Comparison of the Cytokine Profile in Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Adipose, Umbilical Cord, and Placental Tissues

Human Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Combined With Artificial Dermal Scaffold Enhance Wound Healing in a Tendon-Exposed Wound of a Rabbit Model

To overcome the difficulty of vascular regeneration in exposed tendon wounds, we combined human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) with an artificial dermal scaffold and assessed their role in promoting vascular regeneration and wound healing in vivo. hPMSCs were isolated from the human placenta and characterized based on their morphology, phenotypic profiles, and pluripotency. New Zealand rabbits were used to establish an exposed tendon wound model, and hPMSCs and artificial dermal scaffolds were transplanted into the wounds. The results of gross wound observations and pathological sections showed that hPMSCs combined with artificial dermal scaffold transplantation increased the vascularization area of the wound, promoted wound healing, and increased the survival rate of autologous skin transplantation. Following artificial dermal scaffold transplantation, hPMSCs accelerated the vascularization of the dermal scaffold, and the number of fibroblasts, collagen fibers, and neovascularization in the dermal scaffold after 1 week were much higher than those in the control group. Immunohistochemical staining further confirmed that the expression of the vascular endothelial cell marker, CD31, was significantly higher in the combined transplantation group than in the dermal scaffold transplantation group. Our findings demonstrated that hPMSCs seeded onto artificial dermal scaffold could facilitate vascularization of the dermal scaffold and improve tendon-exposed wound healing.

Reversal of Pulmonary Fibrosis: Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Wharton's Jelly versus Human-Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive, non-reversible illness with various etiologies. Currently, effective treatments for fibrotic lungs are still lacking. Here, we compared the effectiveness of transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (HUMSCs) versus those from adipose tissue (ADMSCs) in reversing pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Bleomycin 5 mg was intratracheally injected to establish a severe, stable, single left lung animal model with PF. On Day 21 post-BLM administration, one single transplantation of 2.5 × 10⁷ HUMSCs or ADMSCs was performed. Lung function examination of Injury and Injury+ADMSCs rats displayed significantly decreased blood oxygen saturation and increased respiratory rates, while Injury+HUMSCs rats showed statistical amelioration in blood oxygen saturation and significant alleviation in respiratory rates. Reduced cell number in the bronchoalveolar lavage and lower myofibroblast activation appeared in the rats transplanted with either ADMSCs or HUMSCS than that in the Injury group. However, ADMSC transplantation stimulated more adipogenesis. Furthermore, matrix-metallopeptidase-9 over-expression for collagen degradation, and the elevation of Toll-like receptor-4 expression for alveolar regeneration were observed only in the Injury+HUMSCs. In comparison with the transplantation of ADMSCs, transplantation of HUMSCs exhibited a much more effective therapeutic effect on PF, with significantly better results in alveolar volume and lung function.

Female Reproductive Aging and Oxidative Stress: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conditioned Medium as a Promising Antioxidant

The recent tendency to delay pregnancy has increased the incidence of age-related infertility, as female reproductive competence decreases with aging. Along with aging, a lowered capacity of antioxidant defense causes a loss of normal function in the ovaries and uterus due to oxidative damage. Therefore, advancements have been made in assisted reproduction to resolve infertility caused by reproductive aging and oxidative stress, following an emphasis on their use. The application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with intensive antioxidative properties has been extensively validated as a regenerative therapy, and proceeding from original cell therapy, the therapeutic effects of stem cell conditioned medium (CM) containing paracrine factors secreted during cell culture have been reported to be as effective as that of direct treatment of source cells. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of female reproductive aging and oxidative stress and present MSC-CM, which could be developed as a promising antioxidant intervention for assisted reproductive technology.

Inflammation in myocardial infarction: roles of mesenchymal stem cells and their secretome

Inflammation plays crucial roles in the regulation of pathophysiological processes involved in injury, repair and remodeling of the infarcted heart; hence, it has become a promising target to improve the prognosis of myocardial infarction (MI). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) serve as an effective and innovative treatment option for cardiac repair owing to their paracrine effects and immunomodulatory functions. In fact, transplanted MSCs have been shown to accumulate at injury sites of heart, exerting multiple effects including immunomodulation, regulating macrophages polarization, modulating the activation of T cells, NK cells and dendritic cells and alleviating pyroptosis of non-immune cells. Many studies also proved that preconditioning of MSCs can enhance their inflammation-regulatory effects. In this review, we provide an overview on the current understanding of the mechanisms on MSCs and their secretome regulating inflammation and immune cells after myocardial infarction and shed light on the applications of MSCs in the treatment of cardiac infarction.

Silicon-Gold Nanoparticles Affect Wharton's Jelly Phenotype and Secretome during Tri-Lineage Differentiation

Multiple studies have demonstrated that various nanoparticles (NPs) stimulate osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and inhibit adipogenic ones. The mechanisms of these effects are not determined. The aim of this paper was to estimate Wharton’s Jelly MSCs phenotype and humoral factor production during tri-lineage differentiation per se and in the presence of silicon–gold NPs. Silicon (SiNPs), gold (AuNPs), and 10% Au-doped Si nanoparticles (SiAuNPs) were synthesized by laser ablation, characterized, and studied in MSC cultures before and during differentiation. Humoral factor production (n = 41) was analyzed by Luminex technology. NPs were nontoxic, did not induce ROS production, and stimulated G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF, CXCL1 (GRO) production in four day MSC cultures. During MSC differentiation, all NPs stimulated CD13 and CD90 expression in osteogenic cultures. MSC differentiation resulted in a decrease in multiple humoral factor production to day 14 of incubation. NPs did not significantly affect the production in chondrogenic cultures and stimulated it in both osteogenic and adipogenic ones. The major difference in the protein production between osteogenic and adipogenic MSC cultures in the presence of NPs was VEGF level, which was unaffected in osteogenic cells and 4–9 times increased in adipogenic ones. The effects of NPs decreased in a row AuNPs > SiAuNPs > SiNPs. Taken collectively, high expression of CD13 and CD90 by MSCs and critical level of VEGF production can, at least, partially explain the stimulatory effect of NPs on MSC osteogenic differentiation.