A module of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptional network containing primitive and differentiation markers is related to specific cardiovascular health variables

Treatment of Full-Thickness Skin Wounds with Blood-Derived CD34+ Precursor Cells Enhances Healing with Hair Follicle Regeneration

Objective: Epidermal CD34⁺ stem cells located in the hair follicle (HF) bulge area are capable of inducing HF neogenesis and enhancing wound healing after transplantation. In this study, we observed CD34⁺ cells derived from blood directly participate in dermal regeneration during full-thickness excisional wound healing. Approach: We isolated and in vitro expanded a subset of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-like precursor cells from the peripheral blood of adult mice with the surface markers: CD34⁺, leucine rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5)⁺, CD44⁺, c-kit⁺, lineage negative (lin^-), and E-cadherin^-. These blood-derived precursor cells (BDPCs), can be further differentiated into epithelial-like cells (eBDPCs) and secret fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9) protein. Result: When transplanted into full-thickness skin wounds, eBDPC treatment produced accelerated healing and enhanced skin structure regeneration with less dermal scar formation. Also, HF neogenesis (HFN) was observed with incorporation of labeled BDPCs in the wound area. Innovation:Nondermal-derived CD34⁺ cells (BDPCs) from the adult unmobilized peripheral blood are capable of in vitro expansion and differentiation.Successful establishment of an in vitro technical platform for BDPCs expansion and differentiation.The in vitro expanded and differentiated epithelial-like cells (eBDPCs) enhance wound healing and directly contribute to skin regeneration and HFN. Conclusion: BDPCs isolated and expanded from adult peripheral blood may provide a possible new cell-based treatment strategy for HF neogenesis and skin wound regeneration.

Low expression of PIK3C2A gene: A potential biomarker to predict the risk of acute myocardial infarction

AIMS

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a family of enzymes that phosphorylate the 3'-OH of inositol ring of phosphatidylinositol (PI) and regulate a broad range of signaling pathways. PIK3C2A is structurally distinct from the other members of this class and is expressed in endothelial cells, vascular endothelium, and smooth muscle. In ischemic cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, pathology is associated with endothelial damage and inflammation, downregulation of the EPC cell population and function, and impaired angiogenesis. This study aims to make an assessment on whether expression of PIK3C2A gene can be used as a biomarker for predicting the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS

We collected peripheral blood from 84 subjects with non-coronary heart disease and 70 patients with AMI. The real-time quantitative PCR test was applied to measure levels of PIK3C2A gene expression at mRNA level in peripheral blood.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that the level of PIK3C2A gene expression in peripheral blood of AMI patients was significantly lower than one in the non-coronary heart disease subjects. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that low expression of PIK3C2A gene was an independent risk factor of AMI and increased the risk of AMI by 2.231 folds. Moreover, it was found that low expression of PIK3C2A gene was not associated with level of fasting blood glucose, platelet count, Gensini score of coronary artery, and quantity of cardiac troponin.

CONCLUSION

The level of PIK3C2A gene expression in patients with AMI is significantly lower than that of healthy people. Low expression of PIK3C2A gene is an independent risk factor of AMI. Low expression of PIK3C2A could serve as a potential biomarker to predict risk of AMI.

Actin grips: circular actin-rich cytoskeletal structures that mediate the wrapping of polymeric microfibers by endothelial cells

Interaction of endothelial-lineage cells with three-dimensional substrates was much less studied than that with flat culture surfaces. We investigated the in vitro attachment of both mature endothelial cells (ECs) and of less differentiated EC colony-forming cells to poly-ε-capro-lactone (PCL) fibers with diameters in 5-20 μm range ('scaffold microfibers', SMFs). We found that notwithstanding the poor intrinsic adhesiveness to PCL, both cell types completely wrapped the SMFs after long-term cultivation, thus attaining a cylindrical morphology. In this system, both EC types grew vigorously for more than a week and became increasingly more differentiated, as shown by multiplexed gene expression. Three-dimensional reconstructions from multiphoton confocal microscopy images using custom software showed that the filamentous (F) actin bundles took a conspicuous ring-like organization around the SMFs. Unlike the classical F-actin-containing stress fibers, these rings were not associated with either focal adhesions or intermediate filaments. We also demonstrated that plasma membrane boundaries adjacent to these circular cytoskeletal structures were tightly yet dynamically apposed to the SMFs, for which reason we suggest to call them 'actin grips'. In conclusion, we describe a particular form of F-actin assembly with relevance for cytoskeletal organization in response to biomaterials, for endothelial-specific cell behavior in vitro and in vivo, and for tissue engineering.