Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rosa M. Coco-Martin, Salvador Pastor-Idoate, Jose Carlos Pastor
Summary: Cell therapy holds great promise for treating retinal and optic nerve diseases, but there are challenges to overcome such as inhibition of cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro and limited long-term survival and functioning of transplanted cells. Clinical translation of cell-based therapy also faces issues like enrichment for specific retinal subtypes, cell survival, cell delivery methods, and the risk of tumor formation from undifferentiated stem cells. Despite these challenges, stem/progenitor cells remain the most promising strategy for future treatment of retinal and optic nerve diseases.
Review
Cell Biology
Vladimir Holan, Katerina Palacka, Barbora Hermankova
Summary: Cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offers a potential treatment option for retinal degenerative diseases by utilizing the cells' immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties to support retinal cell survival and growth. MSCs also have the potential to protect retinal cells and contribute to the regeneration of the diseased retina.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Almir Jordao da Silva-Junior, Louise Alessandra Mesentier-Louro, Gabriel Nascimento-dos-Santos, Leandro Coelho Teixeira-Pinheiro, Juliana F. Vasques, Luiza Chimeli-Ormonde, Victor Bodart-Santos, Luiza Rachel Pinheiro de Carvalho, Marcelo Felippe Santiago, Rosalia Mendez-Otero
Summary: Human umbilical Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs and their extracellular vesicles showed sustained neuroprotective effects and promoted regeneration of RGCs in a rat model of optic nerve crush. This highlights the potential of cell therapy using human MSCs for neuroprotection and axon regeneration after optic nerve injury.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carl Randall Harrell, Vladislav Volarevic, Valentin Djonov, Ana Volarevic
Summary: AT-MSC-Exos are potential therapeutic agents for neural and retinal diseases by delivering neurotrophins, immunoregulatory factors, and pro-angiogenic miRNAs to alleviate inflammation and promote cell survival.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Girish K. Srivastava, Marina Lopez-Paniagua, Sara Crespo Millas
Summary: This review summarizes the ongoing and completed clinical trials of advanced therapies for optic nerve diseases, including stem cell and gene therapy treatments. It highlights the successes and failures achieved in treating these patients and emphasizes the safety and efficacy of these advanced treatments.
NEUROTOXICITY RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yajing Wang, Dan Ma, Zewen Wu, Baoqi Yang, Rong Li, Xingxing Zhao, Helin Yang, Liyun Zhang
Summary: Mesenchymal stem cells have great application value in cell replacement therapy and tissue repair, and their application in the treatment of rheumatic diseases is receiving increasing attention. These cells have the ability to differentiate into various cell types and are involved in immune regulation, inflammation alleviation, anti-fibrotic properties, and vascular repair.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Xiteng Chen, Yuanfeng Jiang, Yanan Duan, Xiaomin Zhang, Xiaorong Li
Summary: Research on stem cell therapy for retinal diseases suggests that the paracrine effect may play a dominant role, and MSC-derived extracellular vesicles have emerged as a novel and powerful alternative for cell-free therapy.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eugenia D. Namiot, Jenni Viivi Linnea Niemi, Vladimir N. Chubarev, Vadim V. Tarasov, Helgi B. Schioth
Summary: Neurological diseases can significantly impact quality of life and lifespan. Stem cells show promise in treating these diseases due to their regenerative properties, as well as their ability to reduce inflammation and promote angiogenesis. A study analyzing 492 clinical trials found that the most common neurological disorders treated with stem cells were brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve injuries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors. The majority of trials were in phases 1 or 2, with only two trials in phase 4.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing-jie Wang, Tian-zuo Wang, Bin Guan, Xin-xin Liu, Zan Gong, Yao Li, Ling-li Li, Lin-nan Ke, Kai-hui Nan
Summary: Transplanting MSCs to the injury site can promote optic nerve regeneration and may offer a novel treatment for TON. MSC@MS enhances in vivo retention of transplanted MSCs and shows superior gene expression profiles compared to monolayer culture.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Lila Teixeira de Araujo, Carolina The Macedo, Patricia Kauanna Fonseca Damasceno, Italo Gabriel Costa das Neves, Carla Souza de Lima, Girlaine Cafe Santos, Thais Alves de Santana, Gabriela Louise de Almeida Sampaio, Daniela Nascimento Silva, Cristiane Flora Villarreal, Alessandra Casemiro de Campos Chaguri, Crislaine Gomes da Silva, Augusto Cesar de Andrade Mota, Roberto Badaro, Ricardo Ribeiro dos Santos, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an important public health problem with no effective treatments available. Stem cell therapy, particularly mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), has been investigated as a potential approach for SCI treatment. However, there is heterogeneity in the design of clinical trials and a lack of standardized protocols and recommendations for the therapeutic use of stem cells in SCI.
Review
Ophthalmology
Michalis Georgiou, Kaoru Fujinami, Michel Michaelides
Summary: Inherited retinal diseases are a group of disorders characterized by photoreceptor degeneration or dysfunction, leading to severe vision loss. The advancements in genetics, retinal imaging, and molecular biology have paved the way for the development of treatments such as gene therapy and ongoing clinical trials targeting various retinal dystrophies. The current research aims to explore novel therapies for these diseases and improve patient outcomes.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Yu Lin, Xiang Ren, Yongjiang Chen, Danian Chen
Summary: Stem cell-based therapy shows promise in treating retinal degenerative diseases, but there is a need to balance the therapeutic potential with safety concerns.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fa Yuan, Mingwei Wang, Kangxin Jin, Mengqing Xiang
Summary: The text discusses the pathogenesis of glaucoma and the characteristics of RGCs, highlighting the differences in regenerative abilities post-injury and the latest research findings. It proposes potential directions for future therapeutics in treating neurodegenerative diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Luigi Donato, Concetta Scimone, Simona Alibrandi, Sergio Zaccaria Scalinci, Domenico Morda, Carmela Rinaldi, Rosalia DAngelo, Antonina Sidoti
Summary: The secreted factors from retinal cytotypes, such as retinal pigment epithelium and Muller glia cells, play a crucial role in preserving the integrity of the retina and responding to injury. The cross-talk between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and retinal cells suggests that the MSC secretome can protect retinal cells from degeneration, while the retinal cell secretome can influence MSC gene expression and phenotype.
WORLD JOURNAL OF STEM CELLS
(2023)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yiping Fan, Eyleen L. K. Goh, Jerry Kok Yen Chan
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) encompass a range of clinical conditions affecting the nervous system. Current treatments focus on slowing progression or relieving symptoms, with cellular therapies being explored in clinical trials. Stem cells, both neural and non-neural, derived from various sources have been used in these trials, showing promising results in early-phase studies that warrant further investigation. However, conducting definitive trials may be challenging due to cost and the rarity of these diseases.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Sara Llorente-Gonzalez, Maria Hernandez, Jorge Gonzalez-Zamora, Valentina Bilbao-Malave, Patricia Fernandez-Robredo, Manuel Saenz-de-Viteri, Jesus Barrio-Barrio, Maria Jose Rodriguez-Cid, Juan Donate, Francisco J. Ascaso, Ana M. Gomez-Ramirez, Javier Araiz, Felix Armada, Oscar Ruiz-Moreno, Sergio Recalde, Alfredo Garcia-Layana
Summary: After 36 months of treatment, half of nAMD patients experienced atrophy and/or fibrosis, affecting visual outcomes. Subretinal fluid was associated with better visual results and lower rates of atrophy and fibrosis, while intraretinal fluid led to worse visual results and a higher risk of atrophy and fibrosis.
ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tamara Caniego-Casas, Laura Martinez-Garcia, Marina Alonso-Riano, David Pizarro, Irene Carretero-Barrio, Nilda Martinez-de-Castro, Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel, Raul de Pablo, Ana Saiz, Rosa Nieto Royo, Ana Santiago, Marta Rosas, Jose L. Rodriguez-Peralto, Belen Perez-Mies, Juan C. Galan, Jose Palacios
Summary: This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in autopsy samples of COVID-19 patients and its association with secondary pulmonary infections. The findings showed that viral RNA was detected in the lungs of most patients, even those with longer disease duration. Viral protein and RNA were also detected in patients with shorter illness duration, indicating the persistence of the virus in the body. Additionally, various pulmonary infections were found to contribute to the severity of COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Irene Carretero-Barrio, Joan Lop-Gros, Mar Iglesias, Carolina Martinez, Xavier Matias-Guiu, Belen Perez-Mies, Jose Palacios
Summary: This study conducted an online survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Spanish pathology residents' training. The survey showed a decrease in case numbers and the cancellation of rotations and redeployment of residents, all of which had a detrimental effect on their training.
Article
Pathology
Belen Perez-Mies, Tamara Caniego-Casas, Irene Carretero-Barrio, Michele Biscuola, Maria A. Lopez-Garcia, David Hardisson, Marta Rosas, Maria J. Lopez Rodriguez, Eva Cristobal, David Pizarro, Juan M. Rosa-Rosa, Jose Palacios
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed the molecular alterations of both components of invasive ductolobular carcinomas (IDLC). They found that 80% of tumors had alterations in driver genes in both components, with PIK3CA being the most common alteration. CDH1 mutations were present in the lobular component of 45% of IDLC, but absent in the ductal component. The study also suggested the need for molecular characterization of both components to guide targeted therapies.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel, Hector Pian-Arias, Inigo Corral, Irene Carretero-Barrio, Diego Bueno-Sacristan, Belen Perez-Mies, Monica Garcia-Cosio, Tamara Caniego-Casas, David Pizarro, Maria Isabel Garcia-Narros, Miguel Piris-Villaespesa, David Pestana, Raul de Pablo, Juan Carlos Galan, Jaime Masjuan, Jose Palacios
Summary: Severe cases of COVID-19 can lead to various neurological symptoms, with neuroinflammation and vascular-related lesions being the most common neuropathological findings. In this study, widespread microglial and cytotoxic T-cell activation was observed in all patients, but there was no correlation between the neuro-inflammatory score and the duration of illness or systemic inflammation parameters. Other frequent lesions included global hypoxic ischaemic damage and subacute infarcts. One patient had more brain vascular microthrombi and multiple subacute pituitary infarcts.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Valentina Bilbao-Malave, Jorge Gonzalez-Zamora, Elsa Gandara, Miriam de la Puente, Elena Escriche, Jaione Bezunartea, Ainara Marizkurrena, Elena Alonso, Maria Hernandez, Patricia Fernandez-Robredo, Manuel Saenz de Viteri, Jesus Barrio-Barrio, Alfredo Garcia-Layana, Sergio Recalde
Summary: This study aimed to analyze whether outdoor exposure could protect young adults from developing myopia and investigate ultraviolet autofluorescence as a biomarker of outdoor time. The results showed that outdoor activities could reduce the onset and progression of myopia in young adults. Additionally, ultraviolet autofluorescence was found to be inversely associated with myopia.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jorge Gonzalez-Zamora, Maria Hernandez, Sergio Recalde, Jaione Bezunartea, Ana Montoliu, Valentina Bilbao-Malave, Josune Orbe, Jose A. Rodriguez, Sara Llorente-Gonzalez, Patricia Fernandez-Robredo, Alfredo Garcia-Layana
Summary: Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe visual loss in older adults in developed countries. The role of oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinases, particularly MMP10, in the pathophysiology of AMD is of great interest. This study aimed to clarify the involvement of MMP10 in choroidal neovascularization and found that it plays a significant role in its development, making it a potential therapeutic target.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Luz Alonso-Alonso, Ana Sampedro-Viana, Sabela Fernandez-Rodicio, Marcos Bazarra-Barreiros, Alberto Ouro, Tomas Sobrino, Francisco Campos, Jose Castillo, Pablo Hervella, Ramon Iglesias-Rey
Summary: Blood-brain barrier dysfunction is closely associated with cerebrovascular disease, but its detrimental or reparative effects depend on the stage of stroke. Understanding the structure, function, and chronic alterations of the BBB related to ischemic stroke is important for new drug development and clinical translation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Maria Luz Alonso-Alonso, Maria Perez-Mato, Ana Sampedro-Viana, Clara Correa-Paz, Paulo Avila-Gomez, Tomas Sobrino, Francisco Campos, Jose Castillo, Ramon Iglesias-Rey, Pablo Hervella
Summary: In this study, a new dual MRI nanoparticle was developed to predict the efficacy of recanalization treatment and improve the triage of ischemic stroke patients by targeting the fibrin content of blood clots.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Luz Alonso-Alonso, Ana Sampedro-Viana, Manuel Rodriguez-Yanez, Iria Lopez-Dequidt, Jose M. Pumar, Antonio J. Mosqueira, Sabela Fernandez-Rodicio, Marcos Bazarra-Barreiros, Tomas Sobrino, Francisco Campos, Jose Castillo, Pablo Hervella, Ramon Iglesias-Rey
Summary: The circadian system has an influence on body temperature and stroke onset. This study explores the impact of temperature chronobiology on stroke onset and functional outcomes, as well as the variation of blood biomarkers based on stroke onset time.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rafael Gabriel, Nisa Boukichou-Abdelkader, Aleksandra Gilis-Januszewska, Konstantinos Makrilakis, Ricardo Gomez-Huelgas, Zdravko Kamenov, Bernhard Paulweber, Ilhan Satman, Predrag Djordjevic, Abdullah Alkandari, Asimina Mitrakou, Nebojsa Lalic, Jesus Egido, Sebastian Mas-Fontao, Jean Henri Calvet, Jose Carlos Pastor, Jaana Lindstrom, Marcus Lind, Tania Acosta, Luis Silva, Jaakko Tuomilehto
Summary: The objective of this study was to compare the impact of glucose-lowering drugs on peripheral nerve and kidney function in prediabetes. The results showed that the use of metformin alone, linagliptin alone, or the combination of both reduced the risk of small fiber peripheral neuropathy and slowed down the decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to the placebo. These findings suggest that treatment with metformin and linagliptin, either alone or in combination, can effectively protect prediabetes patients from developing peripheral nerve diseases and maintain kidney function.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jimena Fernandez-Carneado, Ana Almazan-Moga, Dolores T. Ramirez-Lamelas, Cristina Cusco, Jose Ignacio Alonso de la Fuente, J. Carlos Pastor, Maria Isabel Lopez Galvez, Berta Ponsati
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether the quantification of microaneurysms (MAs), hemorrhages (Hmas), and hard exudates (HEs) in the central retinal field could predict the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The results showed that the number of MAs, Hmas, and HEs increased as the severity of DR progressed. These findings suggest that analyzing retinal lesions in the central field can provide valuable information on the severity level of DR and serve as a clinical tool for assessing DR grading in routine eyecare.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Irene Carretero-Barrio, Tamara Caniego-Casas, Marta Rosas, Maria Concepcion Sanchez, Noelia Martinez-Janez, Miguel Chiva, David Sarrio, Gema Moreno-Bueno, Jose Palacios, Belen Perez-Mies
Summary: HER2-equivocal cases represent around 15% of breast carcinomas, and 20-40% of them are HER2-amplified. The evaluation of HER2 amplification status in equivocal cases is crucial for patient management. In this study, we investigated the performance of STRAT4, a RT-qPCR platform, compared to the recommended methods for the evaluation of HER2-equivocal cases. The results showed that STRAT4 is not reliable for the assessment of HER2 amplification status in equivocal cases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Pizarro, Ignacio Romero, Belen Perez-Mies, Andres Redondo, Tamara Caniego-Casas, Irene Carretero-Barrio, Eva Cristobal, Ana Gutierrez-Pecharroman, Ana Santaballa, Emanuela D'Angelo, David Hardisson, Begona Vieites, Xavier Matias-Guiu, Purificacion Estevez, Eva Guerra, Jaime Prat, Andres Poveda, Jose Antonio Lopez-Guerrero, Jose Palacios
Summary: Studies on the molecular and immune features of early-stage high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) are lacking. This study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), PD-L1 expression, BRCA mutational status, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in early-stage HGSOC. The results showed that high levels of iCD8+, low/intermediate levels of CD4+, and high CD8+/CD4+ ratio were associated with favorable outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Salvador Pastor-Idoate, Milagros Mateos-Olivares, Eva Maria Sobas, Miguel Marcos, Alfredo Toribio, Jose Carlos Pastor, Ricardo Usategui Martin
Summary: This study aims to assess the effects of melatonin and blocking filters on patients with RP and their effectiveness in improving stress and sleep problems. The study is still at the protocol stage and has not yet started.
JMIR RESEARCH PROTOCOLS
(2023)
