Design, In Vitro Evaluation and In Vivo Biocompatibility of Additive Manufacturing Three-Dimensional Printing of β beta-Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration.

The reconstruction of bone deficiencies remains a challenge due to the limitations of autologous bone grafting. The objective of this study is to evaluate the bone regeneration efficacy of additive manufacturing of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) implants using lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM). LCM uses LithaBone TCP 300 slurry for 3D printing, producing cylindrical scaffolds.

Plasma-Based Scaffold Containing Bone-Marrow Mononuclear Cells Promotes Wound Healing in a Mouse Model of Pressure Injury.

Pressure injuries, or pressure ulcers, are a common problem that may lead to infections and major complications, besides being a social and economic burden due to the costs of treatment and hospitalization. While surgery is sometimes necessary, this also has complications such as recurrence or wound dehiscence. Among the newer methods of pressure injury treatment, advanced therapies are an interesting option.

Role of Klotho and AGE/RAGE-Wnt/β-Catenin Signalling Pathway on the Development of Cardiac and Renal Fibrosis in Diabetes.

Fibrosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of long-term diabetic complications and contributes to the development of cardiac and renal dysfunction. The aim of this experimental study, performed in a long-term rat model, which resembles type 1 diabetes mellitus, was to investigate the role of soluble Klotho (sKlotho), advanced glycation end products (AGEs)/receptor for AGEs (RAGE), fibrotic Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and pro-fibrotic pathways in kidney and heart. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin.

Stem Cell Educator therapy in type 1 diabetes: From the bench to clinical trials.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that causes a deficit of pancreatic islet β cells. Millions of individuals worldwide have T1D, and its incidence increases annually. Recent clinical trials have highlighted the limits of conventional immunotherapy in T1D and underscore the need for novel treatments that not only overcome multiple immune dysfunctions, but also help restore islet β-cell function.

Treatment of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury: Conventional surgery vs. cellular therapy.

Context: Relapse and recurrence rates of pressure injuries (PIs) are very high in spinal cord injured patients. That is the reason why alternative therapies, such the stem cells derived from bone marrow, have been developed.

Objective: To compare this new technique of infiltration-infusion of mononuclear cells from bone marrow with conventional surgery.

Stem cell and tissue engineering approaches in pressure ulcer treatment.

Context: Pressure ulcers or injuries, arise from ischemic damage to soft tissues induced by unrelieved pressure over a bony prominence. They are usually difficult to treat with standard medical therapy and often they recur. In the search for better treatment options, promising alternative forms of treatment are today emerging.

Antitumor Potential of Fibulin-5 in Breast Cancer Cells Depends on Its RGD Cell Adhesion Motif.

Background/aims: Different components of the tumor microenvironment can be either tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive agents depending on factors which are not fully understood. Fibulins are components of the extracellular matrix from different tissues and constitute a clear example of this dual function. In fact, fibulins may either support tumor growth or abolish progression of malignant cells depending on the crosstalk between tumor cells and their surrounding stroma through mechanisms that remain to be elucidated.

Tissue-engineering approaches in pancreatic islet transplantation.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising alternative to whole-pancreas transplantation as a treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus. This technique has been extensively developed during the past few years, with the main purpose of minimizing the complications arising from the standard protocols used in organ transplantation. By using a variety of strategies used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, pancreatic islets have been successfully introduced in host patients with different outcomes in terms of islet survival and functionality, as well as the desired normoglycemic control.

The role of bone marrow mononuclear cell-conditioned medium in the proliferation and migration of human dermal fibroblasts.

Background: Several recent studies have demonstrated the great potential of bone marrow cells in regenerative medicine, not only for their ability to differentiate to match a damaged cell type, but also because they synthesize and release various growth factors and cytokines.We examined the effect of bone marrow cell-conditioned medium in the healing process, especially in terms of fibroblast proliferation and migration.

Methods: These in vitro studies consisted of co-culture (without direct contact) of dermal fibroblasts with mononuclear bone marrow cells and the use of conditioned medium obtained from these cultures in a scratch wound model.

Platelet-Derived Mitochondria Display Embryonic Stem Cell Markers and Improve Pancreatic Islet β-cell Function in Humans.

Diabetes is a major global health issue and the number of individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases annually across multiple populations. Research to develop a cure must overcome multiple immune dysfunctions and the shortage of pancreatic islet β cells, but these challenges have proven intractable despite intensive research effort more than the past decades. Stem Cell Educator (SCE) therapy-which uses only autologous blood immune cells that are externally exposed to cord blood stem cells adhering to the SCE device, has previously been proven safe and effective in Chinese and Spanish subjects for the improvement of T1D, T2D, and other autoimmune diseases.

Fibroblasts accelerate islet revascularization and improve long-term graft survival in a mouse model of subcutaneous islet transplantation.

Pancreatic islet transplantation has been considered for many years a promising therapy for beta-cell replacement in patients with type-1 diabetes despite that long-term clinical results are not as satisfactory. This fact points to the necessity of designing strategies to improve and accelerate islets engraftment, paying special attention to events assuring their revascularization. Fibroblasts constitute a cell population that collaborates on tissue homeostasis, keeping the equilibrium between production and degradation of structural components as well as maintaining the required amount of survival factors.

Organ Donation and Elective Ventilation: A Necessary Strategy.

Organ transplantation is the sole treatment to improve or save the life of patients with final-stage organ failure. The shortage of available organs for transplantation constitutes a universal problem, estimating that 10% of patients on waiting lists die. Brain death is an undesirable result; nevertheless, it has beneficial side-effects since it is the most frequent source of organs for transplantation.

Cleavage of Fibulin-2 by the aggrecanases ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 contributes to the tumorigenic potential of breast cancer cells.

Fibulin-2 participates in the assembly of extracellular matrix components through interactions with multiple ligands and promotes contacts between cells and their surrounding environment. Consequently, identification of processes that could lead to an altered Fibulin-2 could have a major impact not only in the maintenance of tissue architecture and morphogenesis but also in pathological situations including cancer. Herein, we have investigated the ability of the secreted metalloproteases ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 to digest Fibulin-2.

Effects of Estrogen and Phytoestrogen Treatment on an In Vitro Model of Recurrent Stroke on HT22 Neuronal Cell Line.

An increase of stroke incidence occurs in women with the decline of estrogen levels following menopause. This ischemic damage may recur, especially soon after the first insult has occurred. We evaluated the effects of estrogen and phytoestrogen treatment on an in vitro recurrent stroke model using the HT22 neuronal cell line.

Modulation of Autoimmune T-Cell Memory by Stem Cell Educator Therapy: Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial.

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that causes a deficit of pancreatic islet β cells. The complexities of overcoming autoimmunity in T1D have contributed to the challenges the research community faces when devising successful treatments with conventional immune therapies. Overcoming autoimmune T cell memory represents one of the key hurdles.

Repair of segmental mandibular bone defects in sheep using bone marrow stromal cells and autologous serum scaffold: a pilot study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate effective bone regeneration using an autologous serum scaffold (alone or seeded with autologous bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells, BM-MSCs), when implanted in a 30 mm length segmental mandibular defect in sheep.

Materials And Methods: The bone defect was filled either with serum scaffold alone (control group; n = 5) or combined with BM-MSCs (experimental group; n = 10). Bone regeneration was determined at 12 (T12; 2 control sheep and 4 experimental sheep) and 32 weeks (T32; 3 control and 6 experimental sheep), as measured by computed and microcomputed tomography and histological examination.

Intensive care practices in brain death diagnosis and organ donation.

We conducted a multicentre study of 1844 patients from 42 Spanish intensive care units, and analysed the clinical characteristics of brain death, the use of ancillary testing, and the clinical decisions taken after the diagnosis of brain death. The main cause of brain death was intracerebral haemorrhage (769/1844, 42%), followed by traumatic brain injury (343/1844, 19%) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (257/1844, 14%). The diagnosis of brain death was made rapidly (50% in the first 24 h).

Cooperation by fibroblasts and bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells to improve pancreatic rat-to-mouse islet xenotransplantation.

Experimental and clinical experiences highlight the need to review some aspects of islet transplantation, especially with regard to site of grafting and control of the immune response. The subcutaneous space could be a good alternative to liver but its sparse vasculature is its main limitation. Induction of graft tolerance by using cells with immunoregulatory properties is a promising approach to avoid graft rejection.

Repair of long-bone pseudoarthrosis with autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells combined with allogenic bone graft.

Background Aims: Long-bone pseudoarthrosis is a major orthopedic concern because of numerous factors such as difficulty of the treatment, high recurrence, high costs and the devastating effects on the patients' quality of life, which sometimes ends in amputation. Although the "gold standard" for the treatment of this pathology is autologous bone grafting, which has high osteogenic, osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties, this treatment presents some restrictions such as the limited amount of bone that can be taken from the patient and donor site morbidity. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) comprise progenitor and stem cells with pro-angiogenic and pro-osteogenic properties.

Plasma-fibroblast gel as scaffold for islet transplantation.

The transplant of pancreatic islets into the liver can restore normal blood glucose levels in patients with type I diabetes. However, long-term results have indicated that the site and method of transplantation still need to be optimized to improve islet engraftment. This study was designed to assess the efficiency of the use of clotted blood plasma containing fibroblasts ("plasma-fibroblast gel") as a scaffold for subcutaneous islet transplantation in diabetic athymic mice.