In vitro differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells into neural precursor cells using small molecules

Electrical Stimulation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Conductive Substrates Promotes Neural Priming

Electrical stimulation (ES) within a conductive scaffold is potentially beneficial in encouraging the differentiation of stem cells toward a neuronal phenotype. To improve stem cell-based regenerative therapies, it is essential to use electroconductive scaffolds with appropriate stiffnesses to regulate the amount and location of ES delivery. Herein, biodegradable electroconductive substrates with different stiffnesses are fabricated from chitosan-grafted-polyaniline (CS-g-PANI) copolymers. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured on soft conductive scaffolds show a morphological change with significant filopodial elongation after electrically stimulated culture along with upregulation of neuronal markers and downregulation of glial markers. Compared to stiff conductive scaffolds and non-conductive CS scaffolds, soft conductive CS-g-PANI scaffolds promote increased expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neurofilament heavy chain (NF-H) after application of ES. At the same time, there is a decrease in the expression of the glial markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin after ES. Furthermore, the elevation of intracellular calcium [Ca2+ ] during spontaneous, cell-generated Ca2+ transients further suggests that electric field stimulation of hMSCs cultured on conductive substrates can promote a neural-like phenotype. The findings suggest that the combination of the soft conductive CS-g-PANI substrate and ES is a promising new tool for enhancing neuronal tissue engineering outcomes.

Chemical Transdifferentiation of Somatic Cells: Unleashing the Power of Small Molecules

Chemical transdifferentiation is a technique that utilizes small molecules to directly convert one cell type into another without passing through an intermediate stem cell state. This technique offers several advantages over other methods of cell reprogramming, such as simplicity, standardization, versatility, no ethical and safety concern and patient-specific therapies. Chemical transdifferentiation has been successfully applied to various cell types across different tissues and organs, and its potential applications are rapidly expanding as scientists continue to explore new combinations of small molecules and refine the mechanisms driving cell fate conversion. These applications have opened up new possibilities for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug discovery and tissue engineering. However, there are still challenges and limitations that need to be overcome before chemical transdifferentiation can be translated into clinical practice. These include low efficiency and reproducibility, incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms, long-term stability and functionality of the transdifferentiated cells, cell-type specificity and scalability. In this review, we compared the commonly used methods for cell transdifferentiation in recent years and discussed the current progress and future perspective of the chemical transdifferentiation of somatic cells and its potential impact on biomedicine. We believe that with ongoing research and technological advancements, the future holds tremendous promise for harnessing the power of small molecules to shape the cellular landscape and revolutionize the field of biomedicine.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Preconditioning: A New Strategy to Improve Neuroprotective Properties

Neurological diseases represent one of the main causes of disability in human life. Consequently, investigating new strategies capable of improving the quality of life in neurological patients is necessary. For decades, researchers have been working to improve the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) therapy based on MSCs’ regenerative and immunomodulatory properties and multilinear differentiation potential. Therefore, strategies such as MSCs preconditioning are useful to improve their application to restore damaged neuronal circuits following neurological insults. This review is focused on preconditioning MSCs therapy as a potential application to major neurological diseases. The aim of our work is to summarize both the in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the efficacy of MSC preconditioning on neuronal regeneration and cell survival as a possible application to neurological damage.