Case Presentation: We present the successful treatment of a 44-year-old male patient with refractory mantle cell lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, despite concurrent COVID-19 infection. The patient developed grade II cytokine release syndrome, requiring admission to the intensive care unit.

Evaluation of Circulating Endothelial Cells as Direct Marker of Endothelial Damage in Allo-Transplant Recipients at High Risk of Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease/Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), also known as veno-occlusive disease (VOD), is a rare but potentially fatal complication following allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Timely identification of SOS/VOD to allow for prompt treatment is critical, but identifying a VOD-predictive biomarker remains challenging. Given the pivotal role of endothelial dysfunction in SOS/VOD pathophysiology, the CECinVOD study prospectively evaluated levels of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in patients undergoing allo-HCT with a myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimen to investigate the potential of CEC level in predicting and diagnosing SOS/VOD.

High risk-myelodysplastic syndrome following CAR T-cell therapy in a patient with relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma: A case report and literature review.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents the most advanced immunotherapy against relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies. While cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome are distinctive, known CAR T-cell acute adverse events, hematological toxicity has been increasingly reported. Cytopenia following CAR T-cell treatment is attributed in most cases to lymphodepletion regimens, bridging chemotherapy, or radiotherapy.

Targeting the immune microenvironment in Waldenström macroglobulinemia via halting the CD40/CD40-ligand axis.

Recent investigations have improved our understanding of the molecular aberrations supporting Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) biology; however, whether the immune microenvironment contributes to WM pathogenesis remains unanswered. First, we showed how a transgenic murine model of human-like lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/WM exhibits an increased number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) relative to control mice. These findings were translated into the WM clinical setting, in which the transcriptomic profiling of Tregs derived from patients with WM unveiled a peculiar WM-devoted messenger RNA signature, with significant enrichment for genes related to nuclear factor κB-mediated tumor necrosis factor α signaling, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT, which was paralleled by a different Treg functional phenotype.

Allogeneic Solid Platelet-Rich Plasma for Persistent Epithelial Neurotrophic Defects: A Protocol and Pilot Study.

Purpose: Here, we present the procedure to obtain allogeneic solid platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its use in a pilot study of patients with persistent neurotrophic epithelial defects.

Methods: We included 4 eyes of 4 patients with persistent neurotrophic epithelial defects unresponsive to other therapies from a single institution. PRP and thrombin were produced by the Department of Transfusion Medicine from healthy blood donors.

Timely Leukapheresis May Interfere with the "Fitness" of Lymphocytes Collected for CAR-T Treatment in High Risk DLBCL Patients.

The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematological diseases. However, approximately 60% of patients relapse after CAR-T cell therapy, and no clear cause for this failure has been identified. The objective of the Bio-CAR-T BS study (ClinicalTrials.

The role of clonal hematopoiesis as driver of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms after autologous stem cell transplantation.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN) is a threatening complication of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Detecting clonal hematopoiesis (CH) mutations in cryopreserved cells before ASCT has been associated with a higher risk of t-MN, but the evolution of molecular abnormalities from pre-ASCT to t-MN, within the same patient, remains to be elucidated. We evaluated the mutational profile of 19 lymphoma/myeloma patients, at both pre-ASCT and t-MN diagnosis, using a targeted NGS approach; 26 non-developing t-MN control patients were also studied pre-ASCT.

Comparative Mutational Profiling of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells and Circulating Endothelial Cells (CECs) in Patients with Primary Myelofibrosis.

A role of endothelial cells (ECs) in Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF) was supposed since mutation was found in endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) and in ECs captured by laser microdissection. By Cell Search method, the circulating endothelial cells (CECs) from 14 PMF patients and 5 healthy controls have been isolated and compared by NGS with CD34+Hematopoietic stem and progenitors cells (HSPCs) for panel of 54 myeloid-associated mutations. PMF patients had higher levels of CECs.

Mineralization of 3D Osteogenic Model Based on Gelatin-Dextran Hybrid Hydrogel Scaffold Bioengineered with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Multiparametric Evaluation.

Gelatin-dextran hydrogel scaffolds (G-PEG-Dx) were evaluated for their ability to activate the bone marrow human mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-hMSCs) towards mineralization. G-PEG-Dx1 and G-PEG-Dx2, with identical composition but different architecture, were seeded with BM-hMSCs in presence of fetal bovine serum or human platelet lysate (hPL) with or without osteogenic medium. G-PEG-Dx1, characterized by a lower degree of crosslinking and larger pores, was able to induce a better cell colonization than G-PEG-Dx2.

A Blood Bank Standardized Production of Human Platelet Lysate for Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Expansion: Proteomic Characterization and Biological Effects.

Human platelet lysate (hPL) is considered a valid substitute to fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the expansion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), and it is commonly produced starting from intermediate side products of whole blood donations. Through freeze-thaw cycles, hPL is highly enriched in chemokines, growth factors, and adhesion and immunologic molecules. Cell therapy protocols, using hPL instead of FBS for the expansion of cells, are approved by regulatory authorities without concerns, and its administration in patients is considered safe.

Chitosan-Hydrogel Polymeric Scaffold Acts as an Independent Primary Inducer of Osteogenic Differentiation in Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Regenerative medicine aims to restore damaged tissues and mainly takes advantage of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), either alone or combined with three-dimensional scaffolds. The scaffold is generally considered a support, and its contribution to hMSC proliferation and differentiation is unknown or poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of an innovative three-dimensional gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogel scaffold (HC) to activate the osteogenic differentiation process in hMSCs.

Impedance-Based Monitoring of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Three-Dimensional Proliferation Using Aerosol Jet Printed Sensors: A Tissue Engineering Application.

One of the main hurdles to improving scaffolds for regenerative medicine is the development of non-invasive methods to monitor cell proliferation within three-dimensional environments. Recently, an electrical impedance-based approach has been identified as promising for three-dimensional proliferation assays. A low-cost impedance-based solution, easily integrable with multi-well plates, is here presented.

Chitosan-based scaffold counteracts hypertrophic and fibrotic markers in chondrogenic differentiated mesenchymal stromal cells.

Cartilage tissue engineering remains problematic because no systems are able to induce signals that contribute to native cartilage structure formation. Therefore, we tested the potentiality of gelatin-polyethylene glycol scaffolds containing three different concentrations of chitosan (CH; 0%, 8%, and 16%) on chondrogenic differentiation of human platelet lysate-expanded human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSCs). Typical chondrogenic (SOX9, collagen type 2, and aggrecan), hypertrophic (collagen type 10), and fibrotic (collagen type 1) markers were evaluated at gene and protein level at Days 1, 28, and 48.

3D gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogels combined with human platelet lysate highly support human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

Bone marrow and adipose tissue human mesenchymal stem cells were seeded in highly performing 3D gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogels of varying chitosan content in the presence of human platelet lysate and evaluated for their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Both bone marrow and adipose tissue human mesenchymal stem cells in gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogel 1 (chitosan content 8.1%) or gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogel 2 (chitosan 14.

The clinical use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enumeration for staging of metastatic breast cancer (MBC): International expert consensus paper.

Background: The heterogeneity of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) necessitates novel biomarkers allowing stratification of patients for treatment selection and drug development. We propose to use the prognostic utility of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for stratification of patients with stage IV disease.

Methods: In a retrospective, pooled analysis of individual patient data from 18 cohorts, including 2436 MBC patients, a CTC threshold of 5 cells per 7.

Counting circulating endothelial cells in allo-HSCT: an ad hoc designed polychromatic flowcytometry-based panel versus the CellSearch System.

Physio-pathologic interrelationships between endothelial layer and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) have been described leading to assess the entity "endothelial GVHD" as the early step for clinical manifestations of acute GVHD. The availability of the CellSearch system has allowed us to monitor Circulating Endothelial Cells (CEC) changes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) as useful tool to help clinicians in GVHD diagnostic definition. We have compared CEC counts generated by an ad hoc designed polychromatic-flowcytometry (PFC) Lyotube with those of the CellSearch system.

Collapse of the Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Compartment in Advanced Cutaneous Melanomas by Components of the Tumor Cell Secretome.

Melanoma is an immunogenic neoplasm infiltrated by T cells, although these adaptive T cells usually fail to eradicate the tumor. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are potent regulators of the adaptive immune response and can eliminate melanoma cells via TLR-mediated effector functions. The PDC compartment is maintained by progressively restricted bone marrow progenitors.

A standardized flow cytometry network study for the assessment of circulating endothelial cell physiological ranges.

Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) represent a restricted peripheral blood (PB) cell subpopulation with high potential diagnostic value in many endothelium-involving diseases. However, whereas the interest in CEC studies has grown, the standardization level of their detection has not. Here, we undertook the task to align CEC phenotypes and counts, by standardizing a novel flow cytometry approach, within a network of six laboratories.