Characterization of common marmoset dysgerminoma-like tumor induced by the lentiviral expression of reprogramming factors

Common Marmoset Cell Lines and Their Applications in Biomedical Research

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus; CMs) are small New World primates widely used in biomedical research. Early stages of such research often include in vitro experiments which require standardized and well-characterized CM cell cultures derived from different tissues. Despite the long history of laboratory work with CMs and high translational potential of such studies, the number of available standardized, well-defined, stable, and validated CM cell lines is still small. While primary cells and immortalized cell lines are mostly used for the studies of infectious diseases, biochemical research, and targeted gene therapy, the main current applications of CM embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are regenerative medicine, stem cell research, generation of transgenic CMs, transplantology, cell therapy, reproductive physiology, oncology, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review we summarize the data on the main advantages, drawbacks and research applications of CM cell lines published to date including primary cells, immortalized cell lines, lymphoblastoid cell lines, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Advances and Perspectives in Dental Pulp Stem Cell Based Neuroregeneration Therapies

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are some of the most promising stem cell types for regenerative therapies given their ability to grow in the absence of serum and their realistic possibility to be used in autologous grafts. In this review, we describe the particular advantages of hDPSCs for neuroregenerative cell therapies. We thoroughly discuss the knowledge about their embryonic origin and characteristics of their postnatal niche, as well as the current status of cell culture protocols to maximize their multilineage differentiation potential, highlighting some common issues when assessing neuronal differentiation fates of hDPSCs. We also review the recent progress on neuroprotective and immunomodulatory capacity of hDPSCs and their secreted extracellular vesicles, as well as their combination with scaffold materials to improve their functional integration on the injured central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Finally, we offer some perspectives on the current and possible future applications of hDPSCs in neuroregenerative cell therapies.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Nonhuman Primates

Induced pluripotent stem cells from nonhuman primates (NHPs) have unique roles in cell biology and regenerative medicine. Because of the relatedness of NHPs to humans, NHP iPS cells can serve as a source of differentiated derivatives that can be used to address important questions in the comparative biology of primates. Additionally, when used as a source of cells for regenerative medicine, NHP iPS cells serve an invaluable role in translational experiments in cell therapy. Reprogramming of NHP somatic cells requires the same conditions as previously established for human cells. However, throughout the process, a variety of modifications to the human cell protocols must be made to accommodate significant species differences.

The Role of Krüppel-like Factor 4 in Renal Fibrosis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) caused by renal fibrosis is an important public health concern. It is therefore necessary to understand the molecular pathogenesis of renal fibrosis in order to develop novel therapeutic strategies. KLF4 is the most extensively studied factor among the various members of the Krüppel-like factor (KLF) family of zinc finger-containing transcription factors. Many studies have demonstrated that KLF4 inhibits the activation of myofibroblasts and exerts an inhibitory effect on fibrosis. However, other studies have indicated that KLF4 may promote renal fibrosis. These controversial results suggest that KLF4 may be crucially involved in the development of renal fibrosis, although the underlying mechanism(s) remain unclear. Here, we summarize the recent progress made in understanding the role of KLF4 in renal fibrosis. Together, these findings suggest that KLF4 may participate in the development of renal fibrosis, but that its inhibition of fibrosis is greater than its promotion of the condition, which suggests that KLF4 may serve as a novel therapeutic target for renal fibrosis.

Krüppel-like factor 4 induces apoptosis and inhibits tumorigenic progression in SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells

Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) functions as either a tumor suppressor or an oncogene in different tissues by regulating the expression of various genes. The aim of this study was to reveal the functions of KLF4 in regulating breast cancer apoptosis, proliferation, and tumorigenic progression. KLF4 expression levels in breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines were found to be much lower than those in nontumorous tissues and a nontransformed mammary epithelial cell line. KLF4 was upregulated in the tumor necrosis factor-α-induced SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell apoptotic process. Overexpression of KLF4 promoted SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell apoptosis and suppressed SK-BR-3 cell tumorigenicity in vivo.

hiPS-MSCs differentiation towards fibroblasts on a 3D ECM mimicking scaffold

Fibroblasts are ubiquitous cells that constitute the stroma of virtually all tissues and play vital roles in homeostasis. The poor innate healing capacity of fibroblastic tissues is attributed to the scarcity of fibroblasts as collagen-producing cells. In this study, we have developed a functional ECM mimicking scaffold that is capable to supply spatial allocation of stem cells as well as anchorage and storage of growth factors (GFs) to direct stem cells differentiate towards fibroblasts. Electrospun PCL fibers were embedded in a PEG-fibrinogen (PF) hydrogel, which was infiltrated with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) to form the 3D nanocomposite PFP-C. The human induced pluripotent stem cells derived mesenchymal stem cells (hiPS-MSCs) with an advance in growth over adult MSCs were applied to validate the fibrogenic capacity of the 3D nanocomposite scaffold. The PFP-C scaffold was found not only biocompatible with the hiPS-MSCs, but also presented intriguingly strong fibroblastic commitments, to an extent comparable to the positive control, tissue culture plastic surfaces (TCP) timely refreshed with 100% CTGF. The novel scaffold presented not only biomimetic ECM nanostructures for homing stem cells, but also sufficient cell-approachable bio-signaling cues, which may synergistically facilitate the control of stem cell fates for regenerative therapies.