Publications by authors named "Wen-Shuai Li"

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and its inflammatory microenvironment can result in discogenic pain, which has been shown to stem from the nucleus pulposus (NP). Increasing evidence suggests that mitochondrial related genes are strictly connected to cell functionality and, importantly, it can regulate cell immune activity in response to damaged associated signals. Therefore, identification of mitochondria related genes might offer new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for IVD degeneration.

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Gut microbiota composition of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is markedly altered compared with healthy individuals. There is mounting evidence that probiotic therapy alleviates disease severity in animal models and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). , as a probiotic, has also demonstrated a protective effect in IBD.

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MiR-34c is considered a potent tumour suppressor because of its negative regulation of multiple target mRNAs that are critically associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. In the present study, we demonstrated a novel target of miR-34c, KITLG, which has been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC). First, we found a significant negative relationship between miR-34c and KITLG mRNA expression levels in CRC cell lines, including HT-29, HCT-116, SW480 and SW620 CRC cell lines.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dopaminergic neuron therapy using hUCB-MSCs is emerging as a promising approach for Parkinson's disease treatment.
  • The study found that using conditioned medium from amniotic epithelial cells significantly boosts the production of DA neuron-like cells from hUCB-MSCs, indicated by specific gene upregulation.
  • Furthermore, the presence of neurotrophic factors like BDNF and NGF in the conditioned medium plays a key role in this differentiation, suggesting hUCB-MSCs combined with ACM could be an effective ethical cell therapy for PD.
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  • Research has shown that human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) can turn into dopamine (DA) neuron-like cells when stimulated by amniotic epithelial cells (AECs), but the exact factors involved in this process are not fully understood.
  • The study focuses on pleiotrophin (PTN), a protein thought to support DA neurons, and investigates its expression and secretion by AECs, finding that PTN promotes the differentiation of hUCB-MSCs into DA neuron-like cells when combined with AEC-conditioned medium (ACM).
  • Results demonstrate that PTN alongside other neurotrophic factors in ACM enhances the differentiation of hUCB
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