Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and chronic joint disease characterized by clinical symptoms and distortion of joint tissues. It primarily damages joint cartilage, causing pain, swelling, and ...stiffness around the joint. It is the major cause of disability and pain. The prevalence of OA is expected to increase gradually with the aging population and increasing prevalence of obesity. Many potential therapeutic advances have been made in recent years due to the improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of OA. Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and can be used as a source of injectable treatments in the OA joint cavity. MSCs are known to be the most studied cell therapy products in cell-based OA therapy owing to their ability to differentiate into chondrocytes and their immunomodulatory properties. They have the potential to improve cartilage recovery and ultimately restore healthy joints. However, despite currently available therapies and advances in research, unfulfilled medical needs persist for OA treatment. In this review, we focused on the contents of non-cellular and cellular therapies for OA, and briefly summarized the results of clinical trials for cell-based OA therapy to lay a solid application basis for clinical research.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease that causes pain and disability in the adult population. OA is primarily caused by trauma induced by an external force or by age-related cartilage ...damage. Chondrocyte hypertrophy or chondrocyte senescence is thought to play a role in the initiation and progression of OA. Although chondrocyte hypertrophy and cell death are both crucial steps during the natural process of endochondral bone formation, the abnormal activation of these two processes after injury or during aging seems to accelerate the progression of OA. However, the exact mechanisms of OA progression and these two processes remain poorly understood. Chondrocyte senescence and hypertrophy during OA share various markers and processes. In this study, we reviewed the changes that occur during chondrocyte hypertrophy or senescence in OA and the attempts that were made to regulate them. Regulation of hypertrophic or senescent chondrocytes might be a potential therapeutic target to slow down or stop OA progression; thus, a better understanding of the processes is required for management.
MEMS vibrational energy harvesters Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi; Ju, Suna; Honma, Hiroaki ...
Science and technology of advanced materials,
01/2019, Volume:
20, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In this paper, we look into the fundamental mechanism to retrieve the power from physical vibrations by using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) energy harvesters. An analytical model is presented ...for the velocity-damped resonant generator (VDRG) that delivers electrical power through the power enhancement mechanism using the mechanical resonance of a suspended mass. Deliverable power is also analytically discussed with respect to the theoretical limit, and a view to understand the VDRG behaviors is presented in association with the impedance matching condition and the quality factors. Mechano-electric power conversions including electrostatic induction, electromagnetic induction, and piezoelectric effect are discussed to study the scaling effect. Recent examples of MEMS VDRGs are reviewed and evaluated in terms of the power density.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are on the cusp of regenerative medicine due to their differentiation capacity, favorable culture conditions, ability to be manipulated in vitro, and strong ...immunomodulatory activity. Recent studies indicate that the pleiotropic effects of MSCs, especially their immunomodulatory potential, can be largely attributed to paracrine factors. Exosomes, vesicles that are 30-150 nanometers in diameter that function in cell-cell communication, are one of the key paracrine effectors. MSC-derived exosomes are enriched with therapeutic miRNAs, mRNAs, cytokines, lipids, and growth factors. Emerging evidences support the compelling possibility of using MSC-derived exosomes as a new form of therapy for treating several different kinds of disease such as heart, kidney, immune diseases, neural injuries, and neurodegenerative disease. This review provides a summary of current knowledge and discusses engineering of MSC-derived exosomes for their use in translational medicine.
The regulation of M1/M2 polarization in liver macrophages is closely associated with the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, the mechanism involved in this process remains ...unclear. Here, we describe the orphan nuclear receptor retinoic-acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) as a key regulator of M1/M2 polarization in hepatic residential Kupffer cells (KCs) and infiltrated monocyte-derived macrophages. RORα enhanced M2 polarization in KCs by inducing the kruppel-like factor 4. M2 polarization was defective in KCs and bone-marrow-derived macrophages of the myeloid-specific RORα null mice, and these mice were susceptible to HFD-induced NASH. We found that IL-10 played an important role in connecting the function of M2 KCs to lipid accumulation and apoptosis in hepatocytes. Importantly, M2 polarization was controlled by a RORα activator, JC1-40, which improved symptoms of NASH. Our results suggest that the M2-promoting effects of RORα in liver macrophages may provide better therapeutic strategies against NASH.
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•RORα enhances M2 polarization in liver macrophages, including Kupffer cells and BMDMs•Myeloid-specific knockout of RORα enhances susceptibility to HFD-induced NASH•M2 Kupffer cells protect hepatocytes injury by secreting IL-10•RORα activator induces M2 polarity switch in Kupffer cells and protects against NASH
Han et al. find that RORα is a key regulator of M1/M2 polarization in liver macrophages. Myeloid-specific knockout of RORα display decreased M2/M1 ratio in Kupffer cells and enhanced susceptibility to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. This function of RORα may suggest therapeutic strategies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies have been used as cell-based treatments for decades, owing to their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative properties. With high expectations, ...many ongoing clinical trials are investigating the safety and efficacy of MSC therapies to treat arthritic diseases. Studies on osteoarthritis (OA) have shown positive clinical outcomes, with improved joint function, pain level, and quality of life. In addition, few clinical MSC trials conducted on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have also displayed some optimistic outlook. The largely positive outcomes in clinical trials without severe side effects establish MSCs as promising tools for arthritis treatment. However, further research is required to investigate its applicability in clinical settings. This review discusses the most recent advances in clinical studies on MSC therapies for OA and RA.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is caused by prolonged periodic interactions between genetic, environmental, and immunologic factors. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as citrullination, ...carbamylation, and acetylation are correlated with the pathogenesis of RA. PTM and cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, NETosis, leukotoxic hypercitrullination (LTH), and necrosis are related to each other and induce autoantigenicity. Certain microbial infections, such as those caused by Porphyromonasgingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Prevotella copri, can induce autoantigens in RA. Anti-modified protein antibodies (AMPA) containing anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs), anti-carbamylated protein (anti-CarP) antibodies, and anti-acetylated protein antibodies (AAPAs) play a role in pathogenesis as well as in prediction, diagnosis, and prognosis. Interestingly, smoking is correlated with both PTMs and AMPAs in the development of RA. However, there is lack of evidence that smoking induces the generation of AMPAs.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease where the main characteristics include cartilage degeneration and synovial membrane inflammation. These changes in the knee joint ...eventually dampen the function of the joint and restrict joint movement, which eventually leads to a stage where total joint replacement is the only treatment option. While much is still unknown about the pathogenesis and progression mechanism of OA, joint fibrosis can be a critical issue for better understanding this disease. Synovial fibrosis and the generation of fibrocartilage are the two main fibrosis-related characteristics that can be found in OA. However, these two processes remain mostly misunderstood. In this review, we focus on the fibrosis process in OA, especially in the cartilage and the synovium tissue, which are the main tissues involved in OA.
In 2006, the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) was presented to the world, paving the way for the development of a magnitude of novel therapeutic alternatives, addressing a diverse range of ...diseases. However, despite the immense cell therapy potential, relatively few clinical trials evaluating iPSC-technology have actually translated into interventional, clinically applied treatment regimens. Herein, our aim was to determine trends in globally conducted clinical trials involving iPSCs. Data were derived both from well-known registries recording clinical trials from across the globe, and databases from individual countries. Comparisons were firstly drawn between observational and interventional studies before the latter was further analyzed in terms of therapeutic and nontherapeutic trials. Our main observations included global distribution, purpose, target size, and types of disorder relevant to evaluated trials. In terms of nontherapeutic trials, the USA conducted the majority, a large average number of participants-187-was included in the trials, and studies on circulatory system disorders comprised a slightly higher proportion of total studies. Conversely, Japan was the frontrunner in terms of conducting therapeutic trials, and the average number of participants was much lower, at roughly 29. Disorders of the circulatory, as well as nervous and visual systems, were all studied in equal measure. This review highlights the impact that iPSC-based cell therapies can have, should development thereof gain more traction. We lastly considered a few companies that are actively utilizing iPSCs in the development of therapies for various diseases, for whom the global trends in clinical trials could become increasingly important.
•DDGS protein (DP) can be utilized as a biodegradable film material.•DP films containing tea extracts were prepared as anti-oxidative films.•Anti-oxidative DP films were applied to pork meat ...packaging.•DP film containing green tea extract had the greatest antioxidant property.
Distiller dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as protein (DP) films were prepared. Additionally, to prepare anti-oxidant films, green tea extract (GTE), oolong tea extract (OTE), and black tea extract (BTE) were incorporated into the DP films. Consequently, the incorporation of the tea extracts did not alter the physical properties of the films much, whereas the antioxidant activities, such as ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities were observed. To apply the DP films containing tea extracts to food packaging, pork meat was wrapped with the films and stored at 4°C for 10d. During storage, the pork meat wrapped with the DP films containing GTE, OTE, and BTE had less lipid oxidation than did the control. Among the tea extracts, the DP film containing GTE had the greatest antioxidant activity. These results indicate that the DP films containing green tea extracts can be utilized as an anti-oxidative packaging material for pork meat.
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