Expert Consensus on the Application of Stem Cells in Psoriasis Research and Clinical Trials.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, systemic disease induced by individual-environmental interactions, and is often lifelong because of the difficulty of treatment. In recent years, a variety of targeted therapies, including biologics, have improved the lesions and quality of life of most psoriasis patients, but they still do not address the problem of relapse and may be associated with decreased efficacy or adverse events such as infections over time. Therefore, there is an urgent need for breakthroughs in psoriasis treatment and in relapse-delaying and non-pharmacologic strategies, and stem cell therapy for psoriasis has emerged.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation improves the long COVID.

No effective treatments can ameliorate symptoms of long COVID patients. Our study assessed the safety and efficacy of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in the treatment of long COVID patients. Ten long COVID patients were enrolled and received intravenous infusions of UC-MSCs on Days 0, 7, and 14.

The therapeutic effect of anti-CD19 antibody on DHEA-induced PCOS mice.

Immune dysregulation has been summarized as a critical factor in the occurrence and development of Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but potential mediators and mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous study showed that CD19 B cells were involved in the pathogenesis of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS mice. Here, we studied the therapeutic potential of anti-CD19 antibody (aCD19 Ab) on DHEA-induced PCOS mice.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for psoriasis: a phase 1/2a, single-arm study.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic immune-mediated systemic disease that had no effective and durable treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunomodulatory properties. Therefore, we performed a phase 1/2a, single-arm clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UMSCs) in the treatment of psoriasis and to preliminarily explore the possible mechanisms.

Blood CD4CD25 T regulatory cells constitute a potential predictive marker of subsequent miscarriage in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy blood immune status and unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL), and to evaluate the predictive value of pre-pregnancy blood Treg levels for subsequent miscarriage in patients with URPL. We retrospectively analyzed 76 women who had experienced two or more miscarriages before 24 weeks of gestation for no obvious reason, and 74 women who had achieved live births as controls. Flow-cytometric analysis of peripheral blood CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, NK cells, NKT cells, B cells, NK cell subpopulations (including CD56 NK cells, CD56 NK cells, CD56CD16 NK cells, and CD56CD16 NK cells) was executed in the luteal phase of women in the URPL and control groups.

Metformin abrogates pathological TNF-α-producing B cells through mTOR-dependent metabolic reprogramming in polycystic ovary syndrome.

B cells contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Clinically, metformin is used to treat PCOS, but it is unclear whether metformin exerts its therapeutic effect by regulating B cells. Here, we showed that the expression level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in peripheral blood B cells from PCOS patients was increased.

Case Report: Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Therapeutic Intervention for a Critically Ill COVID-19 Patient.

Here we report a critically ill patient who was cured of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Changsha, China. A 66-year-old Chinese woman, with no significant past medical history, developed severe pneumonia-like symptoms and later diagnosed as severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Within 2 months of hospitalization, the patient deteriorated to ARDS including pulmonary edema and SIRS with septic shock.

Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Inhibiting the Fibrosis and Autoimmune Development in HOCl-Induced Systemic Scleroderma Mouse Model.

Background And Objectives: Systemic scleroderma (SSc) is a rare and serious connective tissue disease, an autoimmune disease, and a rare refractory disease. In this study, preventive effect of single systemic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) transfusion on SSc was preliminarily explored.

Methods And Results: SSc mouse model was established by daily intradermal injection of Hypochlorite (HOCl).

SPARC promotes insulin secretion through down-regulation of RGS4 protein in pancreatic β cells.

SPARC-deficient mice have been shown to exhibit impaired glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we showed that SPARC enhanced the promoting effect of Muscarinic receptor agonist oxotremorine-M on insulin secretion in cultured mouse islets. Overexpression of SPARC down-regulated RGS4, a negative regulator of β-cell M3 muscarinic receptors.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis by Reducing the Production of Type I Interferon (IFN-I) by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDCs).

The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed to be involved in some autoimmune diseases and have been successfully tested in patients and mice. But their contribution to psoriasis and the underlying mechanisms involved remains elusive. Here, we explored the feasibility of using human umbilical cord-derived MSC (hUC-MSC) infusion as a therapeutic approach in an imiquimod- (IMQ-) induced psoriasis mouse model.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate DHEA-Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) by Inhibiting Inflammation in Mice.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility in women of reproductive age. Chronic inflammation is considered to be the cause of ovarian dysfunction. Increasing evidence in animal studies and in preliminary clinical trials has demonstrated that MSCs possess immunomodulatory effects via their interaction with immune cells.

[Optimization of chromosome flaking technique for mesenchymal stem cells].

Objective: To optimize the condition for chromosome flaking of mesenchymal stem cells to ensure the cytogenetic quality control of expanding production and clinical application.

Methods: Chromosomal flaking methods were optimized from current chromosome preparation techniques from the aspects of MSCs cell culture concentration, colchicine treatment time and low permeability time.

Results: By repeated pre-experiments, the optimal MSCS chromosome flaking condition of MSCs was determined as cell culture concentration of (1-2)× 10 cells per T25 cell culture bottle, and the colchicines processing time was determined as 2 hours and 10 minutes, and the low permeability was 1 hour.

Human Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Show More Efficient Angiogenesis Promotion on Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells than Umbilical Cord and Endometrium.

Angiogenesis is a complicated process in which perivascular cells play important roles. Multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) from distinct tissues have been proved to be proangiogenic and share functional properties and gene expression profiles with perivascular cells. However, different tissues derived MSCs may exhibit different potential for clinical applications.

Effects of human umbilical cord blood CD34 cell transplantation in neonatal hypoxic-ischemia rat model.

Perinatal brain injury can cause death in the neonatal period and lifelong neurodevelopmental deficits. Stem cell transplantation had been proved to be effective approach to ameliorate neurological deficits after brain damage. In this study we examine the effect of human umbilical cord blood CD34 cells on model of neonatal rat hypoxic-ischemic brain damage and compared the neuroprotection of transplantation of CD34 cells to mononuclear cells from which CD34 cells isolated on neonatal hypoxic-ischemia rat model.

[Therapeutic potential of BMSCs for premature ovarian failure in mice].

To explore the therapeutic effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on premature ovarian failure (POF) in mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) and the possible mechanisms.
 Methods: Mouse BMSCs were identified through detection of cell surface markers by flow cytometry. The model of mouse POF was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CTX at a dose of 50 mg/kg, once daily for 15 days.

Lipopolysaccharide preconditioning increased the level of regulatory B cells in the spleen after acute ischaemia/reperfusion in mice.

Background: The inflammatory reaction of the spleen is an important component in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischaemia (CI). Regulatory B cells (Bregs) derived from the spleen can inhibit the expansion of inflammation and reduce the damage caused by CI.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore changes in spleen function and Bregs production due to lipopolysaccharide preconditioning (LPS PC) in ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) and to uncover potential protective effect of LPS PC on stroke.

[Angiogenic ability of 3 different tissues-derived mesenchymal stem cells on endothelial progenitor cells].

To compare the ability between bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (BM-MSCs) and adipose-derived MSCs (AD-MSCs) or umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) on promotion of vessels formation and vessels stabilization relevant to the functions of EPCs.
 Methods: In vitro, co-culture blood vessel test was performed to compare the angiogenic ability between BM-MSCs, AD-MSCs or UC-MSCs. In vivo, angiogenic assay dependent on basement membrane matrix Matrigel and immunohistochemistry were performed to compare the ability of vessels formation functions between BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs or UC-MSCs.

Decreased phosphorylation of PDGFR-β impairs the angiogenic potential of expanded endothelial progenitor cells via the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling.

Human umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been proven to contribute to post-natal angiogenesis, and have been applied in various models of ischemia. However, to date, to the best of our knowledge, there is no available data on the angiogenic properties of EPCs during the process of in vitro expansion. In this study, we expanded EPCs to obtain cells at different passages, and analyzed their cellular properties and angiogenic ability.

Analysis on biomass and productivity of epilithic algae and their relations to environmental factors in the Gufu River basin, Three Gorges Reservoir area, China.

The main purpose of this study conducted from August 2010 was to find biomass and productivity of epilithic algae and their relations to environmental factors and try to explore the restrictive factors affecting the growth of algae in the Gufu River, the one of the branches of Xiangxi River located in the Three Gorges Reservoir of the Yangtze River, Hubei Province, Central China. An improved method of in situ primary productivity measurement was utilized to estimate the primary production of the epilithic algae. It was shown that in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, algae are the main primary producers and have a central role in the ecosystem.

Spontaneous immortalization of mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cells.

The spontaneous immortalization of cells in vitro is a rare event requiring genomic instability, such as alterations in chromosomes and mutations in genes. In the present study, we report a spontaneously immortalized liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) line generated from mouse liver. These immortalized LSECs showed typical LSEC characteristics with the structure of transcellular fenestrations, the expression of von Willebrand factor (VWF) and the ability to uptake DiI-acetylated-low density lipoprotein (DiI-Ac-LDL).

SPARC deficiency affects bone marrow stromal function, resulting in impaired B lymphopoiesis.

It has been demonstrated that B cells were decreased in the BM of SPARC-null mice, accompanied by a lack of immune response to LPS. However, the effect of SPARC deficiency on B lymphopoiesis remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the role of SPARC in the regulation of B lymphopoiesis, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Co-transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells and cord blood cells in treatment of diabetes.

Background Aims: Stem cells provide a promising source for treatment of type 1 diabetes, but the treatment strategy and mechanism remain unclear. The aims of this study were to investigate whether co-transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) and cord blood mononuclear cells (CB-MNCs) could reverse hyperglycemia in type 1 diabetic mice and to determine the appropriate ratio for co-transplantation. The treatment mechanism was also studied.

SPARC fusion protein induces cellular adhesive signaling.

Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been described as a counteradhesive matricellular protein with a diversity of biological functions associated with morphogenesis, remodeling, cellular migration, and proliferation. We have produced mouse SPARC with a FLAG-tag at the N-terminus of SPARC (Flag-SPARC, FSP) in a Bac-to-Bac baculoviral expression system. After affinity purification, this procedure yields SPARC of high purity, with an electrophoretic mobility of ∼44 kDa under reducing conditions, and ∼38-39 kDa under non-reducing conditions.