Combination of Electroacupuncture and Grafted Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing TrkC Improves Remyelination and Function in Demyelinated Spinal Cord of Rats Scientists attempted to graft neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor (TrkC) gene modified mesenchymal stem cells (TrkC-MSCs) into the demyelinated spinal cord and investigated whether electroacupuncture treatment could promote NT-3 secretion in the demyelinated spinal cord as well as further enhance grafted TrkC-MSCs to differentiate into oligodendrocytes, remyelination and functional recovery. [Sci Rep] Full Article Diffuse and Persistent Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Disruption after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury Rapidly Recovers following Intravenous Infusion of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Researchers induced a contusive spinal cord injury at T9 in the rat and studied the effects of intravenous mesenchymal stem cells infusion on blood spinal cord barrier permeability, microvascular architecture and locomotor recovery over a ten week period. [Exp Neurol] Abstract Poly(γ-Glutamic Acid) as an Exogenous Promoter of Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Poly(γ-glutamic acid)’s ability to support the production of cartilaginous extracellular matrix by human bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and nasal chondrocytes was investigated. [Tissue Eng Part A] Abstract Compaction, Fusion, and Functional Activation of Three-Dimensional Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Aggregate Researchers investigated the role of actin in regulating three-dimensional human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) aggregate compaction, fusion, spreading and functional activation. They suggest that actin-mediated contractility influences hMSC aggregation, compaction, fusion, and spreading on adherent surface. [Tissue Eng Part A] Abstract The Therapeutic Effects of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Primed with Sphingosine-1 Phosphate on Pulmonary Artery Hypertension Scientists showed that priming human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) enhances their therapeutic efficacy in pulmonary artery hypertension. Human MSCs, similarly to hematopoietic stem cells, showed stronger chemoattraction to S1P in transwell assays. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Short-Term Memory of Danger Signals or Environmental Stimuli in Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Implications for Therapeutic Potential Scientists showed that, similar to immune cells, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) retain information from danger signals or environmental stimuli for a period of time. When treated with the pro-inflammatory factors lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-α, MSCs display increased expression of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1. [Cell Mol Immunol] Abstract Examining the Feasibility of Clinical Grade CD271+ Enrichment of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Bone Regeneration Researchers assessed the feasibility of new clinical-grade technology to obtain uncultured mesenchymal stromal cell isolates from three human intra-osseous tissue sources based on immunomagnetic selection for CD271-positive cells. [PLoS One] Full Article Effect of Fatty Acids on Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Energy Metabolism and Survival Scientists report the first direct evidence that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMMSC) energy metabolism is highly glycolytic with low rates of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. The contribution of glycolysis to ATP production is greater than 97% in undifferentiated BMMSCs, while glucose and fatty acid oxidation combined only contribute 3% of ATP production. [PLoS One] Full Article Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Participates in the Progress of Senescence of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Researchers investigated whether endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) would induce the senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. They found that there was increased expression of glucose regulated protein 78 in BM-MSCs from SLE patients, which indicated the activation of ERS in BM-MSCs from SLE patients. [Cell Tissue Res] Abstract Pluronic F-127 Hydrogel as a Promising Scaffold for Encapsulation of Dental-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Scientists tested the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in a thermoreversible Pluronic® F127 hydrogel scaffold encapsulation system in vitro. DPSCs were encapsulated in Pluronic® F-127 hydrogel and stem cell viability, proliferation and differentiation into adipogenic and osteogenic tissues were evaluated. [J Mater Sci Mater Med] Abstract Decreased Osteogenesis of Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Reactive Oxygen Species under Cyclic Stretch: A Possible Mechanism of Age Related Osteoporosis Scientists compared the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from young and adult rats under three rounds of two hours of cyclic stretch of 2.5% elongation at 1 Hz on three consecutive days. Cyclic stretch induced a significant osteogenic differentiation of MSCs from young rats, while a compromised osteogenesis in MSCs from the adult rats. [Bone Res] Full Article |