The effects of inflammation on connexin 43 in chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiac arrhythmias are the main cause of sudden death due to Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Here we investigated alterations in connexin 43 (Cx43) expression and phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes as well as associations with cardiac arrhythmias in CCC.

Methods: C57Bl/6 mice infected with underwent cardiac evaluations at 6 and 12 months after infection via treadmill testing and EKG.

Different mechanisms guide the antinociceptive effect of bone marrow-mononuclear cells and bone marrow-mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in trigeminal neuralgia.

Aims: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a type of chronic orofacial pain evoked by trivial stimuli that manifests as episodes of excruciating and sudden, recurrent paroxysmal pain. Most patients are refractory to pharmacological therapy used for the treatment of TN. Mononuclear cells (MNC) and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have shown therapeutic potential in painful neuropathies, but their mechanism of action is not fully understood.

Current Status of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells for Treatment of Neurological Diseases.

Neurological disorders include a wide spectrum of clinical conditions affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. For these conditions, which affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, generally limited or no treatments are available, and cell-based therapies have been intensively investigated in preclinical and clinical studies. Among the available cell types, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been widely studied but as yet no cell-based treatment exists for neurological disease.

Clinical Trials Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury: Challenges in Generating Evidence.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains an important public health problem which often causes permanent loss of muscle strength, sensation, and function below the site of the injury, generating physical, psychological, and social impacts throughout the lives of the affected individuals, since there are no effective treatments available. The use of stem cells has been investigated as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of SCI. Although a significant number of studies have been conducted in pre-clinical and clinical settings, so far there is no established cell therapy for the treatment of SCI.

Genetic Engineering as a Strategy to Improve the Therapeutic Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Regenerative Medicine.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been widely studied in the field of regenerative medicine for applications in the treatment of several disease settings. The therapeutic potential of MSCs has been evaluated in studies and , especially based on their anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative action, through the secretion of soluble mediators. In many cases, however, insufficient engraftment and limited beneficial effects of MSCs indicate the need of approaches to enhance their survival, migration and therapeutic potential.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) Overexpression Increases the Angiogenic Potential of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have the ability to secrete bioactive molecules, exerting multiple biological effects, such as tissue regeneration, reduction of inflammation, and neovascularization. The therapeutic potential of MSCs can be increased by genetic modification to overexpress cytokines and growth factors. Here we produced mouse MSCs overexpressing human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to assess their proangiogenic potential and .

IGF-1 overexpression improves mesenchymal stem cell survival and promotes neurological recovery after spinal cord injury.

Background: Survival and therapeutic actions of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) can be limited by the hostile microenvironment present during acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Here, we investigated whether BMMSCs overexpressing insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a cytokine involved in neural development and injury repair, improved the therapeutic effects of BMMSCs in SCI.

Methods: Using a SCI contusion model in C57Bl/6 mice, we transplanted IGF-1 overexpressing or wild-type BMMSCs into the lesion site following SCI and evaluated cell survival, proliferation, immunomodulation, oxidative stress, myelination, and functional outcomes.