Gingivo-Periosteal Expansion of Edentulous Jaw Crest with An Osmotic Self-Inflatable Expander: A Preclinical in Vivo Study.

This study examined the biocompatibility and expansion volume of tissue expanders utilizing rabbits and beagles as experimental models. The self-inflatable expander was provided using a Tissue balloon® (Neobiotech Co., Seoul, Korea).

Adipose stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles ameliorates corticosterone-induced apoptosis in the cortical neurons via inhibition of ER stress.

Background: Corticosterone (CORT) can induce neuronal damage in various brain regions, including the cerebral cortex, the region implicated in depression. However, the underlying mechanisms of these CORT-induced effects remain poorly understood. Recently, many studies have suggested that adipose stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (A-EVs) protect neurons in the brain.

miRNAs as Therapeutic Tools in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-dependent, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 50-70% of all dementia cases. Due to the increasing incidence and corresponding socioeconomic burden of dementia, it has rapidly emerged as a challenge to public health worldwide. The characteristics of AD include the development of extracellular amyloid-beta plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, vascular changes, neuronal inflammation, and progressive brain atrophy.

Cardiac toxicity from bisphenol A exposure in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical that is widely used in a variety of products, including plastics, medical equipment and receipts. Hence, most people are exposed to BPA through the skin, via inhalation and via the digestive system, and such exposure has been linked to cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction. However, the underlying mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction caused by BPA remain poorly understood.

Suppressing Pyroptosis Augments Post-Transplant Survival of Stem Cells and Cardiac Function Following Ischemic Injury.

The acute demise of stem cells following transplantation significantly compromises the efficacy of stem cell-based cell therapeutics for infarcted hearts. As the stem cells transplanted into the damaged heart are readily exposed to the hostile environment, it can be assumed that the acute death of the transplanted stem cells is also inflicted by the same environmental cues that caused massive death of the host cardiac cells. Pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death, has been added to the list of important cell death mechanisms in the damaged heart.

Multiplexed targeting of miRNA-210 in stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles promotes selective regeneration in ischemic hearts.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell derivatives containing diverse cellular molecules, have various physiological properties and are also present in stem cells used for regenerative therapy. We selected a "multiplexed target" that demonstrates multiple effects on various cardiovascular cells, while functioning as a cargo of EVs. We screened various microRNAs (miRs) and identified miR-210 as a candidate target for survival and angiogenic function.

2-Phenylethylamine (PEA) Ameliorates Corticosterone-Induced Depression-Like Phenotype via the BDNF/TrkB/CREB Signaling Pathway.

Depression is a serious medical illness that is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Corticosterone (CORT) increases depression-like behavior, with some effects on anxiety-like behavior. 2-Phenethylamine (PEA) is a monoamine alkaloid that acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans.

Novel Therapeutic Effects of Pterosin B on Ang II-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is characterized by an abnormal increase in cardiac muscle mass in the left ventricle, resulting in cardiac dysfunction. Although various therapeutic approaches are being continuously developed for heart failure, several studies have suggested natural compounds as novel potential strategies. Considering relevant compounds, we investigated a new role for Pterosin B for which the potential life-affecting biological and therapeutic effects on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy are not fully known.

Differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into functional chondrocytes by a small molecule that induces Sox9.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease that results from the disintegration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone. Because cartilage and chondrocytes lack the ability to self-regenerate, efforts have been made to utilize stem cells to treat OA. Although various methods have been used to differentiate stem cells into functional chondrocytes, the currently available methods cannot induce stem cells to undergo differentiation into chondrocyte-like cells without inducing characteristics of hypertrophic chondrocytes, which finally lead to cartilage disintegration and calcification.

Simultaneous Suppression of Multiple Programmed Cell Death Pathways by miRNA-105 in Cardiac Ischemic Injury.

Recent studies have shown that several upstream signaling elements of apoptosis and necroptosis are closely associated with acute injury in the heart. In our study, we observed that miR-105 was notably dysregulated in rat hearts with myocardial infarction (MI). Thus, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that miR-105 participates in the regulation of RIP3/p-MLKL- and BNIP3-dependent necroptosis/apoptosis in H9c2 cells and MI rat hearts.

TAK733 attenuates adrenergic receptor-mediated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via inhibiting ErkThr188 phosphorylation.

Background: Cardiac hypertrophy is an important risk factor for heart failure. The MEK-ERK axis has been reported as a major regulator in controlling cardiac hypertrophy. TAK733 is a potent and selective MEK inhibitor that suppresses cell growth in a broad range of cell lines.

Multiple Combination of Angelica gigas Extract and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhances Therapeutic Effect.

Alternative medicines attract attention because stroke is rarely expected to make a full recovery with the most advanced medical technology. Angelica gigas (AG) is a well-known herbal medicine as a neuroprotective agent. The present study introduced mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to identify for the advanced treatment of the cerebrovascular disease.

Priming stem cells with protein kinase C activator enhances early stem cell-chondrocyte interaction by increasing adhesion molecules.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) can be defined as degradation of articular cartilage of the joint, and is the most common degenerative disease. To regenerate the damaged cartilage, different experimental approaches including stem cell therapy have been tried. One of the major limitations of stem cell therapy is the poor post-transplantation survival of the stem cells.

Multipoint targeting of TGF-β/Wnt transactivation circuit with microRNA 384-5p for cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiac fibrosis is a common precursor to ventricular dysfunction and eventual heart failure, and cardiac fibrosis begins with cardiac fibroblast activation. Here we have demonstrated that the TGF-β signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway formed a transactivation circuit during cardiac fibroblast activation and that miR-384-5p is a key regulator of the transactivation circuit. The results of in vitro study indicated that TGF-β activated an auto-positive feedback loop by increasing Wnt production in cardiac fibroblasts, and Wnt neutralizing antibodies disrupted the feedback loop.

Salvia miltiorrhiza enhances the survival of mesenchymal stem cells under ischemic conditions.

Objectives: To validate the enhanced therapeutic effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) for brain ischemic stroke through the anti-apoptotic and survival ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Methods: The viability and the expression level of cell apoptotic and survival-related proteins in MSCs by treatment of SM were assessed in vitro. In addition, the infarcted brain region and the behavioural changes after treatment of MSCs with SM were confirmed in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) models.

Corrigendum: Small molecule-mediated up-regulation of microRNA targeting a key cell death modulator BNIP3 improves cardiac function following ischemic injury.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep23472.

TAK-733 inhibits inflammatory neointimal formation by suppressing proliferation, migration, and inflammation in vitro and in vivo.

As a potent and selective allosteric inhibitor of MEK, TAK-733 has been shown to exert anti-cancer effects for a wide range of cancers both in vitro and in vivo. However, its effects on inhibiting growth have never been investigated in the cardiovascular system, where regulation of abnormal vascular smooth muscle cell growth in neointimal hyperplasia is an important area of focus. Angiotensin II was used to mimic inflammatory neointimal hyperplasia in an in vitro environment, and balloon catheter-induced injury with an infusion of angiotensin II was used to generate an in vivo rat restenosis model under inflammatory conditions.

Extract of Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration via suppression of ERK1/2 and Akt signaling pathways1.

Excessive vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration accelerate the development of occlusive vascular disease. Therefore, finding a means to control the aberrant proliferation and migration of VSMCs has own clinical significance. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of using extract from medicinal plant Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa (OG) to control pathologic proliferation and migration of VSMCs, which never have been tested.

Protective effects of kenpaullone on cardiomyocytes following HO-induced oxidative stress are attributed to inhibition of connexin 43 degradation by SGSM3.

A previous study showed that small G protein signaling modulator 3 (SGSM3) was highly correlated with Cx43 in heart functions and that high levels of SGSM3 may induce Cx43 turnover through lysosomal degradation in infarcted rat hearts. Here, we investigated the protective effects of kenpaullone on cardiomyocytes following HO-induced oxidative stress mediated by the interaction of SGSM3 with Cx43. We found that the gap junction protein Cx43 was significantly down-regulated in an HO concentration-dependent manner, whereas expression of SGSM3 was up-regulated upon HO exposure in H9c2 cells.

Small molecule-mediated induction of miR-9 suppressed vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointima formation after balloon injury.

Pathologic proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) exacerbate cardiovascular disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as endogenous inhibitors of protein synthesis, are expected to modulate pathologic proliferation of VSMCs. Here we report that both platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) targeting miR-9 and a small molecule that increases miR-9 can inhibit the serum-induced proliferation of VSMCs.

Rapid Induction of Osteogenic Markers in Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells.

Background/aims: Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells are a mixed cell population, and their regenerative capacity has been validated in various therapeutic models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regenerative mechanisms utilized by implanted SVF cells. Using an in vitro co-culture system, we sought to determine whether SVF implantation into impaired tissue affects endogenous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation; MSCs can differentiate into a variety of cell types, and they have a strong regenerative capacity despite their low numbers in impaired tissue.

Effects of donor age on human adipose-derived adherent stromal cells under oxidative stress conditions.

Objective Adipose-derived stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) are heterogeneous complex populations of cells with therapeutic efficacy for tissue generation and vascular stabilization. SVFs have cardiomyogenic potential, and many researchers have examined the possibility of SVF transplantation for heart disease. In cell-based therapies, donor age affects the regenerative capability, cell yield, and differentiation potential of adult tissues; however, opposing or controversial results have been found in humans.

Human Long Noncoding RNA Regulation of Stem Cell Potency and Differentiation.

Because of their capability of differentiation into lineage-specific cells, stem cells are an attractive therapeutic modality in regenerative medicine. To develop an effective stem cell-based therapeutic strategy with predictable results, deeper understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of stem cell differentiation and/or pluripotency maintenance is required. Thus, reviewing the key factors involved in the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation and maintenance is important.