CCR7 expressing mesenchymal stem cells potently inhibit graft-versus-host disease by spoiling the fourth supplemental Billingham's tenet.

The clinical acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)-therapy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is not as satisfactory as expected. Secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) are the major niches serve to initiate immune responses or induce tolerance. Our previous study showed that CCR7 guide murine MSC line C3H10T1/2 migrating to SLOs.

SOCS1 regulates the immune modulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells by inhibiting nitric oxide production.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be highly immunosuppressive and have been employed to treat various immune disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying the immunosuppressive capacity of MSCs are not fully understood. We found the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) was induced in MSCs treated with inflammatory cytokines.

CCR7 guides migration of mesenchymal stem cell to secondary lymphoid organs: a novel approach to separate GvHD from GvL effect.

Inefficient homing of systemically infused mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) limits the efficacy of existing MSC-based clinical graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) therapies. Secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) are the major niches for generating immune responses or tolerance. MSCs home to a wide range of organs, but rarely to SLOs after intravenous infusion.

[A new method for isolating and culturing mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

This study was purposed to establish a convenient and efficient method for isolating and culturing mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The femurs and tibias of mouse were taken under sterile condition. MSC were isolated and cultured with flushing- out bone marrow or collagenase-digested bone fragment or bone marrow plus bone fragment.

Temporal activation of β-catenin signaling in the chondrogenic process of mesenchymal stem cells affects the phenotype of the cartilage generated.

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell source for cartilage tissue engineering. In vitro predifferentiation of MSCs has been explored as a means to enhance MSC-based articular cartilage repair. However, there remain challenges to control and prevent the premature progression of MSC-derived chondrocytes to the hypertrophy.

Zinc-finger protein 145, acting as an upstream regulator of SOX9, improves the differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage regeneration and repair.

Objective: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) represent one of the most promising stem cell therapies for traumatic injury and age-related degenerative diseases involving cartilage. However, few genetic factors regulating chondrogenesis of MSCs have been identified. One study showed that zinc-finger protein 145 (ZNF145), a transcription factor, was up-regulated during 3-lineage differentiation of hMSCs.

Cartilage repair using hyaluronan hydrogel-encapsulated human embryonic stem cell-derived chondrogenic cells.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the potential to offer a virtually unlimited source of chondrogenic cells for use in cartilage repair and regeneration. We have recently shown that expandable chondrogenic cells can be derived from hESCs under selective growth factor-responsive conditions. In this study, we explore the potential of these hESC-derived chondrogenic cells to produce an extracellular matrix (ECM)-enriched cartilaginous tissue construct when cultured in hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel, and further investigated the long-term reparative ability of the resulting hESC-derived chondrogenic cell-engineered cartilage (HCCEC) in an osteochondral defect model.

Differentiation and enrichment of expandable chondrogenic cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are considered as useful tools for pre-clinical studies in regenerative medicine. Although previous reports have shown direct chondrogenic differentiation of mouse and hESCs, low yield and cellular heterogenicity of the resulting cell population impairs the generation of sufficient numbers of differentiated cells for further testing and applications. Based on our previously established high-density micromass model system to study hESC chondrogenesis, we evaluated the effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 on early stages of chondrogenic differentiation and commitment by hESCs.

Effects of ectopic Nanog and Oct4 overexpression on mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a source of pluripotent cells that are already in various phases of clinical application. However, the use of MSCs in tissue engineering has been hampered largely due to their limitations, including low proliferation, finite life span, and gradual loss of their stem cell properties during ex vivo expansion. Nanog and Oct4 are key transcription factors essential to the pluripotent and self-renewing phenotypes of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Comparison of two types of alginate microcapsules on stability and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo.

Transplantation of encapsulated living cells is a promising approach for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, especially diabetes. Range-scale application of the technique, however, is hampered by insufficient stability of the capsules. It is difficult to find the optimal membrane to meet all the properties required for cell transplantation.

[Cloning and characterization of genes differentially expressed in human dental pulp cells and gingival fibroblasts].

Objective: To study the biological properties of human dental pulp cells (HDPC) by cloning and analysis of genes differentially expressed in HDPC in comparison with human gingival fibroblasts (HGF).

Methods: HDPC and HGF were cultured and identified by immunocytochemistry. HPDC and HGF subtractive cDNA library was established by PCR-based modified subtractive hybridization, genes differentially expressed by HPDC were cloned, sequenced and compared to find homogeneous sequence in GenBank by BLAST.

Engineering cardiac tissue from embryonic stem cells.

Restoration of cardiac function by replacement of diseased myocardium with functional cardiac myocytes may offer a potential cure for cardiac disease and will likely revolutionize treatment methods. During the past 20 years, we have seen the development of tissue engineering; among these types of tissue engineering is cardiac tissue engineering. This type of cardiac tissue engineering includes growing neonatal cardiomyocytes on preformed polymers, liquid collagen, and temperature-responsive surfaces.

Cardiomyocytes.

Derivation of cardiomyocytes from embryonic stem cells would be a boon for treatment of the many millions of people worldwide who suffer significant cardiac tissue damage in a myocardial infarction. Such cells could be used for transplantation, either as loose cells, as organized pieces of cardiac tissue, or even as pieces of organs. Eventual derivation of human embryonic stem cells via somatic cell nuclear cloning would provide cells that not only may replace damaged cardiac tissue, but also would replace tissue without fear that the patient's immune system will reject the implant.

Enrichment of cardiomyocytes derived from mouse embryonic stem cells.

Background: Embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived cardiomyocytes transplantation and tissue engineering together represent a promising approach for the treatment of myocardial infarction, despite the limited supply of cardiac myocytes. This study examines whether functional cardiomyocytes can be efficiently enriched from mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells.

Methods: mES cells were induced by ascorbic acid to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

Creation of engineered cardiac tissue in vitro from mouse embryonic stem cells.

Background: Embryonic stem (ES) cells can terminally differentiate into all types of somatic cells and are considered a promising source of seed cells for tissue engineering. However, despite recent progress in in vitro differentiation and in vivo transplantation methodologies of ES cells, to date, no one has succeeded in using ES cells in tissue engineering for generation of somatic tissues in vitro for potential transplantation therapy.

Methods And Results: ES-D3 cells were cultured in a slow-turning lateral vessel for mass production of embryoid bodies.

[Reconstruction of dentin-pulp complex structure by tissue engineering technology].

Objective: To investigate the possibility of reconstruction of dentin-pulp complex by tissue engineering technology.

Methods: Rat dental pulp stem cells were seeded into HA-TCP scaffold and incubated for 20 hours in vitro. Then the cell-scaffold complex was implanted subcutaneously into the dorsal side of nude mice.

Construction of a unidirectionally beating 3-dimensional cardiac muscle construct.

Background: Cardiac tissue engineering aims to construct cardiac tissue with characteristics similar to those of the native tissue. Engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) can be constructed using synthetic scaffold or liquid collagen. We report an initial study using our own newly designed cardiac muscle device to construct heart tissue.

[Scalable production of embryoid bodies with the rotay cell culture system.].

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells capable of extensive proliferation while maintaining their potential to differentiate into any cell type in the body. ES cells can therefore be considered a renewable source of therapeutically useful cells. While ES-derived cells have tremendous potential in many experimental and therapeutic applications, the scope of their utility is dependent on the availability of relevant cell quantities.

A study on biomineralization behavior of N-methylene phosphochitosan scaffolds.

Biomimetic growth of calcium phosphate over natural polymer may be an effective approach to constituting an organic/inorganic composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering. In this work, N-methylene phosphochitosan (NMPCS) was prepared via formaldehyde addition and condensation with phosphoric acid in a step that allowed homogeneous modification without obvious deterioration in chitosan (CS) properties. The NMPCS obtained was characterized by using FT-IR and elemental analysis.

[Experimental study of tissue-engineered heart tissue using type I collagen as scaffold].

Objective: To construct tissue-engineered heart tissue (EHT) using liquid collagen as scaffold.

Methods: Neonatal rat cardiac myocytes were isolated, cultured, and mixed with liquid collagen type I and matrix factors and then cast in circular molds to construct circular cardiac myocytes/collagen strand. After a 7-day culture in circular molds, the strands were removed, and subjected to 10% static stretch for another 7 days.

[Repair of cranial defects with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells and beta-TCP scaffold in rabbits].

Objective: To determine whether culture expanded bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in combination with beta-tricalcium phosphate(beta-TCP) can repair critical cranial defects in New Zealand rabbits.

Methods: In group A(n = 20), MSCs from homogeneous rabbits were isolated and expanded in vitro and then implanted onto the pre-molded porous beta-TCP. The MSCs-beta-TCP complexes were implanted into rabbit critical cranial defects.

[Recent advances in islet transplantation and pancreatic stem cell research].

This paper reviewed recent advances in pancreatic islet transplantation research, including islet isolation, purification, culture, cryopreservation and immunoisolation. Latest progresses in induction of pancreatic stem cell and embryonic stem cell to differentiate into insulin-producing islets were also introduced. On the basis of the present situation and future development of islet transplantation-based therapies for diabetes, the author thought that allogeous islet transplantation is a main choice for type I diabetes today and pancreatic stem cell transplantation for tomorrow.

[Experimental study of cardiac muscle tissue engineering in bioreactor].

Objective: This study investigates construction of cardiac muscle cell-porous collagen scaffold complex in a bioreactor so as to unveil the possibility of generating 3-dimensional cardiac muscle tissue under the environment that mimics microgravity in vitro.

Methods: 1-2-day old neonatal rat cardiac muscle cells were isolated by sequential digestion and pre-plating methods, then seeded onto porous collagen scaffold. The cell-collagen complex was transferred into rotary cell culture system (RCCS) and incubated for 7 days.

[Experimental study of the isolation, culture and in chondrogenic differentiation of human bone mesenchymal stem cell].

Objective: To study the isolation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and in vitro differentiation into chondrocytes as potential seed cell for condyle cartilage tissue engineering.

Methods: Human MSCs were isolated by percoll solution from normal human bone marrow sample and cultured in flasks. Specific cell surface markers were identified by flow-cytometry.