Clinical efficacy and safety of multipotent adult progenitor cells (invimestrocel) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pneumonia: a randomized, open-label, standard therapy-controlled, phase 2 multicenter study (ONE-BRIDGE).

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening inflammatory lung injury with high mortality; no approved medication exists. Efficacy and safety of bone marrow-derived, allogeneic, multipotent adult progenitor cells (invimestrocel) plus standard treatment in patients with ARDS caused by pneumonia was evaluated.

Methods: A randomized, open-label, standard therapy-controlled, phase 2 study (January 2019-September 2021) conducted in 29 centers in Japan.

A Japanese Bioventure Company's Application of Stem Cell Technology in Regenerative Medicine.

Regenerative medicine mediated by the transplantation of somatic stem cells and functional cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells has great potential in the treatment of currently incurable diseases and thus has attracted significant public attention. To put this into practice, several functional cell lines were developed and laws regarding regenerative medicine were put in force in Japan. In this report, we introduce recent efforts of a bioventure company with special attention to the case of Healios K.

Autologous Induced Stem-Cell-Derived Retinal Cells for Macular Degeneration.

We assessed the feasibility of transplanting a sheet of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The iPSCs were generated from skin fibroblasts obtained from two patients with advanced neovascular age-related macular degeneration and were differentiated into RPE cells. The RPE cells and the iPSCs from which they were derived were subject to extensive testing.

IL-18 induces airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary inflammation via CD4+ T cell and IL-13.

IL-18 plays a key role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary inflammatory diseases including pulmonary infection, pulmonary fibrosis, lung injury and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is unknown whether IL-18 plays any role in the pathogenesis of asthma. We hypothesized that overexpression of mature IL-18 protein in the lungs may exacerbate disease activities of asthma.

Overexpression of chitinase 3-like 1/YKL-40 in lung-specific IL-18-transgenic mice, smokers and COPD.

We analyzed the lung mRNA expression profiles of a murine model of COPD developed using a lung-specific IL-18-transgenic mouse. In this transgenic mouse, the expression of 608 genes was found to vary more than 2-fold in comparison with control WT mice, and was clustered into 4 groups. The expression of 140 genes was constitutively increased at all ages, 215 genes increased gradually with aging, 171 genes decreased gradually with aging, and 82 genes decreased temporarily at 9 weeks of age.

Soluble interleukin-18 receptor complex is a novel biomarker in rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: There has been no report in the literature of a soluble form of interleukin (IL)-18 receptor α (IL-18Rα). In this study, we evaluated the levels and characteristics of soluble IL-18Rα (sIL-18Rα) in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compared these results to control populations.

Methods: The sIL-18Rα complex was isolated from pooled human blood serum using an anti-IL-18Rα monoclonal antibody affinity column.

Endogenous and exogenous thioredoxin 1 prevents goblet cell hyperplasia in a chronic antigen exposure asthma model.

Background: Goblet cell hyperplasia with mucus hypersecretion contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in bronchial asthma. We have reported that thioredoxin 1 (TRX1), a redox (reduction/oxidation)-active protein acting as a strong antioxidant, inhibits pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation and production of chemokines and Th2 cytokines in the lungs, thus decreasing airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway remodeling in mouse asthma models. In the present study, we investigated whether endogenous or exogenous TRX1 inhibits goblet cell hyperplasia in a mouse asthma model involving chronic exposure to antigen.

Obesity and smoking: relationship with waist circumference and obesity-related disorders in men undergoing a health screening.

This study investigated whether smoking habits had a differential influence on waist circumference and obesity-related disorders in nonobese and obese men. We investigated 359 men with smoking habits confirmed by their spouses, including 172 nonobese men (BMI<25) and 187 obese men (BMI>or=25). There were 113 nonobese smokers and 129 obese smokers.