Striatal Transplantation of Human Dopaminergic Neurons Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Umbilical Cord Blood Using Lentiviral Reprogramming Human cord blood-derived induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into dopaminergic neurons utilizing two different in vitro protocols for neural induction: by fibroblast growth factor signaling, by bone morphogenetic protein/transforming growth factor inhibition. [Cell Transplant] Full Article MSCs Conditioned Media and Umbilical Cord Blood Plasma Metabolomics and Composition Researchers investigated the detailed composition of human umbilical cord blood plasma and conditioned medium by 1H-NMR and Multiplexing LASER Bead Technology. [PLoS One] Full Article IL-6 Secreted from Senescent Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells By establishing senescent human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (s-UCMSCs) through the replicative senescence model and genotoxic stress induced premature senescence model, scientists show that s-UCMSCs significantly stimulate proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells in vitro and tumor progression in a co-transplant xenograft mouse model compared with ‘young’ counterparts. [PLoS One] Full Article Secretome of Mesenchymal Progenitors from the Umbilical Cord Acts as Modulator of Neural/Glial Proliferation and Differentiation Investigators assessed whether the secretome of human umbilical cord perivascular cells is able to induce the differentiation of human telencephalon neural precursor cells in vitro, and modulate neural/glial proliferation, differentiation and survival in the dentate gyrus of adult rat hippocampus. [Stem Cell Rev] Abstract Impact of Very Early CD4+/CD8+ T Cell Counts on the Occurrence of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease and NK Cell Counts on Outcome after Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation The authors retrospectively analyzed very early lymphocyte subset counts following transplantation from their five-year pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) material to find clinically relevant associations with post transplant outcome, and the major complication of HSCT, acute graft-versus-host disease. They analyzed HSCTs performed due to acute leukemias and lymphomas from matched unrelated donors, unrelated cord blood and matched sibling donors. [Pediatr Blood Cancer] Abstract AKT Pathway Affects Bone Regeneration in Nonunion Treated with Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Investigators applied an established human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells-treated rat nonunion model with the addition of an inhibitor of AKT. [Cell Biochem Biophys] Abstract | Full Article MSCs with ACE II Gene Affect Apoptosis Pathway of Acute Lung Injury Induced by Bleomycin Researchers evaluated the effect and related mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE II) on acute lung injury. MSCs were separated from umbilical cord cells, and the changes of phenotype before and after ACE II silence were observed using flow cytometry. [Exp Lung Res] Abstract Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Neurological Disorders via Inhibition of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis 100 patients who underwent subarachnoid placement of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells were included in this study. Investigators evaluated the number of attempts, localization of subarachnoid space and postprocedural complications. [Mol Med Rep] Abstract |