Stem cell therapy has been shown to improve stroke outcomes in animal models and is currently advancing towards clinical practice. However, uncertainty remains regarding the optimal route for cell delivery to the injured brain. Local intracerebral injections are effective in precisely delivering cells into the stroke cavity but carry the risk of damaging adjacent healthy tissue. Systemic endovascular injections, meanwhile, are minimally invasive, but most injected cells do not cross CNS barriers and become mechanically trapped in peripheral organs. Although the blood-brain barrier and the blood-CSF barrier tightly limit the entrance of cells and molecules into the brain parenchyma, immune cells can cross these barriers especially under pathological conditions, such as stroke. Deciphering the cell surface signature and the molecular mechanisms underlying this pathophysiological process holds promise for improving the targeted delivery of systemic injected cells to the injured brain. In this review, we describe experimental approaches that have already been developed in which (i) cells are either engineered to express cell surface proteins mimicking infiltrating immune cells; or (ii) cell grafts are preconditioned with hypoxia or incubated with pharmacological agents or cytokines. Modified cell grafts can be complemented with strategies to temporarily increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Although these approaches could significantly enhance homing of stem cells into the injured brain, cell entrapment in off-target organs remains a non-negligible risk. Recent developments in safety-switch systems, which enable the precise elimination of transplanted cells on the administration of a drug, represent a promising strategy for selectively removing stem cells stuck in untargeted organs. In sum, the techniques described in this review hold great potential to substantially improve efficacy and safety of future cell therapies in stroke and may be relevant to other brain diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac393 | DOI Listing |
Heliyon
December 2024
Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal.
Brain metastases (BM) are frequently found in cancer patients and, though their precise incidence is difficult to estimate, there is evidence for a correlation between BM and specific primary cancers, such as lung, breast, and skin (melanoma). Among all these, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed among women and, in this case, BM cause a critical reduction of the overall survival (OS), especially in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. The main challenge of BM treatment is the impermeable nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which shields the central nervous systems (CNS) from chemotherapeutic drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cell Neurosci
December 2024
Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The pathophysiological role of Aβ oligomers in the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is heavily disputed, pivoting research toward investigating mixed oligomers composed of Aβ and Aβ, which is more abundant but less aggregation-prone. This study investigates Aβ:Aβ oligomers in different ratios, examining their adverse effects on endothelial cells, neurons, astroglia, and microglia, as well as in a human blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. Combining label-free Raman microscopy with complementary imaging techniques and biochemical assays, we show the prominent impact of Aβ on Aβ fibrillation, suggesting an inhibitory effect on aggregation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Chem
December 2024
Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modelling, Materials, Nanomaterial, Water and Environment, CERNE2D, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Science, Rabat, Morocco.
Introduction: Morocco is home to a remarkable diversity of flora, including several species from the Artemisia genus. This study aims to thoroughly examine the chemical composition of essential oils derived from Artemisia species and assess their antibacterial and antioxidant properties through in vitro experiments and in silico simulations.
Methods: Samples of Artemisia herba-alba Asso.
Pharm Nanotechnol
December 2024
Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah United Arab Emirates.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible brain disorder that led to memory loss and disrupts daily life. Earlier strategies to treat AD such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) drugs are not showing effectiveness due to the inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, traditional AChEI provides limited efficacy in terms of bioavailability and solubility for treating AD treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Alzheimer Res
December 2024
Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute Named by B.P. Konstantinov of NRC Kurchatov Institute, Gatchina, Russia.
Background: The lack of effective therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease demands both the search for new drugs and the reconsideration of already known substances currently used in other areas of medicine. Drosophila melanogaster offers the potential to model features of Alzheimer's disease, study disease mechanisms, and conduct drug screening.
Objectives: The purpose of this work was to analyze the neuroprotective properties of the drug "carnicetine", which is an acetylated form of the natural low molecular weight compound L-carnitine.
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