Biodegradable nanofiber coated human umbilical cord as nerve scaffold for sciatic nerve regeneration in albino Wistar rats.

Background: Human umbilical cord (hUC) is encompassed by a mucoid connective tissue called Wharton's jelly (WJ), made of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and stromal cells to support the blood vessels of hUC. This study was aimed to determine the in vitro neuronal differentiation of WJ-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs), and in vivo axonal regeneration potential of nanofiber coated human Wharton's jelly as a neuronal graft after sciatic nerve injury in immunosuppressed albino Wistar rats.

Materials And Methods: Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells could be differentiated to neuron-like cells by inducing with neuronic supplementing media.

Use of Indigenous Decellularized Valved Xenograft Conduit for Double-Barrel Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction: Nine-Year Follow-Up.

Over the last two decades, numerous conduit options and implantation techniques have been described for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction in the management of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with hypoplastic pulmonary annulus. The limited availability of homografts and the cost factor have led us to explore the use of decellularized xenografts as an alternative. Here we present a nine-year follow-up of an adult patient with TOF with hypoplastic pulmonary annulus, who underwent reconstruction of the RVOT by the double-barrel technique, using a decellularized porcine pulmonary artery xenograft valved conduit.

Crosslinked acellular saphenous vein for small-diameter vascular graft.

Objective: Patients with congenital and acquired heart diseases or arteriopathy require small-diameter vascular grafts for arterial reconstruction. Autologous veins are the most suitable graft, but when absent, an alternative is necessary. This work addresses the issue.

Large-scale in-vitro expansion of RBCs from hematopoietic stem cells.

The quest for RBCs in transfusion medicine has prompted scientists to explore the large-scale expansion of human RBCs from various sources. The successful production of RBCs in the laboratory depends on the selection of potential cell source, optimized culture, bio-physiological parameters, clinically applicable culture media that yields a scalable, contamination-free, non-reactive, non-tumorogenic, stable and functional end product. The expansion protocol considering the in vivo factors involved in homeostasis can generate a cost-effective and readily available cell source for transfusion.

Ischemic cardiac tissue conditioned media induced differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into early stage cardiomyocytes.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent, can be easily expanded in culture and hence are an attractive therapeutic tool for cardiac repair. MSCs have tremendous potential to transdifferentiate to cardiac lineage both in vitro and in vivo. The present study examined the differentiation capacity of conditioned media derived from ischemic cardiac tissue on human MSCs.

Nanofiber-reinforced biological conduit in cardiac surgery: preliminary report.

Several options are available for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction, including commercially available bovine jugular vein and cryo-preserved homografts. Homograft non-availability and the problems of commercially available conduits led us to develop indigenously processed bovine jugular vein conduits with competent valves. They were made completely acellular and strengthened by non-conventional cross-linking without disturbing the extracellular matrix, which improved the luminal surface characteristics for hemocompatibility.

Stem cell experiments and initial clinical trial of cellular cardiomyoplasty.

Growing myocardial cells from human stem cells and stem cell transplantation to repair injured myocardium are new frontiers in cardiovascular research. The 1st stage of this study was conducted to determine whether transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cells into infarcted myocardium of sheep could differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes. The 2nd stage was to demonstrate transdifferentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to precursor cardiomyocytes in vitro, using a novel conditioning medium.