Decellularized Extracellular Matrices and Cardiac Differentiation: Study on Human Amniotic Fluid-Stem Cells

Unraveling the Epigenetic Landscape: Insights into Parkinson's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Multiple Sclerosis

Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are examples of neurodegenerative movement disorders (NMDs), which are defined by a gradual loss of motor function that is frequently accompanied by cognitive decline. Although genetic abnormalities have long been acknowledged as significant factors, new research indicates that epigenetic alterations are crucial for the initiation and development of disease. This review delves into the complex interactions that exist between the pathophysiology of NMDs and epigenetic mechanisms such DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Here, we examine how these epigenetic changes could affect protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, and gene expression patterns, thereby influencing the viability and functionality of neurons. Through the clarification of the epigenetic terrain underpinning neurodegenerative movement disorders, this review seeks to enhance comprehension of the underlying mechanisms of the illness and augment the creation of innovative therapeutic strategies.

The Effects of Combined Exposure to Bisphenols and Perfluoroalkyls on Human Perinatal Stem Cells and the Potential Implications for Health Outcomes

The present study investigates the impact of two endocrine disruptors, namely Bisphenols (BPs) and Perfluoroalkyls (PFs), on human stem cells. These chemicals leach from plastic, and when ingested through contaminated food and water, they interfere with endogenous hormone signaling, causing various diseases. While the ability of BPs and PFs to cross the placental barrier and accumulate in fetal serum has been documented, the exact consequences for human development require further elucidation. The present research work explored the effects of combined exposure to BPs (BPA or BPS) and PFs (PFOS and PFOA) on human placenta (fetal membrane mesenchymal stromal cells, hFM-MSCs) and amniotic fluid (hAFSCs)-derived stem cells. The effects of the xenobiotics were assessed by analyzing cell proliferation, mitochondrial functionality, and the expression of genes involved in pluripotency and epigenetic regulation, which are crucial for early human development. Our findings demonstrate that antenatal exposure to BPs and/or PFs may alter the biological characteristics of perinatal stem cells and fetal epigenome, with potential implications for health outcomes at birth and in adulthood. Further research is necessary to comprehend the full extent of these effects and their long-term consequences.

Effect of 3D Spheroid Culturing on NF-κB Signaling Pathway and Neurogenic Potential in Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells

Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) are known for their advantageous properties when compared to somatic stem cells from other sources. Recently hAFSCs have gained attention for their neurogenic potential and secretory profile. However, hAFSCs in three-dimensional (3D) cultures remain poorly investigated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate cellular properties, neural differentiation, and gene and protein expression in 3D spheroid cultures of hAFSCs in comparison to traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. For this purpose, hAFSCs were obtained from amniotic fluid of healthy pregnancies and cultivated in vitro, either in 2D, or 3D under untreated or neuro-differentiated conditions. We observed upregulated expression of pluripotency genes OCT4, NANOG, and MSI1 as well as augmentation in gene expression of NF-κB-TNFα pathway genes (NFKB2, RELA and TNFR2), associated miRNAs (miR103a-5p, miR199a-3p and miR223-3p), and NF-κB p65 protein levels in untreated hAFSC 3D cultures. Additionally, MS analysis of the 3D hAFSCs secretome revealed protein upregulation of IGFs signaling the cascade and downregulation of extracellular matrix proteins, whereas neural differentiation of hAFSC spheroids increased the expression of SOX2, miR223-3p, and MSI1. Summarizing, our study provides novel insights into how 3D culture affects neurogenic potential and signaling pathways of hAFSCs, especially NF-κB, although further studies are needed to elucidate the benefits of 3D cultures more thoroughly.

Allogenic Perinatal Tissue for Musculoskeletal Regenerative Medicine Applications: A Systematic Review

Producing tremendous amounts of stress and financial burden on the global patient population and healthcare systems around the world, most current modalities of treatment for musculoskeletal ailments often do not address the etiopathogenetic causes of these disorders. Regenerative medicine for musculoskeletal disorders relies on orthobiologics derived from either allogenic or autologous sources. Multiple drawbacks are associated with autologous sources, including donor-site morbidity, a dearth of studies, and variability in both patient reported and clinical/functional outcomes. On the other hand, allogenic sources address several of these concerns, and continue to be a suitable source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This review qualitatively reports both the preclinical and clinical outcomes of publications studying the applications of umbilical cord (-derived Wharton's jelly), amniotic suspension allograft, amniotic membrane, and amniotic fluid in musculoskeletal medicine. A systematic review was conducted utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines on studies published between January 2010 and October 2022 that used allogeneic perinatal tissues. Further randomized controlled clinical studies are necessary to properly evaluate the safety and efficacy of these tissues in orthopedic surgery.

Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine in Italy: Brief State of the Art of the Principal Research Centers

Regenerative medicine is the branch of medicine that effectively uses stem cell therapy and tissue engineering strategies to guide the healing or replacement of damaged tissues or organs. A crucial element is undoubtedly the biomaterial that guides biological events to restore tissue continuity. The polymers, natural or synthetic, find wide application thanks to their great adaptability. In fact, they can be used as principal components, coatings or vehicles to functionalize several biomaterials. There are many leading centers for the research and development of biomaterials in Italy. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of the art on polymer research for regenerative medicine purposes. The last five years of scientific production of the main Italian research centers has been screened to analyze the current advancement in tissue engineering in order to highlight inputs for the development of novel biomaterials and strategies.

Human mesenchymal amniotic fluid stem cells reveal an unexpected neuronal potential differentiating into functional spinal motor neurons

Human amniotic fluids stem cells (hAFSCs) can be easily isolated from the amniotic fluid during routinely scheduled amniocentesis. Unlike hiPSCs or hESC, they are neither tumorigenic nor immunogenic and their use does not rise ethical or safety issues: for these reasons they may represent a good candidate for the regenerative medicine. hAFSCs are generally considered multipotent and committed towards the mesodermal lineages; however, they express many pluripotent markers and share some epigenetic features with hiPSCs. Hence, we hypothesized that hAFSCs may overcome their mesodermal commitment differentiating into to ectodermal lineages. Here we demonstrated that by the sequential exposure to specific factors, hAFSCs can give rise to spinal motor neurons (MNs), as evidenced by the gradual gene and protein upregulation of early and late MN markers (PAX6, ISL1, HB9, NF-L, vAChT). When co-cultured with myotubes, hAFSCs-derived MNs were able to create functional neuromuscular junctions that induced robust skeletal muscle contractions. These data demonstrated the hAFSCs are not restricted to mesodermal commitment and can generate functional MNs thus outlining an ethically acceptable strategy for the study and treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases.

Resveratrol Enhances the Cytotoxic Activity of Lymphocytes from Menopausal Women

Nutraceuticals and functional foods are the main sources of antioxidants and have positive effects on health through regulation of the redox balance. Accordingly, they represent a useful nutritional source for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Menopausal women have an increased risk of developing NCDs due to hormonal dysregulation and the ongoing aging process. Accordingly, a healthy lifestyle and good nutritional habits are of utmost importance in this population. Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol, and it is used as a nutraceutical given its estrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of RSV on the lymphocyte cytotoxicity in menopausal women. Lymphocytes from 13 healthy menopausal women (56.18 ± 4.24 years) were isolated, and then cocultured with hTERT-HME1, a breast cell line with a precancerous phenotype. The results showed that, when treated with RSV, lymphocytes significantly increased the TNF-α production (p < 0.001), the formation of immune synapses (p = 0.009), and the target cell lysis (p = 0.002). No effects were detected in the lymphocyte total antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, RSV might enhance the immune surveillance in menopausal women by increasing the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes.

Real-Time Monitoring of Levetiracetam Effect on the Electrophysiology of an Heterogenous Human iPSC-Derived Neuronal Cell Culture Using Microelectrode Array Technology

Levetiracetam (LEV) is a broad-spectrum and widely used antiepileptic drug that also has neuroprotective effects in different neurological conditions. Given its complex interaction with neuronal physiology, a better comprehension of LEV effects on neurons activity is needed. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) represent an advanced technology for the non-invasive study of electrophysiological activity of neuronal cell cultures. In this study, we exploited the Maestro Edge MEA system, a platform that allows a deep analysis of the electrical network behavior, to study the electrophysiological effect of LEV on a mixed population of human neurons (glutamatergic, GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons, and astrocytes). We found that LEV significantly affected different variables such as spiking, single-electrode bursting, and network bursting activity, with a pronounced effect after 15 min. Moreover, neuronal cell culture completely rescued its baseline activity after 24 h without LEV. In summary, MEA technology confirmed its high sensitivity in detecting drug-induced electrophysiological modifications. Moreover, our results allow one to extend the knowledge on the electrophysiological effects of LEV on the complex neuronal population that resembles the human cortex.

Chemical and Biological Molecules Involved in Differentiation, Maturation, and Survival of Dopaminergic Neurons in Health and Parkinson's Disease: Physiological Aspects and Clinical Implications

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by a specific and progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons and dopamine, causing motor dysfunctions and impaired movements. Unfortunately, available therapies can partially treat the motor symptoms, but they have no effect on non-motor features. In addition, the therapeutic effect reduces gradually, and the prolonged use of drugs leads to a significative increase in the number of adverse events. For these reasons, an alternative approach that allows the replacement or the improved survival of DA neurons is very appealing for the treatment of PD patients and recently the first human clinical trials for DA neurons replacement have been set up. Here, we review the role of chemical and biological molecules that are involved in the development, survival and differentiation of DA neurons. In particular, we review the chemical small molecules used to differentiate different type of stem cells into DA neurons with high efficiency; the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs both in DA neurons development/survival as far as in the pathogenesis of PD; and, finally, we dissect the potential role of exosomes carrying biological molecules as treatment of PD.

Stem cell-based approaches in cardiac tissue engineering: controlling the microenvironment for autologous cells

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Cardiac tissue engineering strategies focusing on biomaterial scaffolds incorporating cells and growth factors are emerging as highly promising for cardiac repair and regeneration. The use of stem cells within cardiac microengineered tissue constructs present an inherent ability to differentiate into cell types of the human heart. Stem cells derived from various tissues including bone marrow, dental pulp, adipose tissue and umbilical cord can be used for this purpose. Approaches ranging from stem cell injections, stem cell spheroids, cell encapsulation in a suitable hydrogel, use of prefabricated scaffold and bioprinting technology are at the forefront in the field of cardiac tissue engineering. The stem cell microenvironment plays a key role in the maintenance of stemness and/or differentiation into cardiac specific lineages. This review provides a detailed overview of the recent advances in microengineering of autologous stem cell-based tissue engineering platforms for the repair of damaged cardiac tissue. A particular emphasis is given to the roles played by the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating the physiological response of stem cells within cardiac tissue engineering platforms.

Advanced Multi-Dimensional Cellular Models as Emerging Reality to Reproduce In Vitro the Human Body Complexity

A hot topic in biomedical science is the implementation of more predictive in vitro models of human tissues to significantly improve the knowledge of physiological or pathological process, drugs discovery and screening. Bidimensional (2D) culture systems still represent good high-throughput options for basic research. Unfortunately, these systems are not able to recapitulate the in vivo three-dimensional (3D) environment of native tissues, resulting in a poor in vitro–in vivo translation. In addition, intra-species differences limited the use of animal data for predicting human responses, increasing in vivo preclinical failures and ethical concerns. Dealing with these challenges, in vitro 3D technological approaches were recently bioengineered as promising platforms able to closely capture the complexity of in vivo normal/pathological tissues. Potentially, such systems could resemble tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM), cell–cell and cell–ECM interactions and specific cell biological responses to mechanical and physical/chemical properties of the matrix. In this context, this review presents the state of the art of the most advanced progresses of the last years. A special attention to the emerging technologies for the development of human 3D disease-relevant and physiological models, varying from cell self-assembly (i.e., multicellular spheroids and organoids) to the use of biomaterials and microfluidic devices has been given.