BORN study: a multicenter randomized trial investigating cord blood red blood cell transfusions to reduce the severity of retinopathy of prematurity in extremely low gestational age neonates.

Background: Extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs, i.e., neonates born before 28 weeks of gestation) are at high risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), with potential long-life visual impairment.

Rosiglitazone promotes the differentiation of Langerhans cells and inhibits that of other dendritic cell types from CD133 positive hematopoietic precursors.

Dendritic cells and their precursors express PPAR-gamma, whose stimulation has inhibitory effects on the maturation and function of dendritic cells in vivo. Dendritic cells can differentiate in vitro from CD133+ progenitors; the influence of PPAR-gamma stimulation on this process is unknown. We have addressed the effect of PPAR-gamma agonist rosiglitazone, at a concentration as used in clinics, on the differentiation of dendritic cells from human CD133+ progenitors.

EphA2-mediated mesenchymal-amoeboid transition induced by endothelial progenitor cells enhances metastatic spread due to cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Tumor progression is deeply influenced by epigenetic changes induced by tumor stroma. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been reported to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer cells, thereby enhancing their aggressiveness and stem-like properties. As CAFs are able to recruit endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to tumor site, we aim to investigate their interplay for prostate carcinoma progression.

Endothelial progenitor cell-dependent angiogenesis requires localization of the full-length form of uPAR in caveolae.

Endothelial urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is thought to provide a regulatory mechanism in angiogenesis. Here we studied the proangiogenic role of uPAR in endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), a cell population identified in human umbilical blood that embodies all of the properties of an endothelial progenitor cell matched with a high proliferative rate. By using caveolae-disrupting agents and by caveolin-1 silencing, we have shown that the angiogenic properties of ECFCs depend on caveolae integrity and on the presence of full-length uPAR in such specialized membrane invaginations.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells preserve their stem features better when cultured in the Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium.

Background Aims: The human mesenchymal stromal cell (hMSC), a type of adult stem cell with a fibroblast-like appearance, has the potential to differentiate along the mesenchymal lineage and also along other cell lineages. These abilities make hMSC a promising candidate for use in regenerative medicine. As the hMSC represents a very rare population in vivo, in vitro expansion is necessary for any clinical use.