Quantification of fibrosis extend and airspace availability in lung: A semi-automatic ImageJ/Fiji toolbox.

The evaluation of the structural integrity of mechanically dynamic organs such as lungs is critical for the diagnosis of numerous pathologies and the development of therapies. This task is classically performed by histology experts in a qualitative or semi-quantitative manner. Automatic digital image processing methods appeared in the last decades, and although immensely powerful, tools are highly specialized and lack the versatility required in various experimental designs.

A novel agonist for the HGF receptor MET promotes differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the natural ligand of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase. This ligand-receptor couple is essential for the maturation process of hepatocytes. Previously, the rational design of a synthetic protein based on the assembly of two K1 domains from HGF led to the production of a potent and stable MET receptor agonist.

Human cardiac fibroblasts expressing VCAM1 improve heart function in postinfarct heart failure rat models by stimulating lymphangiogenesis.

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. After an ischemic injury, the myocardium undergoes severe necrosis and apoptosis, leading to a dramatic degradation of function. Numerous studies have reported that cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) play a critical role in heart function even after injury.

Analysis of the transcription factors and their regulatory roles during a step-by-step differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells.

We investigated the human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) during a sequential in vitro step-by-step differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) using nanoCAGE, a method for promoters, transcription factors, and transcriptome analysis. Specific gene clusters reflected the different steps of the hepatic differentiation. The proliferation step was characterized by a typical cell cycle and DNA replication.