Generation of heart and vascular system in rodents by blastocyst complementation.

Generating organs from stem cells through blastocyst complementation is a promising approach to meet the clinical need for transplants. In order to generate rejection-free organs, complementation of both parenchymal and vascular cells must be achieved, as endothelial cells play a key role in graft rejection. Here, we used a lineage-specific cell ablation system to produce mouse embryos unable to form both the cardiac and vascular systems.

One-Step In Vitro Generation of ETV2-Null Pig Embryos.

Each year, tens of thousands of people worldwide die of end-stage organ failure due to the limited availability of organs for use in transplantation. To meet this clinical demand, one of the last frontiers of regenerative medicine is the generation of humanized organs in pigs from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) via blastocyst complementation. For this, organ-disabled pig models are needed.

Enhanced antitumor efficacy of an oncolytic adenovirus armed with an EGFR-targeted BiTE using menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells as carriers.

Poor tumor targeting of oncolytic adenoviruses (OAdv) after systemic administration is considered a major limitation for virotherapy of disseminated cancers. The benefit of using mesenchymal stem cells as cell carriers for OAdv tumor targeting is currently evaluated not only in preclinical models but also in clinical trials. In this context, we have previously demonstrated the enhanced antitumor efficacy of OAdv-loaded menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MenSCs).