Bidirectional Enhancement of Cell Proliferation Between Iron Oxide Nanoparticle-Labeled Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Choroid Plexus in a Cell-Based Therapy Model of Ischemic Stroke

Effects of stem cell therapy on preclinical stroke

Stroke, particularly ischemic stroke, is a leading cause of global mortality and disability. It is caused by blood flow obstruction and reduced oxygen delivery to brain tissue. Conventional treatments, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT), have limited efficacy in repairing neural damage and carry risks of adverse effects. As a result, stem cell therapies, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have emerged as promising approaches for enhancing neural recovery and offering neuroprotection in ischemic stroke management. MSCs offer multifaceted benefits, such as reducing inflammation, protecting neurons, and promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis. Recent evidence highlights the importance of MSC secretomes-extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes rich in neuroprotective factors, such as microRNAs, proteins, and cytokines. These bioactive molecules demonstrated considerable efficacy in preclinical models by reducing neuroinflammation, preserving neurovascular integrity, and promoting cellular repair in ischemic environments. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the potential of the MSC secretomes to restore brain function after ischemic stroke. This is achieved by enhancing neuronal survival through mechanisms such as angiogenesis or vascular recovery, neuroprotection including modulation of immune or inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and autophagy, and promoting post-stroke neurogenesis. This review explores the translational challenges and future potential of integrating conventional ischemic stroke therapies with stem cell-based or cell-free approaches. The present study synthesizes current insights into the role of MSC-derived secretomes from both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Perspective insights into hydrogels and nanomaterials for ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a neurological disorder prevalent worldwide with a high disability and mortality rate. In the clinic setting, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and thrombectomy could restore blood flow of the occlusion region and improve the outcomes of IS patients; however, these therapies are restricted by a narrow time window. Although several preclinical trials have revealed the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying infarct lesions, the translatability of most findings is unsatisfactory, which contributes to the emergence of new biomaterials, such as hydrogels and nanomaterials, for the treatment of IS. Biomaterials function as structural scaffolds or are combined with other compounds to release therapeutic drugs. Biomaterial-mediated drug delivery approaches could optimize the therapeutic effects based on their brain-targeting property, biocompatibility, and functionality. This review summarizes the advances in biomaterials in the last several years, aiming to discuss the therapeutic potential of new biomaterials from the bench to bedside. The promising prospects of new biomaterials indicate the possibility of an organic combination between materialogy and medicine, which is a novel field under exploration.

Decline of stress resilience in aging rats: Focus on choroid plexus-cerebrospinal fluid-hippocampus

Objectives: This study was designed to examine the mechanisms underlying decline of stress resilience in aged rats from the perspective of CP-CSF-hippocampus.Methods: Male Wistar rats (7-8 weeks old or 20 months old) were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 6 weeks. The behavioral tests were conducted to assess anxiety, depression and cognitive function. Hippocampal neurogenesis, apoptosis and synaptic plasticity were detected by western blot (WB) and/or immunofluorescence (IF) assay. Differential expression of growth factors (GFs) and axon guidance proteins (AGPs) in CSF was analyzed using the quantitative proteomics approach. IF and WB were performed to detect expression of occludin-1, Ki-67/Transthyretin, and folate transporters in choroid plexus (CP).Results: Decreased proliferation, impaired structure and transport function of CP were correlated with CSF composition alterations in stressed aging rats, including reduced 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, growth factors and axon growth factors. Nutritional support of CSF upon hippocampus was attenuated, therefore affecting hippocampal plasticity. It has led to depression-like behaviors and cognitive deficits in stressful aged rats.Conclusions: Keeping normal structure and function of CP-CSF system may be a practical strategy for neuropsychological disorders in the elderly. This work provides evidential basis for CP transplant and CSF replacement therapy in future studies.

Dental pulp stem cell transplantation facilitates neuronal neuroprotection following cerebral ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify and evaluate the intracranial transplantation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) as a possible ischemic stroke therapy that mitigates neuronal death/apoptosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DPSCs were isolated from the impacted third molars of healthy volunteers and then intracranially injected at 24 h post-ischemic stroke to Sprague Dawley rats that had been subjected to 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neurological functional deficits were assessed using the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), and cerebral edema was quantified using brain water content. Neuronal death/apoptosis was indicated by TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, NeuN immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis of the protein expression of anti-apoptotic indicator of Bcl-2 and apoptotic indicators of Bax and caspase 3.

RESULTS

DPSC transplantation could ameliorate neurological dysfunction and brain edema, reduce infarct volume, decrease the percentage of TUNEL-positive nuclei, increase the number and percentage of NeuN-positive cells in ischemic penumbra, increase the ratio of Bcl-2 and Bax and down-regulate the production of caspase 3 in the cortical infarct zone.

CONCLUSIONS

DPSC therapy via intracranial injection exerted remarkably neuroprotection mainly by inhibiting neuronal death/apoptosis.

Diagnostic and therapeutic roles of iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedicine

Nanotechnology changed our understanding of physics and chemics and influenced the biomedical field. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are one of the first emerging biomedical applications of nanotechnology. The IONs are composed of iron oxide core exhibiting magnetism and coated with biocompatible molecules. The small size, strong magnetism, and biocompatibility of IONs facilitate the application of IONs in the medical imaging field. We listed several clinical available IONs including Resovist (Bayer Schering Pharma, Berlin, Germany) and Feridex intravenous (I.V.)/Endorem as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents for liver tumor detection. We also illustrated GastroMARK as a gastrointestinal contrast agent for MR imaging. Recently, IONs named Feraheme for treating iron-deficiency anemia have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, tumor ablation by IONs named NanoTherm has also been discussed. In addition to the clinical application, several potential biomedical applications of IONs including cancer-targeting capability by conjugating IONs with cancer-specific ligands, cell trafficking tools, or tumor ablation agents have also been discussed. With the growing awareness of nanotechnology, further application of IONs is still on the horizon that would shed light on biomedicine.

Ischemic Brain Stroke and Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Overview of Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Ischemic brain injury is associated with a high rate of mortality and disability with no effective therapeutic strategy. Recently, a growing number of studies are focusing on mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. However, despite having the promising outcome of preclinical studies, the clinical application of stem cell therapy remained elusive due to little or no progress in clinical trials. The objective of this study was to provide a generalized critique for the role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in ischemic stroke injury, its underlying mechanisms, and constraints on its preclinical and clinical applications. Thus, we attempted to present an overview of previously published reports to evaluate the progress and provide molecular basis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy and its application in preclinical and clinical settings, which could aid in designing an effective regenerative therapeutic strategy in the future.

A Review of the Common Neurodegenerative Disorders: Current Therapeutic Approaches and the Potential Role of Nanotherapeutics

Neurodegenerative disorders are primarily characterized by neuron loss. The most common neurodegenerative disorders include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Although there are several medicines currently approved for managing neurodegenerative disorders, a large majority of them only help with associated symptoms. This lack of pathogenesis-targeting therapies is primarily due to the restrictive effects of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which keeps close to 99% of all “foreign substances” out of the brain. Since their discovery, nanoparticles have been successfully used for targeted delivery into many organs, including the brain. This review briefly describes the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and their current management approaches. We then highlight the major challenges of brain-drug delivery, followed by the role of nanotherapeutics for the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological disorders.

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering

In recent years, many promising nanotechnological approaches to biomedical research have been developed in order to increase implementation of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in clinical practice. In the meantime, the use of nanomaterials for the regeneration of diseased or injured tissues is considered advantageous in most areas of medicine. In particular, for the treatment of cardiovascular, osteochondral and neurological defects, but also for the recovery of functions of other organs such as kidney, liver, pancreas, bladder, urethra and for wound healing, nanomaterials are increasingly being developed that serve as scaffolds, mimic the extracellular matrix and promote adhesion or differentiation of cells. This review focuses on the latest developments in regenerative medicine, in which iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) play a crucial role for tissue engineering and cell therapy. IONPs are not only enabling the use of non-invasive observation methods to monitor the therapy, but can also accelerate and enhance regeneration, either thanks to their inherent magnetic properties or by functionalization with bioactive or therapeutic compounds, such as drugs, enzymes and growth factors. In addition, the presence of magnetic fields can direct IONP-labeled cells specifically to the site of action or induce cell differentiation into a specific cell type through mechanotransduction.

Progress in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a serious cerebrovascular disease with high morbidity and disability worldwide. Despite the great efforts that have been made, the prognosis of patients with IS remains unsatisfactory. Notably, recent studies indicated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) therapy is becoming a novel research hotspot with large potential in treating multiple human diseases including IS. The current article is aimed at reviewing the progress of MSC treatment on IS. The mechanism of MSCs in the treatment of IS involved with immune regulation, neuroprotection, angiogenesis, and neural circuit reconstruction. In addition, nutritional cytokines, mitochondria, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) may be the main mediators of the therapeutic effect of MSCs. Transplantation of MSCs-derived EVs (MSCs-EVs) affords a better neuroprotective against IS when compared with transplantation of MSCs alone. MSC therapy can prolong the treatment time window of ischemic stroke, and early administration within 7 days after stroke may be the best treatment opportunity. The deliver routine consists of intraventricular, intravascular, intranasal, and intraperitoneal. Furthermore, several methods such as hypoxic preconditioning and gene technology could increase the homing and survival ability of MSCs after transplantation. In addition, MSCs combined with some drugs or physical therapy measures also show better neurological improvement. These data supported the notion that MSC therapy might be a promising therapeutic strategy for IS. And the application of new technology will promote MSC therapy of IS.