The hair follicle (HF) is a highly conserved sensory organ associated with the immune response against pathogens, thermoregulation, sebum production, angiogenesis, neurogenesis and wound healing. ...Although recent advances in lineage-tracing techniques and the ability to profile gene expression in small populations of cells have increased the understanding of how stem cells operate during hair growth and regeneration, the construction of functional follicles with cycling activity is still a great challenge for the hair research field and for translational and clinical applications. Given that hair formation and cycling rely on tightly coordinated epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, we thus review potential cell sources with HF-inducive capacities and summarize current bioengineering strategies for HF regeneration with functional restoration.
The scale of the cosmetic market is increasing every day. There are many safety risks to cosmetics, but they benefit people at the same time. The skin can become red, swollen, itchy, chronically ...toxic, and senescent due to the misuse of cosmetics, triggering skin injuries, with contact dermatitis being the most common. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a system that can scientifically and rationally detect the composition and perform a toxicological assessment of cosmetic products. Traditional detection methods rely on instrumentation and method selection, which are less sensitive and more complex to perform. Engineered skin tissue has emerged with the advent of tissue engineering technology as an emerging bioengineering technology. The ideal engineered skin tissue is the basis for building good
structures and physiological functions in this field. This review introduces the existing cosmetic testing and toxicological evaluation methods, the current development status, and the types and characteristics of engineered skin tissue. The application of engineered skin tissue in the field of cosmetic composition detection and toxicological evaluation, as well as the different types of tissue engineering scaffold materials and three-dimensional (3D) organoid preparation approaches, is highlighted in this review to provide methods and ideas for constructing the next engineered skin tissue for cosmetic raw material component analysis and toxicological evaluation.
Wound repair is a key step in the treatment of skin injury caused by burn, surgery, and trauma. Various stem cells have been proven to promote wound healing and skin regeneration as candidate seed ...cells. Therefore, exosomes derived from stem cells are emerging as a promising method for wound repair. However, the mechanism by which exosomes promote wound repair is still unclear. In this study, we reported that exosomes derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) promote wound healing and skin regeneration by treating cutaneous nerve damage. The results revealed that UC-MSCs exosomes (UC-MSC-Exo) promote the growth and migration of dermal fibroblast cells. In
in vitro
culture, dermal fibroblasts could promote to nerve cells and secrete nerve growth factors when stimulated by exosomes. During the repair process UC-MSC-Exo accelerated the recruitment of fibroblasts at the site of trauma and significantly enhanced cutaneous nerve regeneration
in vivo
. Interestingly, it was found that UC-MSC-Exo could promote wound healing and skin regeneration by recruiting fibroblasts, stimulating them to secrete nerve growth factors (NGFs) and promoting skin nerve regeneration. Therefore, we concluded that UC-MSC-Exo promote cutaneous nerve repair, which may play an important role in wound repair and skin regeneration.
Repair and regeneration of the peripheral nerve are important for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) caused by mechanical tears, external compression injuries and traction injuries. ...Pharmacological treatment can promote the proliferation of fibroblasts and Schwann cells (SCs), which longitudinally fill the endoneurial canal and form Bungner's band, helping the repair of peripheral nerves. Therefore, the development of new drugs for the treatment of PNI has become a top priority in recent years.
Here, we report that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) produced from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-sEVs) cultured under hypoxia promote repair and regeneration of the peripheral nerve in PNI and may be a new therapeutic drug candidate.
The results showed that the amount of secreted sEVs was significantly increased in UC-MSCs compared with control cells after 48 h of culture at 3% oxygen partial pressure in a serum-free culture system. The identified MSC-sEVs could be taken up by SCs in vitro, promoting the growth and migration of SCs. In a spared nerve injury (SNI) mouse model, MSC-sEVs accelerated the recruitment of SCs at the site of PNI and promoted peripheral nerve repair and regeneration. Notably, repair and regeneration in the SNI mouse model were enhanced by treatment with hypoxic cultured UC-MSC-derived sEVs.
Therefore, we conclude that hypoxic cultured UC-MSC-derived sEVs may be a promising candidate drug for repair and regeneration in PNI.
Plastic and microplastic pollution has caused a great deal of ecological problems because of its persistence and potential adverse effects on human health. The degradation of plastics through ...biological processes is of great significance for ecological health, therefore, the feasibility of plastic degradation by microorganisms has attracted a lot of attention. This study comprises a preliminary discussion on the biodegradation mechanism and the advantages and roles of different bacterial enzymes, such as PET hydrolase and PCL-cutinase, in the degradation of different polymers, such as PET and PCL, respectively. With a particular focus on their modes of action and potential enzymatic mechanisms, this review sums up studies on the biological degradation of plastics and microplastics related to mechanisms and influencing factors, along with their enzymes in enhancing the degradation of synthetic plastics in the process. In addition, biodegradation of plastic is also affected by plastic additives and plasticizers. Plasticizers and additives in the composition of plastics can cause harmful impacts. To further improve the degradation efficiency of polymers, various pretreatments to improve the efficiency of biodegradation, which can cause a significant reduction in toxic plastic pollution, were also preliminarily discussed here. The existing research and data show a large number of microorganisms involved in plastic biodegradation, though their specific mechanisms have not been thoroughly explored yet. Therefore, there is a significant potential for employing various bacterial strains for efficient degradation of plastics to improve human health and safety.
Corrosion behavior of 60Si2Mn-A and 60Si2Mn-B in simulated industrial atmospheric environment was investigated by alternate immersion corrosion test and electrochemical method. The phase, morphology, ...characteristics of corrosion products, and the distribution of Cr, Cu, and Ni in the corrosion products of experimental steel were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The results show that the phase of rust layer is Fe3O4 and γ-FeOOH in the early stage and then changes to α-FeOOH and γ-FeOOH in the later stage; the size of the rust layer with corrosion resistance of 60Si2Mn is less than 60Si2Mn; the Cr element accumulates in the rust layer of the experimental steel in the early stage of corrosion resistance; and Cu, Ni, and Cr in the corrosion resistance 60Si2Mn are concentrated in the rust layer near the substrate In the later stage of corrosion. As the corrosion cycle is prolonged, the corrosion potential and the resistance of the rust layer of the experimental steel increases, and the corrosion current decreases; in the same corrosion cycle, the corrosion potential and corrosion resistance of 60Si2Mn-B are greater than 60Si2Mn, and the corrosion current is less than 60Si2Mn.
Germ cells (GCs) are critically important as the vehicle that passes genetic information from one generation to the next. Correct development of these cells is essential and perturbation in their ...development often leads to reproductive failure and disease. Despite the importance of GCs, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the acquisition and maintenance of the GC character. Using a reprogramming strategy, we demonstrate that overexpression of ectopic transcription factors in embryonic fibroblasts can lead to the generation of chicken induced primordial germ cells (ciPGCs). These ciPGCs express pluripotent markers POU5F1, SSEA1, and the GC defining proteins, CVH and DAZL, closely resembling in vivo sourced PGCs instead of embryonic stem cells. Moreover, CXCR4 expressing ciPGCs were capable of migrating to the embryonic gonad after injection into the vasculature of stage 15 embryos, indicating the acquisition of a GC fate in these cells. Direct availability of ciPGCs in vitro would facilitate the study of GC development as well as provide a potential strategy for the conservation of important genetics of agricultural and endangered birds using somatic cells.
This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of compound 34 on MCF-7 cells in vitro, and explore its mechanisms. MTT results showed that compound 34 selectively inhibited estrogen ...receptor-positive cells proliferation. Hoechst 33342 staining showed nuclear pyknosis, nuclear debris associated with apoptotic bodies. JC-1 staining showed the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Although compound 34 increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), compound 34-induced apoptosis was not prevented by pretreatment with ROS scavengers. Western blotting showed apoptosis-related protein like cytochrome c and cleaved PARP protein increased. Furthermore, docking studies exhibited that compound 34 could bind into ERα. In summary, compound 34 selectively inhibited estrogen receptor positive cells proliferation and induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via ROS-independent intrinsic apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. It may be a potential targeted drug of estrogen receptor for therapeutic application of breast cancer.
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•Coculture of IRB and SRB was used for biosynthesis of nanoFeS..•Source of Fe(II) affected the formation of biosynthetic mackinawite.•Distribution of Fe(II) influenced the Cr(VI) ...removal capbility of mackinawite.•Biosynthetic mackinawite provided an excellent adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal.
Biosynthetic mackinawite (FeS) has high removal efficiency for in situ remediation of heavy metal contamination. However, the effect of the iron (Fe) source on the efficiency of biosynthesized nano-FeS (nFeS) is less known. In this study, we examined the effect of Fe(II) produced i) directly from iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (HM group), and ii) indirectly from sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) Desulfosporosinus meridiei (DM group) on the biosynthesis of mackinawite, focusing on the biomineralization process and its capacity to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). The HM group formed minerals around the cells, whereas the DM group formed minerals in the solution. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry analyses further showed that the Fe(II) produced directly (by MR-1, HM group) and indirectly (reduced by biogenic H2S, DM group) led to a different distribution of Fe(II) in FeS minerals. The removal capacities of the produced HM–nFeS and DM–nFeS at pH 3 were the same, with a difference of approximately 20% with an increase in pH from 5 to 11, further indicating that the formed FeS products were different. The MR-1 (HM group) directly reduced Fe(III) and secreted a large amount of organic matter, which may have inhibited the ability of the surface to adsorb HCrO− and CrO42−. These findings shed new light on the biosynthesis of mackinawite for bioremediation of heavy metals.
Hypertrophic scars (HTS) commonly occurred after burn and trauma. It was characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix with the inadequate remodeling, which could result in severe ...physiological and psychological problems. However, the effective available prevention and treatment measures were still limited. The main pathological feature of HTS was the excessive formation of myofibroblasts, and they persist in the repaired tissue. To better understand the mechanics of this process, this review focused on the characteristics and formation of myofibroblasts, the main effector cells in HTS. We summarized the present theories and opinions on myofibroblasts formation from the perspective of related signaling pathways and epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation, miRNA/lncRNA/ceRNA action, histone modification, and so forth for a better understanding on the development of HTS. This information might assist in developing effective experimental and clinical treatment strategies. Additionally, we also summarized currently known clinical strategies for HTS treatment, including traditional drugs, molecular medicine, stem cells, and exosomes.
This review focused on the characteristics and formation of myofibroblasts, the main effector cells in hypertrophic scars (HTS). Furthermore, we summarized the present theories and opinions on myofibroblasts formation. In addition, we also summarized currently known clinical strategies ranged from traditional drugs, molecular medicine, stem cells, and exosomes for HTS treatment.