Development of a new treatment for preterm birth complications using amniotic fluid stem cell therapy

This paper describes the current status of studies and clinical trials on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) for complications of preterm birth (PTB), an urgent issue in the perinatal field. PTB is a serious challenge in clinical medicine that is increasing globally, and effective control of its complications is necessary for newborns’ subsequent long life. Classical treatments are inadequate, and many patients have PTB complications. A growing body of evidence provided by translational medicine and others indicates that MSCs, and among them, the readily available AFSCs, may be useful in treating PTB complications. AFSCs are the only MSCs available prenatally and are known to be highly antiinflammatory and tissue-protective and do not form tumors when transplanted. Furthermore, because they are derived from the amniotic fluid, a medical waste product, no ethical issues are involved. AFSCs are an ideal cell resource for MSC therapy in neonates. This paper targets the brain, lungs, and intestines, which are the vital organs most likely to be damaged by PTB complications. The evidence to date and future prospects with MSCs and AFSCs for these organs are described

A Rare Case of Meconium Periorchitis Diagnosed in Utero

Meconium periorchitis is a rare disorder caused by fetal meconium peritonitis, with subsequent passage of meconium into the scrotum via a patent processus vaginalis. To date, clinical significance of meconium periorchitis for the prenatal diagnosis of meconium peritonitis and prediction for postnatal surgery remains to be determined. We present a clinical course of a fetus presenting with meconium periorchitis induced by meconium peritonitis. At 28 weeks’ gestation, fetal ultrasonography indicated fetal ascites associated with bilateral hydrocele and peritesticular calcification without other signs of meconium peritonitis. The pregnancy was uneventful until delivery and the infant was delivered at 37 weeks’ gestation. No abdominal distension was observed at birth, and radiography did not reveal any abdominal calcification except for scrotal calcification. Abdominal distension was observed 3 days after birth and laparotomy was performed. The diagnosis of meconium peritonitis was confirmed at surgery. Our case illustrated that careful examination of the scrotum during fetal life was helpful for prenatal diagnosis of meconium peritonitis as well as postnatal management

A STUDY ON PRODUCING HIGHLY RELIABILE REFERENCE DATA SETS FOR GLOBAL LAND COVER VALIDATION

Validating the accuracy of land cover products using a reliable reference dataset is an important task. A reliable reference dataset is produced with information derived from ground truth data. Recently, the amount of ground truth data derived from information collected by volunteers has been increasing globally. The acquisition of volunteer-based reference data demonstrates great potential. However information given by volunteers is limited useful vegetation information to produce a complete reference dataset based on the plant functional type (PFT) with five specialized forest classes. In this study, we examined the availability and applicability of FLUXNET information to produce reference data with higher levels of reliability. FLUXNET information was useful especially for forest classes for interpretation in comparison with the reference dataset using information given by volunteers

Correction: Identification and Characterization of Sulfated Carbohydrate-Binding Protein from Lactobacillus reuteri.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083703.]

Endogenous Leu332Gln mutation in p53 disrupts the tetramerization ability in a canine mammary gland tumor cell line

Mutations in the p53 gene are associated with more than half of all human cancers. These mutations often cause a disruption of the tumor-suppressor function of p53 and induce genomic instabilities. Wild-type p53 requires tetramerization to function as an initiator of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Although alterations in p53 tetramerization caused by mutation have been well studied, there are few cell lines containing an endogenous mutation in the tetramerization domain of p53. Here, we report the discovery of a canine mammary gland tumor cell line CTB-m2, which contains the Leu332Gln (L332Q) mutation corresponding to Leu344 in the tetramerization domain of human p53. Although CTB-m2 cells are genetically heterozygous for the Leu332Gln mutation, the mutant mRNA was almost exclusively expressed. CTB-m2 cells showed enhanced cell proliferation compared to wild-type p53-expressing CTB-m cells of the same lineage. A p53 tetramerization reporter assay showed that the ability of the p53 mutant to form tetramers was significantly lower than that of wild-type p53. An immunoblot analysis of cross-linked p53 oligomerized forms demonstrated that the L332Q mutant lacked the ability to form tetramers but retained the ability to form dimers. These data suggest that the p53 mutant cell line CTB-m2 could be a useful tool for analyzing the precise tetramerization mechanisms of p53 and verifying the effects of therapeutic agents against tumors expressing p53 mutants that lack the ability to tetramerize

Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Ameliorate Thioglycollate-Induced Peritonitis by Increasing Tregs in Mice

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) affect immune cells and exert anti-inflammatory effects. Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs), a type of MSCs, have a high therapeutic effect in animal models of inflammation-related diseases. hAFSCs can be easily isolated and cultured from amniotic fluid, which is considered a medical waste. Hence, amniotic fluid can be a source of cells for MSC therapy of inflammatory diseases. However, the effect of hAFSCs on acquired immunity in vivo, especially on regulatory T cells, has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to understand the effects of hAFSCs on acquired immunity, particularly on regulatory T cells. We showed that hAFSCs ameliorated the thioglycollate-induced inflammation by forming aggregates with host immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, and B cells in the peritoneal cavity. Further, the regulatory T cells increased in the peritoneal cavity. These results indicated that, in addition to helping the innate immunity, hAFSCs could also aid the acquired immune system in vivo against inflammation-related diseases by increasing regulatory T cells