Article
Neurosciences
Stacey A. Sakowski, Kevin S. Chen
Summary: Stem cell therapy shows promise in treating neurological disorders by providing neuroprotection through metabolic signaling. This interaction includes normalization of glucose metabolism, induction of protective mitochondrial genes, and interactions with neurovasculature. Local metabolic conditions and epigenetic changes in donor cells can affect stem cell biology and transplant viability. Preconditioning stem cells metabolically before transplant can improve their survival. Understanding the metabolic cross-talk between stem cells and the nervous system environment is crucial for successful translation of stem cell therapy in neurological diseases.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mengzhu Lv, Simeng Zhang, Bo Jiang, Sunrun Cao, Yuqing Dong, Liu Cao, Shu Guo
Summary: The study demonstrated that adipose-derived stem cell therapy can delay replicative senescence and shift metabolic homeostasis, ultimately delaying the aging process by promoting mitophagy and improving mitochondrial quality in cells. The research also showed that ADSC therapy can improve aging-related symptoms and phenotypes through mitochondrial quality control, offering significant potential for future applications in aging-related diseases.
Article
Oncology
Haobin Ye, Mohammad Minhajuddin, Anna Krug, Shanshan Pei, Chih-Hsing Chou, Rachel Culp-Hill, Jessica Ponder, Erik De Bloois, Bjorn Schniedewind, Maria L. Amaya, Anagha Inguva, Brett M. Stevens, Daniel A. Pollyea, Uwe Christians, H. Leighton Grimes, Angelo D'Alessandro, Craig T. Jordan
Summary: The liver provides a unique microenvironment for leukemia cells to acquire metabolic properties that confer increased resistance to chemotherapy. Adaptations in the liver induce metabolic changes that protect leukemia cells from conventional therapies, suggesting that overcoming liver-specific metabolic changes may improve treatment outcomes for leukemia patients.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kevin C. L. Law, Negar Mahmoudi, Zahra E. E. Zadeh, Richard. J. Williams, Cameron P. J. Hunt, Andras Nagy, Lachlan H. H. Thompson, David R. R. Nisbet, Clare L. L. Parish
Summary: Research scientists have developed a smart hydrogel delivery matrix to prolong the release of the prodrug GCV, enabling the programmed ablation of proliferative cells within neural grafts. In vitro studies showed that the functionalized hydrogel effectively eliminated hPSCs and proliferating neural progenitors. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the one-off intracerebral delivery of the hydrogel reduced proliferative cells in teratomas and neural grafts without affecting neuron functionality.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Kamil Piska, Marek Jamrozik, Paulina Koczurkiewicz-Adamczyk, Adam Bucki, Pawel Zmudzki, Marcin Kolaczkowski, Elzbieta Pekala
Summary: Carbonyl reduction biotransformation pathway of anthracyclines plays a significant role in drug metabolism and elimination, as well as in anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity and cancer resistance. Differences in intrinsic clearance between anthracyclines were found to be associated with their structure and binding in active sites of the main anthracyclines-reducing enzymes. Structural features such as side-chain hydroxy groups, sugar chain hydroxy group configurations, and tetracyclic rings substitution were identified as factors affecting susceptibility of anthracyclines for carbonyl reduction.
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tong Xu, Jason A. Junge, Alireza Delfarah, Yi-Tsung Lu, Cosimo Arnesano, Maheen Iqbal, Kevin Delijani, Tien-Chan Hsieh, Emmanuelle Hodara, Hemal H. Mehta, Pinchas Cohen, Nicholas A. Graham, Scott E. Fraser, Amir Goldkorn
Summary: Genetic mutations have long been recognized as drivers of cancer drug resistance. However, recent research has identified additional non-genetic mechanisms that contribute to the plasticity of cancer cells, resulting in drug resistance. This study focuses on a bladder cancer model and reveals that the transition to drug resistance involves upregulation of mitochondrial gene expression and metabolic changes. The use of fluorescence lifetime microscopy allows for real-time tracking of cancer cell metabolic profiles, and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation can reverse drug resistance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xin Zhao, Zun Fan, Chengyang Zhu, Weigang Zhang, Lei Qin
Summary: This study focuses on finding preventive strategies for hepatic fibrosis, which is associated with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Microcapsules with a core-shell structure are developed using microfluidics, with polydopamine nanoparticles providing antioxidative properties. Ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is encapsulated in the core to regulate cellular signals involved in inflammation. In a mouse model, the BHB-encapsulated microcapsules show potential in preventing hepatic stellate cell activation, extracellular matrix accumulation, and hepatic lobules damage.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Julia Vallverdu, Raquel A. Martinez Garcia de la Torre, Inge Mannaerts, Stefaan Verhulst, Ayla Smout, Mar Coll, Silvia Arino, Teresa Rubio-Tomas, Beatriz Aguilar-Bravo, Celia Martinez-Sanchez, Delia Blaya, Catherine M. Verfaillie, Leo A. van Grunsven, Pau Sancho-Bru
Summary: Human iPSCs are differentiated into HSCs with growth factors for in vitro modeling. The protocol yields iPSC-HSCs with phenotypic and functional characteristics of primary HSCs, suitable for high-throughput in vitro studies. Coculturing iPSC-HSCs with hepatocytes allows for the formation of 3D hepatic spheroids, enabling modeling and drug screening studies.
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Malcolm Rowland, Michael Weiss, K. Sandy Pang
Summary: Clearance concepts play a crucial role in drug development and therapy. The well-stirred model (WSM) is widely used in pharmacokinetics to describe hepatic elimination due to its simplicity. Recently, Kirchhoff's laws of electrical network have been applied to organ clearance, claiming to yield the same equation for hepatic clearance as the WSM. However, this commentary argues that the assumptions made by Kirchhoff's approach are essentially the same as those of the WSM, and raises concerns about the interpretation of permeability or transport parameters.
DRUG METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Seiya Takemoto, Masataka Nakano, Tatsuki Fukami, Miki Nakajima
Summary: The study reveals that m(6)A modification negatively regulates CES2 expression by impacting its protein level, hydrolase activity, and lipid accumulation, thereby affecting pharmacokinetics and lipid metabolism. The regulation of CES2 by m(6)A modification highlights the potential significance of epitranscriptomic modifications in drug response and metabolic processes.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Xiuhui Chen, Wen Zhong, Yue Chang, Tiefang Song, Botong Liu, Xianchao Kong, Qingfei Kong
Summary: This study investigated the potential effects of mitochondria derived from menstrual stem cells (MenSCs) on ovarian cancer. Proteomic analysis revealed that 592 proteins were increased in MenSC-derived mitochondria, mainly enriched in metabolism-associated oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Further analysis showed similar increasing trends for certain proteins in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. These findings suggest that mitochondria from MenSCs may enhance ovarian cancer progression through the enrichment of oxidative phosphorylation-associated pathways.
EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Andrew Owen, Daniel Patten, Vasanthy Vigneswara, Jon Frampton, Philip N. Newsome
Summary: Research shows that the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) can reduce inflammation and complications following liver transplantation, decrease liver injury, and increase the number of restorative cells. Systemic administration of MSC has a positive therapeutic effect on liver injury and cell death, while subcutaneous injection of MSC does not have a significant effect. MSC represent a potential novel therapy in marginal organ transplantation that warrants further study.
Review
Immunology
Miao Huang, Hao Cai, Bing Han, Yuhan Xia, Xiaoni Kong, Jinyang Gu
Summary: NK cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury and can exacerbate the damage caused by this process.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
W. Samuel Fagg, Naiyou Liu, Igor Patrikeev, Omar A. Saldarriaga, Massoud Motamedi, Vsevolod L. Popov, Heather L. Stevenson, Jeffrey H. Fair
Summary: The study found that human endoderm progenitor (EP) and hepatic progenitor (HP) cells can be efficiently produced from human embryonic stem cells and readily uptake iron nanoparticles. Using iron-labeled EP and HP cells allows for quick identification shortly after transplantation. High resolution imaging revealed that the progenitor cells undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invade the hepatic parenchyma rapidly following transplantation.
CELL TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuchen Zhang, Naijun Dong, Huanle Hong, Jingxuan Qi, Shibo Zhang, Jiao Wang
Summary: Due to the aging population, stroke has become more prevalent, leading to increased socioeconomic burden. Stem cell transplantation, particularly using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has shown promise in treating stroke by attenuating inflammation, promoting therapeutic effects, inducing blood vessel formation, promoting neurogenesis, reducing infarct volume, and replacing damaged cells. This review discusses the mechanisms of MSCs and their secreted extracellular vehicles (EVs) in stroke treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Yun-Zhong Nie, Yun-Wen Zheng, Miyuki Ogawa, Etsuko Miyagi, Hideki Taniguchi
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2018)
Article
Cell Biology
Li-Ping Liu, Yu-Mei Li, Ning-Ning Guo, Shu Li, Xiaolong Ma, Yi-Xuan Zhang, Yimeng Gao, Jian-Ling Huang, Dong-Xu Zheng, Lu-Yuan Wang, Hui Xu, Lijian Hui, Yun-Wen Zheng
Article
Cell Biology
Rie Ouchi, Shodai Togo, Masaki Kimura, Tadahiro Shinozawa, Masaru Koido, Hiroyuki Koike, Wendy Thompson, Rebekah A. Karns, Christopher N. Mayhew, Patrick S. McGrath, Heather A. McCauley, Ran-Ran Zhang, Kyle Lewis, Shoyo Hakozaki, Autumn Ferguson, Norikazu Saiki, Yosuke Yoneyama, Ichiro Takeuchi, Yo Mabuchi, Chihiro Akazawa, Hiroshi Y. Yoshikawa, James M. Wells, Takanori Takebe
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ning-Ning Guo, Li-Ping Liu, Yi-Xuan Zhang, Yu-Tian Cai, Yuan Guo, Yun-Wen Zheng, Yu-Mei Li
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Munkhzul Ganbold, Yohei Owada, Yusuke Ozawa, Yasuhiro Shimamoto, Farhana Ferdousi, Kenichi Tominaga, Yun-Wen Zheng, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi, Hiroko Isoda
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomonori Tsuchida, Soichiro Murata, Koichiro Matsuki, Akihiro Mori, Megumi Matsuo, Satoshi Mikami, Satoshi Okamoto, Yasuharu Ueno, Tomomi Tadokoro, Yun-Wen Zheng, Hideki Taniguchi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Jian-Yun Ge, Yun-Wen Zheng, Tomonori Tsuchida, Kinji Furuya, Hiroko Isoda, Hideki Taniguchi, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi, Tatsuya Oda
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2020)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Meng-Xue Xu, Li-Ping Liu, Yu-Mei Li, Yun-Wen Zheng
Summary: Platelet transfusion is a standard clinical treatment to prevent bleeding, but the shortage of supply and challenges such as short shelf life and allogeneic immunity call for the development of alternative sources. Human pluripotent stem cells offer a potential unlimited source for regenerative medicine and research models for disease pathogenesis. Research efforts are focused on generating functional induced platelets from hPSCs and evaluating their production efficiency and safety concerns.
STEM CELLS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xia Wen, Danielle Kozlosky, Ranran Zhang, Cathleen Doherty, Brian Buckley, Emily Barrett, Lauren M. Aleksunes
Summary: The breast cancer resistance protein transporter plays a role in transporting cadmium and protecting kidney cells from toxicity, but this protective function is partially compromised by the Q141K genetic variant in the ABCG2 gene.
DRUG METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Kinji Furuya, Yun-Wen Zheng, Jian-Yun Ge, Ludi Zhang, Tomoaki Furuta, Chen Liang, Haruna Abe, Hiroya Yagi, Hiromi Hamada, Hiroko Isoda, Lijian Hui, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi, Tatsuya Oda
Summary: The human-to-rat hematopoietic stem cell transplantation model demonstrated the importance of controlling macrophages to prolong the survival of human cells in rats. This model could be valuable for future xenotransplantation research and clinical studies.
XENOTRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ludi Zhang, Jian-Yun Ge, Yun-Wen Zheng, Zhen Sun, Chenhua Wang, Zhaoliang Peng, Baihua Wu, Mei Fang, Kinji Furuya, Xiaolong Ma, Yanjiao Shao, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi, Tatsuya Oda, Jianglin Fan, Guoyu Pan, Dali Li, Lijian Hui
Summary: Liver-humanized rats were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, with an optimized liver injury preconditioning protocol leading to increased human hepatocyte repopulation in the rat livers. This model is preferred for pharmacological studies and human hepatocyte production, showcasing potential for pharmacokinetic profiling of human-specific metabolites and informative implications for hepatocyte transplantation in other large-sized species.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Hui Xu, Yu-Mei Li, Yongxiang Yi, Yun-Wen Zheng, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi
Summary: The study found that platelet transfusion for cirrhotic patients after liver resection is safe, but no significant improvement in liver function was observed.
CASE REPORTS IN GASTROINTESTINAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Hang Zhou, Yun Wang, Li-Ping Liu, Yu-Mei Li, Yun-Wen Zheng
Summary: The rapid development of gene-editing technology has broadened the applications of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and their derived organoids in regenerative medicine. Despite ethical concerns and safety risks, PSC gene editing continues to benefit mankind at an unprecedented rate.
STEM CELLS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Li-Ping Liu, Dong-Xu Zheng, Zheng-Fang Xu, Hu-Cheng Zhou, Yun-Cong Wang, Hang Zhou, Jian-Yun Ge, Daisuke Sako, Mi Li, Kazunori Akimoto, Yu-Mei Li, Yun-Wen Zheng
Summary: This study reveals the commonalities and differences between amniotic epithelial stem cells (AESCs) and keratinocytes (KCs) through transcriptomics analysis and functional evaluation. The analysis shows that AESCs are involved in epidermis-associated biological processes shared with KCs, but they also exhibit distinct features. The overexpression of TP63 and activation of NOTCH signaling can enhance AESC stemness and improve their differentiation features.