Correction: A testis-derived macroporous 3D scaffold as a platform for the generation of mouse testicular organoids.

Correction for 'A testis-derived macroporous 3D scaffold as a platform for the generation of mouse testicular organoids' by Tohid Rezaei Topraggaleh , Biomater. Sci., 2019, , 1422-1436, DOI: 10.

Therapeutic potential of pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic progenitors in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common age-dependent neurodegenerative disease that causes motor and cognitive disabilities. This disease is associated with a loss of dopamine content within the putamen, which stems from the degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Several approved drugs are available that can effectively treat symptoms of PD.

Hydrogel-mediated delivery of microRNA-92a inhibitor polyplex nanoparticles induces localized angiogenesis.

Localized stimulation of angiogenesis is an attractive strategy to improve the repair of ischemic or injured tissues. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) such as miRNA-92a (miR-92a) have been reported to negatively regulate angiogenesis in ischemic disease. To exploit the clinical potential of miR-92a inhibitors, safe and efficient delivery needs to be established.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from perinatal tissues for treatment of critically ill COVID-19-induced ARDS patients: a case series.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a fatal complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There are a few reports of allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a potential treatment for ARDS. In this phase 1 clinical trial, we present the safety, feasibility, and tolerability of the multiple infusions of high dose MSCs, which originated from the placenta and umbilical cord, in critically ill COVID-19-induced ARDS patients.

Ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine: ethical guidelines in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Background: Regenerative medicine plays a major role in biomedicine, and given the ever-expanding boundaries of this knowledge, numerous ethical considerations have been raised.

Main Text: Rapid advancement of regenerative medicine science and technology in Iran, emerged the Iranian National Committee for Ethics in Biomedical Research to develop a comprehensive national ethical guideline. Therefore, the present ethical guideline which comprises eleven chapters was developed in 2019 and approved in early 2020.

Generation of Scalable Hepatic Micro-Tissues as a Platform for Toxicological Studies.

Background: Currently, there is an urgent need for scalable and reliable in vitro models to assess the effects of therapeutic entities on the human liver. Hepatoma cell lines, including Huh-7, show weakly resemblance to human hepatocytes, limiting their significance in toxicity studies. Co-culture of hepatic cells with non-parenchymal cells, and the presence of extracellular matrix have been shown to influence the biological behavior of hepatocytes.

Organoid technology in female reproductive biomedicine.

Recent developments in organoid technology are revolutionizing our knowledge about the biology, physiology, and function of various organs. Female reproductive biology and medicine also benefit from this technology. Organoids recapitulate features of different reproductive organs including the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, as well as trophoblasts.

Extracellular vesicles derived from human ES-MSCs protect retinal ganglion cells and preserve retinal function in a rodent model of optic nerve injury.

Background: Retinal and/or optic nerve injury is one of the leading causes of blindness due to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration. There have been extensive efforts to suppress this neurodegeneration. Various somatic tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) demonstrated significant neuroprotective and axogenic effects on RGCs.

In vivo conversion of rat astrocytes into neuronal cells through neural stem cells in injured spinal cord with a single zinc-finger transcription factor.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in glial scar formation and irreversible neuronal loss, which finally leads to functional impairments and long-term disability. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the ectopic expression of Zfp521 reprograms fibroblasts and astrocytes into induced neural stem cells (iNSCs). However, it remains unclear whether treatment with Zfp521 also affects endogenous astrocytes, thus promoting further functional recovery following SCI.

Expansion of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Early Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells by a Cocktail of Signaling Factors.

Cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are proposed to be invaluable cell sources for experimental and clinical studies. This wide range of applications necessitates large-scale production of CPCs in an in vitro culture system, which enables both expansion and maintenance of these cells. In this study, we aimed to develop a defined and efficient culture medium that uses signaling factors for large-scale expansion of early CPCs, called cardiogenic mesodermal cells (CMCs), which were derived from hPSCs.

Transplantation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Podocytes in a Mouse Model of Membranous Nephropathy Attenuates Proteinuria.

Injury to podocytes is a principle cause of initiation and progression of both immune and non-immune mediated glomerular diseases that result in proteinuria and decreased function of the kidney. Current advances in regenerative medicine shed light on the therapeutic potential of cell-based strategies for treatment of such disorders. Thus, there is hope that generation and transplantation of podocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), could potentially be used as a curative treatment for glomerulonephritis caused by podocytes injury and loss.

Hsa-miR-335 regulates cardiac mesoderm and progenitor cell differentiation.

Background: WNT and TGFβ signaling pathways play critical regulatory roles in cardiomyocyte fate determination and differentiation. MiRNAs are also known to regulate different biological processes and signaling pathways. Here, we intended to find candidate miRNAs that are involved in cardiac differentiation through regulation of WNT and TGFβ signaling pathways.

Transition of inner cell mass to embryonic stem cells: mechanisms, facts, and hypotheses.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are immortal stem cells that own multi-lineage differentiation potential. ESCs are commonly derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of pre-implantation embryos. Due to their tremendous developmental capacity and unlimited self-renewal, ESCs have diverse biomedical applications.

Correction to: Efficient Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Toward Dopaminergic Neurons Using Recombinant LMX1A Factor.

The original version of this article was published without article note. The article note is given below.

DNA methylation regulates discrimination of enhancers from promoters through a H3K4me1-H3K4me3 seesaw mechanism.

Background: DNA methylation at promoters is largely correlated with inhibition of gene expression. However, the role of DNA methylation at enhancers is not fully understood, although a crosstalk with chromatin marks is expected. Actually, there exist contradictory reports about positive and negative correlations between DNA methylation and H3K4me1, a chromatin hallmark of enhancers.

Transient Activation of Reprogramming Transcription Factors Using Protein Transduction Facilitates Conversion of Human Fibroblasts Toward Cardiomyocyte-Like Cells.

Derivation of cardiomyocytes directly from patients' own fibroblasts could offer a new therapeutic approach for those with ischemic heart disease. An essential step toward clinical application is to establish safe conversion of human fibroblasts into a cardiac fate. Here we aimed to efficiently and safely generate cardiomyocytes from human fibroblasts by direct delivery of reprogramming recombinant cell permeant form of reprogramming proteins followed by cardio-inductive signals.

Ameliorating the Effect of Pioglitazone on LPS-Induced Inflammation of Human Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells.

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are appropriate model cells for studying the progress of neurodegenerative disorders and evaluation of pharmacological efficacies of small molecules for treatment of these disorders. Here, we focused on the therapeutic role of Pioglitazone, which is a selective agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a respective nuclear receptor in inflammatory responses. Human embryonic stem cell-derived OPCs were pretreated by Pioglitazone at differing concentrations.

Nurr1 and PPARγ protect PC12 cells against MPP(+) toxicity: involvement of selective genes, anti-inflammatory, ROS generation, and antimitochondrial impairment.

Parkinson's disease (PD) can degenerate dopaminergic (DA) neurons in midbrain, substantia-nigra pars compacta. Alleviation of its symptoms and protection of normal neurons against degeneration are the main aspects of researches to establish novel therapeutic strategies. PPARγ as a member of PPARs have shown neuroprotection in a number of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and PD.

Substrate-mediated commitment of human embryonic stem cells for hepatic differentiation.

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived endodermal cells are of interest for the development of cellular therapies to treat disorders such as liver failure. The soluble form of activin A (Act) has been widely used as an in vitro inducer of definitive endoderm (DE). In this study, we have developed a nanofibrous poly (ɛ-caprolactone) substrate, biofunctionalized with Act, for directed differentiation of hESCs into DE.