Publications by authors named "Karina D Asensi"
Safety and Biodistribution of an Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cell Infusion into Renal Arteries in Patients with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis: A Phase 1 Study.
Stem Cells Int
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the safety of injecting bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMDMCs) directly into the renal arteries of five patients with severe FSGS, using imaging to track where the cells went in the body.
- Results showed that the procedure was safe with no serious side effects, and there was a temporary increase in kidney markers, but overall kidney function remained stable during the follow-up period.
Article Synopsis
- - MSC-based ATMPs are being explored for various clinical uses, highlighting their potential in regenerative medicine.
- - These cells can be sourced from multiple donor tissues or created from stem cells, but differences in production may affect their effectiveness and consistency.
- - The review emphasizes the importance of setting standardized manufacturing criteria for MSCs to enhance their reliability in clinical trials and therapeutic applications.
Article Synopsis
- - Despite the scientific potential of menstrual blood mesenchymal cells (mbMSC) for therapies and medicine, research on these cells remains minimal, with only 0.25% representation in the wider mesenchymal cell literature from 2008-2020.
- - A gender disparity is evident in the authorship of mbMSC studies; while over half of first authors are women, a significant majority of last authors are men, reflecting ongoing issues in gender equity within scientific research.
- - Twitter discussions show that women engage more positively regarding mbMSC, but overall communication and awareness about the significance of menstrual blood in scientific research need improvement.
Article Synopsis
- Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder that leads to rapid aging and increased cardiovascular issues, but the exact causes of these heart problems are not well understood.
- This study used heart cells (cardiomyocytes) from a patient with HGPS to compare their characteristics to those of healthy heart cells, revealing abnormalities in mitochondrial structure and protein expression despite normal basic function.
- Findings suggest that the heart cells from HGPS patients have significant alterations in mitochondria and protein levels, shedding light on potential new mechanisms behind early heart aging in this syndrome.
Article Synopsis
- - Several therapies are being developed to improve blood flow in tissues lacking oxygen, with menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (mbMSC) emerging as a promising and less invasive source compared to bone marrow-derived cells (bmMSC).
- - In various tests, mbMSC showed superior performance, such as greater invasion and longer sprouts in lab cultures, and unlike bmMSC, mbMSC successfully integrated into chick embryos, indicating strong potential for vascular growth.
- - Both mbMSC and bmMSC released factors that encouraged blood vessel formation, with mbMSC additionally expressing PDGF-B, a key molecule for developing and remodeling blood vessels, making it a more advantageous option for future therapies.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates improving embryo culture conditions in assisted reproduction by using mesenchymal stem/stromal cells from menstrual blood (mbMSCs) in a coculture model with mouse embryos.
- Results showed that embryos cocultured with mbMSCs had significantly higher rates of developing into the blastocyst stage (69.8%) compared to control embryos (30%), indicating enhanced growth and development.
- This novel approach offers a simple and noninvasive method that could potentially improve outcomes in assisted reproduction by enriching the embryonic microenvironment.
Background: Despite recent advances in understanding its pathophysiology and development of novel therapies, asthma remains a serious public health issue worldwide. Combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β-adrenoceptor agonists results in disease control for many patients, but those who exhibit severe asthma are often unresponsive to conventional treatment, experiencing worse quality of life, frequent exacerbations, and increasing healthcare costs. Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation has been shown to reduce airway inflammation and remodeling and improve lung function in experimental models of allergic asthma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Female NB-R-knockout mice showed resistance to weight gain on a high-fat diet, suggesting NB-R plays a role in fat accumulation.
- Experiments with adipose stem cells and preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells indicated that blocking NB-R led to lower cell numbers, reduced cell growth, and decreased fat content, pointing to NB-R's importance in promoting adipocyte differentiation.
Article Synopsis
- Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) typically need feeder layers to stay undifferentiated, and the study explores using human menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal cells (MBMCs) as a potential substitute for animal-derived feeder layers like mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs).
- The researchers cultured both MBMCs and MEFs, inactivated them, and then tested their ability to support hESC growth; results showed that hESCs maintained their undifferentiated state when grown on MBMCs, demonstrating similar characteristics and growth patterns as those on MEFs.
- The findings suggest that MBMCs can effectively support hESCs without animal-derived components, making them a promising alternative for future clinical applications
Article Synopsis
- * This study focuses on the cell surface glycans of iPS cells derived from menstrual blood and shows that certain sugar molecules, particularly terminal β-galactopyranoside and sialic acids, play a crucial role in maintaining the cells' pluripotent nature.
- * By removing sialic acids, researchers triggered differentiation in both iPS cells and human embryonic stem cells, suggesting that manipulating sialic acid levels can influence stem cell behavior and development.
Properties of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have been extensively studied since their first derivation in 2006. However, the modification in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and detoxification caused by reprogramming still needs to be further elucidated. The objective of this study was to compare the response of iPSC generated from menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mb-iPSC), embryonic stem cells (H9) and adult menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mbMSC) to ROS exposure and investigate the effects of reprogramming on cellular oxidative stress (OS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Recent evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells may attenuate lung inflammation and fibrosis in acute lung injury. However, so far, no study has investigated the effects of mesenchymal stem cell therapy on the time course of the structural, mechanical, and remodeling properties in pulmonary or extrapulmonary acute lung injury.
Design: Prospective randomized controlled experimental study.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to explore how bone marrow (BM) cells contribute to liver fibrosis using a chimeric mouse model, where bone marrow was replaced after irradiation, and liver injury was induced with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)).
- - Results indicated that liver injury resulted in structural changes and increased collagen deposition, but bone marrow cells did not differentiate into myofibroblasts, as shown by the lack of co-localization with fluorescently labeled cells.
- - Flow cytometric analysis revealed an increased presence of inflammatory bone marrow-derived cells in the liver, implying their role in inflammation rather than direct contribution to fibrosis.
Article Synopsis
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were previously created by introducing four transcription factor genes into fibroblasts, but this method has low efficiency and takes about 20 days.
- * Researchers explored using menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal cells (MBMCs) for reprogramming, as these cells already express some key embryonic stem cell regulators, potentially improving efficiency.
- * The study found that reprogramming MBMCs led to higher efficiency (2-5%) and faster results, producing ES-like cells that can differentiate into various cell types without the need for one of the transcription factors, c-MYC.
The objective of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in a rat model of severe chronic liver injury. Fourteen female Wistar rats were fed exclusively an alcoholic liquid diet and received intraperitoneal injections of carbon tetrachloride every other day during 15 weeks. After this period, eight animals (MSC group) had 1 x 10(7) cells injected into the portal vein while six animals (placebo group) received vehicle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF