Open AccessA Preview of Selected Articles
Author(s) -
Atkinson Stuart P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
stem cells translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.781
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 2157-6580
pISSN - 2157-6564
DOI - 10.1002/sctm.18-0058
Subject(s) - computational biology , computer science , information retrieval , biology
range of indications, including kidney disease and damage [1], include entrapment in the lungs and low levels of target tissue retention. Therefore, the development of novel methods to improve MSC homing and increase engraftment may significantly boost therapeutic outcomes. Currently studied approaches include the overexpression of specific homing factors, alteration of the administration method employed, cell pretreatment/conditioning, and more interestingly, cell surface engineering and the modification of the target tissue [2]. Our first Featured Article from Zou et al. describes how cell surface coating with an antibody that targets a kidney damage-associated protein enhances MSC retention in the ischemic kidney and provides a welcome boost to therapeutic efficacy. In a related article, Burks et al. report that the application of kidney-targeted pulsed focused ultrasound therapy alongside MSC infusion improves the treatment of acute kidney injury. While a significant proportion of MSC-based studies employ cells derived from the adult bone marrow or adipose tissue, there exist alternative MSC sources that may provide better anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory control. Human fetal MSCs derived from extraembryonic tissues such as the placenta, umbilical cord, or amniotic fluid display longer telomeres, active telomerase, and a greater expansion capacity [3]. Meanwhile, MSCs differentiated from pluripotent stem cells (PSC-MSCs) such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may provide the large numbers of early passage MSCs required for optimal therapeutic efficacy and, for iPSCs derived from elderly patients, a “rejuvenated” MSC phenotype [4]. Our second Featured Article from Hawkins et al. establishes that ESC-MSCs hold more potential for the treatment of hypoxia-ischemia in the brain than fetal MSCs, partly due to stimulated interleukin (IL)-13 production. In a related article, Li et al. describe how soluble factors secreted from iPSC-MSCs modulate immune responses following transplantation into a host-versus-graft reaction mouse model by inhibiting the cleavage of caspases.