Role of microglia in embryonic neurogenesis.

Microglia begin colonizing the developing brain as early as embryonic day 9, prior to the emergence of neurons and other glia. Their ontogeny is also distinct from other central nervous system cells, as they derive from yolk sac hematopoietic progenitors and not neural progenitors. In this review, we feature these unique characteristics of microglia and assess the spatiotemporal similarities between microglia colonization of the central nervous system and embryonic neurogenesis.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells modulate T-cell immune response via transcriptomic regulation.

Background Aims: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been identified as pan-immunosuppressant in various in vitro and in vivo inflammatory models. Although the immunosuppressive activity of MSCs has been explored in various contexts, the precise molecular signaling pathways that govern inhibitory functions remain poorly elucidated.

Methods: By using a microarray-based global gene expression profiling system, this study aimed to decipher the underlying molecular pathways that may mediate the immunosuppressive activity of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) on activated T cells.

Isolation and characterization of primary microglia from post-natal murine brain tissues: a comparison of two methods.

Microglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS). Apart from playing vital roles as sentinel cells, they are crucial in physiological processes such as synaptic pruning during brain development. CNS disorders require an understanding of the contribution of each cellular compartment to the pathogenesis.

A three-dimensional collagen construct to model lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of BV2 microglia.

Background: We report a novel method of culturing microglia in three dimension (3D) using collagen as a substrate. By culturing microglia within a matrix, we aim to emulate the physical state of microglia embedded within parenchyma.

Methods: BV2 microglia cell suspensions were prepared with type I collagen and cast into culture plates.

Immunomodulatory activity of polyphenols derived from Cassia auriculata flowers in aged rats.

The immunomodulatory activity of Cassia auriculata (CA)-derived polyphenols was tested on aged rats. Rats (24-26 months old) were given CA polyphenols supplementation at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg for 28 days. Flow cytometry analysis of CA polyphenols-treated aged rats showed increased T and B cells percentage along with enhanced proliferation of splenocytes in both resting and LPS-stimulated cells.

Generation of mesenchymal stem cell from human umbilical cord tissue using a combination enzymatic and mechanical disassociation method.

MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) promise a great potential for regenerative medicine due to their unique properties of self-renewal, high plasticity, modulation of immune response and the flexibility for genetic modification. Therefore, the increasing demand for cellular therapy necessitates a larger-scale production of MSC; however, the technical and ethical issues had put a halt on it. To date, studies have shown that MSC could be derived from human UC (umbilical cord), which is once considered as clinical waste.

The immunosuppressive effects of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells target T cell proliferation but not its effector function.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are non-haematopoietic stem cells that are capable of differentiating into tissues of mesodermal origin. MSC play an important role in supporting the development of fetal and adult haematopoiesis. More recently, MSC have also been found to exhibit inhibitory effect on T cell responses.