Mesenchymal Cell News Volume 9.24 | Jun 20 2017

TOP STORY

Biomaterials that Promote Cell-Cell Interactions Enhance the Paracrine Function of MSCs

Scientists investigated if three-dimensional culture in distinct microenvironments – nanoporous hydrogels and macroporous scaffolds – affects the secretion pattern of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), and consequently leads to differential paracrine effects on target progenitor cells such as myoblasts. They report that compared to MSCs encapsulated in hydrogel, scaffold seeded MSCs showed an enhanced secretion profile and exerted beneficial paracrine effects on various myoblast functions including migration and proliferation. [Biomaterials] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

IN VITRO

DNA Methyltransferases Modulate Hepatogenic Lineage Plasticity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Investigators found that hepatogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a reversible process and is modulated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). DNMTs were regulated by transforming growth factor β1, which in turn controlled hepatogenic differentiation and de-differentiation. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Comparison and Immunobiological Characterization of Retinoic Acid Inducible Gene-I-Like Receptor Expression in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Researchers showed that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from four different sources expressed another type of cytosolic pathogen recognition receptors known as retinoic acid inducible gene-I-like receptors (RLR). RLR activation in MSCs induced the production of Type I IFN and Type III IFN. The highest producers were adipose tissue-MSC. [Sci Rep] Full Article

MiR-495 Promotes Senescence of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Targeting Bmi-1

The authors analyzed the expression of miR-495 in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and umbilical cords derived from healthy pregnancies (NC) and pre-eclampsia (PE), then they upregulated or downregulated the expression of miR-495 in MSCs derived from NC and tested the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, tube formation and senescence. They found that the expression of miR-495 was significantly increased in both umbilical cord tissues and MSCs in patients with severe PE. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

Hypoxia Primed Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Wound Healing

Scientists investigated how placental mesenchymal stem cells adapt themselves and survive under hypoxic conditions which are prevalent in most injury sites. They showed that insulin secretion was not hampered under hypoxia. They found an upregulation of glucose transporters under hypoxia indicating enhanced glucose uptake needed to cater to metabolic demands of proliferating cells. [Life Sci] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

IN VIVO

Intranasal Administration of Mesenchymoangioblast-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Abrogates Airway Fibrosis and Airway Hyperresponsiveness Associated with Chronic Allergic Airways Disease

Researchers assessed the in vivo efficacy of induced pluripotent stem cell and mesenchymoangioblast-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MCA-MSCs) on airway remodeling in a murine model of chronic allergic airways disease/asthma. Apart from epithelial thickness, all other parameters measured were significantly, although not totally, decreased by intravenous delivery of MCA-MSCs to ovalbumin-injured mice. [FASEB J] Abstract

Identification and Characterization of a Rich Population of CD34⁺ Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Human Parotid, Sublingual and Submandibular Glands

Very little is known about the phenotype, distribution and molecular nature of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) in freshly isolated human salivary glands (SGs) as most reports have focused on the analysis of cultured MSCs. The author’s results demonstrated that the cell adhesion molecule CD34 was widely expressed by the MSCs of human major SGs, namely parotid, sublingual and submandibular glands. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Transplantation of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Reduces Liver Fibrosis More Effectively than Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Scientists compared the relative therapeutic potential of pooled, adult human bone marrow (BM)- and neonatal Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to treat CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis in rats. BM-MSCs treatment showed a marked reduction in liver fibrosis as determined by Masson’s trichrome and Sirius red staining as compared to those treated with the vehicle. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Damage in Renal Epithelial Cells via MicroRNA-223

The authors investigated how microRNA-223 (miR-223) and NLR family-pyrin domain containing 3 might function in kidneys exposed to conditions of ischemia and subsequent reperfusion. The results showed that coculture with MSCs significantly increased the viability of renal tubular epithelial cells and decreased their rates of apoptosis. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Nkx2.5 Enhances the Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation in Treatment Heart Failure in Rats

Investigators determined whether Nkx2.5 transfection of transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improves the efficacy of treatment of adriamycin-induced heart failure in a rat model. Both MSCs and MSCs-Nkx2.5 improved cardiac function, promoted the differentiation of transplanted MSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells, decreased fibrosis formation and collagen volume fraction in the myocardium, as well as increased the expressions of GATA4 and MEF2 in adriamycin-induced rat heart failure models. The effect was much more remarkable in MSCs-Nkx2.5 than in MSCs group. [Life Sci] Abstract

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as a New Therapeutic Strategy for Liver Diseases

The authors review the biogenesis of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes and their physiological functions, and highlight the specific biochemical potential of MSC-derived exosomes in restoring tissue homeostasis. They summarize the recent advances in the role of exosomes in MSC therapy for various liver diseases, including liver fibrosis, acute liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma. [Exp Mol Med] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the mesenchymal cell research field.

Biostage Announces Positive Preclinical Data of Cellspan™ Esophageal Implant

Biostage Inc. announced that it presented positive preclinical data of its proprietary Cellspan™ Esophageal Implant. A synthetic graft was seeded with autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (aMSCs). Confirmation of aMSC-based seeding was performed and anesthetized pigs have undergone full thickness circumferential resection of a length of the esophagus in the ongoing preclinical study. [Press release from Biostage Inc. discussing research presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2017 Annual Meeting, Boston] Press Release

Cynata Therapeutics Receives Notice of Allowance from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for Cymerus™ Patent Application

Cynata Therapeutics Limited, announced that Notice of Allowance has been received from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application tied to its proprietary Cymerus™ mesenchymal stem cell technology. [Cynata Therapeutics Limited] Press Release

Center to Advance Tissue Regeneration, Stem Cell Discoveries

The University of Illinois College of Medicine launched a new center that focuses on understanding tissue regeneration and pioneering future developments in stem cell biology as a means to repair diseased organs and tissues. [University of Illinois] Press Release

China Cracks down on Fake Peer Reviews

The Chinese government is going on the offensive against scientists who dupe journals by creating fraudulent reviews of submitted papers. A coalition of agencies led by the science ministry announced that the government would suspend the grants of researchers involved in such fraud, which surfaced earlier this year when a cancer journal retracted 107 research papers from Chinese authors. [Nature News] Editorial

Strengthened US Sanctions on Cuba Disappoint Scientists

US President Donald Trump announced that he would strengthen travel and trade restrictions against Cuba, reversing his predecessor’s attempts to normalize relations with the country. The move is a blow to scientists who hoped that former president Barack Obama’s push to relax US restrictions on Cuba would make it easier for researchers there to travel and to collaborate with colleagues in the United States. [Nature News] Editorial

Macron Consolidates Electoral Victory

The party of France’s recently elected president won an absolute majority in its first general elections, with an agenda that included strong support for research. [Nature News] Editorial

Biologists Debate How to License Preprints

Biology’s zeal for preprints — papers posted online before peer review — is opening up a thorny legal debate: should scientists license their manuscripts on open-access terms? Researchers have now shared more than 11,000 papers at the popular bioRxiv preprints site. But where some researchers allow their bioRxiv manuscripts to be freely redistributed and reused, others have chosen to lock them down with restrictive terms. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Cold Spring Harbor Stem Cell Biology Meeting
September 25-27, 2017
Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Osteoarthritis (Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum)

NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Vascular-Stromal Regulation (Weill Cornell Medical College)

Assistant Professor – Regenerative Medicine (University of Ottawa)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Cellular Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease (NUI Galway)

Postdoctoral Position – Gene Regulation in Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration (Northwestern University)

Postdoctoral Position – Cardiopulmonary Molecular Biology (Hannover Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Blood- and Bone-Forming Stem Cell Biology (International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University)

PhD Position – Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Queensland University of Technology)

Postdoctoral Position – Mesenchymal Stem Cell Biology (Longboat Explorers Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow Position(s) – Cell and Molecular Biology (University of Texas Health Science Center)

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