Swiss Medical Devices for Autologous Regenerative Medicine: From Innovation to Clinical Validation

Platelet-Rich Plasma Promotes the Expansion of Human Myoblasts and Favors the In Vitro Generation of Human Muscle Reserve Cells in a Deeper State of Quiescence

Stem cell therapy holds significant potential for skeletal muscle repair, with in vitro-generated human muscle reserve cells (MuRCs) emerging as a source of quiescent myogenic stem cells that can be injected to enhance muscle regeneration. However, the clinical translation of such therapies is hampered by the need for fetal bovine serum (FBS) during the in vitro generation of human MuRCs. This study aimed to determine whether fresh allogeneic human platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined or not with hyaluronic acid (PRP-HA) could effectively replace xenogeneic FBS for the ex vivo expansion and differentiation of human primary myoblasts. Cells were cultured in media supplemented with either PRP or PRP-HA and their proliferation rate, cytotoxicity and myogenic differentiation potential were compared with those cultured in media supplemented with FBS. The results showed similar proliferation rates among human myoblasts cultured in PRP, PRP-HA or FBS supplemented media, with no cytotoxic effects. Human myoblasts cultured in PRP or PRP-HA showed reduced fusion ability upon differentiation. Nevertheless, we also observed that human MuRCs generated from PRP or PRP-HA myogenic cultures, exhibited increased Pax7 expression and delayed re-entry into the cell cycle upon reactivation, indicating a deeper quiescent state of human MuRCs. These results suggest that allogeneic human PRP effectively replaces FBS for the ex vivo expansion and differentiation of human myoblasts and favors the in vitro generation of Pax7High human MuRCs, with important implications for the advancement of stem cell-based muscle repair strategies.

Enhancing Endometrial Health in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): Evaluating Autologous Endometrial Cells and Platelets-Rich Plasma (PRP) via Hysteroscopic Injections

This review article examines the effectiveness of incorporating autologous endometrial cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) through hysteroscopic injections within the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART). This study assesses the outcomes of these injections on the susceptibility of the endometrium, the dynamics of the uterus, and the frequencies of pregnancy in individuals with refractory thin endometrium. Based on a complete examination of several trials, it becomes apparent that autologous PRP injections provide encouraging turnouts in augmenting endometrial thickness, raising endometrial receptivity, and, in the end, raising chances of being pregnant and successful delivery. The research highlights the promise of autologous PRP and minimally changed endometrial cellular treatments in enhancing outcomes in ART, especially for people who have had problems with implantation. This article gives a whole evaluation of the medical use of and upgrades regarding the utilization of infusions of PRP and autologous endometrial cells under hysteroscopic control to deal with infertility issues related to endometrial health through the synthesis of contemporary studies.

How to make full use of dental pulp stem cells: an optimized cell culture method based on explant technology

Introduction

Dental pulp stem cells from humans possess self-renewal and versatile differentiation abilities. These cells, known as DPSC, are promising for tissue engineering due to their outstanding biological characteristics and ease of access without significant donor site trauma. Existing methods for isolating DPSC mainly include enzyme digestion and explant techniques. Compared with the enzymatic digestion technique, the outgrowth method is less prone to cell damage and loss during the operation, which is essential for DPSC with fewer tissue sources.

Methods

In order to maximize the amount of stem cells harvested while reducing the cost of DPSC culture, the feasibility of the optimized explant technique was evaluated in this experiment. Cell morphology, minimum cell emergence time, the total amount of cells harvested, cell survival, and proliferative and differentiation capacity of DPSC obtained with different numbers of explant attachments (A1-A5) were evaluated.

Results

There was a reduction in the survival rate of the cells in groups A2-A5, and the amount of harvested DPSC decreased in A3-A5 groups, but the DPSC harvested in groups A1-A4 had similar proliferative and differentiation abilities. However, starting from group A5, the survival rate, proliferation and differentiation ability of DPSC decreased significantly, and the adipogenic trend of the cells became more apparent, indicating that the cells had begun to enter the senescence state.

Discussion

The results of our study demonstrated that the DPSC obtained by the optimized explant method up to 4 times had reliable biological properties and is available for tissue engineering.

Pretreatment with platelet-rich plasma protects against ischemia-reperfusion induced flap injury by deactivating the JAK/STAT pathway in mice

BACKGROUND

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of surgical skin flap compromise and organ dysfunction. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous product rich in growth factors, with tissue regenerative potential. PRP has shown promise in multiple I/R-induced tissue injuries, but its effects on skin flap injury remain unexplored.

METHODS

We evaluated the effects of PRP on I/R-injured skin flaps, optimal timing of PRP administration, and the involved mechanisms.

RESULTS

PRP protected against I/R-induced skin flap injury by improving flap survival, promoting blood perfusion and angiogenesis, suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and reducing apoptosis, at least partly via deactivating Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signalling pathway. PRP given before ischemia displayed overall advantages over that given before reperfusion or during reperfusion. In addition, PRP pretreatment had a stronger ability to reverse I/R-induced JAK/STAT activation and apoptosis than AG490, a specific inhibitor of JAK/STAT signalling.

CONCLUSIONS

This study firstly demonstrates the protective role of PRP against I/R-injured skin flaps through negative regulation of JAK/STAT activation, with PRP pretreatment showing optimal therapeutic effects.

Recent Achievements in the Development of Biomaterials Improved with Platelet Concentrates for Soft and Hard Tissue Engineering Applications

Platelet concentrates such as platelet-rich plasma, platelet-rich fibrin or concentrated growth factors are cost-effective autologous preparations containing various growth factors, including platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor β, insulin-like growth factor 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor. For this reason, they are often used in regenerative medicine to treat wounds, nerve damage as well as cartilage and bone defects. Unfortunately, after administration, these preparations release growth factors very quickly, which lose their activity rapidly. As a consequence, this results in the need to repeat the therapy, which is associated with additional pain and discomfort for the patient. Recent research shows that combining platelet concentrates with biomaterials overcomes this problem because growth factors are released in a more sustainable manner. Moreover, this concept fits into the latest trends in tissue engineering, which include biomaterials, bioactive factors and cells. Therefore, this review presents the latest literature reports on the properties of biomaterials enriched with platelet concentrates for applications in skin, nerve, cartilage and bone tissue engineering.

Effect of tetracycline hydrochloride application on dental pulp stem cell metabolism-booster or obstacle for tissue engineering?

Introduction: Stem cells and scaffolds are an important foundation and starting point for tissue engineering. Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) are mesenchymal stem cells with self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation potential, and are ideal candidates for tissue engineering due to their excellent biological properties and accessibility without causing major trauma at the donor site. Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, has been widely used in recent years for the synthesis of cellular scaffolds to reduce the incidence of postoperative infections. Methods: In order to evaluate the effects of TCH on DPSC, the metabolism of DPSC in different concentrations of TCH environment was tested. Moreover, cell morphology, survival rates, proliferation rates, cell migration rates and differentiation abilities of DPSC at TCH concentrations of 0-500 μg/ml were measured. Phalloidin staining, live-dead staining, MTS assay, cell scratch assay and real-time PCR techniques were used to detect the changes in DPSC under varies TCH concentrations. Results: At TCH concentrations higher than 250 μg/ml, DPSC cells were sequestered, the proportion of dead cells increased, and the cell proliferation capacity and cell migration capacity decreased. The osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation abilities of DPSC, however, were already inhibited at TCH con-centrations higher than 50 μg/ml. Here, the expression of the osteogenic genes, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and osteocalcin (OCN), the lipogenic genes lipase (LPL), as well as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) expression were found to be down-regulated. Discussion: The results of the study indicated that TCH in concentrations above 50 µg/ml negatively affects the differentiation capability of DPSC. In addition, TCH at concentrations above 250 µg/ml adversely affects the growth status, percentage of living cells, proliferation and migration ability of cells.