Alpinate Oxyphyllae extracts enhance the longevity and homing of mesenchymal stem cells and augment their protection against senescence in H9c2 cells

Natural small molecules synergize mesenchymal stem cells for injury repair in vital organs: a comprehensive review

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy is a highly researched treatment that has the potential to promote immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antimicrobial activities. It is thought that it can enhance internal organ function, reverse tissue remodeling, and achieve significant organ repair and regeneration. However, the limited infusion, survival, and engraftment of transplanted MSCs diminish the effectiveness of MSCs-based therapy. Consequently, various preconditioning methods have emerged as strategies for enhancing the therapeutic effects of MSCs and achieving better clinical outcomes. In particular, the use of natural small molecule compounds (NSMs) as a pretreatment strategy is discussed in this narrative review, with a focus on their roles in regulating MSCs for injury repair in vital internal organs. Additionally, the discussion focuses on the future directions and challenges of transforming mesenchymal stem cell research into clinical applications.

Protective and proliferative effect of Aesculus indica extract on stressed human adipose stem cells via downregulation of NF-κB pathway

Inflammatory microenvironment after transplantation affects the proliferation and causes senescence of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) thus compromising their clinical efficacy. Priming stem cells with herbal extracts is considered very promising to improve their viability in the inflammatory milieu. Aesculus indica (A. indica) is used to treat many inflammatory diseases in Asia for decades. Herein, we explored the protective role of A. indica extract on human adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hADMSCs) against Monosodium Iodoacetate (MIA) induced stress in vitro. A. indica ameliorated the injury as depicted by significantly enhanced proliferation, viability, improved cell migration and superoxide dismutase activity. Furthermore, reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity, reactive oxygen species release, senescent and apoptotic cells were detected in A. indica primed hADMSCs. Downregulation of NF-κB pathway and associated inflammatory genes, NF-κB p65/RelA and p50/NF-κB 1, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Interleukin 1 (IL-1β), Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) were observed in A. indica primed hADMSCs as compared to stressed hADMSCs. Complementary to gene expression, A. indica priming reduced the release of transcription factor p65, inhibitory-κB kinase (IKK) α and β, IL-1β and TNF-α proteins expression. Our data elucidates that A. indica extract preconditioning rescued hADMSCs against oxidative stress and improved their therapeutic potential by relieving inflammation through regulation of NF-κB pathway.

Application of ADSCs and their Exosomes in Scar Prevention

Scar is a common way of healing after tissue injury. The poor scar healing will not only cause dysfunction of tissues and organs but also affect the appearance of the patients’ body surface, which causes the pressure of life and spirit to the patients. However, the formation of scar tissue is an extremely complex process and its mechanism is not fully understood. At present, there is no treatment method to eliminate scars completely. Fibroblasts are the most abundant cells in the dermis, which have the ability to synthesize and remodel extracellular matrix (ECM). Myofibroblasts actively participate in the wound healing process and influence the outcome. Therefore, both of them play important roles in wound healing and scar formation. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are pluripotent stem cells that can act on target cells by paracrine. Adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosomes (ADSC-Exos) are important secretory substances of ADSCs. They are nanomembrane vesicles that can transport a variety of cellular components and fuse with target cells. In this review, we will discuss the effects of ADSCs and ADSC-Exos on the behavior of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts during wound healing and scarring stage in combination with recent studies.

Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells along with Alpinia oxyphylla extract alleviate mitochondria-mediated cardiac apoptosis in aging models and cardiac function in aging rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Fructus (Alpinia oxyphylla MIQ) known as Yi Zhi Ren in Chinese medicine has been used as a food and herbal medicinal substance in China for centuries; in the year 2015 Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission reported water extracts of Alpinia oxyphyllae Fructus (AoF) as a popular medication for aging-related diseases in the form of tonic, aphrodisiac, and health-care food in south China.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Adipose mesenchymal stem cells are physiologically and therapeutically associated with healthy vascular function and cardiac health. However aging conditions hinder stem cell function and increases the vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the effect of the anti-aging herbal medicine AoF to enhance the cardiac restorative function of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) in aging condition was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Low dose (0.1 μM) Doxorubicin and D-galactose (150 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks) were used to respectively induce aging in vitro and in vivo. For In vivo studies, 20 week old WKY rats were divided into Control, Aging induced (AI), AI + AoF, AI + ADMSC, AI + AoF Oral + ADMSC, and AI + AoF treated ADMSC groups. AoF (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orally and ADMSCs (1 × 10⁶ cells) were injected (IV).

RESULTS

AoF preconditioned ADMSC showed reduction in low dose Dox induced mitochondrial apoptosis and improved DNA replication in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In vivo experiments confirmed that both a combined treatment with AoF-ADMSCs and with AoF preconditioned ADMSCs reduced aging associated cardiac damages which was correlated with reduction in apoptosis and expression of senescence markers (P21 and β-gal). Survival and longevity markers were upregulated up on combined administration of AoF and ADMSCs. The cardiac performance of the aging-induced rats was improved significantly in the treatment groups. AoF along with ADMSCs might activate paracrine factors to restore the performance of an aging heart.

CONCLUSION

Hence, we propose that ADMSCs combined with AoF have promising therapeutic properties in the treatment of healthy aging heart.

Is Adipose Tissue the Fountain of Youth? The Impact of Adipose Stem Cell Aging on Metabolic Homeostasis, Longevity, and Cell-Based Therapies

Aging is driven by four interlinked processes: (1) low-grade sterile inflammation; (2) macromolecular and organelle dysfunction, including DNA damage, telomere erosion, and mitochondrial dysfunction; (3) stem cell dysfunction; and (4) an accumulation of senescent cells in tissues. Adipose tissue is not immune to the effects of time, and all four of these processes contribute to a decline of adipose tissue function with advanced age. This decline is associated with an increase in metabolic disorders. Conversely, optimally functioning adipose tissue generates signals that promote longevity. As tissue-resident progenitor cells that actively participate in adipose tissue homeostasis and dysregulation, adipose stem cells (ASCs) have emerged as a key feature in the relationship between age and adipose tissue function. This review will give a mechanistic overview of the myriad ways in which age affects ASC function and, conversely, how ASC function contribute to healthspan and lifespan. A central mediator in this relationship is the degree of resilience of ASCs to maintain stemness into advanced age and the consequent preservation of adipose tissue function, in particular subcutaneous fat. The last sections of this review will discuss therapeutic options that target senescent ASCs to extend healthspan and lifespan, as well as ASC-based therapies that can be used to treat age-related pathologies, and collectively, these therapeutic applications may transform the way we age.

Inhibition of cell death-inducing p53 target 1 through miR-210-3p overexpression attenuates reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in rat adipose-derived stem cells challenged with Angiotensin II

Hypoxic preconditioning is a well-known strategy to improve the survival and therapeutic potential of stem cells against various challenges including hemodynamic and neurohormonal modulations. However, the mechanism involved in hypoxia-induced benefits on stem cells is still ambiguous. In pathological hypertension, the elevation of the neurohormonal mediator Angiotensin II (Ang II) causes the adverse effects to stem cells. In this study, we investigate the effect and mechanism of action of short term hypoxia-inducible miRNA in suppressing the effects of AngII on stem cells. According to the results obtained, Ang II affects the normal cell cycle and triggers apoptosis in rADSCs with a corresponding increase in the expression of cell death-inducing p53 target 1 (CDIP1) protein. However, the short term hypoxia-inducible miRNA-miR-210-3p was found to target CDIP1 and reduce their levels upon the Ang II challenge. CDIP1 induces stress-mediated apoptosis involving the extrinsic apoptosis pathway via Bid/Bax/cleaved caspase3 activation. Administration of mimic miR-210-3p targets CDIP1 mRNA by binding to the 3' UTR region as confirmed by dual luciferase assay and also reduced Ang II-induced mitochondrial ROS accumulation as analyzed by MitoSOX staining. Moreover, the present study demonstrates the mechanism of miR-210-3p in the regulation of Ang II-induced CDIP1-associated apoptotic pathway in rADSCs.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor rejuvenates aged human mesenchymal stem cells and improves myocardial repair

The beneficial functions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) decline with age, limiting their therapeutic efficacy for myocardial infarction (MI). Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) promotes cell proliferation and survival. We investigated whether MIF overexpression could rejuvenate aged MSCs and increase their therapeutic efficacy in MI. Young and aged MSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of young and aged donors. Young MSCs, aged MSCs, and MIF-overexpressing aged MSCs were transplanted into the peri-infarct region in a rat MI model. Aged MSCs exhibited a lower proliferative capacity, lower MIF level, greater cell size, greater senescence-associated-β-galactosidase activity, and weaker paracrine effects than young MSCs. Knocking down MIF in young MSCs induced cellular senescence, whereas overexpressing MIF in aged MSCs reduced cellular senescence. MIF rejuvenated aged MSCs by activating autophagy, an effect largely reversed by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. MIF-overexpressing aged MSCs induced angiogenesis and prevented cardiomyocyte apoptosis to a greater extent than aged MSCs, and had improved heart function and cell survival more effectively than aged MSCs four weeks after MI. Thus, MIF rejuvenated aged MSCs by activating autophagy and enhanced their therapeutic efficacy in MI, suggesting a novel MSC-based therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases in the aged population.