Hydrochlorothiazide and Prevention of Kidney-Stone Recurrence.

Background: Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common conditions affecting the kidney and is characterized by a high risk of recurrence. Thiazide diuretic agents are widely used for prevention of the recurrence of kidney stones, but data regarding the efficacy of such agents as compared with placebo are limited. Furthermore, dose-response data are also limited.

MAGI1 localizes to mature focal adhesion and modulates endothelial cell adhesion, migration and angiogenesis.

MAGI1 is an intracellular adaptor protein that stabilizes cell junctions and regulates epithelial and endothelial integrity. Here, we report that that in endothelial cells MAGI1 colocalizes with paxillin, β3-integrin, talin 1, tensin 3 and α-4-actinin at mature focal adhesions and actin stress fibers, and regulates their dynamics. Downregulation of MAGI1 reduces focal adhesion formation and maturation, cell spreading, actin stress fiber formation and RhoA/Rac1 activation.

Interactome Analysis of iPSC Secretome and Its Effect on Macrophages In Vitro.

Induced pluripotent stem cell secretome (iPSC-CM) mitigate organ injury and help in repair. Macrophages play a critical role in tissue repair and regeneration and can be directed to promote tissue repair by iPSC-CM, although the exact mechanisms are not known. In the current investigative study, we evaluated the possible mechanism by which iPSC-CM regulates the phenotype and secretory pattern of macrophages in vitro.

Efficacy of standard and low dose hydrochlorothiazide in the recurrence prevention of calcium nephrolithiasis (NOSTONE trial): protocol for a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Nephrolithiasis is a global healthcare problem with a current lifetime risk of 18.8% in men and 9.4% in women.

Stem cell secretome attenuates acute rejection in rat lung allotransplant.

Objectives: Stem cells secrete significant amounts of bioactive factors in their secretome that can be immunosuppressive. We studied the effect of the secretome obtained from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-sec) in combination with cyclosporine A following acute rejection of lung allografts in the rat.

Methods: Lung allotransplants were performed from male Brown Norway donor rats to recipient male Fisher 344 rats.

Culture of human alveolar epithelial type II cells by sprouting.

Background: Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AT2) play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity and function of the alveoli. Only recently, the role of impaired epithelial repair mechanisms after injury in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has been demonstrated, and has shifted the AT2 cell in the focus of interest. Therefore, using primary human AT2 cells instead of cell lines for in vitro experiments has become desirable.

Generation of an alveolar epithelial type II cell line from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Differentiation of primary alveolar type II epithelial cells (AEC II) to AEC type I in culture is a major barrier in the study of the alveolar epithelium in vitro. The establishment of an AEC II cell line derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) represents a novel opportunity to study alveolar epithelial cell biology, for instance, in the context of lung injury, fibrosis, and repair. In the present study, we generated long-lasting AEC II from iPSC (LL-iPSC-AEC II).

A new electrospray method for targeted gene delivery.

A challenge for gene therapy is absence of safe and efficient local delivery of therapeutic genetic material. An efficient and reproducible physical method of electrospray for localized and targeted gene delivery is presented. Electrospray works on the principle of coulombs repulsion, under influence of electric field the liquid carrying genetic material is dispersed into micro droplets and is accelerated towards the targeted tissue, acting as a counter electrode.

Gene Network Analysis of Interstitial Macrophages After Treatment with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Secretome (iPSC-cm) in the Bleomycin Injured Rat Lung.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease involving various cell types. Macrophages are essential in maintenance of physiological homeostasis, wound repair and fibrosis in the lung. Macrophages play a crucial role in repair and remodeling by altering their phenotype and secretory pattern in response to injury.

Bone marrow stem cells modified with human interleukin 10 attenuate acute rejection in rat lung allotransplantation.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate new therapeutic options to attenuate acute rejection in a rat lung allograft model. Cell-based gene therapies have recently been reported as a novel curative option in acute and chronic diseases for which conventional treatments are not available. We studied the effect of human interleukin 10 (hIL-10) on expressing bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in combination with cyclosporine A (CsA) on acute rejection of lung allografts in the rat.

Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells in lung fibrosis.

Rationale: Stem cells have been identified in the human lung; however, their role in lung disease is not clear. We aimed to isolate mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from human lung tissue and to study their in vitro properties.

Methods: MSC were cultured from lung tissue obtained from patients with fibrotic lung diseases (n = 17), from emphysema (n = 12), and normal lungs (n = 3).

The secretome of induced pluripotent stem cells reduces lung fibrosis in part by hepatocyte growth factor.

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and irreversible fibrotic lung disease, resulting in respiratory insufficiency and reduced survival. Pulmonary fibrosis is a result of repeated alveolar epithelial microinjuries, followed by abnormal regeneration and repair processes in the lung. Recently, stem cells and their secretome have been investigated as a novel therapeutic approach in pulmonary fibrosis.