Common Stem Cell Research Articles

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Organization of the Mouse Vomeronasal organ at Single Cell Resolution.

We have generated single cell transcriptomic atlases of vomeronasal organs (VNO) from juvenile and adult mice. Combined with spatial molecular imaging, we uncover a distinct, previously unidentified class of cells that express the vomeronasal receptors and a population of canonical olfactory sensory neurons in the VNO. High resolution trajectory and cluster analyses reveal the lineage relationship, spatial distribution of cell types, and a putative cascade of molecular events that specify the V1r, V2r, and OR lineages from a common stem cell population. The expression of vomeronasal and olfactory receptors follow power law distributions, but there is high variability in average expression levels between individual receptor and cell types. Substantial co-expression is found between receptors across clades, from different classes, and between olfactory and vomeronasal receptors, with nearly half from pairs located on the same chromosome. Interestingly, the expression of V2r, but not V1r, genes is associated with various transcription factors, suggesting distinct mechanisms of receptor choice associated with the two cell types. We identify association between transcription factors, surface axon guidance molecules, and individual VRs, thereby uncovering a molecular code that guides the specification of the vomeronasal circuitry. Our study provides a wealth of data on the development and organization of the accessory olfactory system at both cellular and molecular levels to enable a deeper understanding of vomeronasal system function.

Current situation and prospect of diagnosis and therapy of childhood acute leukemia in China

Acute leukemia is the most common hematopoietic stem cell malignant tumor in children, which ranks in the top one of the incidence of tumor in children, it is a major disease that affects the growth and survival of children. With the continuous improvement of medical diagnosis and treatment and the extensive development of immunotherapy, the survival rate and quality of life of children with acute leukemia have been significantly improved. In recent years, three cooperative groups of childhood leukemia have been established in China, and a series of high-level research results have been published. In the future, efforts should be made to promote the process of standardization and homogenization in the diagnosis and treatment of children's acute leukemia, explore the monitoring targets of sensitive residual diseases, and find the best treatment for refractory/recurrent cases. Speeding up the clinical research of new drugs will be an urgent problem and development direction in the field of acute leukemia diagnosis and treatment in children.

Single-cell proteomics differentiates Arabidopsis root cell types.

Single-cell proteomics (SCP) is an emerging approach to resolve cellular heterogeneity within complex tissues of multi-cellular organisms. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of SCP on plant samples using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Specifically, we focused on examining isolated single cells from the cortex and endodermis, which are two adjacent root cell types derived from a common stem cell lineage. From 756 root cells, we identified 3763 proteins and 1118 proteins/cell. Ultimately, we focus on 3217 proteins quantified following stringent filtering. Of these, we identified 596 proteins whose expression is enriched in either the cortex or endodermis and are able to differentiate these closely related plant cell types. Collectivity, this study demonstrates that SCP can resolve neighboring cell types with distinct functions, thereby facilitating the identification of biomarkers and candidate proteins to enable functional genomics.

Epigenetic Regulation of Neural Stem Cells in Developmental and Adult Stages.

The development of the nervous system is regulated by numerous intracellular molecules and cellular signals that interact temporally and spatially with the extracellular microenvironment. The three major cell types in the brain, i.e., neurons and two types of glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), are generated from common multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) throughout life. However, NSCs do not have this multipotentiality from the beginning. During cortical development, NSCs sequentially obtain abilities to differentiate into neurons and glial cells in response to combinations of spatiotemporally modulated cell-intrinsic epigenetic alterations and extrinsic factors. After the completion of brain development, a limited population of NSCs remains in the adult brain and continues to produce neurons (adult neurogenesis), thus contributing to learning and memory. Many biological aspects of brain development and adult neurogenesis are regulated by epigenetic changes via behavioral control of NSCs. Epigenetic dysregulation has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of various brain diseases. Here, we present recent advances in the epigenetic regulation of NSC behavior and its dysregulation in brain disorders.

JAK2V617F Mutation in Endothelial Cells of Patients with Atherosclerotic Carotid Disease

It has been shown that clonal mutations occur in hematopoietic stem cells with advancing age and increase the risk of death due to atherosclerotic vascular diseases, similarly to myeloproliferative neoplasms. Endothelial cells (ECs) and hematopoietic stem cells develop from common stem cells called hemangioblasts in the early embryonic period. However, the presence of hemangioblasts in the postnatal period is controversial. In this study, JAK2 gene variants were examined in patients with atherosclerotic carotid disease and without any hematological malignancies. Ten consecutive patients (8 men and 2 women) with symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid stenosis were included in this study. ECs (CD31+CD45-) were separated from tissue samples taken by carotid endarterectomy. JAK2 variants were examined in ECs, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and oral epithelial cells of the patients with next-generation sequencing. The median age of the patients was 74 (range: 58-80) years and the median body mass index value was 24.44 (range: 18.42-30.85) kg/m2. Smoking history was present in 50%, hypertension in 80%, diabetes in 70%, and ischemic heart disease in 70% of the cases. The JAK2V617F mutation was detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 3 of the 10 patients, and 2 patients also had the JAK2V617F mutation in their ECs. The JAK2V617F mutation was not found in the oral epithelial cells of any of the patients. In this study, for the first time in the literature, we showed that the JAK2V617F mutation was found somatically in both peripheral blood cells and ECs in patients with atherosclerosis. This finding may support that ECs and hematopoietic cells originate from a common clone or that somatic mutations can be transmitted to ECs by other mechanisms. Examining the molecular and functional changes caused by the JAK2V617F mutation in ECs may help open a new avenue for treating atherosclerosis.

A phase II study of belumosudil for chronic graft-versus-host disease in patients who failed at least one line of systemic therapy in China

BackgroundChronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is an immune-related disorder that is the most common complication post-allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Corticosteroids with or without calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) remain the mainstay of cGVHD treatment for first-line therapy. However, for many patients, cGVHD symptoms cannot be effectively managed and thus require second-line therapy. Currently, there is no approved treatment for second-line cGVHD treatment in China. In this study, belumosudil, a highly selective and potent rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase-2 inhibitor demonstrated to be effective for cGVHD in the United States and other Western countries, is investigated in patients with cGVHD in China for its overall benefit–risk balance.MethodsThis multicenter, open-label phase II study evaluated the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of oral belumosudil 200 mg once daily in cGVHD patients who had been treated with at least one line of systemic therapy in China. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR); each individual patient’s response was assessed by the investigator using the 2014 National Institutes of Health consensus criteria. Secondary endpoints were duration of response (DOR), time to response (TTR), changes in Lee Symptom Scale (LSS) score, organ response rate, corticosteroid dose change, CNI dose change, failure-free survival, time-to-next-treatment, overall survival, and safety.ResultsThirty patients were enrolled in the study with a median follow-up time of 12.9 months. ORR was 73.3% (95% confidence interval: 54.1–87.7%) and all responders achieved partial response. Median DOR among responders was not reached and median TTR was 4.3 weeks (range: 3.9–48.1). Fifteen patients (50.0%) achieved clinically meaningful response in terms of reduction in LSS score by ≥ 7 points from baseline. Corticosteroid and CNI dose reductions were reported in 56.7% (17/30) and 35.0% (7/20) of patients, respectively. Most treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild to moderate in severity, with 11 patients (36.7%) experiencing grade ≥ 3 TEAEs. The most common grade ≥ 3 TEAE was pneumonia (n = 5, 16.7%).ConclusionsBelumosudil treatment demonstrated a favorable benefit–risk balance in treating cGVHD patients who previously have had standard corticosteroid therapy in China where approved second-line setting is absent.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04930562.

Canine induced pluripotent stem cells can be successfully maintained in weekend-free culture systems.

Canine induced pluripotent stem cells (ciPSCs) can provide useful insights into novel therapies in both veterinary and medical fields. However, limited accessibility to the present culture medium and requirement of considerable time, effort, and cost for routine ciPSC maintenance restrict advancement in ciPSC research. In addition, it is unknown whether ciPSC culture conditions influence differentiation propensity. We investigated the availability of the common human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) culture systems for ciPSC maintenance and the differentiation propensities of the ciPSCs maintained in these culture systems. StemFlex and mTeSR Plus supported PSC-like colony formation and pluripotency markers expression in ciPSCs even after five passages. Additionally, ciPSCs were maintained under weekend-free culture conditions with a stable growth rate, pluripotency marker expression, and differentiation abilities using vitronectin (VTN-N) and Geltrex. Following maintenance of spontaneously differentiated ciPSCs under various conditions by embryoid body formation, there were few differences in the differentiation propensities of ciPSCs among the tested culture conditions. Thus, ciPSCs were successfully cultured under weekend-free conditions for ciPSC maintenance using StemFlex or mTeSR Plus with VTN-N or Geltrex. The present study offers simpler and more effort-, time-, and cost-saving options for ciPSC culture systems, which may lead to further development in research using ciPSCs.

Immunohistochemical characterization of pluripotency of an iPSC line derived from a patient with cone‐rod dystrophy related to a mutation in the PROM1 gene

Purpose: PROM1 gene encodes the protein Prominin‐1 which plays a critical role in the morphogenesis of photoreceptors outer segments. The c.1354dupT mutation in PROM1 causes a premature stop codon and it has been related with different inherited retinal diseases (IRD) phenotypes. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the expression of key pluripotency genes by studying protein transcription factors and surface markers on the iPSC line [DCB]‐FiPSC1‐Ep5F‐2.Methods: Our group generated the iPSC line [DCB]‐FiPSC1‐Ep5F‐2 from a patient with Cone‐rod dystrophy (CRD) related to the mutation c.1354dupT in the PROM1 gene. iPSC was grown on matrigel coated 15 μ‐slide 8‐well culture plates and fixed with 10% formalin solution. Plates were washed with Tris Buffered Saline and blocked (0.3%Triton X‐100 and 3%Donkey serum) for 60 min. Then, different combinations of primary antibodies related to pluripotency (OCT4, SSEA3, SOX2, SSEA4, TRA1‐60, NANOG and TRA1‐81) were incubated at 4°C overnight. Afterwards, species‐specific secondary antibodies were conjugated and immunostaining with DAPI was used. Finally, the samples were evaluated by confocal microscopy.Results: Immunofluorescence analysis of the iPSC line [DCB]‐FiPSC1‐Ep5F‐2 revealed the expression of the common embryonic stem cell markers such as the transcription factors OCT4, NANOG and SOX2, and the surface markers SSEA3, TRA‐1‐81, SSEA4 and TRA‐1‐60. Transcriptional markers stain cell nuclei, while surface markers stain cell membranes showing that iPSCs have the potential for pluripotency and multilineage differentiation.Conclusions: Although molecular characterization is necessary to completely elucidate iPSC pluripotency and bank this line in an international depository, the [DCB]‐FiPSC1‐Ep5F‐2 patient derived iPSC line could be useful as a disease model for the development of personalized therapies.

MODL-29. EXPLORING CELL STATE TRANSITIONS IN GLIOBLASTOMA WITH LIVE REPORTING OF CELL STATES USING CRISPR/CAS9

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor, with a median survival time of 12-15 months. The heterogeneity of GBM, ranging from inter-patient to intra-tumoral, poses a significant challenge in identifying effective treatments. At the single-cell level, GBMs comprise a multiplicity of transcriptional cell states that can change over time and in response to therapy. To explore how cell state plasticity shapes tumor progression, new experimental tools to monitor cell state dynamics in real-time will be important, if not essential. Here, we describe a live reporting of GBM cell states that utilize CRISPR/Cas9 and fluorescent proteins for tracking individual glioblastoma patient-derived cells’ (GBM-PDC) physiological gene expression, and cell state transitions over time and during treatment. The method aims to provide real-time reporting of accurate transcriptional phenotypes (e.g. OPC/NPC-like, Mesenchymal, Astrocyte states) over extended periods or in relevant in vitro or in vivo contexts. Our protocols achieved successful endogenous tagging of a common stem cell marker with full-length mCherry in up to 15 % of GBM-PDC (an order of magnitude more effective than previous reports). Real-time imaging (Incucyte S3 and IMX-C) allows us to trace individual cells’ states over time and during treatment, supported by ICC, qPCR, and Western blot, providing a reliable approach. Our next objective is to employ this method to tag several cell-state marker genes with fluorescent proteins. We can directly follow gene expression and cellular state transitions when several state-selective genes are fused with different fluorescent proteins. We anticipate establishing a robust framework to investigate the temporal plasticity and invasion patterns within GBM cells across different patients which may open for new therapeutic opportunities.

ATG/ATLG Improves GvHD-Free and Relapse-Free Survival in Myelofibrosis Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background Despite recent improvements in the field of JAK inhibitors, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only potentially curative treatment for patients with myelofibrosis. However, HSCT is associated with a non-negligible treatment-related morbidity and mortality, with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) being one of the major complications for these patients. In vivo T-cell depletion with antithymocyte/antilymphocyte globulin (ATG/ATLG, short ATG) as part of the conditioning regimen prior to HSCT is widely used as a GvHD prophylaxis, but data on its role in the setting of myelofibrosis is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ATG on clinical outcomes of patients with myelofibrosis undergoing HSCT in a large international retrospective study. Patients and Methods We leveraged a multicenter collaborative network of 7 European and US academic transplant centers to accrue myelofibrosis patients who underwent first HSCT. The primary endpoint was GvHD-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS), whereas secondary endpoints were acute and chronic GvHD, relapse incidence, non-relapse mortality (NRM), and overall survival (OS). We applied multivariate Cox and Fine & Gray modelling to adjust for potential confounders. In addition, a Dependent Dirichlet Process model for censored data was developed, which can adjust for potential violations of the ubiquitous proportional hazards assumption. Finally, to check results and to obtain another reliable comparison, we applied a propensity score matching of the two groups. Results Overall, we identified 806 patients, of whom 513 received ATG and 293 received non-ATG GvHD prophylaxis. No significant differences were observed between the two groups with regards to median age at HSCT (57 years for both) nor for gender, disease ontogenesis (primary or secondary), frequency of driver mutations, and treatment with ruxolitinib prior to transplant. Patients in the ATG and the non-ATG group differed for other characteristics including splenectomy prior to transplant (8% vs. 20%), donor type (matched related donor (MRD): 21% vs. 39%), Karnofsky Performance Status (<90%: 39% vs. 26%), intensity of conditioning therapy (reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) in 80% vs. 40%) and the presence of constitutional symptoms (58% vs. 44%). Regarding the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS), the ATG cohort was more enriched in intermediate-2 and high-risk diseases (64% vs. 58%). Notably, the most common stem cell source in the ATG and the non-ATG cohort was in both cases peripheral blood (98% vs. 95%). The cumulative incidence of acute GvHD grade II-IV was 35% (95% CI, 31-39%) for the ATG group vs. 58% (95% CI, 52-64%) for the non-ATG group (P<0.001). No difference in incidence of chronic GvHD was observed, showing 53% (95% CI, 49-57%) for the ATG group vs. 52% (95% CI, 47-57%) for the non-ATG group (P=0.52). With a median follow-up of 6.5 years for the ATG group and 7 years for the non-ATG group (P=0.10), the 5-year estimates for GRFS were 47% (95% CI, 43-51%) vs. 44% (95% CI, 38-50%; P=0.007; Figure), respectively. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 14% (95% CI, 10-18%) vs. 13% (95% CI, 8-18%; P=0.62) and the 5-year cumulative incidence of death without relapse for both groups was 28%, respectively (P=0.59). Remarkably, 5-year OS was similar, being 63% (95% CI, 59-67%) for the ATG group vs. 62% (95% CI, 58-68%) for the non-ATG group (P=0.56). Multivariable modelling for GRFS (adjusting for donor type, performance status, conditioning intensity, and DIPSS categories) showed an independent significant reduction in risk for GvHD or relapse in the ATG group (HR=0.85, 95% CI 0.79-0.91; P=0.007). Propensity score matching of 150 pairs confirmed the significant effect of ATG on GRFS (HR 0.90, 95% CI, 0.82-0.98; P=0.03). No differences between the two groups were identified for secondary endpoints of relapse, non-relapse mortality, and overall survival. Conclusion The use of ATG as GvHD prophylaxis in patients with myelofibrosis undergoing HSCT resulted in significantly reduced GRFS. This effect was mainly driven by a significant reduction in acute GvHD.

The Immunological Capacity of Thrombocytes.

Thrombocytes are numerous in the blood of aves (birds) and ichthyoids (fish). The origin of this cell type is a common hematopoietic stem cell giving rise to a cell that is active in blood coagulation, inflammatory functions, and the immune response in general. It has been well documented that thrombocytes can phagocytize small particles and bacteria. While phagocytosis with an associated oxidative burst has been reported for chicken thrombocytes, some questions remain as to the degradation capacity of phagosomes in ichthyoids. As innate cells, thrombocytes can be stimulated by bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens to express altered gene expression. Furthermore, there have been observations that led researchers to state that platelets/thrombocytes are capable of serving as "professional antigen presenting cells" expressing CD40, CD80/86, MHC I, and MHC II. This indeed may be the case or, more likely at this time, provide supporting evidence that these cells aid and assist in the role of professional antigen-presenting cells to initiate adaptive immune responses.

Can Osteoarthritis be Cured by Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)? A Literature Review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The disease frequently results in discomfort, edema, and stiffness, which can impair movement, make everyday tasks challenging, and even render a person disabled. Since osteoarthritis is presently incurable, researchers are working hard to find new treatments. Adult Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most common stem cells used in the therapy of OA in clinical trials. They are simple to extract for researchers from bone marrow or adipose. Depending on the kind of tissue that contains them, MSCs can develop into cartilage, bone, muscle, tendon, ligaments, or fat. For this reason, scientists are researching MSCs in OA stem cell therapies. According to research, MSCs produce substances that promote healing and reduce pain. According to some research, they may aid in reducing pain, swelling, and loss of motion when injected into a joint. Researchers conduct an examination of articles that are in accordance with the issue to be studied. Articles used in literature review are obtained through the database of international journal providers through PubMed, we investigated clinical studies and discussed what happened in these clinical studies and the extent of the effectiveness of stem cells in treatment of osteoarthritis. Different patients have responded differently to this therapy. While some people have experienced pain others have not. Research is still required to determine whether stem cell therapies for OA are effective and why some people respond to the therapy more favorably than others.

Bone Morphogenic Protein and Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Regenerate Bone in Calvarial Defects: A Systematic Review.

The use of bone morphogenic protein and mesenchymal stem cells has shown promise in promoting bone regeneration in calvarial defects. However, a systematic review of the available literature is needed to evaluate the efficacy of this approach. We comprehensively searched electronic databases using MeSH terms related to skull defects, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and bone morphogenic proteins. Eligible studies included animal studies that used BMP therapy and mesenchymal stem cells to promote bone regeneration in calvarial defects. Reviews, conference articles, book chapters, and non-English language studies were excluded. Two independent investigators conducted the search and data extraction. Twenty-three studies published between 2010 and 2022 met our inclusion criteria after a full-text review of the forty-five records found in the search. Eight of the 23 studies used mice as models, while 15 used rats. The most common mesenchymal stem cell was bone marrow-derived, followed by adipose-derived. BMP-2 was the most popular. Stem cells were embedded in Scaffold (13), Transduction (7), and Transfection (3), and they were delivered BMP to cells. Each treatment used 2 × 104-1 × 107 mesenchymal stem cells, averaging 2.26 × 106. Most BMP-transduced MSC studies used lentivirus. This systematic review examined BMP and MSC synergy in biomaterial scaffolds or alone. BMP therapy and mesenchymal stem cells in calvarial defects, alone, or with a scaffold regenerated bone. This method treats skull defects in clinical trials. The best scaffold material, therapeutic dosage, administration method, and long-term side effects need further study.

Cancer stem cell in prostate cancer progression, metastasis and therapy resistance

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most diagnosed malignancy in the men worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the sub-population of cells present in the tumor which possess unique properties of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation thus thought to be major cause of therapy resistance, disease relapse, and mortality in several malignancies including PCa. CSCs have also been shown positive for the common stem cells markers such as ALDH EZH2, OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, Nanog etc. Therefore, isolation and characterization of CSCs specific markers which may discriminate CSCs and normal stem cells are critical to selectively eliminate CSCs. Rapid advances in the field offers a theoretical explanation for many of the enduring uncertainties encompassing the etiology and an optimism for the identification of new stem-cell targets, development of reliable and efficient therapies in the future. The emerging reports have also provided unprecedented insights into CSCs plasticity, quiescence, renewal, and therapeutic response. In this review, we discuss the identification of PCa stem cells, their unique properties, stemness-driving pathways, new diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions.

Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cell line (BCRTi006-A) from a patient with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis disease

Individuals with transient reception potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6) mutation have variable phenotypes, ranging from healthy carriers to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line was generated from the urinary cells of a patient with FSGS with a mutant variant of TRPC6. The cells were reprogrammed with Yamanaka factors (OCT3, SOX2, LIN28, L-MYC, and KLF4) using a commercially available Epi5 Reprogramming Kit. The pluripotency of the hiPSC line was confirmed by the expression of common stem cell markers and by their ability to generate all germ layers in vitro. The line is available and registered in the human pluripotent stem cell registry as BCRTi006-A. The generated line represents a valuable tool for disease modeling and drug development for FSGS.

Induction of primordial germ cell-like cells from common marmoset embryonic stem cells by inhibition of WNT and retinoic acid signaling

Reconstitution of the germ cell lineage using pluripotent stem cells provides a unique platform to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying germ cell development and to produce functional gametes for reproduction. This study aimed to establish a culture system that induces a robust number of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) from common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) embryonic stem cells. The robust induction was achieved by not only activation of the conserved PGC-inducing signals, WNT and BMP4, but also temporal inhibitions of WNT and retinoic acid signals, which prevent mesodermal and neural differentiation, respectively, during PGCLC differentiation. Many of the gene expression and differentiation properties of common marmoset PGCLCs were similar to those of human PGCLCs, making this culture system a reliable and useful primate model. Finally, we identified PDPN and KIT as surface marker proteins by which PGCLCs can be isolated from embryonic stem cells without genetic manipulation. This study will expand the opportunities for research on germ cell development and production of functional gametes to the common marmoset.

Influence of Ascorbic Acid as a Growth and Differentiation Factor on Dental Stem Cells Used in Regenerative Endodontic Therapies.

Vitamin C is one of the major extracellular nonenzymatic antioxidants involved in the biosynthesis of collagen. It promotes the growth of fibroblasts, wound healing processes, and enhances the survival and differentiation of osteoblasts. The potential effects of ascorbic acid on human dental pulp cells (DPC) and the cells of the apical papilla (CAP) used in actual regenerative endodontic procedures remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the possible employment of ascorbic acid in the differentiation and regenerative therapies of DPC and CAP. Nine extracted human wisdom teeth were selected for this study. Subpopulations of stem cells within DPC and CAP were sorted with the mesenchymal stem cell marker STRO-1, followed by treatments with different concentrations (0 mM, 0.1 mM, 0.5 mM, and 1.0 mM) of ascorbic acid (AA), RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. FACS analysis revealed the presence of cell subpopulations characterized by a strong expression of mesenchymal stem cell marker STRO-1 and dental stem cell markers CD105, CD44, CD146, CD90, and CD29. Treatment of the cells with defined amounts of AA revealed a markedly increased expression of proliferation marker Ki-67, especially in the concentration range between 0.1 mM and 0.5 mM. Further investigations demonstrated that treatment with AA led to significantly increased expression of common stem cell markers OCT4, Nanog, and Sox2. The most potent proliferative and expressional effects of AA were observed in the concentration of 0.1 mM. AA might be a novel and potent growth promoter of human dental cells. Increasing the properties of human dental pulp cells and the cells of the apical papilla using AA could be a useful factor for further clinical developments of regenerative endodontic procedures.

Gene expression studies of WT1 mutant Wilms tumor cell lines in the frame work of published kidney development data reveals their early kidney stem cell origin.

In order to get a better insight into the timing of WT1 mutant Wilms tumor development, we compared the gene expression profiles of nine established WT1 mutant Wilms tumor cell lines with published data from different kidney cell types during development. Publications describing genes expressed in nephrogenic precursor cells, ureteric bud cells, more mature nephrogenic epithelial cells and interstitial cell types were used. These studies uncovered that the WT1 mutant Wilms tumor cells lines express genes from the earliest nephrogenic progenitor cells, as well as from more differentiated nephron cells with the highest expression from the stromal/interstitial compartment. The expression of genes from all cell compartments points to an early developmental origin of the tumor in a common stem cell. Although variability of the expression of specific genes was evident between the cell lines the overall expression pattern was very similar. This is likely dependent on their different genetic backgrounds with distinct WT1 mutations and the absence/presence of mutant CTNNB1.

Stem Cell Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism is a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. It appears differently in all individuals with ASDs and has recently become popular in research. There are many suspected genetic causes of autism, but no cure has been proven to work to treat the disorder. Stem cells have been studied for their potential role in treating ASDs. The most promising results have come from studies utilizing MSCs or hESCs. Experiments have shown that using these stem cells can reduce the severity of autism and increase the quality of life. Stem cells have also been used to model different forms of autism, including Rett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. The most common stem cells used for modeling autism are iPSCs, which can retain the original genetics of the patient it was derived from. By studying autism precisely how it appears in the body, novel drug therapies and treatments can be designed. There are moral considerations that need to be taken into account when studying novel therapies for autism. The most common participants in these studies are children. This population needs to be protected, and researchers should keep their best interests in mind. Also, scientists should acknowledge their work's impact on the general population and hold each other accountable for the work they release.

Evaluation of the outcomes of newly diagnosed patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome according to the initial therapeutical strategies chosen in usual clinical practice

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases without a care standard and show variability in treatment outcomes. This Spanish, observational, prospective study ERASME (CEL-SMD-2012-01) assessed the evolution of newly diagnosed and treatment-naïve high-risk MDS patients (according to IPPS-R). 204 patients were included: median age 73.0 years, 54.4% males, 69.6% 0-1 ECOG, and 94.6% with comorbidities. Active treatment was the most common strategy (52.0%) vs. stem cell transplantation (25.5%) and supportive care/watchful-waiting (22.5%). Overall (median) event-free survival was 7.9 months (9.1, 8.3, and 5.3); progression-free survival: 10.1 months (12.9, 12.8, and 4.3); and overall survival: 13.8 months (15.4, 14.9; 8.4), respectively, with significant differences among groups. Adverse events (AEs) of ≥3 grade were reported in 72.6% of patients; serious AEs reported in 60.6%. 33.1% of patients died due to AEs. Three patients developed second primary malignant neoplasms (median: 8.2 months). Our study showed better outcomes in patients receiving active therapy early after diagnosis.