Efficacy and Safety of Human Placental Extract Solution on Fatigue: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

Introduction. Fatigue is a common symptom, but only a few effective treatments are available. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of the human placental extract solution, which has been known to have a fatigue recovery effect. Methods. A total of 315 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 (with Unicenta solution administration), group 2 (with exclusively human placental extract administration, excluding other ingredients from the Unicenta solution), and the placebo group. Subsequently, solutions were administered for four weeks. Results. The fatigue recovery rate was 71.00% in group 1, 71.72% in group 2, and 44.21% in the placebo group, which show statistically significant differences between the group 1 and the placebo group (P value = 0.0002), and between group 2 and the placebo group (P value = 0.0001). Conclusion. The human placental extract solution was effective in the improvement of fatigue

CD82/KAI1 Maintains the Dormancy of Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cells through Interaction with DARC- Expressing Macrophages

Hematopoiesis is regulated by crosstalk between long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) and supporting niche cells in the bone marrow (BM). Here, we examine the role of CD82/ KAI1 in niche-mediated LT-HSC maintenance. We found that CD82/ KAI1 is expressed predominantly on LT-HSCs and rarely on other hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells (HSPCs). In Cd82 +/-/+/- mice, LTHSCs were selectively lost as they exited from quiescence and differentiated. Mechanistically, CD82based TGF-b1/ Smad3 signaling leads to induction of CDK inhibitors and cell-cycle inhibition. The CD82 binding partner DARC/ CD234 is expressed on macrophages and stabilizes CD82 on LT-HSCs, promoting their quiescence. When DARC + BMmacrophages were ablated, the level of surface CD82 on LT-HSCs decreased, leading to cell-cycle entry, proliferation, and differentiation. A similar interaction appears to be relevant for human HSPCs. Thus, CD82 is a functional surface marker of LT-HSCs that maintains quiescence through interaction with DARC-expressing macrophages in the BM stem cell niche.113525Ysciescopu

Combined Treatment of an Intratumoral Injection of Dendritic Cells and Systemic Chemotherapy (Paclitaxel) for Murine Fibrosarcoma

A novel combined treatment of conventional chemotherapy with an intratumoral injection of syngeneic dendritic cells (DCs) has emerged as a potent cancer treatment strategy. In this study, we evaluated the synergistic effect of an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel, and an intratumoral (i.t.) injection of syngeneic bone marrow-derived DCs for the treatment of pre-existing fibrosarcoma. Subcutaneous tumors were established using MCA102 fibrosarcoma cells in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. The results demonstrated that the combined treatment of paclitaxel chemotherapy and the injection of DCs led to complete tumor regression, in contrast to only partial eradication of the tumors with chemotherapy or DCs alone. Furthermore, the tumor-free mice were able to resist a repeat challenge with the same type of tumor. These findings suggest that a combination therapy of systemic chemotherapy along with the intratumoral administration of DCs is a potent treatment strategy for fibrosarcoma

Impact of the Metabolic Syndrome on the Clinical Outcome of Patients with Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

We sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its effect on clinical outcomes. Employing data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry, a total of 1,990 patients suffered from acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between November 2005 and December 2006 were categorized according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of MS. Primary study outcomes included major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during one-year follow-up. Patients were grouped based on existence of MS: group I: MS (n=1,182, 777 men, 62.8±12.3 yr); group II: Non-MS (n=808, 675 men, 64.2±13.1 yr). Group I showed lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P=0.005). There were no differences between two groups in the coronary angiographic findings except for multivessel involvement (P=0.01). The incidence of in-hospital death was higher in group I than in group II (P=0.047), but the rates of composite MACE during one-year clinical follow-up showed no significant differences. Multivariate analysis showed that low LVEF, old age, MS, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol and multivessel involvement were associated with high in-hospital death rate. In conclusion, MS is an important predictor for in-hospital death in patients with STEMI