MSCs derived from amniotic fluid and umbilical cord require different administration schemes and exert different curative effects on different tissues in rats with CLP-induced sepsis

Dental pulp stem cells - A basic research and future application in regenerative medicine

Dental pulp is a valuable and accessible source of stem cells (DPSCs) with characteristics similar to mesenchymal stem cells. DPSCs can regenerate a range of tissues and their potential for clinical application in regenerative medicine is promising. DPSCs have been found to express low levels of Class II HLA-DR (MHC) molecules, making them potential candidates for allogeneic transplantation without matching the donor's tissue. Research on the correlation between non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) provides promising insights into the use of these cells in clinical settings for a wide range of medical conditions. It is possible to use a number of ncRNAs in order to restore the functional role of downregulated ncRNAs that are correlated with osteoblastogenesis, or to suppress the functional role of overexpressed ncRNAs associated with osteoclast differentiation in some cases.

Tissue-specific populations from amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells manifest variant in vitro and in vivo properties

Amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs), shed along the fetal development, exhibit superior multipotency and immunomodulatory properties compared to MSCs derived from other somatic tissues (e.g., bone marrow and fat). However, AFMSCs display heterogeneity due to source ambiguity, making them an underutilized stem cells source for translational clinical trials. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify a method to purify the AFMSCs for clinical use. We found that the AFMSCs can be categorized into three distinct groups: kidney-specific AFMSCs (AFMSCs-K), lung-specific AFMSCs (AFMSCs-L), and AFMSCs with an undefined tissue source (AFMSCs-X). This classification was based on tissue-specific gene expression pattern of single cell colony. Additionally, we observed that AFMSCs-X, a minority population within the AFMSCs, exhibited the highest multipotency, proliferation, resistance to senescence and immuno-modulation. Our results showed that AFMSCs-X significantly improved survival rates and reduced bacterial colony forming units (CFU) in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced septic mice. Therefore, our study introduces a novel classification method to enhance the consistency and efficacy of AFMSCs. These subpopulations, originating from different tissue source, may offer a valuable and innovative resource of cells for regenerative medicine purposes.

Epidemiology and clinical features of maternal sepsis: A retrospective study of whole pregnancy period

Maternal sepsis results in poor outcomes such as fetal or maternal death. The incidence and mortality rates of maternal sepsis vary in different places because of differences in economic development, race and medical conditions. Identifying the clinical features and determining possible mechanisms for avoiding morbidity and preventing poor outcomes would benefit committed patients. Therefore, this was an epidemiological study at a maternity transfer center in Southeast China that aimed to identify local disease features of maternal sepsis. To investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with maternal sepsis and its progression to severe sepsis in a large population-based birth cohort. This local epidemiological study was conducted in at a tertiary care center in Guangzhou, China, from 2015 to 2019. A total of 74,969 pregnant women experiencing childbirth were included in this study; Of these, 74 patients with maternal sepsis were diagnosed according to the sepsis criterion, and 118 patients without sepsis in the same period were selected randomly as the control group to study possible reasons for postpartum sepsis. This retrospective analysis covered the entire period from the first trimester to puerperium. Clinical data were collected using the hospital's electronic medical record system. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for maternal sepsis. The incidences of maternal sepsis, the maternal mortality, and the fetal mortality were 0.099%, 0.004%, and 0.007%, respectively. Septic shock was associated with a higher severity of illness. All poor outcomes (maternal or fetal death) occurred during pregnancy. Postpartum sepsis had the longest onset period, and was associated with premature rupture of fetal membranes and preeclampsia. Sepsis is an important cause of both maternal and fetal mortality. Herein, we describe an epidemiological study that evaluated the incidence, development, and prognosis of local maternal sepsis. Furthermore, the characteristics of maternal sepsis are likely due to unknown pathological mechanisms, and patients would benefit from identifying more effective treatments for maternal sepsis.

Extracellular Vesicles of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Are More Effectively Accessed through Polyethylene Glycol-Based Precipitation than by Ultracentrifugation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as cell-cell communication agents, and EVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit therapeutic effects similar to those of the cells of origin. Precipitation methods have been used extensively for EV harvests, such as UC- (ultracentrifugation-) or PEG- (polyethylene glycol-) based methods, and the difference in EVs derived from MSCs by UC and PEG is not fully understood. We harvested EVs from amniotic fluid MSCs (AF-MSCs) by UC- or PEG-based precipitation methods and conducted a comparison study of those EVs derived by the two methods: output, RNA, and protein expression of EVs and EV biological reaction in a THP-1-cell model of LPS induction, which was considered an infection model. There was no difference in morphology, size, or specific marker-positive ratio of PEG-EVs and UC-EVs, but PEG obtained more EV particles, protein, and RNA than the UC method. In our THP-1 model of LPS induction, MSC-EVs did not lead to a change in protein expression but inhibited the LPS-induced increase in cytokine secretion. UC-EVs were more effective for TNF-α inhibition, and PEG-EVs were more effective for IL10 inhibition. Thus, our findings provide evidence that PEG-based precipitation is a more efficient mesenchymal stem cell-extracellular vesicle-derived method than UC.

Protective effects of menthol against sepsis-induced hepatic injury: Role of mediators of hepatic inflammation, apoptosis, and regeneration

Liver dysfunction in sepsis is a major complication that amplifies multiple organ failure and increases the risk of death. Inflammation and oxidative stress are the main mediators in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Therefore, we investigated the role of menthol, a natural antioxidant, against sepsis-induced liver injury in female Wistar rats. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Menthol (100 mg/kg) was given intragastric 2 h after CLP. Blood samples and liver tissues were collected 24 h after surgery. Menthol significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the sepsis-induced elevation in serum liver enzymes and improved the hepatic histopathological changes. Menthol treatment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased hepatic levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, malondialdehyde, total nitrite, and cleaved caspase-3. It restored the hepatic levels of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione. Additionally, menthol significantly (p < 0.05) increased hepatic levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2); an anti-apoptotic factor, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a biomarker of regeneration and survival. Our results showed the therapeutic potential of menthol against liver injury induced by sepsis.

Mesenchymal stem cells from different sources show distinct therapeutic effects in hyperoxia-induced bronchopulmonary dysplasia in rats

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown as an effective medicinal means to treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The widely used MSCs were from Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) and bone marrow (BM-MSCs). Amniotic fluid MSCs (AF-MSCs) may be produced before an individual is born to treat foetal diseases by autoplastic transplantation. We evaluated intratracheal (IT) MSCs as an approach to treat an hyperoxia-induced BPD animal model and compared the therapeutic effects between AF-, UC- and BM-MSCs. A BPD animal model was generated by exposing newborn rats to 95% O₂ . The continued stress lasted 21 days, and the treatment of IT MSCs was conducted for 4 days. The therapeutic effects were analysed, including lung histology, level of inflammatory cytokines, cell death ratio and state of angiogenesis, by sacrificing the experimental animal at day 21. The lasting hyperoxia stress induced BPD similar to the biological phenotype. The treatment of IT MSCs was safe without deaths and normal organ histopathology. Specifically, the treatment was effective by inhibiting the alveolar dilatation, reducing inflammatory cytokines, inducing angiogenesis and lowering the cell death ratio. AF-MSCs had better therapeutic effects compared with UC-MSCs in relieving the pulmonary alveoli histological changes and promoting neovascularization, and UC-MSCs had the best immunosuppressive effect in plasma and lung lysis compared with AF-MSCs and BM-MSCs. This study demonstrated the therapeutic effects of AF-, UC- and BM-MSCs in BPD model. Superior treatment effect was provided by antenatal MSCs compared to BM-MSC in a statistical comparison.

Clinical applications of mesenchymal stromal cell-based therapies for pulmonary diseases: An Update and Concise Review

Lung disorders are a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. For many disease conditions, no effective and curative treatment options are available. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy is one of the cutting-edge topics in medical research today. It offers a novel and promising therapeutic option for various acute and chronic lung diseases due to its potent and broad-ranging immunomodulatory activities, bacterial clearance, tissue regeneration, and proangiogenic and antifibrotic properties, which rely on both cell-to-cell contact and paracrine mechanisms. This review covers the sources and therapeutic potential of MSCs. In particular, a total of 110 MSC-based clinical applications, either completed clinical trials with safety and early efficacy results reported or ongoing worldwide clinical trials of pulmonary diseases, are systematically summarized following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, including acute/viral pulmonary disease, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), interstitial lung diseases (ILD), chronic pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and lung cancer. The results of recent clinical studies suggest that MSCs are a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of lung diseases. Nevertheless, large-scale clinical trials and evaluation of long-term effects are necessary in further studies.