Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells for Myocardial Regeneration

Safety and Efficacy of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Ischemic Heart Disease: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Cell therapy using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) shows great potential as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a systematic review to describe the safety and efficacy of ADSCs in ischemic heart disease.

METHODS

We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and LILACS (from inception to March 2024) for clinical studies involving ADSCs in patients with ischemic heart disease. We excluded studies involving patients with other types of heart disease, studies using mesenchymal stem cells derived from other tissues, as well as ongoing studies. Two independent reviewers screened the retrieved citations, extracted relevant data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included trials, using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria modified by McMaster University and Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS). We used a narrative synthesis to present the results.

RESULTS

Ten studies (comprising 29 publications) met our inclusion criteria, including 8 randomized controlled trials and 2 uncontrolled trials. No severe adverse events associated with ADSC therapy were reported. While most efficacy endpoints did not reach statistical significance, there were reports of improved ischemic area, functional capacity, symptoms, and contractility in patients treated with ADSCs.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from our review suggest that ADSC therapy is generally safe for patients with ischemic heart disease. However, further investigation is warranted to confirm its efficacy, particularly with larger clinical trials and in specific conditions where improvements in microcirculation may have a notable impact on clinical outcomes.

Cardiac-derived extracellular vesicles improve mitochondrial function to protect the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury by delivering ATP5a1

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have confirmed the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in various physiological processes, including cellular death and tissue damage. Recently, we reported that EVs derived from ischemia-reperfusion heart exacerbate cardiac injury. However, the role of EVs from healthy heart tissue (heart-derived EVs, or cEVs) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury remains unclear.

RESULTS

Here, we demonstrated that intramyocardial administration of cEVs significantly enhanced cardiac function and reduced cardiac damage in murine MI/R injury models. cEVs treatment effectively inhibited ferroptosis and maintained mitochondrial homeostasis in cardiomyocytes subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Further results revealed that cEVs can transfer ATP5a1 into cardiomyocytes, thereby suppressing mitochondrial ROS production, alleviating mitochondrial damage, and inhibiting cardiomyocyte ferroptosis. Knockdown of ATP5a1 abolished the protective effects of cEVs. Furthermore, we found that the majority of cEVs are derived from cardiomyocytes, and ATP5a1 in cEVs primarily originates from cardiomyocytes of the healthy murine heart. Moreover, we demonstrated that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC)-derived EVs with ATP5a1 overexpression showed much better efficacy on the therapy of MI/R injury compared to control ADSC-derived EVs.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings emphasized the protective role of cEVs in cardiac injury and highlighted the therapeutic potential of targeting ATP5a1 as an important approach for managing myocardial damage induced by MI/R injury.

Uncovering the link between diabetes and cardiovascular diseases: insights from adipose-derived stem cells

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The escalating global occurrence of obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) has led to a significant upsurge in individuals afflicted with CVDs. As the prevalence of CVDs continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly important to identify the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to their development and progression, which will help discover novel therapeutic avenues. Adipose tissue (AT) is a connective tissue that plays a crucial role in maintaining lipid and glucose homeostasis. However, when AT is exposed to diseased conditions, such as DM, this tissue will alter its phenotype to become dysfunctional. AT is now recognized as a critical contributor to CVDs, especially in patients with DM. AT is comprised of a heterogeneous cellular population, which includes adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). ADSCs resident in AT are believed to regulate physiological cardiac function and have potential cardioprotective roles. However, recent studies have also shown that ADSCs from various adipose tissue depots become pro-apoptotic, pro-inflammatory, less angiogenic, and lose their ability to differentiate into various cell lineages upon exposure to diabetic conditions. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of the physiological roles of ADSCs, the impact of DM on ADSC phenotypic changes, and how these alterations may contribute to the pathogenesis of CVDs.

Development of a thick and functional human adipose-derived stem cell tissue sheet for myocardial infarction repair in rat hearts

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of death worldwide. The most effective treatment for HF is heart transplantation, but its use is limited by the scarcity of donor hearts. Recently, stem cell-based therapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating myocardial infarction. Our research group has been investigating the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte patches as a potential therapeutic candidate. We have successfully conducted eight cases of clinical trials and demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of this approach. However, further advancements are necessary to overcome immune rejection and enhance therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we propose a novel and efficient technique for constructing mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) tissue sheets, which can be transplanted effectively for treating myocardial infarction repair.

METHODS

We applied a one-step method to construct the human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hADSC) tissue sheet on a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) fiber scaffold. Histology, immunofluorescence, and paracrine profile assessment were used to determine the organization and function of the hADSC tissue sheet. Echocardiography and pathological analyses of heart sections were performed to evaluate cardiac function, fibrosis area, angiogenesis, and left ventricular remodeling.

RESULTS

In vitro, the hADSC tissue sheet showed great organization, abundant ECM expression, and increased paracrine secretion than single cells. In vivo, the hADSC tissue sheet group demonstrated improved cardiac functional recovery, less ventricular remodeling, decreased fibrosis, and enhanced angiogenesis than the MI group.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed thick and functional hADSC tissue sheets via the one-step strategy. The hADSC tissue sheet showed excellent performance in treating myocardial infarction in the rat model.

Ghrelin promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation of adipose tissue‑derived mesenchymal stem cells by DDX17‑mediated regulation of the SFRP4/Wnt/β‑catenin axis

Adipose tissue‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) differentiate into cardiomyocytes and may be an ideal cell source for myocardial regenerative medicine. Ghrelin is a gastric‑secreted peptide hormone involved in the multilineage differentiation of MSCs. To the best of our knowledge, however, the role and potential downstream regulatory mechanism of ghrelin in cardiomyocyte differentiation of ADMSCs is still unknown. The mRNA and protein levels were measured by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting. Immunofluorescence staining was used to show the expression and cellular localization of cardiomyocyte markers and β‑catenin. RNA sequencing was used to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that regulated by ghrelin. The present study found that ghrelin promoted cardiomyocyte differentiation of ADMSCs in a concentration‑dependent manner, as shown by increased levels of cardiomyocyte markers GATA binding protein 4, α‑myosin heavy chain (α‑MHC), ISL LIM homeobox 1, NK2 homeobox 5 and troponin T2, cardiac type. Ghrelin increased β‑catenin accumulation in nucleus and decreased the protein expression of secreted frizzled‑related protein 4 (SFRP4), an inhibitor of Wnt signaling. RNA sequencing was used to determine the DEGs regulated by ghrelin. Functional enrichment showed that DEGs were more enriched in cardiomyocyte differentiation‑associated terms and Wnt pathways. Dead‑box helicase 17 (DDX17), an upregulated DEG, showed enhanced mRNA and protein expression levels following ghrelin addition. Overexpression of DDX17 promoted protein expression of cardiac‑specific markers and β‑catenin and enhanced the fluorescence intensity of α‑MHC and β‑catenin. DDX17 upregulation inhibited protein expression of SFRP4. Rescue assay confirmed that the addition of SFRP4 partially reversed ghrelin‑enhanced protein levels of cardiac‑specific markers and the fluorescence intensity of α‑MHC. In conclusion, ghrelin promoted cardiomyocyte differentiation of ADMSCs by DDX17‑mediated regulation of the SFRP4/Wnt/β‑catenin axis.

Sexual dimorphic gene expression profile of perirenal adipose tissue in ovine fetuses with growth restriction

Worldwide, fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects 7%-10% of pregnancies, or roughly 20.5 million infants, each year. FGR increases not only neonatal mortality and morbidity but also the risk of obesity in later life. Currently, the molecular mechanisms by which FGR "programs" an obese phenotype are not well understood. Studies demonstrate that FGR females are more prone to obesity compared to males; however, the molecular mechanisms that lead to the sexually dimorphic programming of FGR are not known. Thus, we hypothesized that FGR leads to the sexually dimorphic programming of preadipocytes and reduces their ability to differentiate into mature adipocytes. To test the hypothesis, we utilized a maternal hyperthermia-induced placental insufficiency to restrict fetal growth in sheep. We collected perirenal adipose tissue from near-term (∼140 days gestation) male and female FGR and normal-weight fetal lambs (N = 4 to 5 in each group), examined the preadipocytes' differentiation potential, and identified differential mRNA transcript expression in perirenal adipose tissue. Male FGR fetuses have a lower cellular density (nuclei number/unit area) compared to control male fetuses. However, no difference was observed in female FGR fetuses compared to control female fetuses. In addition, the ability of preadipocytes to differentiate into mature adipocytes with fat accumulation was impaired in male FGR fetuses, but this was not observed in female FGR fetuses. Finally, we examined the genes and pathways involved in the sexually dimorphic programming of obesity by FGR. On enrichment of differentially expressed genes in males compared to females, the Thermogenesis KEGG Pathway was downregulated, and the Metabolic and Steroid Biosynthesis KEGG pathways were upregulated. On enrichment of differentially expressed genes in male FGR compared to male control, the Steroid Biosynthesis KEGG Pathway was downregulated, and the PPAR Signaling KEGG pathway was upregulated. No pathways were altered in females in response to growth restriction in perirenal adipose tissue. Thus, the present study demonstrates a sexually dimorphic program in response to growth restriction in sheep fetal perirenal adipose tissue.

Substrate stiffness can affect the crosstalk between adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells and macrophages in bone tissue engineering

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effect of biomaterials with different stiffness on Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ADSC)-macrophage crosstalk in bone tissue engineering and its role in bone repair. Methods: Biomaterials with Young's modulus of 64 and 0.2 kPa were selected, and the crosstalk between ADSCs and macrophages was investigated by means of conditioned medium treatment and cell co-culture, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the polarization of macrophages. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red staining (ARS) solutions were used to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the chemotaxis of ADSCs and macrophages. Moreover, mass spectrometry proteomics was used to analyze the secreted protein profile of ADSCs of different substrates and macrophages in different polarization states. Results: On exploring the influence of biomaterials on macrophages from ADSCs on different substrates, we found that CD163 and CD206 expression levels in macrophages were significantly higher in the 64-kPa group than in the 0.2-kPa group in conditioned medium treatment and cell co-culture. Flow cytometry showed that more cells became CD163+ or CD206+ cells in the 64-kPa group under conditioned medium treatment or cell co-culture. The Transwell assay showed that more macrophages migrated to the lower chamber in the 64-kPa group. The proteomic analysis found that ADSCs in the 64-kPa group secreted more immunomodulatory proteins, such as LBP and RBP4, to improve the repair microenvironment. On exploring the influence of biomaterials on ADSCs from macrophages in different polarization states, we found that ALP and ARS levels in ADSCs were significantly higher in the M2 group than in the other three groups (NC, M0, and M1 groups) in both conditioned medium treatment and cell co-culture. The Transwell assay showed that more ADSCs migrated to the lower chamber in the M2 group. The proteomic analysis found that M2 macrophages secreted more extracellular remodeling proteins, such as LRP1, to promote bone repair. Conclusion: In bone tissue engineering, the stiffness of repair biomaterials can affect the crosstalk between ADSCs and macrophages, thereby regulating local repair immunity and affecting bone repair.

LNX2 involves in the role of ghrelin to promote the neuronal differentiation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have promising effects on nerve repair due to the differentiation ability to neural cells. Ghrelin has been shown to promote the neural differentiation of ADSCs. This work was designed to explore its underlying mechanism. Herein, we found high expression of LNX2 in ADSCs after neuronal differentiation. Knockdown of LNX2 might block neuronal differentiation of ADSCs, as evidenced by the decreased number of neural-like cells and dendrites per cell, and the reduced expressions of neural markers (including β-Tubulin III, Nestin, and MAP2). We also demonstrated that LNX2 silencing suppressed the nuclear translocation of β-catenin in differentiated ADSCs. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that LNX2 inhibited wnt/β-catenin pathway by reducing its transcriptional activity. In addition, results showed that LNX2 expression was increased by ghrelin, and its inhibition diminished the effects of ghrelin on neuronal differentiation. Altogether, the results suggest that LNX2 is involved in the role of ghrelin to facilitate neuronal differentiation of ADSCs.

Nanofat: A therapeutic paradigm in regenerative medicine

Adipose tissue is a compact and well-organized tissue containing a heterogeneous cellular population of progenitor cells, including mesenchymal stromal cells. Due to its availability and accessibility, adipose tissue is considered a “stem cell depot.” Adipose tissue products possess anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, anti-apoptotic, and immunomodulatory effects. Nanofat, being a compact bundle of stem cells with regenerative and tissue remodeling potential, has potential in translational and regenerative medicine. Considering the wide range of applicability of its reconstructive and regenerative potential, the applications of nanofat can be used in various disciplines. Nanofat behaves on the line of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. At the site of injury, these stromal cells initiate a site-specific reparative response comprised of remodeling of the extracellular matrix, enhanced and sustained angiogenesis, and immune system modulation. These properties of stromal cells provide a platform for the usage of regenerative medicine principles in curbing various diseases. Details about nanofat, including various preparation methods, characterization, delivery methods, evidence on practical applications, and ethical concerns are included in this review. However, appropriate guidelines and preparation protocols for its optimal use in a wide range of clinical applications have yet to be standardized.

Cell and Cell Free Therapies in Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common articular disease in adults and has a current prevalence of 12% in the population over 65 years old. This chronic disease causes damage to articular cartilage and synovial joints, causing pain and leading to a negative impact on patients' function, decreasing quality of life. There are many limitations regarding OA conventional therapies-pharmacological therapy can cause gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiac adverse effects, and some of them could even be a threat to life. On the other hand, surgical options, such as microfracture, have been used for the last 20 years, but hyaline cartilage has a limited regeneration capacity. In recent years, the interest in new therapies, such as cell-based and cell-free therapies, has been considerably increasing. The purpose of this review is to describe and compare bioregenerative therapies' efficacy for OA, with particular emphasis on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). In OA, these therapies might be an alternative and less invasive treatment than surgery, and a more effective option than conventional therapies.

Single Cell Genomics Identifies Unique Cardioprotective Phenotype of Stem Cells derived from Epicardial Adipose Tissue under Ischemia

The conventional management strategies of myocardial infarction (MI) are effective to sustain life; however, myocardial regeneration has not been achieved owing to the inherently poor regenerative capacity of the native myocardium. Stem cell-based therapies are promising; however, lineage specificity and undesired differentiation profile are challenging. Herein, we focused on the epicardial fat (EF) as an ideal source for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) owing to the proximity and same microvasculature with cardiac muscle. Unfortunately, the epicardial adipose tissue derived stem cells (EATDS) remain understudied regarding their phenotype heterogeneity and cardiac regeneration potential. As EF closely reflects the cardiac pathology during ischemia, the present study aims to determine the EATDS subpopulations under simulated ischemic and reperfused conditions employing single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). EATDS were isolated from three hyperlipidemic Yucatan microswine and were divided into Control, Ischemia (ISC), and Ischemia/reperfusion (ISC/R). The scRNAseq analysis was performed using 10 genomics platform which revealed 18 unique cell clusters suggesting the existence of heterogeneous phenotypes. The upregulated genes were taken into consideration and subsequent functional assessment revealed the cardioprotective phenotypes with diverse mechanisms including epigenetic regulation (Cluster 1), myocardial homeostasis (Cluster 1), cell integrity and cell cycle (Clusters 2 and 3), prevention of fibroblast differentiation (Cluster 4), differentiation to myocardial lineage (Cluster 6), anti-inflammatory responses (Clusters 5, 8, and 11), prevention of ER-stress (Cluster 9), and increasing the energy metabolism (Cluster 10). These unique phenotypes of heterogeneous EATDS population open significant translational opportunities for myocardial regeneration and cardiac management.

Immune modulation via adipose derived Mesenchymal Stem cells is driven by donor sex in vitro

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are currently being used in clinical trials as proposed treatments for a large range of genetic, immunological, orthopaedic, cardiovascular, endocrine and neurological disorders. MSCs are potent anti-inflammatory mediators which are considered immune evasive and employ a large range of secreted vesicles to communicate and repair damaged tissue. Despite their prolific use in therapy, sex specific mechanism of action is rarely considered as a potential confounding factor for use. The purpose of this study was to examine the potency and functionality of both female and male adipose derived MSCs in order to gain further insights into donor selection. Methods MSC were expanded to passage 4, secretome was harvested and stored at − 80c. To assess potency MSC were also primed and assessed via functional immune assays, ELISA, multiplex and immunophenotyping. Results Female MSCs (fMSC), consistently suppressed Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation significantly (p < 0.0001) more than male MSC (mMSC). In co-culture mPBMCs, showed 60.7 ± 15.6% suppression with fMSCs compared with 22.5 ± 13.6% suppression with mMSCs. Similarly, fPBMCs were suppressed by 67.9 ± 10.4% with fMSCs compared to 29.4 ± 9.3% with mMSCs. The enhanced immunosuppression of fMSCs was attributed to the production of higher concentrations of the anti-inflammatory mediators such as IDO1 (3301 pg/mL vs 1699 pg/mL) and perhaps others including IL-1RA (1025 pg/mL vs 701 pg/mL), PGE-2 (6142 pg/mL vs 2448 pg/mL) and prolonged expression of VCAM-1 post activation relative to mMSCs. In contrast, mMSCs produces more inflammatory G-CSF than fMSCs (806 pg/mL vs 503 pg/mL). Moreover, IDO1 expression was correlated to immune suppression and fMSCs, but not mMSCs induced downregulation of the IL-2 receptor and sustained expression of the early T cell activation marker, CD69 in PBMCs further highlighting the differences in immunomodulation potentials between the sexes. Conclusion In conclusion, our data shows that female MSC are more potent in vitro than their male counterparts. The inability of male MSC to match female MSC driven immunomodulation and to use the inflammatory microenvironment to their advantage is evident and is likely a red flag when using allogeneic male MSC as a therapeutic for disease states.

DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine in high dose promotes ultrastructural maturation of cardiomyocyte

Background

The adult human heart muscle cells, cardiomyocytes are not capable of regenerate after injury. Stem cells are a powerful means for future regenerative medicine because of their capacity for self-renewal and multipotency. Several studies have reported the cardiogenic potential in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) differentiation, but there is still no efficient protocol for the induction of cardiac differentiation by 5-azacytidine (5-Aza). The present study involves characterization and mainly, the ultrastructure of ADSCs derived cardiomyocyte-like cells.

Methods

The cultured ADSCs were treated with 50 µM 5-Aza for 24 hours, followed by a 10-week extension. At different time points, cardiomyocyte-like cells were assessed by qRT-PCR and were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy at 10^th week.

Results

The expression of cardiac-specific markers entailing cardiac troponin I (cTnI), connexin 43, myosin light chain-2v (Mlc-2v), increased over 10 weeks and the highest expression was at 10^th week. The expression of the β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) increased significantly over 5 weeks and then decreased. At the ultrastructural level myofibrils, transverse tubules (T-tubules), sarcoplasmic reticular membrane, and intercalated discs were present.

Conclusions

These data suggest that treatment with 5-Aza in high dose could promote differentiation of ADSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells. These differentiated cells could be used for regeneration of damaged cardiomyocytes with the 3D scaffold for delivery of the cells.

Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells along with Alpinia oxyphylla extract alleviate mitochondria-mediated cardiac apoptosis in aging models and cardiac function in aging rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Fructus (Alpinia oxyphylla MIQ) known as Yi Zhi Ren in Chinese medicine has been used as a food and herbal medicinal substance in China for centuries; in the year 2015 Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission reported water extracts of Alpinia oxyphyllae Fructus (AoF) as a popular medication for aging-related diseases in the form of tonic, aphrodisiac, and health-care food in south China.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Adipose mesenchymal stem cells are physiologically and therapeutically associated with healthy vascular function and cardiac health. However aging conditions hinder stem cell function and increases the vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the effect of the anti-aging herbal medicine AoF to enhance the cardiac restorative function of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) in aging condition was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Low dose (0.1 μM) Doxorubicin and D-galactose (150 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks) were used to respectively induce aging in vitro and in vivo. For In vivo studies, 20 week old WKY rats were divided into Control, Aging induced (AI), AI + AoF, AI + ADMSC, AI + AoF Oral + ADMSC, and AI + AoF treated ADMSC groups. AoF (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orally and ADMSCs (1 × 10⁶ cells) were injected (IV).

RESULTS

AoF preconditioned ADMSC showed reduction in low dose Dox induced mitochondrial apoptosis and improved DNA replication in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In vivo experiments confirmed that both a combined treatment with AoF-ADMSCs and with AoF preconditioned ADMSCs reduced aging associated cardiac damages which was correlated with reduction in apoptosis and expression of senescence markers (P21 and β-gal). Survival and longevity markers were upregulated up on combined administration of AoF and ADMSCs. The cardiac performance of the aging-induced rats was improved significantly in the treatment groups. AoF along with ADMSCs might activate paracrine factors to restore the performance of an aging heart.

CONCLUSION

Hence, we propose that ADMSCs combined with AoF have promising therapeutic properties in the treatment of healthy aging heart.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Current Applications and Future Directions in the Regeneration of Multiple Tissues

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can maintain self-renewal and enhanced multidifferentiation potential through the release of a variety of paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles, allowing them to repair damaged organs and tissues. Consequently, considerable attention has increasingly been paid to their application in tissue engineering and organ regeneration. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of ADSC preparation, including harvesting, isolation, and identification. The advances in preclinical and clinical evidence-based ADSC therapy for bone, cartilage, myocardium, liver, and nervous system regeneration as well as skin wound healing are also summarized. Notably, the perspectives, potential challenges, and future directions for ADSC-related researches are discussed. We hope that this review can provide comprehensive and standardized guidelines for the safe and effective application of ADSCs to achieve predictable and desired therapeutic effects.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells promote the malignant phenotype of cervical cancer

Epidemiological studies indicate that obesity negatively affects the progression and treatment of cervical-uterine cancer. Recent evidence shows that a subpopulation of adipose-derived stem cells can alter cancer properties. In the present project, we described for the first time the impact of adipose-derived stem cells over the malignant behavior of cervical cancer cells. The transcriptome of cancer cells cultured in the presence of stem cells was analyzed using RNA-seq. Changes in gene expression were validated using digital-PCR. Bioinformatics tools were used to identify the main transduction pathways disrupted in cancer cells due to the presence of stem cells. In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to validate cellular and molecular processes altered in cervical cancer cells owing to stem cells. Our results show that the expression of 95 RNAs was altered in cancer cells as a result of adipose-derived stem cells. Experimental assays indicate that stem cells provoke an increment in migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis of cancer cells; however, no alterations were found in proliferation. Bioinformatics and experimental analyses demonstrated that the NF-kappa B signaling pathway is enriched in cancer cells due to the influence of adipose-derived stem cells. Interestingly, the tumor cells shift their epithelial to a mesenchymal morphology, which was reflected by the increased expression of specific mesenchymal markers. In addition, stem cells also promote a stemness phenotype in the cervical cancer cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that adipose-derived stem cells induce cervical cancer cells to acquire malignant features where NF-kappa B plays a key role.

Cardiac Differentiation of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Is Driven by BMP4 and bFGF but Counteracted by 5-Azacytidine and Valproic Acid

Objective

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) play important roles in embryonic heart development. Also, two epigenetic modifying molecules, 5'-azacytidine (5'-Aza) and valproic acid (VPA) induce cardiomyogenesis in the infarcted heart. In this study, we first evaluated the role of BMP4 and bFGF in cardiac trans-differentiation and then the effectiveness of 5´-Aza and VPA in reprogramming and cardiac differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs).

Materials and Methods

In this experimental study, human ADSCs were isolated by collagenase I digestion. For cardiac differentiation, third to fifth-passaged ADSCs were treated with BMP4 alone or a combination of BMP4 and bFGF with or without 5'-Aza and VPA pre-treatment. After 21 days, the expression of cardiac-specific markers was evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and western blot analyses.

Results

BMP4 and more prominently a combination of BMP4 and bFGF induced cardiac differentiation of human ADSCs. Epigenetic modification of the ADSCs by 5'-Aza and VPA significantly upregulated the expression of OCT4A, SOX2, NANOG, Brachyury/T and GATA4 but downregulated GSC and NES mRNAs. Furthermore, pre-treatment with 5'-Aza and VPA upregulated the expression of TBX5, ANF, CX43 and CXCR4 mRNAs in three-week differentiated ADSCs but downregulated the expression of some cardiac-specific genes and decreased the population of cardiac troponin I-expressing cells.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated the inductive role of BMP4 and especially BMP4 and bFGF combination in cardiac trans-differentiation of human ADSCs. Treatment with 5'-Aza and VPA reprogrammed ADSCs toward a more pluripotent state and increased tendency of the ADSCs for mesodermal differentiation. Although pre-treatment with 5'-Aza and VPA counteracted the cardiogenic effects of BMP4 and bFGF, it may be in favor of migration, engraftment and survival of the ADSCs after transplantation.

Animal- and human-based evidence for the protective effects of stem cell therapy against cardiovascular disorders

The increasing rate of mortality and morbidity because of cardiac diseases has called for efficient therapeutic needs. With the advancement in cell-based therapies, stem cells are abundantly studied in this area. Nearly, all sources of stem cells are experimented to treat cardiac injuries. Tissue engineering has also backed this technique by providing an advantageous platform to improve stem cell therapy. After in vitro studies, primary treatment-based research studies comprise small and large animal studies. Furthermore, these studies are implemented in human models in the form of clinical trials. Purpose of this review is to highlight the animal- and human-based studies, exploiting various stem cell sources, to treat cardiovascular disorders.

Adipose Tissue Stem Cells for Therapy: An Update on the Progress of Isolation, Culture, Storage, and Clinical Application

Adipose tissue stem cells (ASCs), known as multipotent stem cells, are most commonly used in the clinical applications in recent years. Adipose tissues (AT) have the advantage in the harvesting, isolation, and expansion of ASCs, especially an abundant amount of stem cells compared to bone marrow. ASCs can be found in stromal vascular fractions (SVF) which are easily obtained from the dissociation of adipose tissue. Both SVFs and culture-expanded ASCs exhibit the stem cell characteristics such as differentiation into multiple cell types, regeneration, and immune regulators. Therefore, SVFs and ASCs have been researched to evaluate the safety and benefits for human use. In fact, the number of clinical trials on ASCs is going to increase by years; however, most trials are in phase I and II, and lack phase III and IV. This systemic review highlights and updates the process of the harvesting, characteristics, isolation, culture, storage, and application of ASCs, as well as provides further directions on the therapeutic use of ASCs.

Therapeutic Cell Protective Role of Histochrome under Oxidative Stress in Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells

Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are resident stem cells present in a small portion of ischemic hearts and function in repairing the damaged heart tissue. Intense oxidative stress impairs cell metabolism thereby decreasing cell viability. Protecting CPCs from undergoing cellular apoptosis during oxidative stress is crucial in optimizing CPC-based therapy. Histochrome (sodium salt of echinochrome A—a common sea urchin pigment) is an antioxidant drug that has been clinically used as a pharmacologic agent for ischemia/reperfusion injury in Russia. However, the mechanistic effect of histochrome on CPCs has never been reported. We investigated the protective effect of histochrome pretreatment on human CPCs (hCPCs) against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress. Annexin V/7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) assay revealed that histochrome-treated CPCs showed significant protective effects against H₂O₂-induced cell death. The anti-apoptotic proteins B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-xL were significantly upregulated, whereas the pro-apoptotic proteins BCL2-associated X (Bax), H₂O₂-induced cleaved caspase-3, and the DNA damage marker, phosphorylated histone (γH2A.X) foci, were significantly downregulated upon histochrome treatment of hCPCs in vitro. Further, prolonged incubation with histochrome alleviated the replicative cellular senescence of hCPCs. In conclusion, we report the protective effect of histochrome against oxidative stress and present the use of a potent and bio-safe cell priming agent as a potential therapeutic strategy in patient-derived hCPCs to treat heart disease.

A new combination of transcription factors increases the harvesting efficiency of pacemaker‑like cells

Biological pacemakers that combine cell-based and gene-based therapies are a promising treatment for sick sinus syndrome or severe atrioventricular block. The current study aimed to induce differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into cardiac pacemaker cells through co-expression of the transcription factors insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL-1) and T-box18 (Tbx18). ADSCs were transfected with green fluorescent protein, ISL-1, Tbx18 or ISL-1+Tbx18 fluorescent protein lentiviral vectors, and subsequently co-cultured with neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes in vitro for 7 days. The potential for regulating the differentiation of ADSCs into pacemaker-like cells was evaluated by cell morphology, beating rate, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, immunofluorescence and electrophysiological activity. ADSCs were successfully transformed into spontaneously beating cells that exhibited a behavior similar to that of co-cultured pacemaker cells. This effect was significantly increased in the combined ISL-1 and Tbx18 group. These results provide a potential strategy for enriching the cardiac pacemaker cell population from ADSCs.

An updated review of adipose derived-mesenchymal stem cells and their applications in musculoskeletal disorders

INTRODUCTION

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) represent a new therapeutic strategy in biomedicine with many potential applications, especially in musculoskeletal disorders. Preclinical and clinical studies based on the administration of ASCs support their efficacy in bone regeneration, joint repair, tendon injury and skeletal muscle alterations. Many of these novel treatments may improve patients' quality of life and prognosis. However, several concerns about the use of stem cells remain unsolved, particularly regarding their safety and side effects. The present work aims to review the nature, clinical trials and patents involving the use of ASCs in musculoskeletal disorders.

AREAS COVERED

In this article, we describe ASCs' isolation, culture and differentiation in vivo and in vitro, advances on ASCs' applications in bone, cartilage, muscle and tendon repair, and patents involving the use of ASCs.

EXPERT OPINION

The use of ASCs in musculoskeletal disorders presents significant therapeutic advantages, including limited autoimmune response, potential cell expansion ex vivo, high plasticity to differentiate into several mesodermal cell lineages, and additional effects of therapeutic interest such as secretion of neurotrophic factors and anti-inflammatory properties. For these reasons, ASCs are promising therapeutic agents for clinical applications in musculoskeletal disorders.

Insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 induces adipose tissue‑derived stem cells to differentiate into pacemaker‑like cells

Hybrid approaches combining gene- and cell-based therapies to make biological pacemakers are a promising therapeutic avenue for bradyarrhythmia. The present study aimed to direct adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to differentiate specifically into cardiac pacemaker cells by overexpressing a single transcription factor, insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL-1). In the present study, the ADSCs were transfected with ISL‑1 or mCherry fluorescent protein lentiviral vectors and co-cultured with neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) in vitro for 5-7 days. The feasibility of regulating the differentiation of ADSCs into pacemaker-like cells by overexpressing ISL-1 was evaluated by observation of cell morphology and beating rate, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, western blotting, immunofluorescence and analysis of electrophysiological activity. In conclusion, these data indicated that the overexpression of ISL-1 in ADSCs may enhance the pacemaker phenotype and automaticity in vitro, features which were significantly increased following co‑culture induction.

Plasticity of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells and Regulation of Angiogenesis

Adipose tissue is recognized as an important organ with metabolic, regulatory, and plastic roles. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) with self-renewal properties localize in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) being present in a vascular niche, thereby, contributing to local regulation of angiogenesis and vessel remodeling. In the past decades, ASCs have attracted much attention from biologists and bioengineers, particularly, because of their multilineage differentiation potential, strong proliferation, and migration abilities in vitro and high resistance to oxidative stress and senescence. Current data suggest that the SVF serves as an important source of endothelial progenitors, endothelial cells, and pericytes, thereby, contributing to vessel remodeling and growth. In addition, ASCs demonstrate intriguing metabolic and interlineage plasticity, which makes them good candidates for creating regenerative therapeutic protocols, in vitro tissue models and microphysiological systems, and tissue-on-chip devices for diagnostic and regeneration-supporting purposes. This review covers recent achievements in understanding the metabolic activity within the SVF niches (lactate and NAD+ metabolism), which is critical for maintaining the pool of ASCs, and discloses their pro-angiogenic potential, particularly, in the complex therapy of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Platelet-rich plasma enhances the proliferation of human adipose stem cells through multiple signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood product that contains a high concentration of several growth factors. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB is a potential mitogen for human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). PRP stimulates proliferation of hASCs; however, the signaling pathways activated by PRP remain unclear.

METHODS

hASCs were cultured with or without PRP or PDGF-BB, and proliferation was assessed. hASCs were also treated with PRP or PDGF-BB with or without imatinib, which is a PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or sorafenib, which is a multikinase inhibitor. Inhibition of cell proliferation was examined using anti-PDGF antibody (Abcam, Cambridge, UK), by cell counting. We assessed the effects of inhibitors of various protein kinases such as ERK1/2, JNK, p38, and Akt on the proliferation of hASCs.

RESULTS

The proliferation was remarkably promoted in cells treated with either 1% PRP or 10 ng/ml PDGF-BB, and both imatinib and sorafenib inhibited this proliferation. Anti-PDGF antibody (0.5 and 2 μg/ml) significantly decreased the proliferation of hASCs compared with control. PRP-mediated hASC proliferation was blocked by inhibitors of ERK1/2, Akt, and JNK, but not by an inhibitor of p38.

CONCLUSIONS

PRP promotes hASC proliferation, and PDGF-BB in PRP plays a major role in inducing the proliferation of hASCs. PRP promotes hASC proliferation via ERK1/2, PI3K/Akt, and JNK signaling pathways.