Comparison of different cooling rates for fibroblast and keratinocyte cryopreservation.

Easy, cost-effective and reliable cryopreservation protocols are crucial for the successful and effective application of tissue engineering. Several different protocols are in use, but no comprehensive comparisons across different machine-based and manual methods have been made. Here, we compare the effects of different cooling rates on the post-thaw survival and proliferative capacity of two basic cell lines for skin tissue engineering fibroblasts and keratinocytes, cultured and frozen in suspension or as a monolayer.

Comparing the burden: what can we learn by comparing regulatory frameworks in abortion and fertility services?

In the UK, regulation of clinical services is being restructured. We consider two clinical procedures, abortion and IVF treatment, which have similar ethical and political sensitivities. We consider factors including the law, licensing, inspection, amount of paperwork and reporting requirements, the reception by practitioners and costs, to establish which field has the greater 'regulatory burden'.

The procurement of cells for the derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines for therapeutic use: recommendations for good practice.

The donation of human embryos for the derivation of embryonic stem cell lines that may be used in the development of therapeutic products raises more complex ethical, practical and regulatory problems than the donation of embryos for non-clinical research. This review considers these issues and offers recommendations for good practice.

Scientists' perception of ethical issues in nanomedicine: a case study.

Aim: Research and development in nanomedicine has been accompanied by the consideration of ethical issues; however, little is known about how researchers working in this area perceive such issues. This case-study explores scientists' attitude towards and knowledge of ethical issues.

Method: Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with 22 nanomedicine practitioners and subject to content analysis.

The implications of "advanced therapies" regulation.

Recent policy developments in the United States and Europe have created new regulatory regimes for advanced and complex treatments such as cell therapies, tissue engineering, and gene therapies that are of particular relevance for regenerative medicine. Where these new legal rules operate as a mere extension of existing regimes, they risk stifling innovation in these areas of life extension technology.

Fusion and regenerative therapies: is immortality really recessive?

Harnessing cellular fusion as a potential tool for regenerative therapy has been under tentative investigation for decades. A look back the history of fusion experiments in gerontology reveals that whereas some studies indicate that aging-related changes are conserved in fused cells, others have demonstrated that fusion can be used as a tool to revoke cellular senescence and induce tissue regeneration. Recent findings about the role of fusion processes in tissue homeostasis, replenishment, and repair link insights from fusion studies of previous decades with modern developments in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Cellular therapy using microglial cells.

Recent insights into the function and dysfunction of microglia may inform future therapies to combat neurodegeneration. We hypothesise how different aspects of microglial activity including migration, activation, oxidative response, phagocytosis, proteolysis, and replenishment could be targeted by novel therapeutic approaches. A combined approach is suggested, encompassing opsonization and anti-inflammatory strategies in conjunction with an engineering of microglial precursors.

Stressed stem cells: Temperature response in aged mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from young (6 week) and aged (56 week) Wistar rats were cultured at standard (37 degrees C) and reduced (32 degrees C) temperature and compared for age markers and stress levels. (ROS, NO, TBARS, carbonyls, lipofuscin, SOD, GPx, apoptosis, proteasome activity) and heat shock proteins (HSP27, -60, -70, -90). Aged MSCs display many of the stress markers associated with aging in other cell types, but results vary across marker categories and are temperature dependant.

Aging of mesenchymal stem cells.

The role of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in tissue maintenance and regeneration has received significant attention of late. Questions arise to what extent these cells are either subject to, or causes of aging; whether age-related changes in these cells are due to intrinsic factors or induced by the somatic environment. This review collates and examines recent data in support of these different theories.

Chronically active: activation of microglial proteolysis in ageing and neurodegeneration.

One of the microglial cell functions is the removal of modified extracellular proteins in the brain. The connection between protein oxidation, proteolysis, and microglial activation is the topic of this review. The effect of various activation agents on microglial cells with regard to changes in substrate uptake, proteolytic capacity and degradation efficiency of different types of oxidized protein materials is reviewed.