Mesenchymal Cell News Volume 11.36 | Sep 17 2019

TOP STORY

Adult Bone Marrow Progenitors Become Decidual Cells and Contribute to Embryo Implantation and Pregnancy

To explore the functional importance of nonhematopoietic adult bone marrow (BM)-derived cells to pregnancy, scientists used Homeobox a11 (Hoxa11)-deficient mice, having endometrial stromal-specific defects precluding decidualization and successful pregnancy. Hoxa11 expression in BM was restricted to nonhematopoietic cells. [PLoS Biol] Full Article | Press Release

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IN VITRO

Integrated Transcriptomic, Phenotypic, and Functional Study Reveals Tissue-Specific Immune Properties of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Researchers produced paired bone marrow-derived MSC and adipose-derived stromal cell batches from 14 healthy donors. They then compared them using transcriptomic, phenotypic, and functional analyses and validated their results on purified native MSCs to infer which differences were really endowed by tissue of origin. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Indirubin-3′-Oxime Stimulates Chondrocyte Maturation and Longitudinal Bone Growth via Activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

By using an ex vivo tibial culture system, investigators identified indirubin-3′-oxime (I3O) as a compound capable of enhancing longitudinal bone growth. I3O promoted chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation via activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vitro. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

Galectin-3 and TRIM16 Coregulate Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells at Least Partly via Enhancing Autophagy

Quantitative PCR and western blot were performed to determine the expression of osteogenic markers, autophagic markers, Galectin-3 and TRIM16. Short-hairpin RNAs and overexpression plasmids were used to manipulate the expression of Galectin-3, TRIM16 and Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured by ALP staining assay. Calcium deposition in differentiated human bone-marrow MSCs was assessed by Alizarin Red S staining. [Bone] Full Article

Berberine Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation, Proliferation and Adiposity through Down-Regulating Galectin-3

The authors showed that berberine (BBR) greatly suppressed the differentiation and proliferation of mouse primary preadipocytes isolated from epididymal white adipose tissue, during which the expression level of galectin-3 (Gal-3) was down-regulated significantly. Overexpression of Gal-3 totally abolished the suppressive activities of BBR on Gal-3 expression, preadipocyte differentiation and proliferation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Hypoxia Activates the PTHrP-MEF2C Pathway to Attenuate Hypertrophy in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Cartilage

Scientists focused on establishing a mechanism of action by which hypoxia or low oxygen tension could be used to both enhance chondrogenesis and attenuate hypertrophic differentiation of both MSC and ATDC5 derived chondrocytes. Having elucidated a novel mechanism of action, the subsequent goals were to develop an in vitro culture regime to mimic the beneficial effects of physiological low oxygen tension in a normoxic environment. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Effects of Gold Nanostructures on Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The authors investigated the effects of two gold nanostructures modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, namely gold nanocubes and nanooctahedras, on viability and differentiation in rat bone marrow MSCs. Analysis of cytotoxicity and proliferation demonstrated good biocompatibility, with concentrations <100 μg·mL-1 not significantly different from untreated controls. [Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Targeting Senescence Improves Angiogenic Potential of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients with Preeclampsia

Sections of the frozen subcutaneous adipose tissue were assessed for inflammation by staining for tumor necrosis factor-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Viability, proliferation, and migration were compared between preeclampsia-MSCs vs. normotensive pregnancies-MSCs. [Biol Sex Differ] Full Article

IN VIVO

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor 165 Inhibits Pro-Fibrotic Differentiation of Stromal Cells via the DLL4/Notch4/smad7 Pathway

Researchers report that VEGF165 was a key regulator in endometrial stromal cells to inhibit α-SMA and collagen 1 expression. Compared to human control subjects, patients with Asherman’s syndrome exhibited decreased VEGF165 expression in the endometrium along with increased fibrotic marker expression and collagen production. A fibrotic phenotype was shown in both mice with conditional VEGF reduction and VEGF165-deleted endometrial stromal cells. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

HIV-1 Tat Protein Inhibits the Hematopoietic Support Function of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) were treated with HIV-1 Tat protein (BMSC_Tat-p), transfected with HIV-1 Tat mRNA (BMSC_Tat-m) or treated with solvent (BMSC_con) for 20 days. Then, the hematopoietic support function of BMSCT_at-p, BMSC_Tat-m and BMSC_con was analyzed via ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) grown on the BMSCs and via in vivo cotransplantation of HSCs and BMSCs. [Virus Res] Abstract

Angiogenic Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Combination with Different Scaffold Materials

Researchers studied the angiogenic effects after implanting poly-l-lactide-c-glycolide and β-TCP scaffolds seeded with isogeneic MSCs in vivo. 56 BALB/c mice were equally divided into seven groups and underwent implantation of the dorsal skinfold chambers. [Microvasc Res] Abstract

Intracerebral Injection of Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exerts Reduced Aβ Plaque Burden in Early Stages of a Preclinical Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Investigators examined the therapeutic potential of bone-marrow (BM)-MSC-extracellular vesicles (EVs) injected intracerebrally into the neocortex of APPswe/PS1dE9 AD mice at three and five months of age, a time window in which the cognitive behavioral phenotype was not yet detectable or had just started to appear. They demonstrated that BM-MSC-EVs were effective at reducing the Aβ plaque burden and the amount of dystrophic neurites in both the cortex and hippocampus. [Cells] Full Article

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Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Neuroglia: In the Context of Cell Signalling

MSCs have the potential to differentiate into non-mesodermal cells, particularly neural-lineage, consisting of neurons and glia. These multipotent adult stem cells can be used for implementing clinical trials in neural repair. [Stem Cell Rev Rep] Full Article

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AVITA Medical Receives US FDA Investigational Device Exemption Approval of Pivotal Study Evaluating RECELL System for Soft Tissue Reconstruction

AVITA Medical announced that the FDA has approved the company’s Investigational Device Exemption application to conduct a pivotal trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the RECELL^® Autologous Cell Harvesting Device in combination with meshed autografting for the treatment of acute full-thickness skin defects, such as degloving, crush wounds (a break in the external surface of the body), abrasions, lacerations, and surgical wounds. [AVITA Medical Limited] Press Release

Pew Funds Six Research Teams to Pursue Scientific Discoveries

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today the six pairs of researchers who will make up its 2019 class of Innovation Fund investigators. These investigators—alumni of Pew’s biomedical programs in the United States and Latin America—partner on interdisciplinary research to tackle some of the most complex questions in human biology and disease. [The Pew Charitable Trusts] Press Release

New Deals Could Help Scientific Societies Survive Open Access

A project that included funders backing Plan S, the European-led effort to speed the transition to open access, released a set of contract templates and tips meant to help small, independent publishers reach deals with libraries that would eventually eliminate subscriptions while protecting revenue. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Trump’s Top Scientist Outlines Plan to Reduce Foreign Influence on US Research

After months of outcry over whether the United States government is unfairly targeting foreign-born researchers over purported security breaches, President Donald Trump’s science adviser is launching an effort to strengthen national policies on research security. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW ICRS 2019 World Congress Vancouver
October 5-8, 2019
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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NEW Assistant Professors – Regenerative Medicine (Washington University in St. Louis)

Scientific Communications Coordinator (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Scientist – Stem Cell Research (Yoh)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Proteoglycans in Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis (Drexel University)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Cell Cycles in Stem Cells (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Development and Stem Cell Biology (California Institute of Technology)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Stem Cells (GlaxoSmithKline plc.)

Postdoctoral Researchers – Stem Cell Biology (Simon Fraser University)

Postdoctoral Researcher – MSCs in Accelerated Aging Treatment (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdcotral Research – MSC Donation (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Sarcoma and Leukemia (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)

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