A rapid method for obtaining mesenchymal stem cells and platelets from bone marrow aspirate

Needle Biopsy Adequacy in the Era of Precision Medicine and Value-Based Health Care

CONTEXT.—

Needle biopsy of diseased tissue is an essential diagnostic tool that is becoming even more important as precision medicine develops. However, the capability of this modality to efficiently provide samples adequate for diagnostic and prognostic analysis remains quite limited relative to current diagnostic needs. For physicians and patients, inadequate biopsy frequently leads to diagnostic delay, procedure duplication, or insufficient information about tumor biology leading to delay in treatment; for health systems, this results in substantial incremental costs and inefficient use of scarce specialized diagnostic resources.

OBJECTIVE.—

To review current needle biopsy technology, devices, and practice with a perspective to identify current limitations and opportunities for improvement in the context of advancing precision medicine.

DATA SOURCES.—

PubMed searches of fine-needle aspiration and core needle biopsy devices and similar technologies were made generally, by tissue site, and by adequacy as well as by health economics of these technologies.

CONCLUSIONS.—

Needle biopsy adequacy can be improved by recognizing the importance of this diagnostic tool by promoting common criteria for needle biopsy adequacy; by optimizing needle biopsy procedural technique, technologies, clinical practice, professional education, and quality assurance; and by bundling biopsy procedure costs with downstream diagnostic modalities to provide better accountability and incentives to improve the diagnostic process.

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Use of Cartilage Tissue Engineering: The Need for a Rapid Isolation Procedure

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown much promise with respect to their use in cartilage tissue engineering. MSCs can be obtained from many different tissue sources. Among these, adipose tissue can provide an abundant source of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs). The infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) is a promising source of ADMSCs with respect to producing a cartilage lineage. Cell isolation protocols to date are time-consuming and follow conservative approaches that rely on a long incubation period of 24–48 hours. The different types of ADMSC isolation techniques used for cartilage repair will be reviewed and compared with the view of developing a rapid one-step isolation protocol that can be applied in the context of a surgical procedure.

Protein kinase B/AKT isoform 2 drives migration of human mesenchymal stem cells

This study was designed to investigate the migratory behavior of adult human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and the underlying mechanism. Cell migration was assessed by transwell, wound healing and time-lapse in vivo motility assays. Pharmacological inhibitors were used to determine the potential mechanism responsible for cell migration and invasion. The tests that were implemented revealed that MSC were fairly migratory. Protein kinase B (AKT) was strongly activated at the basal level. Through our analyses we demonstrated that pharmacological inactivation of AKT2 but not AKT1 significantly decreased cell migration and invasion. Although preliminary, collectively our results indicate that AKT2 activation plays a critical role in enabling MSC migration.