Alternative in vitro models used in the main safety tests of cosmetic products and new challenges.

Background: Guided by ethical considerations and regulatory requirements such as the 7th Amendment to the European Cosmetics Directive N° 1223/2009, the cosmetic industry has developed and evaluated alternative test strategies such as in vitro assays, in silico approaches for toxicological endpoints and efficacy of cosmetic products and cosmetics ingredients. In consequence, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) has proposed a list of validated cell-based in vitro models for predicting the safety and toxicity of cosmetic ingredients. These models have been demonstrated as valuable and effective tools to overcome the limitations of animal in vivo studies.

[Generating pancreatic islets organoids: Langerhanoids].

The extension of islet transplantation to a wider number of Type 1 diabetic patients is compromised by the scarcity of donors, the reduced ex vivo survival of pancreatic islets and the use of immunosuppressive treatments. Islets of Langerhans isolated from brain-dead donors are currently the only cell source for transplantation. Thus, it is crucial to find an alternative and an abundant source of functional insulin secreting cells not only for clinical use but also for the development of research dedicated to the screening of drugs and to the development of new therapeutic targets.

Improved human islets' viability and functionality with mesenchymal stem cells and arg-gly-asp tripeptides supplementation of alginate micro-encapsulated islets in vitro.

Introduction: The extension of islet transplantation to a wider number of type 1 diabetes patients is compromised by severe adverse events related to the immunosuppressant therapy required for allogenic islet transplantation. In this context, microencapsulation offers the prospects of immunosuppressive-free therapy by physically isolating islets from the immune system. However, current biomaterials need to be optimized to: improve biocompatibility, guaranty the maintenance of graft viability and functionality, and prevent fibrosis overgrowth around the capsule in vivo.

Human mesenchymal stem cells improve rat islet functionality under cytokine stress with combined upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 and ferritin.

Background: Islets of Langerhans transplantation is a promising therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus, but this technique is compromised by transplantation stresses including inflammation. In other tissues, co-transplantation with mesenchymal stem cells has been shown to reduce damage by improving anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant defences. Therefore, we probed the protection afforded by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to islets under pro-inflammatory cytokine stress.

New Automatized Method of 3D Multiculture Viability Analysis Based on Confocal Imagery: Application to Islets and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Co-Encapsulation.

Co-encapsulation of pancreatic islets with mesenchymal stem cells in a three-dimensional biomaterial's structure is a promising technique to improve transplantation efficacy and to decrease immunosuppressant therapy. Currently, evaluation of graft quality after co-encapsulation is only based on insulin secretion. Viability measurement in a 3D conformation structure involving two different cell types is complex, mainly performed manually, highly time consuming and examiner dependent.

Respective effects of oxygen and energy substrate deprivation on beta cell viability.

Deficit in oxygen and energetic substrates delivery is a key factor in islet loss during islet transplantation. Permeability transition pore (PTP) is a mitochondrial channel involved in cell death. We have studied the respective effects of oxygen and energy substrate deprivation on beta cell viability as well as the involvement of oxidative stress and PTP opening.

MRI investigation of radiating pain in the lower limbs: value of an additional sequence dedicated to the lumbosacral plexus and pelvic girdle.

Objective: In some cases, sciatica-like symptoms radiating through the buttock, anterior thigh, or leg result from spinal root compression in an extraspinal location or from injury to the pelvic girdle. It has been suggested that adding a coronal STIR sequence dedicated to the lumbosacral plexus and pelvis to the routine MRI protocol can provide a good depiction of disorders of this type.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred nine patients with sciatica-like symptoms of suspected lumbar origin were included in the study.