Wnt antagonism without TGFβ induces rapid MSC chondrogenesis via increasing AJ interactions and restricting lineage commitment.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) remain one of the best cell sources for cartilage, a tissue without regenerative capacity. However, MSC chondrogenesis is commonly induced through TGFβ, a pleomorphic growth factor without specificity for this lineage. Using tissue- and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs, we demonstrate an efficient and precise approach to induce chondrogenesis through Wnt/β-catenin antagonism alone without TGFβ.

Efficacy of adhesive strategies for restorative dentistry: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials over 12 months of follow-up.

Purpose: The efficacy of etch-and-rinse, selective enamel-etching, and self-etching protocols for universal adhesives in follow-ups of over 12 months was compared in a network meta-analysis.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 1998 to 2022 that compared marginal staining, marginal adaptation, retention and fractures, post-operative sensitivity, or recurrence of caries that took place over 12-months post-restoration were selected. A network meta-analysis determined the performance of each adhesive protocol.

A Rapid and Highly Predictive Screening Platform for Osteogenic Natural Compounds Using Human Runx2 Transcriptional Activity in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The rapid aging of worldwide populations had led to epidemic increases in the incidence of osteoporosis (OP), but while treatments are available, high cost, adverse effects, and poor compliance continue to be significant problems. Naturally occurring plant-based compounds including phytoestrogens can be good and safe candidates to treat OP, but screening for osteogenic capacity has been difficult to achieve, largely due to the requirement of using primary osteoblasts or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the progenitors of osteoblasts, to conduct time-consuming and osteogenic assay. Taking advantage of MSC osteogenic capacity and utilizing a promoter reporter assay for Runx2, the master osteogenesis transcription factor, we developed a rapid screening platform to screen osteogenic small molecules including natural plant-based compounds.

Resident vs nonresident multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell interactions with B lymphocytes result in disparate outcomes.

Multipotent human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from multiple organs including the bone marrow (BM) and placenta harbor clinically relevant immunomodulation best demonstrated toward T lymphocytes. Surprisingly, there is limited knowledge on interactions with B lymphocytes, which originate from the BM where there is a resident MSC. With increasing data demonstrating MSC tissue-specific propensities impacting therapeutic outcome, we therefore investigated the interactions of BM-MSCs-its resident and "niche" MSC-and placental MSCs (P-MSCs), another source of MSCs with well-characterized immunomodulatory properties, on the global functional outcomes of pan-peripheral B cell populations.

Human Placental MSC-Secreted IL-1β Enhances Neutrophil Bactericidal Functions during Hypervirulent Klebsiella Infection.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) causes severe infections even in healthy individuals by escaping surveillance and killing from polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), the first-line leukocytes in bacterial infections; moreover, the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains further limits treatment options. We therefore assess whether multilineage mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), best known for immunomodulation toward T cells, could be therapeutic for highly virulent bacterial infections via modulation of PMNs. We find that both bone marrow MSCs and placental MSCs (PMSCs) preserve in vitro PMN survival, but only PMSCs significantly enhance multiple PMN bactericidal functions, including phagocytosis, through secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β).