Effect of aspirin or resistant starch on colorectal neoplasia in the Lynch syndrome.

Background: Observational and epidemiologic data indicate that the use of aspirin reduces the risk of colorectal neoplasia; however, the effects of aspirin in the Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer) are not known. Resistant starch has been associated with an antineoplastic effect on the colon.

Methods: In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we used a two-by-two design to investigate the effects of aspirin, at a dose of 600 mg per day, and resistant starch (Novelose), at a dose of 30 g per day, in reducing the risk of adenoma and carcinoma among persons with the Lynch syndrome.

Wnt signaling inhibits osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from the bone marrow represent a potential source of pluripotent cells for autologous bone tissue engineering. We previously discovered that over activation of the Wnt signal transduction pathway by either lithium or Wnt3A stimulates hMSC proliferation while retaining pluripotency. Release of Wnt3A or lithium from porous calcium phosphate scaffolds, which we use for bone tissue engineering, could provide a mitogenic stimulus to implanted hMSCs.