Antifibrotic Activity of Human Placental Amnion Membrane-Derived CD34+ Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cell Transplantation in Mice With Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Injury.

Unlabelled: : Liver fibrosis represents the end stage of chronic liver inflammatory diseases and is defined by the abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix in the liver. Advanced liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis, liver failure, and portal hypertension. Liver transplantation has been the most effective treatment for these diseases, but the procedure is limited by the shortage of suitable donors.

Gene methylation of human ovarian carcinoma stromal progenitor cells promotes tumorigenesis.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether the DNA methylation of human ovarian carcinoma stromal progenitor cells (OCSPCs) could promote the tumorigenesis of ovarian carcinoma.

Methods: OCSPCs were first isolated from fresh tumor tissues and ascites of ovarian cancer patients. In vivo and in vitro experiments on the effect of the OCSPCs on tumorigenesis and the effects of DNA demethylation on the OCSPCs were then performed.

Preparation, quality criteria, and properties of human blood platelet lysate supplements for ex vivo stem cell expansion.

Most clinical applications of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for cell therapy, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and treatment of immune and inflammatory diseases require a phase of isolation and ex vivo expansion allowing a clinically meaningful cell number to be reached. Conditions used for cell isolation and expansion should meet strict quality and safety requirements. This is particularly true for the growth medium used for MSC isolation and expansion.

Isolation and characterization of stromal progenitor cells from ascites of patients with epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma.

Background: At least one-third of epithelial ovarian cancers are associated with the development of ascites containing heterogeneous cell populations, including tumor cells, inflammatory cells, and stromal elements. The components of ascites and their effects on the tumor cell microenvironment remain poorly understood. This study aimed to isolate and characterize stromal progenitor cells from the ascites of patients with epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma (EOA).

Downregulation of alpha-fetoprotein expression by LHX4: a critical role in hepatocarcinogenesis.

LHX4 is a member of the LIM-homeobox family and plays a critical role in pituitary development and differentiation. Several lines of evidences have reported their aberrant expression in cancers. However, the exact roles of LHX4 in carcinogenesis remain unclear.

Effect of Reishi polysaccharides on human stem/progenitor cells.

The polysaccharide fraction of Ganoderma lucidum (F3) was found to benefit our health in many ways by influencing the activity of tissue stem/progenitor cells. In this study, F3 was found to promote the adipose tissue MSCs' aggregation and chondrosphere formation, with the increase of CAM (N-CAM, I-CAM) expressions and autokine (BMP-2, IL-11, and aggrecan) secretions, in an in vitro chondrogenesis assay. In a stem cell expansion culture, it possesses the thrombopoietin (TPO) and GM-CSF like functions to enhance the survival/renewal abilities of primitive hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs).

Expansion of adipose tissue mesenchymal stromal progenitors in serum-free medium supplemented with virally inactivated allogeneic human platelet lysate.

Background: Single-donor or pooled platelet lysates (PL) can substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS) for mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) expansion. However, for clinical applications of MSCs, the use of virally inactivated PL would be desirable. Recently, we have developed a solvent/detergent (S/D)-treated human PL preparation (S/D-PL) rich in growth factors.

Mesenchymal stem cells are superior to angiogenic growth factor genes for improving myocardial performance in the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction.

Both cell therapy and angiogenic growth factor gene therapy have been applied to animal studies and clinical trials. Little is known about the direct comparison between cell therapy and angiogenic growth factor gene therapy. The goal of this study was to compare the effects of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) transplantation and injection of angiogenic growth factor genes in a model of acute myocardial infarction in mice.

Disparate mesenchyme-lineage tendencies in mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow and umbilical cord blood.

Bone marrow and umbilical cord blood are reported to be the main sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have been proposed for many clinical applications. This study evaluated and quantitated the differentiation potential of bone marrow-derived MSCs (bmMSCs) and cord blood-derived MSCs (cbMSCs) by in vitro induction. Results indicated that cbMSCs had a significantly stronger osteogenic potential but lower capacity for adipogenic differentiation than bmMSCs.

Isolation and characterization of neurogenic mesenchymal stem cells in human scalp tissue.

Recent studies have shown that adult tissues contain stem/ progenitor cells capable of not only generating mature cells of their tissue of origin but also transdifferentiating themselves into other tissue cells. Murine skin-derived precursor cells, for example, have been described as unique, nonmesenchymal-like stem cells capable of mesodermal and ectodermal neurogenic differentiation. Human-derived skin precursors are less well characterized.