Does vitamin C have the ability to augment the therapeutic effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on spinal cord injury?

The Role of Vitamins in Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms and Benefits

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common neurological disease worldwide, often resulting in a substantial decrease in quality of life, disability, and in severe cases, even death. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective treatment for this disease. Nevertheless, current basic and clinical evidence suggests that vitamins, with their antioxidant properties and biological functions, may play a valuable role in improving the quality of life for individuals with SCI. They can promote overall health and facilitate the healing process. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of vitamins in the treatment of SCI.

Bioactive role of vitamins as a key modulator of oxidative stress, cellular damage and comorbidities associated with spinal cord injury (SCI)

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) cause significant disability and impact the quality of life of those affected by it. The nutritional status and diet are fundamental to diminish the progression of complications; vitamins modulate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, promote blood-spinal cord barrier preservation and the prompt recovery of homeostasis. A deep knowledge of the benefits achieved from vitamins in patients with SCI are summarized. Information of dosage, time, and effects of vitamins in these patients are also displayed. Vitamins have been extensively investigated; however, more clinical trials are needed to clarify the scope of vitamin supplementation.Objective: The objective of this review was to offer relevant therapeutic information based on vitamins supplementation for SCI patients.Methods: Basic and clinical studies that have implemented the use of vitamins in SCI were considered. They were selected from the year 2000-2022 from three databases: PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar.Results: Consistent benefits in clinical trials were shown in those who were supplemented with vitamin D (prevents osteoporosis and improves physical performance variables), B3 (improves lipid profile) and B12 (neurological prophylaxis of chronic SCI damage) mainly. On the other hand, improvement related to neuroprotection, damage modulation (vitamin A) and its prophylaxis were associated to B complex vitamins supplementation; the studies who reported positive results are displayed in this review.Discussion: Physicians should become familiar with relevant information that can support conventional treatment in patients with SCI, such as the use of vitamins, a viable option that can improve outcomes in patients with this condition.

Reactive oxygen species and ovarian diseases: Antioxidant strategies

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are mainly produced in mitochondria and are involved in various physiological activities of the ovary through signaling and are critical for regulating the ovarian cycle. Notably, the imbalance between ROS generation and the antioxidant defense system contributes to the development of ovarian diseases. These contradictory effects have critical implications for potential antioxidant strategies that aim to scavenge excessive ROS. However, much remains to be learned about how ROS causes various ovarian diseases to the application of antioxidant therapy for ovarian diseases. Here, we review the mechanisms of ROS generation and maintenance of homeostasis in the ovary and its associated physiological effects. Additionally, we have highlighted the pathological mechanisms of ROS in ovarian diseases and potential antioxidant strategies for treatment.

Multiple strategies enhance the efficacy of MSCs transplantation for spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious complication of the central nervous system (CNS) after spine injury, often resulting in severe sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction below the level of injury. To date, there is no effective treatment strategy for SCI. Recently, stem cell therapy has brought hope to patients with neurological diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be the most promising source of cellular therapy after SCI due to their immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and angiogenic potential. Considering the limited therapeutic effect of MSCs due to the complex pathophysiological environment following SCI, this paper not only reviews the specific mechanism of MSCs to facilitate SCI repair, but also further discusses the research status of these pluripotent stem cells combined with other therapeutic approaches to promote anatomical and functional recovery post-SCI.

Mesenchymal stem cells in cancer therapy; the art of harnessing a foe to a friend

For a long time, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were discussed only as stem cells which could give rise to different types of cells. However, when it became clear that their presence in the tumor microenvironment (TME) was like a green light for tumorigenesis, they emerged from the ashes. This review was arranged to provide a comprehensive and precise description of MSCs' role in regulating tumorigenesis and to discuss the dark and the bright sides of cancer treatment strategies using MSCs. To gather the details about MSCs, we made an intensive literature review using keywords, including MSCs, tumor microenvironment, tumorigenesis, and targeted therapy. Through transferring cytokines, growth factors, and microRNAs, MSCs maintain the cancer stem cell population, increase angiogenesis, provide a facility for cancer metastasis, and shut down the anti-tumor activity of the immune system. Although MSCs progress tumorigenesis, there is a consensus that these cells could be used as a vehicle to transfer anti-cancer agents into the tumor milieu. This feature opened a new chapter in MSCs biology, this time from the therapeutic perspective. Although the data are not sufficient, the advent of new genetic engineering methods might make it possible to engage these cells as Trojan horses to eliminate the malignant population. So many years of investigation showed that MSCs are an important group of cells, residing in the TME, studying the function of which not only could add a delicate series of information to the process of tumorigenesis but also could revolutionize cancer treatment strategies.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders are becoming a growing burden as society ages, and there is a compelling need to address this spiraling problem. Stem cell-based regenerative medicine is becoming an increasingly attractive approach to designing therapies for such disorders. The unique characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) make them among the most sought after cell sources. Researchers have extensively studied the modulatory properties of MSCs and their engineering, labeling, and delivery methods to the brain. The first part of this review provides an overview of studies on the application of MSCs to various neurological diseases, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other less frequently studied clinical entities. In the second part, stem cell delivery to the brain is focused. This fundamental but still understudied problem needs to be overcome to apply stem cells to brain diseases successfully. Here the value of cell engineering is also emphasized to facilitate MSC diapedesis, migration, and homing to brain areas affected by the disease to implement precision medicine paradigms into stem cell-based therapies.

Shattering barriers toward clinically meaningful MSC therapies

More than 1050 clinical trials are registered at FDA.gov that explore multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for nearly every clinical application imaginable, including neurodegenerative and cardiac disorders, perianal fistulas, graft-versus-host disease, COVID-19, and cancer. Several companies have or are in the process of commercializing MSC-based therapies. However, most of the clinical-stage MSC therapies have been unable to meet primary efficacy end points. The innate therapeutic functions of MSCs administered to humans are not as robust as demonstrated in preclinical studies, and in general, the translation of cell-based therapy is impaired by a myriad of steps that introduce heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss the major clinical challenges with MSC therapies, the details of these challenges, and the potential bioengineering approaches that leverage the unique biology of MSCs to overcome the challenges and achieve more potent and versatile therapies.

Effect of vitamins C and E on recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury: systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies

Context

Many animal studies have evaluated the role of vitamins in the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury, but their results have been contradictory and no consensus has been reached.

Objective

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin C and vitamin E on recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury in animal models.

Data Sources

Two authors independently collected the records of relevant articles published in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science through November 2018.

Study Selection

All studies conducted in animal models to evaluate the therapeutic effects of vitamin C or vitamin E or both on recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury were included. Studies that lacked a control group or a standard treatment, lacked an assessment of motor function, included genetically modified/engineered animals, included animals pretreated with vitamin C or vitamin E, or combined vitamin treatment with other methods, such as cell therapies, were excluded.

Data Extraction

Data from 10 articles met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Results

Daily supplementation with vitamin C (P < 0.0001) and vitamin E (P < 0.0001) significantly improved the recovery of motor function in animals affected by spinal cord injury. Vitamin C supplementation is effective only when administered intraperitoneally (P < 0.0001). Concurrent supplementation with both vitamins does not show better efficacy than treatment with either one alone.

Conclusion

Administration of vitamin C and vitamin E in animal models of spinal cord injury significantly improves the recovery of motor function.

In Vitro Neural Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Carrying the FTH1 Reporter Gene and Detection with MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) reporter gene has been used to trace stem cells. However, whether FTH1 expression is affected by stem cell differentiation or whether cell differentiation is affected by reporter gene expression remains unclear. Here, we explore the relationship between FTH1 expression and neural differentiation in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) carrying FTH1 into neuron-like cells and investigate the feasibility of using FTH1 as an MRI reporter gene to detect neurally differentiated cells. By inducing cell differentiation with all-trans retinoic acid and a modified neuronal medium, MSCs and MSCs-FTH1 were successfully differentiated into neuron-like cells (Neurons and Neurons-FTH1), and the neural differentiation rates were (91.56±7.89)% and (92.23±7.64)%, respectively. Neuron-specific markers, including nestin, neuron-specific enolase, and microtubule-associated protein-2, were significantly expressed in Neurons-FTH1 and Neurons without noticeable differences. On the other hand, FTH1 was significantly expressed in MSCs-FTH1 and Neurons-FTH1 cells, and the expression levels were not significantly different. The R2 value was significantly increased in MSCs-FTH1 and Neurons-FTH1 cells, which was consistent with the findings of Prussian blue staining, transmission electron microscopy, and intracellular iron measurements. These results suggest that FTH1 gene expression did not affect MSC differentiation into neurons and was not affected by neural differentiation. Thus, MRI reporter gene imaging based on FTH1 can be used for the detection of neurally differentiated cells from MSCs.