Combination of stem cell and gene therapy ameliorates symptoms in Huntington's disease mice.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited monogenetic disorder characterized by motor and cognitive dysfunction due to neurodegeneration. The disease is caused by the polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion at the 5' terminal of the exon 1 of the huntingtin () gene, , which results in the accumulation of mutant HTT (mHTT) aggregates in neurons and cell death. The monogenetic cause and the loss of specific neural cell population make HD a suitable candidate for stem cell and gene therapy.

Human dental pulp stem cells derived from different cryopreservation methods of human dental pulp tissues of diseased teeth.

Background: Successful isolation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) has been documented at least 120h after tooth extraction. Viable hDPSCs have been isolated chiefly from cryopreserved healthy molar teeth and their undigested dental pulp tissue. Isolation of hDPSCs from diseased but vital teeth after cryopreservation has not been reported.

Isolation and characterization of normal hamster buccal pouch stem/stromal cells--a potential oral cancer stem/stem-like cell model.

The hamster buccal pouch (HBP) is an appropriate experimental model for buccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Our objective was to isolate and characterize the stem/stromal cells from normal HBP. HBP stem/stromal cells were successfully derived from three of five normal pouch tissues, which differentiated into adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineages, and also expressed stem cell and differentiation markers, indicating their stem cell origin and differentiation capability.

Isolation and characterization of human dental pulp stem/stromal cells from nonextracted crown-fractured teeth requiring root canal therapy.

Introduction: Human dental pulp stem/stromal cells (hDPSCs) in adults are primarily derived from the pulp tissues of permanent third molar teeth in existing literatures, whereas no reports exist, to our knowledge, on deriving hDPSCs from a tooth without the need for surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to raise a novel idea to source hDPSCs from complicated crown-fractured teeth requiring root canal therapy.

Methods: hDPSCs were harvested from the pulp tissues for two complicated crown-fractured teeth requiring root canal therapy, retaining the teeth for subsequent prosthodontic rehabilitation, in a 41-year-old woman who had suffered a motorcycle accident.

Development of interspecies cloned monkey embryos reconstructed with bovine enucleated oocytes.

This study was carried out to determine whether culture media reconstructed with bovine enucleated oocytes and the expression pattern of Oct-4 could support dedifferentiaton of monkey fibroblasts in interspecies cloned monkey embryos. In this study, monkey and bovine skin fibroblasts were used as donor cells for reconstruction with bovine enucleated oocytes. The reconstructed monkey interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) embryos were then cultured under six different culture conditions with modifications of the embryo culture media and normal bovine and monkey specifications.

Isolation and characterization of dental pulp stem cells from a supernumerary tooth.

Background: Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were primarily derived from the pulp tissues of primary incisors and permanent third molar teeth, whereas no report to our knowledge has yet been documented on deriving DPSCs from the other tooth types. The aim of this study is to present a novel approach of harvesting stem cells from a supernumerary tooth (a mesiodens).

Materials And Methods: The pulp tissues from a mesiodens of a 20-year-old healthy male patient and the left lower deciduous canine of a healthy 10-year-old boy (the positive control) were extracted and cultured for DPSCs, which were examined with stem cells (Oct-4, Nanog and Rex-1) and differentiation (Osteonectin and Nestin) markers.

Enhanced transgenesis by intracytoplasmic injection of envelope-free lentivirus.

We demonstrate enhanced transgenesis in mice by intracytoplasmic injection of envelope-free lentivirus. Envelope-free lentivirus carrying the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under the control of the ubiquitin promoter (LVU-GFP) was microinjected into the cytoplasm of mouse zygotes prior to embryo transfer. Ninety-seven percent (31/32) of the adult mice were confirmed transgenic by PCR and Southern blot analysis; all founder mice express GFP when tail snips were examined by fluorescent microscopy prior to genomic DNA extraction.