Liver undergoes profound regeneration usually after hepatic damage. It has been shown in recent study that two kinds of liver stem cells, which are mainly oval cells (OVCs) and small hepatocytes, are involved in the process of liver regeneration as they differentiated into premature liver cells. However, the origination of oval cells as well as its differentiation property is not quite understood. In this study, we isolated a novel potential liver progenitor cells, namely small round cells (SRCs). The cellular features of the cells such as morphological appearance, surface marker, growth curve, and differentiation induced by DMSO were analyzed. SRCs and OVCs were obtained by using discontinuous digestions and isopyknic centrifugation, respectively. With non-radioactive measurement of MTT, the cell growth was assayed. Meanwhile, SRCs were stained with antibodies against CK19, ALB and AFP antibody to characterize their tissue-specificities. The results showed that SRCs appeared in round-shaped, but irregular in size. The nuclei of SRCs were relative small with rich nucleolus visible. SRCs were semi-floated during primary culture. Even cultured in F12:DMEM (1:1) mixed-medium supplemented with 15% fetal calf serum, viability of the cells could merely be expanded over 7 days. SRCs were positively stained by CK19, ALB and AFP within initial 3 days. After DMSO stimulation, SRCs were not only morphologically changed into OVCs, but also expressed those markers identical to OVCs. It was suggested that SRCs could be considered as an potential candidate of liver progenitors which were related to OVCs.

To explore an optional condition to induce mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into endothelial cells and to establish in vitro models of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.

Further studies have been conducted to evaluate the roles of Ngn3 in adult islet maintenance and renewal.

To explore the possibility of using autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) as a vehicle to deliver recombinant adeno-associated virus 2-mediated enhanced green fluorescent protein (rAAV-2-eGFP) in vitro, therefore to find an alternative solution for gene therapy of hematological malignancy.

To prolong murine heart allograft by modifying hematopoietic stem cells with virus interleukin-10 (vIL-10).

To investigate the effect of Angiotensin II (AngII) on the quantity proliferation, migration and adhesion of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

To observe the effect of Chinese herbs for supplementing Shen and strengthening bone (HB) on myelogenic osteoclasts formation, and gene expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) and gp130 in bone marrow.

To investigate the effect of Niupo Zhibao Pellet (NPZBP) on the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the brain of endotoxin-induced shock rats.

The technique of embryonic stem cell test (EST) has been developed and used in vitro to screen new medicines and other chemicals. According to toxicity, such medicines and chemicals can be classified as: non-toxic, weak toxic and/or strong toxic. EST shows merits such as no requirement of the sacrifice of pregnant animals, no side-effects on human or animals for candidate medicines and chemicals, higher sensitivity of embryonic stem cells when compared with the sensitivity of ordinary tissues of adult samples in toxicologic researches, higher accuracy when combined with computing techniques, and possible quantitation based on techniques of molecular biology. Advances in utility of EST technique were reviewed and the prospect of technique was also discussed in this paper.

Noting the morphological and cytobiology characteristics and phenotypes of MMSCs, to establish an isolation and culture method for fetal MMSCs in order to provide a source of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MMSCs).

To investigate plasticity of marrow-derived stem cells, possible mechanisms and application.

To review the advances in gene expression of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) in biological characteristic, differentiation, gene therapy, supporting hematopoiesis, inflammation reaction in wound repair.

To study the integration of mice [corrected] marrow stromal stem cells (MSCs) after transplantation into acellular extracellular matrix (AECM).

To study the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the proliferation and osteogenetic activity of the marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cultured in vitro to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism by which PRP accelerates bone repair.

To explore the feasibility of allogeneic marrow stromal stem cells (MSCs) as seed cells to construct tissue engineered bone by detecting the expressions of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and IL-2 receptor in rhesus monkeys after implanting these tissue engineered bones.

To investigate the feasibility of repairing goat tibia defect with marrow stromal cells (MSCs).

During mammalian ontogeny, hematopoietic activity can be found in distinct anatomical sites, which con-tribute to primitive or definite hematopoiesis. The origin of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) has been a controversial issue in the field of hematopoiesis. It has long been believed that the origin derives from the extra-embryonic yolk sac. However, there is now considerable evidence that the first adult repopulating HSC is autonomously generated from a distinct region within the embryonic mesoderm, the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region. This review describes the origin and precise location of HSC in the embryo and in AGM region, the hematopoietic microenvironment and the hematopoietic regulatory mechanisms in AGM region.

There has been an increasing interest in recent years on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). It is well known that MSCs are capable of self-renewal and differentiating into many cell lineages. MSC can be expended to a large quantity that is required for clinical transplantation. Recent studies show that MSC have potential application in immune diseases due to their unique immunologic characteristics, such as low immunogenicity and immunoregulatory function. But their immunoregulatory mechanism is not yet clear. This review discusses the advances in researches on the mechanism of MSCs' immunoregulatory function and potential clinical application in immune disease and organ transplantation.