Int J Med Sci
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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show therapeutic effects in various types of diseases. MSCs have been shown to migrate towards inflamed or cancerous tissues, and visualized after sacrificing the animal. MSCs are able to deliver drugs to target cells, and are an ideal candidate for cancer therapy. ⋯ In this study, we confirmed the migration of MSCs to tumor sites in cancer xenograft models using both in vivo and ex vivo BLI imaging. DOX-pretreated MSCs showed enhanced cytotoxic effects. Therefore, this noninvasive reporter gene (Fluc2)-based BLI may be useful for visualizing in vivo tracking of MSCs, which can be used as a drug delivery vehicle for cancer therapy.
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Background: Distraction osteogenesis for craniosynostosis is associated with significant hemorrhage. Additionally, patients usually require several transfusions. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is effective for reducing blood loss and the need for transfusions during surgeries. ⋯ The duration of mechanical ventilation and the number of postoperative respiratory-related complications were significantly greater in the control group than they were in the TXA group. Conclusions: TXA infusion based on population pharmacokinetic analysis is effective in reducing blood loss and the need for transfusions during the surgical treatment of craniosynostosis. It can also prevent the increase in D-dimer levels without affecting systemic hemostasis.
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Protein deglycase DJ-1 (Parkinson disease protein 7) is a 20 kDa protein encoded by PARK7 gene. It is also known as a redox-sensitive chaperone and sensor that protect cells against oxidative stress-induced cell death in many human diseases. Though increasing evidence implicates that DJ-1 may also participate in ocular diseases, the overview of DJ-1 in ocular diseases remains elusive. In this review, we discuss the role as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms of DJ-1 in ocular diseases, including Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and ocular neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting that DJ-1 may serve as a very striking therapeutic target for ocular diseases.
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BMMSCs have drawn great interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine attributable to their multi-lineage differentiation capacity. Increasing evidence has shown that the mechanical stiffness of extracellular matrix is a critical determinant for stem cell behaviors. However, it remains unknown how matrix stiffness influences MSCs commitment with changes in cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation. ⋯ The cells exhibited a polygonal morphology and larger spreading area. These results suggest that matrix stiffness modulates commitment of BMMSCs. Our findings may eventually aid in the development of novel, effective biomaterials for the applications in tissue engineering.
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Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multi-drug resistant opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. This pathogen is difficult to treat owing to its intrinsic multidrug resistance and ability to form antimicrobial-tolerant biofilms. In the present study, we aimed to assess the potential use of celastrol as a novel anti-biofilm and/or anti-virulence agent against S. maltophilia. ⋯ To support these phenotypic results, transcriptional analysis revealed that celastrol down-regulated the expression of biofilm- and virulence- associated genes (smeYZ, fsnR, and bfmAK) in S. maltophilia. Interestingly, celastrol significantly inhibited the expression of smeYZ gene, which encodes the resistance-nodulation-division (RND)-type efflux pump, SmeYZ. Overall, our findings suggested that celastrol might be a promising bioactive agent for treatment of biofilm- and virulence-related infections caused by the multi-drug resistant S. maltophilia.