Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Narmadaa Raman, Siti A. M. Imran, Khairul Bariah Ahmad Amin Noordin, Wan Safwani Wan Kamarul Zaman, Fazlina Nordin
Summary: This review highlights the process of mechanotransduction, the effects of mechanical forces on cells and tissues, and the regulation of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation by mechanical factors. Research has shown that mechanical forces play a crucial role in cell sensing and adaptation to the environment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tingting Gao, Xiyuan Zhao, Jie Hao, Yao Tian, Huike Ma, Wenjing Liu, Bin An, Faguo Sun, Shasha Liu, Baojie Guo, Shuaishuai Niu, Zhongwen Li, Chenxin Wang, Yukai Wang, Guihai Feng, Liu Wang, Wei Li, Jun Wu, Meijin Guo, Qi Zhou, Qi Gu
Summary: In this study, a new microcarrier with hyaluronic acid (HA) as the core material was developed for scalable serum-free suspension culture of hESC-derived MSCs. The optimal microcarriers, with a coating collagen concentration of 100 μg/mL or concave-structured surface (cHAMCs), allowed for the expansion of IMRCs within six days with a high yield. The harvested cells showed high viability, immunomodulatory and regenerative therapeutic promise, as well as increased secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM).
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Robert E. Rogers, Andrew Haskell, Berkley P. White, Sujata Dalal, Megan Lopez, Daniel Tahan, Simin Pan, Gagandeep Kaur, Hyemee Kim, Heather Barreda, Susan L. Woodard, Oscar R. Benavides, Jing Dai, Qingguo Zhao, Kristen C. Maitland, Arum Han, Zivko L. Nikolov, Fei Liu, Ryang Hwa Lee, Carl A. Gregory, Roland Kaunas
Summary: The study introduces a platform for scalable expansion and rapid harvest of ihMSCs using GelMA microcarriers, demonstrating robust immunomodulatory activity. This method offers advantages of reproducibility and low cost, making it a significant contribution to the translational potential of ihMSCs.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nattaya Damkham, Surapol Issaragrisil, Chanchao Lorthongpanich
Summary: This review provides an update on the regulation of YAP and TAZ, transcriptional coactivators in the Hippo signaling pathway, in stem cell behaviors and differentiation. It highlights their roles in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction, as well as the importance of understanding how cells perceive and respond to their microenvironment for improving the efficiency and efficacy of stem cell products.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Narmadaa Raman, Siti A. M. Imran, Khairul Bariah Ahmad Amin Noordin, Wan Safwani Wan Kamarul Zaman, Fazlina Nordin
Summary: Cardiac muscle cells have the ability to perceive and respond to mechanical strain through mechanotransduction, which can lead to structural and functional changes in the heart. Prolonged or abnormal loading may cause maladaptive remodeling and heart failure. Mesenchymal stem cells offer potential for treating cardiovascular diseases through their immunomodulatory properties and ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yadi Wang, Wentao Dai, Zhixiao Liu, Jixiang Liu, Jie Cheng, Yuanyuan Li, Xueling Li, Jun Hu, Junhong Lu
Summary: A method based on single-cell FTIR microspectroscopy was developed to quantitatively evaluate cellular heterogeneity by calculating the cell-to-cell similarity distance, revealing that infrared phenotypes may reflect dynamic heterogeneity changes in cell populations. This provides an alternative label-free optical approach for quantifying cellular heterogeneity and can be combined with other single-cell analysis tools to understand the genotype-to-phenotype relationship in cellular populations.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yaqiong Yu, Yoko Uchida-Fukuhara, Yao Weng, Yuhan He, Mika Ikegame, Ziyi Wang, Kaya Yoshida, Hirohiko Okamura, Lihong Qiu
Summary: In this study, the roles of NRP1 and GAG-modifiable NRP1 in adipogenesis were explored in C3H10T1/2 cells. The expression of full-length NRP1 and GAG-modifiable NRP1 increased during adipogenic differentiation, and NRP1 knockdown repressed adipogenesis. JIP4 was found to be involved in adipogenesis by interacting with NRP1. Moreover, the non-GAG-modifiable NRP1 mutant greatly promoted adipogenic differentiation by activating the Akt and ERK1/2 pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anett Mazlo, Ramona Kovacs, Noemi Miltner, Marta Toth, Zoltan Vereb, Krisztina Szabo, Ildiko Bacskai, Kitti Pazmandi, Agota Apati, Tamas Biro, Krisztian Bene, Eva Rajnavolgyi, Attila Bacsi
Summary: Findings suggest that MSCl cells promote differentiation of CTLA-4 expressing DCs through the production of all-trans retinoic acid, leading to the activation and polarization of allogeneic, naive T cells by semi-matured DCs in a CTLA-4 dependent manner. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind MSC-mediated modulation of DC differentiation may expand the clinical application of MSCs in cell-free therapies.
Article
Plant Sciences
Avinash Sanap, Kalpana Joshi, Tejas Shah, Girish Tillu, Ramesh Bhonde
Summary: The study showed that Piper longum L. fruit extract significantly increased proliferation of WJMSCs and enhanced Ca2+ accumulation and matrix mineralization, along with promoting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the expression of key gene mRNAs. This suggests that the fruit extract can enhance osteogenic differentiation of WJMSCs, potentially serving as an anti-osteoporotic agent.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Maria Rosaria Ambrosio, Teresa Migliaccio, Fabiana Napolitano, Sarah Di Somma, Giovanni Maneli, Jussara Amato, Bruno Pagano, Antonio Randazzo, Giuseppe Portella, Pietro Formisano, Anna Maria Malfitano
Summary: In this study, the role of G4 motifs in adipogenic differentiation was investigated using human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). The results showed that G4 structures were increased in differentiated adipocytes compared to their precursors, and treatment with the G4 ligand Braco-19 reduced G4 content in the mature adipocytes. Furthermore, Braco-19 caused morphological changes and reduced lipid droplet formation and key gene expression in the mature adipocytes. These findings reveal a new role of G4 motifs in human adipocyte differentiation.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Changzhen Wang, Hongmei Ning, Jiao Gao, Teng Xue, Ming Zhao, Xiaoxia Jiang, Xiaoming Zhu, Ximin Guo, Hong Li, Xiaoyan Wang
Summary: This study investigated the impact of hematopoietic cells on MSCs and found that partial deletion of the Pten gene in hematopoietic cells can lead to abnormal differentiation of MSCs. There is a reciprocal relationship between hematopoietic cells and MSCs, with an important role in bone development.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Mesuraca, Clelia Nistico, Nicola Lombardo, Giovanna Lucia Piazzetta, Nadia Lobello, Emanuela Chiarella
Summary: Killian’s (antrochoanal) polyp is a unilateral nasal polypoid lesion that mainly affects children and young adults, with unclear etiology but potentially linked to chronic inflammation, autoimmune reactions, allergies, and viral infections. The study isolated and cultured mesenchymal stem cells from surgical biopsies of patients with this condition, revealing differences in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation potential between KNP-MSCs and HNT-MSCs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yongbo Li, Zhe Tan, Jixiang Zhang, Junhan Mu, Han Wu
Summary: In this study, nano-deer bone meal was successfully prepared and found to have a higher Ca/P ratio and enriched beneficial trace elements compared to cow bone. The nano-deer bone meal showed good biocompatibility and met the standards of medical biomaterials. Cell function studies demonstrated its excellent performance in the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These findings suggest the potential use of nano-deer bone meal as an active nanomaterial in bone tissue engineering.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Juan C. Henao, Adriana Grismaldo, Alfonso Barreto, Viviana M. Rodriguez-Pardo, Claudia Camila Mejia-Cruz, Efrain Leal-Garcia, Rafael Perez-Nunez, Patricio Rojas, Ramon Latorre, Ingrid Carvacho, Yolima P. Torres
Summary: The study demonstrates that TRPM8 channels are expressed in human bone marrow MSCs and are involved in osteogenic differentiation, with agonists promoting osteogenic differentiation and antagonists leading to a decrease in osteogenic differentiation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Cadenas-Martin, Francisco Arnalich-Montiel, Maria P. De Miguel
Summary: This study developed a protocol for deriving human limbal stem cells (LSCs) from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) that is compatible with the standard carrier human amniotic membrane. The best protocol achieved optimal differentiation efficiency and will benefit patients with LSC deficiency, aiding in the restoration of vision.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Stefania Scialla, Fabiana Gullotta, Daniela Izzo, Barbara Palazzo, Francesca Scalera, Ivan Martin, Alessandro Sannino, Francesca Gervaso
Summary: Articular cartilage degeneration is a challenging issue with limited repair capabilities. Tissue engineering strategies using appropriate scaffolds for chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells can be a promising solution. This study investigated the influence of two genipin crosslinking routes on collagen-based scaffolds and found that bulk crosslinking with genipin resulted in a more uniform and homogeneous deposition of chondral-like matrix.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Gordian Born, Evelia Plantier, Guido Nannini, Alessandro Caimi, Andrea Mazzoleni, M. Adelaide Asnaghi, Manuele G. Muraro, Arnaud Scherberich, Ivan Martin, Andres Garcia-Garcia
Summary: Bioreactors that allow direct perfusion of cell suspensions or culture media through 3D scaffolds are widely used in tissue engineering to improve cell seeding efficiency, uniformity of cell distribution, and tissue development. A macro-scale U-shaped bioreactor has been previously developed, but the perfusion flow in the peripheral regions was not uniform. In this study, the design of the perfusion chamber has been optimized to provide more homogeneous perfusion flow through the scaffold. Furthermore, a miniaturized version of the flow-optimized bioreactor has been proposed for medium-throughput assays.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Piera Filomena Fiore, Anna Laura Di Pace, Libenzio Adrian Conti, Nicola Tumino, Francesca Besi, Silvia Scaglione, Enrico Munari, Lorenzo Moretta, Paola Vacca
Summary: Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in defense against tumors, but their function is impaired in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) patients. PA cells release soluble factors, creating an immunosuppressive environment that disrupts NK cell cytolytic function and promotes tumor immune evasion. In this study, the interactions between NK and PA cells were examined using different cell lines. The results showed that both metastatic and nonmetastatic cell lines could impair NK cytolytic activity. Additionally, the study found differences in cytotoxicity and gene expression between the two cell lines, suggesting a potential link between NK-derived soluble factors and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells. Understanding the NK-tumor cell interaction may be crucial for improving immunotherapy and PA treatment outcomes.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Nathalie Steimberg, Olimpia Vincentini, Francesca Caloni, Diego Baderna, Elena Dellambra, Susanna Alloisio, Francesca Delle Monache, Tommaso Sbrana, Silvia Scaglione, Alice Cattaneo, Alessandra Ludovico, Thomas Hartung, Jan Markus, Francesca Rescigno, Paola Occhetta, Fiorella Scagnoli, Francesca Piccapane, Annamaria Colacci, Silvia Letasiova
ALTEX-ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yawei Gu, Sebastien Pigeot, Lucas Ahrens, Fabian Tribukait-Riemenschneider, Melika Sarem, Francine Wolf, Andres Garcia-Garcia, Andrea Barbero, Ivan Martin, V. Prasad Shastri
Summary: By developing a bioink system with appropriate rheological properties and using 3D bioprinting technology, it is possible to create high cell density structures of predefined geometry, which can then be implanted into nude mice to generate bone tissue with neovascularization. This method demonstrates the potential for fabricating complex bone tissue for clinical applications.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Boris Dasen, Sebastien Pigeot, Gordian Manfred Born, Sophie Verrier, Olga Rivero, Petra S. Dittrich, Ivan Martin, Maria Filippova
Summary: This study found that pericytes express not only the classical N-cadherin, but also the atypical T-cadherin. T-cadherin plays an important role in regulating the proliferation, migration, invasion, and interactions of pericytes with endothelial cells.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Sowmya Viswanathan, Katarina Le Blanc, Rachele Ciccocioppo, Georges Dagher, Anthony J. Filiano, Jacques Galipeau, Mauro Krampera, Lena Krieger, Manoj M. Lalu, Jan Nolta, Viviana Marcela Rodriguez Pardo, Yufang Shi, Karin Tarte, Daniel J. Weiss, Ivan Martin
Summary: The International Standards Organization (ISO) has recently published ISO standardization documents for MSC(WJ) and MSC(M) biobanking, which standardize the terminology and functional characterization of MSCs. These documents, developed with input from ISCT, provide requirements and recommendations for functional characterization of MSC(WJ) and MSC(M) and represent an international consensus on MSC identity and characterization. They are an important first step in standardizing MSC biobanking and characterization for research and development.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Anke Wixmerten, Sylvie Miot, Patrick Bittorf, Francine Wolf, Sandra Feliciano, Stephan Hackenberg, Sebastian Hasner, Werner Krenger, Martin Haug, Ivan Martin, Oliver Pullig, Andrea Barbero
Summary: This article describes the regulatory compliant change of a raw material in the development of a medicinal product. The substitution of autologous serum with clinical-grade human platelet lysate (hPL) in the manufacturing process was shown to enhance cell proliferation and gene expression without significant changes in product quality. The modified process was accepted by national competent authorities and applied in ongoing clinical tests of N-TEC.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jesil Kasamkattil, Anna Gryadunova, Raphael Schmid, Max Hans Peter Gay-Dujak, Boris Dasen, Morgane Hilpert, Karoliina Pelttari, Ivan Martin, Stefan Scharen, Andrea Barbero, Olga Krupkova, Arne Mehrkens
Summary: An advanced 3D microtissues model containing human degenerating nucleus pulposus tissue was developed to mimic the microenvironment of early-stage degenerative disc disease. Nasal chondrocytes in spheroidal organization showed superior regenerative performance compared to cell suspension, and pre-conditioning with IL-1Ra further improved their ability to counteract inflammation and support new matrix production. This study is of great importance for therapeutic strategies in degenerative disc disease.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Andres Garcia-Garcia, Sebastien Pigeot, Ivan Martin
Summary: The contribution of the immune system to tissue regeneration is increasingly recognized, suggesting that tissue engineering strategies and biomaterials design should focus on regulating early immunological processes. This study aimed to enhance the osteoinductivity of engineered extracellular matrices (ECMs) by enriching their repertoire of immunomodulatory factors. The results showed that priming with IL1 beta and overexpressing BMP-2 enabled the engineering of ECMs with preserved osteoinductive signals and increased levels of angiogenic and pro-inflammatory molecules. These IL1 beta-induced ECMs enhanced the inflammatory phase and ultimately led to faster and more efficient bone formation.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Ilaria Parodi, Donatella Di Lisa, Laura Pastorino, Silvia Scaglione, Marco Massimo Fato
Summary: In vitro three-dimensional models aim to replace animal testing and develop new tools for cancer research and therapy. Bioprinting, a technique for creating complex and realistic cancer models, allows the incorporation of different cells to recreate the interactions between cancer and stromal components. It offers advantages such as the production of large constructs, repeatability, high resolution, and vascularization possibilities. This review highlights the strategies, materials, and various bioprinted models of common and malignant tumors, emphasizing the importance of this technique in improving disease understanding and drug screening.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Arianna Fedi, Chiara Vitale, Marco Fato, Silvia Scaglione
Summary: In oncology, the poor success rate of clinical trials is attributed to the limited ability of preclinical assays to predict drug efficacy and toxicity accurately. By adopting a multicompartmental organ-on-chip platform, this study successfully recreated the complexity of human tissues and species-specific outcomes, leading to a more reliable evaluation of novel anti-cancer treatments. The results demonstrated that the OOC-based approach combining 3D culture, fluid-dynamic conditions, and multi-organ connection displayed the most predictive toxicity and efficacy results compared to clinical therapy.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Giulia Gasparini, Roberta Tasso, Maria Elisabetta Federica Palama, Maria Chiara Ciferri, Chiara Gentili, Giovanni Di Zenzo, Alessia Provini, Adele Salemme, Rodolfo Quarto, Aurora Parodi, Emanuele Cozzani
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the presence of BP targeted autoantigens in blister fluid-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs were isolated from blister fluid of BP patients and suction blister fluid of healthy donors, and EV characterization was performed. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of BP180 in EVs derived from blister fluid of 3 out of 6 BP patients, while no BP180 was detected in EVs from healthy donors. This discovery provides insights into the pathogenesis of BP.
ARCHIVES OF DERMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)