RNA interference (RNAi) was applied to knock down MTHFR in mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal (EPM) cells,in order to understand the role of MTHFR gene variants in pathogenesis of non-syndromic cleft lip and palate(NCLP).

Regeneration myocardium by stem cell transplantartion has become a focus in research areas of cardial vascular disease. This review deals the role of traditional Chinese medicine in stem cell threapy of ischemic heart disease, such as mobilizing bone marrow stem cells, promoting stem cell proliferation, survival, induced them to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, and so on, showing good application prospects.

Adult pluripotent stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue are capable of multilineage differentiation. Although autologous stem cell transplantation is an effective alternative to organ transplantation, the loss of cell viability and differentiation confinement of implanted cells has largely impaired the therapeutic efficacy. To produce biomaterial-free liver construct to integrate into living tissue, we isolated adipose mesenchymal stem cells and subjected them to a delicate culture configuration to mediate the hepatocyte differentiation. The differentiated hepatocyte-like cells were then inoculated onto poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) grafted cell culture dish. By lowering the culture temperature to 20 degrees C, cells detached from the dish surface into a complete cell sheet. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry results showed that cell sheet was composed of 2-3 layers of cells and extracellular matrix was maintained intact. As compared with traditional cell harvest using trypsin digestion, cell sheet fabrication causes no damage to cell membrane and extracellular matrix. Hence, cell sheets would form a better interaction with tissues in situ, and a higher cell viability and therapeutic efficiency would be expected.

To investigate the optimal dosage and timing for 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from rat circulating blood.

The objective of present study is to investigate the effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on human hippocampus neural stem cells NSCs differentiation in vitro, Fetal hippocampus tissue was dissociated mechanically and then cultured in proliferation medium with EGF and bFGF. Immunofluorescence method was used to detect the expression of NSCs marker-Nestin within these cells. Cultured in 10% FBS, NSCs began to differentiate. On the onset of the differentiation, HCMV AD169 (MOI=5) was added into the differentiation medium. After 7 days differentiation, the effect of HCMV infection on NSCs differentiation was observed by detecting the rate of nestin, GFAP and HCMV immediate-early (IE) positive cells with confocal microscopy and immunofluorescence method. The resucts showed most of the cells (passage 4-6 ) were Nestin positive and could differentiate into NSE-positive neurons and GFAP-positive astrocytes. On day 7 postinfection, 86% +/- 12% of infected cells were IE positive. The percentage of Nestin-positive cells was 50% +/- 19% and 93% +/- 10% (t= 6.03, P<0.01)and those of GFAP-positive cells was 81% +/- 11% and 55 +/- 17% (t=3.77, P<0.01) in uninfected and infected cells respectively. These findings indicated that NSCs were HCMV permissive cell and HCMV AD 169 infection suppressed the differentiation of Hippocampus-genetic human neural stem cells into astrocytes.

This study was amied to construct CXCR4 gene modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and investigate the effect of CXCR4 expression on MSCs migration. The retrovirus vector pMSCV-CXCR4-IRES-GFP that expresses human CXCR4 gene was cloned,the MSCs were transduced by the virus, and the expression of OXCR4 was analyzed by FACS, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. The migration assay was performed using Transwell method in the presence of SDF-1. FACS results showed that 46% of the transduced MSCs were CXCR4 positive, and 57% were GFP positive. The expression of CXCR4 in MSCs was also confirmed by RT-PCR and immunostaining. The migration of MSCs was induced by SDF-1 and was strongly dependent on CXCR4 expression. The concentration of SDF-1 had effect on the migration and the transmigration rate of CXCR4 modified; the amount of MSCs was 5-fold higher than that of untransduced MSCs when the optimal concentration rose to 50 ng/ml. These data indicate that SDF-1/CXCR4 plays an important role in MSCs migration ,and the CXCR4 genetic modification approach could be applied to enhance cell homing, and engraftment in MSCs therapy.

Compound membranes of chitosan/hydroxyapatite were prepared by blending. The physical performance showed that the air-water contact angles decreased from chitosan's 103 degrees to chitosan/hydroxyapatite's 57 and the water adsorption rate increased slightly. When immersed into culture medium, the materials adsorbed Ca2+, and low crystalline hydroxyapatite deposited on the surface of the membranes. Chitosan/hydroxyapatite compound membranes could enhance the attachment and proliferation of mescenchymal stem cells (MSCs). After 12 days' induction on the materials, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity value of MSCs on the compound membrane was 10.1, being much higher than 1.6 on chitosan membrane (P<0.01). All these results indicate that chitosan does not have very good affinity for MSCs, but the biocompatibility of chitosan can be apparently enhanced after mixing with hydroxyapatite. The compound membrane stimulates MSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts and it may be a good potential material for bone substitution.

This study was aimed to investigate the changes of hemodynamic parameters, pathology and c kit mRNA expression in myocardium after acute myocardial infarctionin (AMI) in rats, and to elucidate the relationship between these three kinds of changes. Sixty six adult male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, Sham groups and ligation groups. The rat model of AMI was set up by ligating the left anterior descending artery. Hemodynamic parameters, pathological changes and c kit mRNA expression in myocardiam were examined. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in hemodynamic parameters between normal group and Sham groups. Compared with the normal group, all ligation groups exhibited significantly decreased left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and +/-dp/dtmax (P<0.01), and increased left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP, P<0.01). In the other ligation groups, compared with 6th hour group after ligation, there appeared striking increase of LVSP, LVEDP and +/-dp/dtmax (P<0.05). HE staining in myocardiam showed that there are necrosis and derangement at 24th hour group after ligation ,and a great number of inflammatory cells infiltration around the infarct zone at 3rd day group after ligation, and granulation tissue infiltrated into the infarct zone at 14th day group after ligation. In all five time points groups after ligation, the levels of c-kit mRNA expression were 0.99 fold, 1.06 fold, 1.46 fold, 1.91 fold and 2.67 fold, respectively, compared with Sham groups. The results suggest that cardiac stem cells in myocardium might contribute to the role of regenerating myocardium via self proliferation after acute myocardial infarction, but further investigation is still needed.

This study sought to elucidate the effect of mechanical strain on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts. Under the conditons of inducing osteoblasts, Immunohistochemical methods and RT-PCR technology were applied in osteogenic supplements medium to detect: (1) the expression of Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Type I collagen (COL I ), Osterx (Osx) and Osteocalcin (OCN) mRNA, with cyclic strain (3%, 0.5 Hz) applied for 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d; (2) the expression of Osx mRNA and OCN mRNA with 3% strain for 1 h. The results showed: (1) ALP mRNA expression was higher at 7 days; COL I mRNA expression was greater obviously at 7 days and 14 days than that at 3 days and that of the unstrained cells; (2) the expression of Osx mRNA was up-regulated after 15min by strain stimulation,which was significantly increased at 30 min and 1 h in the unstrained cells. The expression of OCN mRNA was not affected in the unstrained cells at 15 min, whereas strain could promote the expression of OCN mRNA at this period. The expression of OCN mRNA was more obviously upregulated in the strained cells at 30 min and 1 h when compared with that in the unstrained cells; (3) the strain (1% and 3%) significantly promoted the expression of Osx mRNA; 10% strain had a little effect on Osx mRNA expression. The expression of OCN mRNA was up-regulated by 3% strain, whereas it had little effect at 1% and 10% strain. In summary, mechanical strain can promote the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts.

To explore the effect of FK506 and CSA on the survival of HSCs and the level of IL-2 and IL-4.

Tumor dormancy is characterized by long-term persistence of cancer cells that do not grow into overt lesions. It is a common phenomenon detected in cancer patients, even in some healthy individuals. Long term existence of dormant tumor cells may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms of tumor cell dormancy, and its correlation to cancer stem cells. We further summarized recent studies on molecular markers for tumor dormancy, which may offer new approaches of targeted therapies in cancer.

To observe the effects of danshensu on function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from peripheral blood which were damaged by oxidative low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL). And study its possible mechanism.

To study the mobilization efficiency effect on bone marrow stem cells by Panax notoginseng on acute myocardial infarction in experimental rats.

To study the expression and distribution of hepatocyte-enriched transcriptional factors during the differentiation of hepatocyte by rat bone marrow stem cells in vitro.

To analyze the relationship between cell-mediated immune function during conditioning and graft rejection in patients with beta-thalassemia major.

Establishing ovarian cancer cell lines will benefit researches on biological characteristics of ovarian cancer stem cells and antitumor drugs. This study was to establish a human ovarian carcinoma cell line from peritoneal effusion, and explore its biological characteristics.

To explore the feasibility and safety of cotransplantation of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and peripheral blood stem cells in hematological malignant diseases and to observe its effect on hematopoietic reconstruction after cotransplantation.

To study the effect of (60)Co gamma ray on proliferation and differentiation potency of MSC. To evaluate the function of heart after early stage of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats by transplantation of MSC.

To investigate the number and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) in different vascular complications of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and its associations with vascular endothelial function.

The oxalate-degradation genes of Oxalobacter formigenes (Ox.F)-frc gene and oxc gene-were cloned and transfected into intestinal stem cell population of the mouse to make the latter obtain oxalate-degradation function.