by Stemedix | Jul 28, 2023 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Crohn's Disease, Stem Cell Therapy
According to the CDC, an estimated 3.1 million adults (1.3%) in the United States have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis.
Characterized by abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition, CD is thought to be the result of swelling and inflammation of the tissue of the digestive tract.
To date, there is not a clearly prescribed method for the treatment or prevention of CD. However, recently, researchers have found stem cells to be a promising treatment option, primarily for the observed ability to regulate immunity, repair injury, and control inflammation.
Building on the positive findings of previous studies that have used autologous stem cells or adipose-derived stem cells to treat CD and its associated complications, Zhang et al.’s randomized controlled clinical trial examines the use of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) as a treatment for CD.
This study followed 82 patients who had been diagnosed with CD and had received steroid maintenance therapy for more than 6 months. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive a series of four peripheral intravenous infusions of UC-MCSs/kg administered over the course of a four-week period. Then, by using the Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI), and corticosteroid dosage, participants in both the control and experimental group were followed up with over a 12-month period.
At the conclusion of this study, Zhang et al. found that the group receiving umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells infusion experienced a significant decrease in the required dosage of corticosteroid dosage and a significant improvement in the overall condition of the patients. These findings led the authors to conclude that UC-MSCs can attenuate immune malfunction in patients with CD. Considering these findings, the authors suggest that the mechanisms of UC-MSC efficacy in CD be elucidated to better understand the precise selection of patients who receive this specific stem-cell treatment in the future.
The authors point out that, while the specific mechanisms of alleviating CD by UC-MSCs remain obscure, it is suggested that the downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines serves a beneficial role in the process.
The authors also raise concerns over the safety of the clinical application of stem cells in this application, highlighting conflicting findings as to the safety of the process. Considering the prevalence of stem cells’ ability to regulate and suppress immunity in other studies, Zhang et al. infer that the patient infections observed during their trial were associated with immunosuppression by stem cells.
While the study suggested that the peripheral infusion of UC-MSCs was convenient and safe, the authors point out that there was little distribution of UC-MSCs in the intestinal tissue and risk of cells being retained in the pulmonary capillaries. As a result, the authors call for future studies comparing the efficacy of interventional infusion into the inferior mesenteric artery to that of peripheral infusion. To know more about mesenchymal stem cell treatment for Crohn’s disease visit Stemedix website and read more related article.
by admin | Jul 26, 2023 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Extracellular Vesicles, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy
Researchers continue to tout the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as an evolving approach for the repair of damaged tissue or lost cells.
Specifically, the ability of MSCs to differentiate and secrete beneficial factors and vesicles is believed to play the most influential role in the regeneration of injured tissues and cells affected by various diseases.
Recently, research into the regenerative potential of MSCs has focused on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by MSCs as an emerging and potential non-cellular therapeutic approach for healing or repairing injured or damaged tissue.
MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs), or cell-free therapies, in contrast to treatments based on whole cells, are easier to manage and safer due to lower amounts of membrane-bound proteins such as MHC molecules and their inability to directly form tumors.
In this review, Keshtkar et al. discuss and describe the extracellular vesicles released by MSCs and their therapeutic potential for addressing different disease models.
These EVs are membrane-packed vesicles that are secreted by a variety of cell types and found in a variety of physiological fluids. In addition to MSCs, EVs are also secreted by T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, platelets, mast cells, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, neuronal cells, cancerous cells, and embryonic cells. EVs are also found in urine, blood, breast milk, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, and amniotic fluid.
EVs have repeatedly demonstrated that they perform an important role in cell-to-cell communication and have been implicated in a number of important processes, including the immune response, homeostasis maintenance, coagulation, and inflammation.
Several studies have explored the use of MSC- EVs as therapeutic treatment options for kidney disease, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disease. The authors of this review report the beneficial therapeutic effects of MSC-EVs in each of the disease models listed above, which include a significant reduction in inflammation, improved angiogenesis, reduced oxidative stress, the suppression of fibrosis, and increased cell proliferation.
Keshtkar et al. conclude that EVs can be easily isolated from MSCs of various origins and can be transferred to target cells to introduce therapeutic effects that include the regeneration of tissue and suppression of inflammation. Additionally, the authors point out that EVs could be an effective, safe therapeutic option.
Considering the potential therapeutic benefits of MSC-EV regenerative therapy, the authors suggest standardizing methods for EV isolation, characterization, and administration as ways to provide safe, effective, and powerful new therapies based on MSC-EVs.
Source: “Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles – NCBI.” 9 Mar. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845209/.
by admin | Jul 19, 2023 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Osteoarthritis, Stem Cell Therapy
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common and widespread form of arthritis, affecting an estimated 655 million people worldwide. Occurring as a result of cartilage degeneration, OA is a progressive degenerative disorder that most commonly affects the joints of the hands, hips, knees, and spine.
Although OA can affect anyone, it is most commonly observed in older patients. In fact, all individuals over the age of 65 are believed to demonstrate some clinical or radiographic evidence of OA.
While surgical and pharmaceutical treatment options for OA exist as a way to manage the symptoms and progression of the disease, treatment for the restoration of normal cartilage function has yet to be achieved.
Considering the tissue of joint cartilage is composed primarily of chondrocytes found in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), using these specific stem cells appears to have significant potential for use in the therapeutic regeneration of cartilage.
In this review, Gupta et al. evaluate the advances in using BMSCs and their therapeutic potential for repairing cartilage damage in OA. Evaluating current research, the authors point out that one of the key characteristics of MSCs, including BMSCs, is that they are generally hypoimmunogenic and possess immunosuppressive activity, suggesting that BMSCs could be used as allogeneic applications for cartilage repair.
Preclinical models of OA have also demonstrated that the effects of MSC transplantation have been effective for cartilage repair. Additionally, clinical models have reported on the safety and positive therapeutic effects of MNSC administration in patients with OA.
The authors point out that while the exact mechanism by which BMSCs regenerate articular cartilage in patients with OA is not clear, their ability to induce proliferation and tissue-specific differentiation appears to aid in the repair of damaged cartilage.
The ability of BMSCs to migrate and engraft onto multiple musculoskeletal tissues and differentiate at the site of injury while demonstrating anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties demonstrate their potential as a therapeutic treatment for degenerative diseases like OA.
While the information provided in this review demonstrates the potential of BMSCs to support treatment and recovery from the damage caused because of OA, Gupta et al. call for additional clinical studies to assess the curative properties and long-term outcome of using MCSCs for the treatment of OA before they can be used routinely as a clinical treatment for the condition.
Source: “Mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage repair in osteoarthritis – PMC.” 9 Jul. 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3580463/.
by admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Adipose, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from a wide variety of tissues and organs have demonstrated immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties that contribute to a host of regenerative and immunomodulatory activities, including tissue homeostasis and tissue repair. The most frequently studied and reported sources of MSCs are those collected from bone marrow and adipose tissue.
In this review, Krawczenkjo and Klimczak focus on MSCs derived from adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) and their secretome in regeneration processes.
Adipose tissue is the most commonly used source of MSCs, primarily because it is easily accessible and is often a byproduct of cosmetic and medical procedures. Like most MSCs, AT-MSCs are able to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts; they are also able to differentiate into neural cells, skeletal myocytes, cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, hepatocytes, endocrine cells, and endothelial cells.
In addition, AT-MSCs secrete a broad spectrum of biologically active factors that serve as essential components involved in the therapeutic effects of MSCs, including the ability to stimulate cell proliferation, new blood vessel formation, and immunomodulatory properties; these factors include cytokines, lipid mediators, hormones, exosomes, microvesicles, and miRNA.
Preclinical and clinical studies on AT-MSCs in tissue regeneration were demonstrated to contribute to wound healing, muscle damage, nerve regeneration, bone regeneration, and lung tissue regeneration.
Evaluating these studies, Krawczenko and Aleksandra Klimczak conclude that AT-MSCs and their secretome are promising and powerful therapeutic tools in regenerative medicine, primarily due to their unique properties in supporting angiogenesis.
The results obtained by the preclinical and clinical studies evaluated for this review suggest that the ability of AT-MSCs and their derivatives, including EVs and CM, to deliver a wide range of bioactive molecules could be considered as factors supporting enhanced tissue repair and regeneration.
Source: “Exosomes in Mesenchymal Stem Cells, a New Therapeutic Strategy ….” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308409/.
by admin | Jun 28, 2023 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading contributor to preventable disease and death in the United States, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking cigarettes also increases the risk of tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.
An abundance of clinical research has clearly shown the detrimental effects cigarette smoke has on nearly every area of the body. However, while assumed to be equally dangerous in its effect on stem cells, there is surprisingly little research exploring the negative implications of cigarette smoking on stem cells.
In this review, Nguyen et al. share findings of recent studies on the effects of cigarette smoking and nicotine on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with a specific focus on dental stem cells.
With their ability to self-renew, develop into specialized cell types, and migrate to potential sites of injury, stem cells have demonstrated the potential to build every tissue in the body and have also demonstrated great potential for tissue regeneration and associated therapeutic uses.
As the potential benefits and weaknesses of stem cells continue to be discovered, researchers have found that cigarette smoking negatively impacts the abilities of stem cells while also limiting stem cell viability for transplantation and regeneration.
While there has been a recent decline in the percentage of U.S. adults who smoke, over 34 million U.S. adults continue to be regular cigarette smokers. Interestingly, research has demonstrated the concentration of nicotine to be significantly higher in saliva than in blood plasma following nicotine administration via cigarette, e-cigarette, and nicotine patch – in some cases measuring up to eight times higher concentrations. Considering this research and considering the established detrimental effects of e-cigarette vapor – and presumably nicotine – on teeth and dental implants, the authors of this review hypothesized that there would be a similar effect when dental stem cells are exposed to cigarette smoke.
Reviewing the effect that cigarette smoke has on MSCs, the authors found that exposing MSCs to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and nicotine impaired cell migration, increased early and late osteogenic differentiation markers, decreased cell proliferation, and significantly inhibited the ability of MSCs to differentiate to other types of cells.
Nguyen et al. reviewed research that determined cigarette smoke produced a negative impact on the proliferation and differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Specifically, this research demonstrated a significantly higher depression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) genes in smokers when compared to nonsmokers. Additional studies found that smokers demonstrated reduced calcium deposition levels and production of ALP when compared to nonsmokers.
Cigarette smoke and nicotine were also found to negatively affect the migration capability of dental stem cells, slowing the migration rate by up to 12% in smokers while also producing a smaller reduction of scratch wound areas when compared to nonsmokers.
While there are not many studies directly comparing the effects of cigarette smoke and nicotine on MSCs and dental stem cells, the authors conclude that dental stem cells exhibit similar characteristics to bone marrow MSCs and that both of these types of stem cells demonstrate similar negative responses upon their exposure to nicotine.
While the authors call for further research to better understand the specific effects of cigarette smoke on dental stem cells, the authors conclude that the findings demonstrating similar responses to cigarette smoke and nicotine between dental stem cells and MSCs can be used to inform future dental stem cell studies. These findings will help dentists better identify which patients might be at an increased risk of poor healing in the oral cavity and if smoking cessation should be considered before undergoing any invasive or traumatic dental procedure, such as tooth extraction.
Source: Comparison of the effect of cigarette smoke on mesenchymal stem ….” https://journals.physiology.org/doi/10.1152/ajpcell.00217.2020.
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