Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Endothelial Cells in Upper and Lower Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a type of progressive and distant metastatic tumor. Targeting anti-angiogenic genes could effectively hinder ESCC development and metastasis, whereas ESCC locating on the upper or the lower esophagus showed different response to the same clinical treatment, suggesting ESCC location should be taken into account when exploring new therapeutic targets. In the current study, to find novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic targets, we identified endothelial cell subsets in upper and lower human ESCC using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis.

Dehydrocorydaline Accelerates Cell Proliferation and Extracellular Matrix Synthesis of TNFα-Treated Human Chondrocytes by Targeting Cox2 through JAK1-STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes severe degeneration of the meniscus and cartilage layer in the knee and endangers joint integrity and function. In this study, we utilized tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) to establish in vitro OA models and analyzed the effects of dehydrocorydaline (DHC) on cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in human chondrocytes with TNFα treatment. We found that TNFα treatment significantly reduced cell proliferation and mRNA and protein expression levels of aggrecan and type II collagen, but caused an increase in mRNA and protein expression levels of type I collagen, matrix metalloproteinase 1/13 (MMP1/13), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, also known as Cox2) in human chondrocytes.

Mechano Growth Factor Accelerates ACL Repair and Improves Cell Mobility of Mechanically Injured Human ACL Fibroblasts by Targeting Rac1-PAK1/2 and RhoA-ROCK1 Pathways.

Exceeded mechanical stress leads to a sublethal injury to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fibroblasts, and it will hinder cell mobility and ACL regeneration, and even induce osteoarthritis. The mechano growth factor (MGF) could be responsible for mechanical stress and weakening its negative effects on cell physiological behaviors. In this study, effects of MGF on cell mobility and relevant molecules expression in injured ACL fibroblasts were detected.

Interneuron origin and molecular diversity in the human fetal brain.

Precise generation of excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons is crucial for proper formation and function of neural circuits in the mammalian brain. Because of the size and complexity of the human brain, it is a challenge to reveal the rich diversity of interneurons. To decipher origin and diversity of interneurons in the human fetal subpallium, here we show molecular features of diverse subtypes of interneuron progenitors and precursors by conducting single-cell RNA sequencing and in situ sequencing.

Pretreatment with mechano growth factor E peptide attenuates osteoarthritis through improving cell proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis in chondrocytes under severe hypoxia.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by pain and declining gait function associated with degeneration of cartilage. A severe hypoxic environment occurs due to tissue injury in the joint cavity and may aggravate the development of OA. In this study, the effects of severe hypoxia and treatment with mechano growth factor (MGF) E peptide on metabolism of the extracellular matrix (ECM) during the progression of OA were determined.

mA Modifications Play Crucial Roles in Glial Cell Development and Brain Tumorigenesis.

RNA methylation is a reversible post-transcriptional modification to RNA and has a significant impact on numerous biological processes. -methyladenosine (mA) is known as one of the most common types of eukaryotic mRNA methylation modifications, and exists in a wide variety of organisms, including viruses, yeast, plants, mice, and humans. Widespread and dynamic mA methylation is identified in distinct developmental stages in the brain, and controls development of neural stem cells and their differentiation into neurons, glial cells such as oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.

Lysyl oxidase suppresses the inflammatory response in anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts and promotes tissue regeneration by targeting myotrophin via the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) regeneration is severely affected by the injury-induced overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and downregulation of lysyl oxidase (LOX). Previous studies have focused on how the expression of MMPs and downregulation of LOX are physiologically balanced at injured sites for regenerating the ACL tissue, but the role of LOX in regulating cellular functions has not been investigated yet. Herein, we conducted an in vitro cellular experiment and unexpectedly found that exogenous LOX inhibited the expression of MMPs and inflammatory factors and recovered the cell growth; thus, LOX strongly inhibited the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced inflammatory responses.

Mechanical injury and IL-1β regulated LOXs and MMP-1, 2, 3 expression in ACL fibroblasts co-cultured with synoviocytes.

Objective: Interleukin (IL)-1β in the joint cavity increases to promote healing after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Synovial tissue is a major joint microenvironmental regulator after ACL injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of synovial cells (SCs) on lysyl oxidase (LOX) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production by ACL fibroblasts (ACLfs) in the presence of IL-1β.

Effects of Bakuchiol on chondrocyte proliferation via the PI3K-Akt and ERK1/2 pathways mediated by the estrogen receptor for promotion of the regeneration of knee articular cartilage defects.

Objectives: Cartilaginous tissue degradation occurs because of the lack of survival of chondrocytes. Here, we ascertained whether bakuchiol (BAK) has the capability of activating chondrocyte proliferation.

Materials And Methods: The effect of BAK on the proliferation of rat chondrocytes at a concentration of 10 and 20 µmol/L was investigated.

The Upregulation of Trophinin-Associated Protein (TROAP) Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

: Trophinin-associated protein (TROAP) is a cytoplasmic protein that plays a significant role in the processes of embryo transplantation and microtubule regulation. However, the relevant survival analysis and cancer progression analysis have not yet been reported. : Eighteen matched pairs of tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples were evaluated to detect the TROAP mRNA level.

Psoralen Protects Chondrocytes, Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Effects on Synoviocytes, and Attenuates Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis.

Current study examined whether psoralen (PSO) exhibits anti-inflammatory responses, protection and activation of chondrocytes, and relieve osteoarthritis (OA). Rats chondrocytes and human synoviocytes were cultured in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) conditioned culture medium with/without PSO to test the cell morphologies and cytotoxicities . Cartilaginous extracellular matrix (ECM) and proliferative gene/protein expression levels were evaluated in chondrocytes.

MGF E peptide improves anterior cruciate ligament repair by inhibiting hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis and accelerating angiogenesis.

Severe hypoxic microenvironment endangers cell survival of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fibroblasts and is harmful to ACL repair and regeneration. In the current study, we explored the effects of mechanogrowth factor (MGF) E peptide on the hypoxia-induced apoptosis of ACL fibroblasts and relevant mechanisms. It demonstrated that severe hypoxia promoted hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression and caused cell apoptosis of ACL fibroblasts through increasing caspase 3/7/9 messenger RNA (mRNA), cleaved caspase 3 and proapoptotic proteins expression levels but decreasing antiapoptotic proteins expression levels.

ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation were essential for MGF E peptide regulating cell morphology and mobility but not proangiogenic capacity of BMSCs under severe hypoxia.

Unlabelled: Severe hypoxia inhibits the adhesion and mobility of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and limits their application in bone tissue engineering. In this study, CoCl was used to simulate severe hypoxia and the effects of mechano-growth factor (MGF) E peptide on the morphology, adhesion, migration, and proangiogenic capacity of BMSCs under hypoxia were measured. It was demonstrated that severe hypoxia (500-μM CoCl ) significantly caused cell contraction and reduced cell area, roundness, adhesion, and migration of BMSCs.

Synergistic promoting effects of bone morphogenetic protein 12/connective tissue growth factor on functional differentiation of tendon derived stem cells and patellar tendon window defect regeneration.

Current study investigated bone morphogenetic protein 12 (BMP12) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) activate tendon derived stem cells (TDSCs) tenogenic differentiation, and promotion of injured tendon regeneration. TDSCs were transfected with BMP12 and CTGF via recombinant adenovirus (Ad) infection. Gene transfection efficiency, cell viability and cytotoxicity, tenogenic gene expression, collagen I/III synthesis were evaluated in vitro.

Mechano growth factor E peptide inhibits invasion of melanoma cells and up-regulates CHOP expression via endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of mechano growth factor E peptide (MGF) on the invasive properties of melanoma cells.

Results: Melanoma cells (GLL19) were treated with 10, 20 and 30 ng MGF/ml for 24 h. Their invasive properties were investigated by transwell assay.

MGF E peptide pretreatment improves the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via MEK-ERK1/2 and PI3K-Akt pathway under severe hypoxia.

Aims: Severe hypoxia always inhibits the cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and hinders bone defect repair. Herein we explored the effects of mechano-growth factor (MGF) E peptide on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs under severe hypoxia.

Materials And Methods: CoCl was utilized to simulate severe hypoxia.

MGF E peptide pretreatment improves collagen synthesis and cell proliferation of injured human ACL fibroblasts via MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is hard to heal due to the poor proliferative potential of ACL fibroblasts. To verify whether mechano-growth factor (MGF) E peptide can restore the cell proliferation of injured ACL fibroblasts, ACL fibroblasts pretreated with MGF E peptide were subjected to injurious stretch and the outcomes were evaluated at 0 and 24 h. After injured, the type III collagen synthesis was increased at 0 h while inhibited at 24 h.

In vivo repair of rat transected sciatic nerve by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural crest stem cells.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of the combination of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural crest stem cells (iPSCs-NCSCs) on the regeneration of rat transected sciatic nerve in vivo.

Results: Tissue-engineered tubular nerve conduit was fabricated by electrospinning aligned nanofibers in longitudinal direction. This sustained the iPSCs-NCSCs and could be used as a bridge in rat transected sciatic nerve.

[Study on the regulatory effects of mechano growth factor on soft tissue repair].

Mechano growth factor (MGF) is an autocrine/paracrine factor and sensitive to mechanical stimulation. MGF can be highly expressed in various soft tissues under physical stimuli, biochemistry stimuli or in damaged situation. MGF may "compensate" the stress for tissue in the processing of tissue repair.

Pretreatment with mechano-growth factor E peptide protects bone marrow mesenchymal cells against damage by fluid shear stress.

Improper fluid shear stress (FSS) can cause serious damages to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Mechano-growth factor (MGF) E peptide pretreatment was proposed to protect MSCs against FSS damage in this study. MSCs were exposed to FSS for 30 min after they were pretreated with MGF E peptide for 24 h.

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on cell viability, proliferation and neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural crest stem cells.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) acting on induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural crest stem cells (iPSCs-NCSCs) is considered a promising therapy to improve the efficacy of injured peripheral nerve regeneration. Effects of LIPUS on cell viability, proliferation and neural differentiation of iPSCs-NCSCs were examined respectively in this study. LIPUS at 500 mW cm(-2) enhanced the viability and proliferation of iPSCs-NCSCs after 2 days and, after 4 days, up-regulated gene and protein expressions of NF-M, Tuj1, S100β and GFAP in iPSCs-NCSCs whereas after 7 days expression of only NF-M, S100β and GFAP were up-regulated.