Multispectral Imaging of Collagen, NAD(P)H and Flavin Autofluorescence in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Undergoing Trilineage Differentiation.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of differentiation is important for regenerative medicine and developmental biology. This study aims to characterise the role of the glycolysis/oxidative phosphorylation balance as a driver of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Cells were maintained in normal conditions or stimulated towards the MSC trilineage cell types over 21 days.

Single cell, Label free Characterisation of Human Mesenchymal Stromal cell Stemness and Future Growth Potential by Autofluorescence Multispectral Imaging.

Aim: To use autofluorescence multispectral imaging (AFMI) to develop a non-invasive assay for the in-depth characterisation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSCs).

Methods: hBM-MSCs were imaged by AFMI on gridded dishes, stained for endpoints of interest (STRO-1 positivity, alkaline phosphatase, beta galactosidase, DNA content) then relocated and results correlated. Intensity, texture and morphological features were used to characterise the colour distribution of regions of interest, and canonical discriminant analysis was used to separate groups.

Barrier-environment interactions along the gut-brain axis and their influence on cognition and behaviour throughout the lifespan.

Environment is known to substantially alter mental state and behaviour across the lifespan. Biological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and gut barrier (GB) are major hubs for communication of environmental information. Alterations in the structural, social and motor environment at different stages of life can influence function of the BBB and GB and their integrity to exert behavioural consequences.