Evaluation methods for decellularized tissues: A focus on human amniotic membrane.

Tissue engineering, a multidisciplinary research field aiming to revolutionize regenerative medicine, relies on scaffolds for optimal cell cultures and organ development. Decellularized tissue extracellular matrices (dECM) scaffolds, particularly from human amniotic membrane (hAM), show promise in clinical applications. This review discusses the significance of scaffolds, emphasizing dECM-based hAM scaffolds, delving into ECM complexities, decellularization processes, and evaluation methods.

Navigating glioblastoma complexity: the interplay of neurotransmitters and chromatin.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain cancer with an unfavorable prognosis for patient survival. Glioma stem cells, a subpopulation of cancer cells, drive tumor initiation, self-renewal, and resistance to therapy and, together with the microenvironment, play a crucial role in glioblastoma maintenance and progression. Neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin have contrasting effects on glioblastoma development, stimulating or inhibiting its progression depending on the cellular context and through their action on glioma stem cells, perhaps changing the epigenetic landscape.

Calcium and Neural Stem Cell Proliferation.

Intracellular calcium plays a pivotal role in central nervous system (CNS) development by regulating various processes such as cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and maturation. However, understanding the involvement of calcium (Ca) in these processes during CNS development is challenging due to the dynamic nature of this cation and the evolving cell populations during development. While Ca transient patterns have been observed in specific cell processes and molecules responsible for Ca homeostasis have been identified in excitable and non-excitable cells, further research into Ca dynamics and the underlying mechanisms in neural stem cells (NSCs) is required.

Cancer Stem Cells and Androgen Receptor Signaling: Partners in Disease Progression.

Cancer stem cells exhibit self-renewal, tumorigenesis, and a high differentiation potential. These cells have been detected in every type of cancer, and different signaling pathways can regulate their maintenance and proliferation. Androgen receptor signaling plays a relevant role in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer, promoting cell growth and differentiation processes.

Pluripotent Stem Cells as a Model for Human Embryogenesis.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs; embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) can recapitulate critical aspects of the early stages of embryonic development; therefore, they became a powerful tool for the in vitro study of molecular mechanisms that underlie blastocyst formation, implantation, the spectrum of pluripotency and the beginning of gastrulation, among other processes. Traditionally, PSCs were studied in 2D cultures or monolayers, without considering the spatial organization of a developing embryo. However, recent research demonstrated that PSCs can form 3D structures that simulate the blastocyst and gastrula stages and other events, such as amniotic cavity formation or somitogenesis.

Increased Nuclear FOXP2 Is Related to Reduced Neural Stem Cell Number and Increased Neurogenesis in the Dorsal Telencephalon of Embryos of Diabetic Rats through Histamine H Receptors.

Diabetic rat embryos have increased cortical neurogenesis and neuron maturation, and their offspring presented altered neuron polarity, lamination, and diminished neuron excitability. The FOXP2 overexpression results in higher cortical neurogenesis by increasing the transition of radial glia to the intermediate progenitor. Similarly, histamine through H-receptor activation increases cortical neuron differentiation.

Recent advances in the use of CRISPR/Cas for understanding the early development of molecular gaps in glial cells.

Glial cells are non-neuronal elements of the nervous system (NS) and play a central role in its development, maturation, and homeostasis. Glial cell interest has increased, leading to the discovery of novel study fields. The CRISPR/Cas system has been widely employed for NS understanding.

Long-Term Functional and Cytoarchitectonic Effects of the Systemic Administration of the Histamine H Receptor Antagonist/Inverse Agonist Chlorpheniramine During Gestation in the Rat Offspring Primary Motor Cortex.

The transient histaminergic system is among the first neurotransmitter systems to appear during brain development in the rat mesencephalon/rhombencephalon. Histamine increases FOXP2-positive deep-layer neuron differentiation of cortical neural stem cells through H receptor activation . The or systemic administration of chlorpheniramine (H receptor antagonist/inverse agonist) during deep-layer cortical neurogenesis decreases FOXP2 neurons in the developing cortex, and HR- or histidine decarboxylase-knockout mice show impairment in learning and memory, wakefulness and nociception, functions modulated by the cerebral cortex.

Increased Levels of Plasma Extracellular Heat-Shock Proteins 60 and 70 kDa Characterized Early-Onset Neonatal Sepsis.

Extracellular heat-shock proteins (Hsp) are highly conserved molecules that play an important role in inflammatory diseases and have been quantified in plasma from patients with infectious diseases, including sepsis. There is a constant search for dependable biochemical markers that, in combination with conventional methods, could deliver a prompt and reliable diagnosis of early-onset neonatal sepsis. We sought to assess the level of Hsp-27, Hsp-60, Hsp-70, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in plasma of healthy neonates at term and infants with early-onset neonatal sepsis.

Differential localization of serotoninergic system elements in human amniotic epithelial cells†.

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a biogenic amine involved in regulating several functions, including development. However, its impact on human embryo development has been poorly studied. The present work investigated the expression and distribution of the main components of the serotoninergic system in human amniotic tissue and human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) in vitro, as an alternative model of early human embryo development.

Prolactin from Pluripotency to Central Nervous System Development.

Prolactin (PRL) is a versatile hormone that exerts more than 300 functions in vertebrates, mainly associated with physiological effects in adult animals. Although the process that regulates early development is poorly understood, evidence suggests a role of PRL in the early embryonic development regarding pluripotency and nervous system development. Thus, PRL could be a crucial regulator in oocyte preimplantation and maturation as well as during diapause, a reversible state of blastocyst development arrest that shares metabolic, transcriptomic, and proteomic similarities with pluripotent stem cells in the naïve state.

iPSC for modeling neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, are fundamental health concerns all around the world. The development of novel treatments and new techniques to address these disorders, are being actively studied by researchers and medical personnel. In the present review we will discuss the application of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) for cell-therapy replacement and disease modelling.

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells: The Present Alternative for High-Incidence Diseases, Even SARS-Cov-2.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), defined as plastic adherent cells with multipotent differentiation capacity in vitro, are an emerging and valuable tool to treat a plethora of diseases due to their therapeutic mechanisms such as their paracrine activity, mitochondrial and organelle transfer, and transfer of therapeutic molecules via exosomes. Nowadays, there are more than a thousand registered clinical trials related to MSC application around the world, highlighting MSC role on difficult-to-treat high-incidence diseases such as the current COVID-19, HIV infections, and autoimmune and metabolic diseases. Here, we summarize a general overview of MSCs and their therapeutic mechanisms; also, we discuss some of the novel clinical trial protocols and their results as well as a comparison between the number of registries, countries, and search portals.

Role of serotonin in vertebrate embryo development.

Since its discovery in 1937, serotonin (5-HT) has become one of the most studied biogenic amines due to its predominant role in regulating several physiological processes such as mood, sleep, and food intake. This amine and the main components of the serotoninergic system are in almost all cells of the body. The presence of 5-HT and the serotoninergic system has been observed in oocytes and in different embryo development stages of fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

Impaired Cortical Cytoarchitecture and Reduced Excitability of Deep-Layer Neurons in the Offspring of Diabetic Rats.

Maternal diabetes has been related to low verbal task scores, impaired fine and gross motor skills, and poor performance in graphic and visuospatial tasks during childhood. The primary motor cortex is important for controlling motor functions, and embryos exposed to high glucose show changes in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation during corticogenesis. However, the existing studies do not discriminate between embryos with or without neural tube defects, making it difficult to conclude whether the reported changes are related to neural tube defects or other anomalies.

Unprecedented Potential for Neural Drug Discovery Based on Self-Organizing hiPSC Platforms.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have transformed conventional drug discovery pathways in recent years. In particular, recent advances in hiPSC biology, including organoid technologies, have highlighted a new potential for neural drug discovery with clear advantages over the use of primary tissues. This is important considering the financial and social burden of neurological health care worldwide, directly impacting the life expectancy of many populations.

The Systemic Administration of the Histamine H Receptor Antagonist/Inverse Agonist Chlorpheniramine to Pregnant Rats Impairs the Development of Nigro-Striatal Dopaminergic Neurons.

The dopaminergic and histaminergic systems are the first to appear during the development of the nervous system. Through the activation of H receptors (HRs), histamine increases neurogenesis of the cortical deep layers, while reducing the dopaminergic phenotype (cells immunoreactive to tyrosine hydroxylase, TH) in embryo ventral mesencephalon. Although the function of histamine in neuronal differentiation has been studied, the role of HRs in neurogenesis has not been addressed.

Establishment of human embryonic stem cell line Amicqui-2 using poor-quality embryos from Mexican population.

Although investigation with human embryonic stem cells (HESC) is not decreasing, the derivation of new lines has been diminished. The preeminence of only a few HESC lines in research is accompanied by lack of universal applicability of results as well as by genetic under-representation. We previously reported the derivation of one line with male karyotype from Mexican population.

Pluripotency markers in tissue and cultivated cells in vitro of different regions of human amniotic epithelium.

Studies have described the presence of pluripotent markers in vivo and in vitro in human amnion. However, the amnion can be divided into reflected, placental and umbilical regions that are anatomically and functionally heterogeneous. Here, we evaluated the expression of pluripotency markers in tissue and cultivated cells in vitro of different regions of human amnion.

Maternal Diabetes and Fetal Programming Toward Neurological Diseases: Beyond Neural Tube Defects.

The purpose of this review was to search for experimental or clinical evidence on the effect of hyperglycemia in fetal programming to neurological diseases, excluding evident neural tube defects. The lack of timely diagnosis and the inadequate control of diabetes during pregnancy have been related with postnatal obesity, low intellectual and verbal coefficients, language and motor deficits, attention deficit with hyperactivity, problems in psychosocial development, and an increased predisposition to autism and schizophrenia. It has been proposed that several childhood or adulthood diseases have their origin during fetal development through a phenomenon called fetal programming.

Capturing the ephemeral human pluripotent state.

During human development, pluripotency is present only in early stages of development. This ephemeral cell potential can be captured in vitro by obtaining pluripotent stem cells (PSC) with self-renewal properties, the human embryonic stem cells (hESC). However, diverse studies suggest the existence of a plethora of human PSC (hPSC) that can be derived from both embryonic and somatic sources, depending on defined culture conditions, their spatial origin, and the genetic engineering used for reprogramming.

Markers of Pluripotency in Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells and Their Differentiation to Progenitor of Cortical Neurons.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) have promise for regenerative medicine due to their auto-renovation and differentiation capacities. Nevertheless, there are several ethical and methodological issues about these cells that have not been resolved. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) have been proposed as source of pluripotent stem cells.

Human amniotic epithelial cells as feeder layer to derive and maintain human embryonic stem cells from poor-quality embryos.

Data from the literature suggest that human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines used in research do not genetically represent all human populations. The derivation of hESC through conventional methods involve the destruction of viable human embryos, as well the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts as a feeder layer, which has several drawbacks. We obtained the hESC line (Amicqui-1) from poor-quality (PQ) embryos derived and maintained on human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC).

Histamine in brain development.

The function of histamine in the adult central nervous system has been extensively studied, but data on its actions upon the developing nervous system are still scarce. Herein, we review the available information regarding the possible role for histamine in brain development. Some relevant findings are the existence of a transient histaminergic neuronal system during brain development, which includes serotonergic neurons in the midbrain and the rhombencephalon that coexpress histamine; the high levels of histamine found in several areas of the embryo nervous system at the neurogenic stage; the presence of histaminergic fibers and the expression of histamine receptors in various areas of the developing brain; and the neurogenic and proliferative effects on neural stem cells following histamine H(1) - and H(2) -receptor activation, respectively.