Stimuli-Responsive Substrates to Control the Immunomodulatory Potential of Stromal Cells.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have broad immunomodulatory properties that range from regulation, proliferation, differentiation, and immune cell activation to secreting bioactive molecules that inhibit inflammation and regulate immune response. These properties provide MSCs with high therapeutic potency that has been shown to be relevant to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Hence, researchers have explored diverse strategies to control the immunomodulatory potential of stromal cells using polymeric substrates or scaffolds.

Peptoid-Cross-Linked Hydrogel Stiffness Modulates Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Immunoregulatory Potential in the Presence of Interferon-Gamma.

Human mesenchymal stromal cell (hMSC) manufacturing requires the production of large numbers of therapeutically potent cells. Licensing with soluble cytokines improves hMSC therapeutic potency by enhancing secretion of immunoactive factors but typically decreases proliferative ability. Soft hydrogels, however, have shown promise for boosting immunomodulatory potential, which may compensate for decreased proliferation.

Effects of Metformin on Bone Mineral Density and Adiposity-Associated Pathways in Animal Models with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

Recently, there have been investigations on metformin (Met) as a potential treatment for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as researchers have outlined that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses an increased risk of fractures. Hence, this systematic review was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the evidence that supports the bone-protective effects of metformin on male animal models with T2DM. Five databases-Google Scholar, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect-were used to search for original randomized controlled trials published in English with relevant keywords.

Pentablock Copolymer Micelle Nanoadjuvants Enhance Cytosolic Delivery of Antigen and Improve Vaccine Efficacy while Inducing Low Inflammation.

As the focus has shifted from traditional killed or live, attenuated vaccines toward subunit vaccines, improvements in vaccine safety have been confronted with low immunogenicity of protein antigens. This issue has been addressed by synthesizing and designing a wide variety of antigen carriers and adjuvants, such as Toll-like receptor agonists (e.g.