The Role of MSCs and Cell Fusion in Tissue Regeneration

Single-Cell Microgel Encapsulation Improves the Therapeutic Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Treating Intervertebral Disc Degeneration via Inhibiting Pyroptosis

While mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) shows great potentials in treating intervertebral disc degeneration, most MSC die soon after intradiscal transplantation, resulting in inferior therapeutic efficacy. Currently, bulk hydrogels are the common solution to improve MSC survival in tissues, although hydrogel encapsulation impairs MSC migration and disrupts extracellular microenvironment. Cell hydrogel encapsulation has been proposed to overcome the limitation of traditional bulk hydrogels, yet this technique has not been used in treating disc degeneration. Using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, we fabricated alginate and gelatin microgel to encapsulate individual MSC for treating disc degeneration. The small size of microgel allowed intradiscal injection of coated MSC. We demonstrated that pyroptosis was involved in MSC death under oxidative stress stimulation, and microgel coating suppressed pyroptosis activation by maintaining mitochondria homeostasis. Microgel coating protected MSC in the harsh disc microenvironment, while retaining vital cellular functions such as migration, proliferation, and differentiation. In a rat model of disc degeneration, coated MSC exhibits prolonged retention in the disc and better efficacy of attenuating disc degeneration, as compared with bare MSC treatment alone. Further, microgel-coated MSC exhibited improved therapeutic effects in treating disc degeneration via suppressing the activation of pyroptosis in the disc. For the first time, microgel-encapsulated MSC was used to treat disc degeneration and obtain encouraging outcomes. The developed biocompatible single-cell hydrogel is an effective strategy to protect MSC and maintain cellular functions and may be an efficacious approach to improving the efficacy of MSC therapy in treating disc degeneration. The objective of this study is to improve the efficacy of cell therapy for treating disc degeneration using single-cell hydrogel encapsulation and further to understand related cytoprotective mechanisms.

Development of Good Manufacturing Practice-Compatible Isolation and Culture Methods for Human Olfactory Mucosa-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) resulting from injury or disease can cause loss of nerve function and paralysis. Cell therapies intended to promote remyelination of axons are a promising avenue of treatment, with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) a prominent candidate. We have previously demonstrated that MSCs derived from human olfactory mucosa (hOM-MSCs) promote myelination to a greater extent than bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs). However, hOM-MSCs were developed using methods and materials that were not good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant. Before considering these cells for clinical use, it is necessary to develop a method for their isolation and expansion that is readily adaptable to a GMP-compliant environment. We demonstrate here that hOM-MSCs can be derived without enzymatic tissue digestion or cell sorting and without culture antibiotics. They grow readily in GMP-compliant media and express typical MSC surface markers. They robustly produce CXCL12 (a key secretory factor in promoting myelination) and are pro-myelinating in in vitro rodent CNS cultures. GMP-compliant hOM-MSCs are comparable in this respect to those grown in non-GMP conditions. However, when assessed in an in vivo model of demyelinating disease (experimental autoimmune encephalitis, EAE), they do not significantly improve disease scores compared with controls, indicating further pre-clinical evaluation is necessary before their advancement to clinical trials.

Immune homeostasis modulation by hydrogel-guided delivery systems: a tool for accelerated bone regeneration

Immune homeostasis is delicately mediated by the dynamic balance between effector immune cells and regulatory immune cells. Local deviations from immune homeostasis in the microenvironment of bone fractures, caused by an increased ratio of effector to regulatory cues, can lead to excessive inflammatory conditions and hinder bone regeneration. Therefore, achieving effective and localized immunomodulation of bone fractures is crucial for successful bone regeneration. Recent research has focused on developing localized and specific immunomodulatory strategies using local hydrogel-based delivery systems. In this review, we aim to emphasize the significant role of immune homeostasis in bone regeneration, explore local hydrogel-based delivery systems, discuss emerging trends in immunomodulation for enhancing bone regeneration, and address the limitations of current delivery strategies along with the challenges of clinical translation.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Soft Tissue Regenerative Medicine: A Comprehensive Review

Soft tissue regeneration holds significant promise for addressing various clinical challenges, ranging from craniofacial and oral tissue defects to blood vessels, muscle, and fibrous tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising tool in regenerative medicine due to their unique characteristics and potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. This comprehensive review explores the role of MSCs in different aspects of soft tissue regeneration, including their application in craniofacial and oral soft tissue regeneration, nerve regeneration, blood vessel regeneration, muscle regeneration, and fibrous tissue regeneration. By examining the latest research findings and clinical advancements, this article aims to provide insights into the current state of MSC-based therapies in soft tissue regenerative medicine.

Mining of chicken muscle growth genes and the function of important candidate gene RPL3L in muscle development

The birth weight of chickens does not significantly affect the weight at slaughter, while the different growth rate after birth was one of the important reasons for the difference in slaughter weight. Also, the increase in chickens' postnatal skeletal muscle weight is the main cause of the slaughter weight gain, but which genes are involved in this biological process is still unclear. In this study, by integrating four transcriptome datasets containing chicken muscles at different developmental times or different chicken tissues in public databases, a total of nine candidate genes that may be related to postnatal muscle development in chickens were obtained, including RPL3L, FBP2, ASB4, ASB15, CKMT2, PGAM1, YIPF7, PFKM, and LDHA. One of these candidate genes is RPL3L, whose 42 bp insertion/deletion (indel) mutation significantly correlated with multiple carcass traits in the F2 resource population from Xinghua chickens crossing with White Recessive Rock (WRR) chickens, including live weight, carcass weight, half eviscerated weight, eviscerated weight, breast meat weight, wing weight, leg muscle shear force, and breast muscle shear force. Also, there was a very significant difference between different genotypes of the RPL3L 42 bp indel mutation in these trains. Further experiments showed that RPL3L was highly expressed in chicken skeletal muscle, and its overexpression could promote the proliferation and inhibit the differentiation of chicken myoblasts by regulating ASB4 and ASB15 expression. Our findings demonstrated that the RPL3L 42 bp indel may be one of the molecular markers of chicken weight-related traits.

Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells and Their Derivates in Tissue Regeneration

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have been extensively studied over the last 30 years in the context of their regenerative and immunomodulatory activities for potential application in regenerative medicine [...].

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Application and Its Therapeutic Mechanisms in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), a common lethal subtype of stroke accounting for nearly 10–15% of the total stroke disease and affecting two million people worldwide, has a high mortality and disability rate and, thus, a major socioeconomic burden. However, there is no effective treatment available currently. The role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine is well known owing to the simplicity of acquisition from various sources, low immunogenicity, adaptation to the autogenic and allogeneic systems, immunomodulation, self-recovery by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs), regenerative repair, and antioxidative stress. MSC therapy provides an increasingly attractive therapeutic approach for ICH. Recently, the functions of MSCs such as neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, and improvement in synaptic plasticity have been widely researched in human and rodent models of ICH. MSC transplantation has been proven to improve ICH-induced injury, including the damage of nerve cells and oligodendrocytes, the activation of microglia and astrocytes, and the destruction of blood vessels. The improvement and recovery of neurological functions in rodent ICH models were demonstrated via the mechanisms such as neurogenesis, angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis, and synaptic plasticity. Here, we discuss the pathological mechanisms following ICH and the therapeutic mechanisms of MSC-based therapy to unravel new cues for future therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, some potential strategies for enhancing the therapeutic function of MSC transplantation have also been suggested.

Pulsed Electric Fields for Valorization of Platelets with No Therapeutic Value towards a High Biomedical Potential Product—A Proof of Concept

Nowadays, the standard media used in clinical-scale mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) production to supply hundreds of clinical trials uses animal-derived components as supplements, which raises several health concerns. Consequently, the development of xeno-free media supplements has emerged. In the current study, the effect of pulse electric field (PEF) application to platelet concentrates (PC) with no therapeutic value for producing platelet releasates (PR) able to sustain the ability of bone marrow-MSCs (BM-MSCs) to self-renew and differentiate was tested. It was demonstrated that PEF application to PC induces platelet activation and growth factor (GF) release, namely PDGF, FGF, IGF, and TGF-β. The highest GF release was observed for TGF-β, achieving similar levels to those attained in platelet lysates (PL). BM-MSCs expanded in the presence of PR obtained by the application of PEF (7 pulses of 10 and 12.5 kV/cm) to PC (PR PEF) retained the characteristic MSC cell-surface markers, and the ability to proliferate and differentiate into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. In this study, evidence is provided that PR PEF represents a suitable alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) for use in MSC production.