MSC-NTF (NurOwn®) exosomes: a novel therapeutic modality in the mouse LPS-induced ARDS model.

Background: One of the most severe complications of the current COVID-19 pandemic is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by increased amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to lung damage and loss of lung function. There are currently no effective therapies for combatting ARDS.

NurOwn, phase 2, randomized, clinical trial in patients with ALS: Safety, clinical, and biomarker results.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-neurotrophic factor (NTF) cells (NurOwn®, autologous bone marrow-derived MSCs, induced to secrete NTFs) delivered by combined intrathecal and intramuscular administration to participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a phase 2 randomized controlled trial.

Methods: The study enrolled 48 participants randomized 3:1 (treatment: placebo). After a 3-month pretransplant period, participants received 1 dose of MSC-NTF cells (n = 36) or placebo (n = 12) and were followed for 6 months.

miRNA profiling of NurOwn®: mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors.

Background: MSC-NTF cells are Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) induced to express high levels of neurotrophic factors (NTFs) using a culture-medium based approach. MSC-NTF cells have been successfully studied in clinical trials for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are short non-coding RNA molecules that coordinate post-transcriptional regulation of multiple gene targets.

MiR-375 promotes redifferentiation of adult human β cells expanded in vitro.

In-vitro expansion of β cells from adult human pancreatic islets could provide abundant cells for cell replacement therapy of diabetes. However, proliferation of β-cell-derived (BCD) cells is associated with dedifferentiation. Here we analyzed changes in microRNAs (miRNAs) during BCD cell dedifferentiation and identified miR-375 as one of the miRNAs greatly downregulated.

Could microRNAs contribute to the maintenance of β cell identity?

Normal physiology depends on defined functional output of differentiated cells. However, differentiated cells are often surprisingly fragile. As an example, phenotypic collapse and dedifferentiation of β cells were recently discovered in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Brief report: miR-290-295 regulate embryonic stem cell differentiation propensities by repressing Pax6.

microRNAs of the miR-290-295 family are selectively expressed at high levels in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and have established roles in regulating self-renewal. However, the potential influence of these microRNAs on cell fate acquisition during differentiation has been overlooked. Here, we show that miR-290-295 regulate the propensity of mESCs to acquire specific fates.