Induced Endothelial Cell-Integrated Liver Assembloids Promote Hepatic Maturation and Therapeutic Effect on Cholestatic Liver Fibrosis.

The transplantation of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived liver organoids has been studied to solve the current donor shortage. However, the differentiation of unintended cell populations, difficulty in generating multi-lineage organoids, and tumorigenicity of PSC-derived organoids are challenges. However, direct conversion technology has allowed for the generation lineage-restricted induced stem cells from somatic cells bypassing the pluripotent state, thereby eliminating tumorigenic risks.

Synergistic control of mechanics and microarchitecture of 3D bioactive hydrogel platform to promote the regenerative potential of engineered hepatic tissue.

Culturing autologous cells with therapeutic potential derived from a patient within a bioactive scaffold to induce functioning tissue formation is considered the ideal methodology towards realizing patient-specific regenerative medicine. Hydrogels are often employed as the scaffold material for this purpose mainly for their tunable mechanical and diffusional properties as well as presenting cell-responsive moieties. Herein, a two-fold strategy was employed to control the physicomechanical properties and microarchitecture of hydrogels to maximize the efficacy of engineered hepatic tissues.

Direct monitoring of live human pluripotent stem cells by a highly selective pluripotency sensor.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a useful cell source for regenerative medicine. Despite having a potential of hPSCs for cell-based therapy, there is a need for a selective human pluripotency sensor for monitoring of live hPSCs. Here, we report the discovery of a novel pluripotency sensor (SHI5) from BODIPY-based library by high-throughput cell-based screening and describe the use of SHI5 to identify and isolate human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells.

- and -Induced Vascular Progenitor Cells Enhance Functional Recovery in Ischemic Vascular Disease Model-Brief Report.

Objective: Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs), which are able to differentiate into both endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, have the potential for treatment of ischemic diseases. Generated by pluripotent stem cells, VPCs carry the risk of tumorigenicity in clinical application. This issue could be resolved by direct lineage conversion, the induction of functional cells from another lineage by using only lineage-restricted transcription factors.

Oct4 and Hnf4α-induced hepatic stem cells ameliorate chronic liver injury in liver fibrosis model.

Direct conversion from fibroblasts to generate hepatocyte like-cells (iHeps) bypassing the pluripotent state has been described in previous reports as an attractive method acquiring hepatocytes for cell-based therapy. The limited proliferation of iHeps, however, has hampered it uses in cell-based therapy. Since hepatic stem cells (HepSCs) possess self-renewal and bipotency with the capacity to differentiate into both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, they have therapeutic potential for treating liver disease.

Suppressive Effect of Fermented Root Extract against Photoaging: Possible Involvement of Hemeoxygenase-1.

root has historically been used as a traditional medicine in Korea. Previous studies have identified the anti-melanogenic effects of the extract of root fermented by (FAT). This study investigated the protective effects of FAT against ultraviolet light B exposure (UVB; 30 mJ/cm) in HaCaT (human keratinocyte) or Hs68 (human foreskin fibroblast) skin cells.

Decursin and Z-Ligustilide in Root Extract Fermented by Display Anti-Pigment Activity in Melanoma Cells.

The anti-melanogenic effects of the extract of (AT) root and the extract of AT root fermented by (FAT) were investigated. These effects were determined by measuring the inhibitory activity of AT and FAT on melanin production in B16F10 melanocytes and with in vitro tyrosinase activity assays. The AT extract inhibited melanin production at concentrations above 250 μg/ml, and this inhibitory effect was significantly enhanced by the fermentation process with .

Heterodimeric O-methyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of noscapine in opium poppy.

Noscapine biosynthesis in opium poppy involves three characterized O-methyltransferases (OMTs) and a fourth responsible for the 4'-methoxyl on the phthalide isoquinoline scaffold. The first three enzymes are homodimers, whereas the latter is a heterodimer encoded by two linked genes (OMT2 and OMT3). Neither OMT2 nor OMT3 form stable homodimers, but yield a substrate-specific heterodimer when their genes are co-expressed in Escherichia coli.

The biosynthesis of brassicicolin A in the phytopathogen Alternaria brassicicola.

Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) Wiltshire is a phytopathogenic fungus that together with A. brassicae causes Alternaria black spot disease in Brassica species.

Oct4-induced oligodendrocyte progenitor cells enhance functional recovery in spinal cord injury model.

The generation of patient-specific oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) holds great potential as an expandable cell source for cell replacement therapy as well as drug screening in spinal cord injury or demyelinating diseases. Here, we demonstrate that induced OPCs (iOPCs) can be directly derived from adult mouse fibroblasts by Oct4-mediated direct reprogramming, using anchorage-independent growth to ensure high purity. Homogeneous iOPCs exhibit typical small-bipolar morphology, maintain their self-renewal capacity and OPC marker expression for more than 31 passages, share high similarity in the global gene expression profile to wild-type OPCs, and give rise to mature oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in vitro and in vivo.

Metabolite diversity in the plant pathogen Alternaria brassicicola: factors affecting production of brassicicolin A, depudecin, phomapyrone A and other metabolites.

A systematic investigation of the metabolites of Alternaria brassicicola produced under various culture conditions is reported. The phytotoxin brassicicolin A is produced in significantly larger amounts in potato dextrose broth than in minimal medium cultures. In general an increase in the incubation temperature of cultures 23-30 C increases the production of brassicicolin A but decreases depudecin production.

Possible involvement of Class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase in meiotic progression of porcine oocytes beyond germinal vesicle stage.

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3Ks) play pivotal roles in meiotic progression of oocytes from metaphase I to metaphase II stage. Using a Class III-specific inhibitor of PI3K, 3-methyladenine (3MA), this study shows that Class III PI3K may be essential for meiotic progression of porcine oocytes beyond germinal vesicle (GV) stage. Treatment of immature porcine oocytes with 3MA for 22-42 h arrested them at the GV stage, irrespective of the presence or absence of cumulus cells.

Identification of an ISR-related metabolite produced by rhizobacterium Klebsiella oxytoca C1036 active against soft-rot disease pathogen in tobacco.

Background: Klebsiella oxytoca C1036 (C1036) causes induced systemic resistance (ISR) activity against the soft-rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum SCC1 (SCC1). However, microbial metabolites from C1036 involved in ISR activity remain unknown.

Identification of an ISR-related metabolite produced by Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 against the wildfire pathogen pseudomonas syringae pv.tabaci in tobacco.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 exhibits induced systemic resistance (ISR) against P. syringae pv. tabaci in tobacco.