A Giant Maxillary Mucocele Presenting Left Cheek Swelling

A paranasal sinus mucocele is an epithelial-lined, mucus-containing sac that completely fills the sinus and forms an expandable cystic structure. It most commonly affects the frontal and ethmoidal sinuses, and rarely the maxillary and sphenoid sinuses. Orbital displacement or external disfigurement resulting from the expansion of the frontal or ethmoid sinuses is common; however, facial asymmetry caused by maxillary bone remodeling is rare. We describe a case of large maxillary sinus mucocele that destroyed the maxillary sinus bony wall, resulting in notable left cheek swelling and disfigurement, and review the relevant literature

Nanovesicles derived from iron oxide nanoparticles-incorporated mesenchymal stem cells for cardiac repair

Because of poor engraftment and safety concerns regarding mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, MSC-derived exosomes have emerged as an alternative cell-free therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). However, the diffusion of exosomes out of the infarcted heart following injection and the low productivity limit the potential of clinical applications. Here, we developed exosome-mimetic extracellular nanovesicles (NVs) derived from iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs)-incorporated MSCs (IONP-MSCs). The retention of injected IONP-MSC-derived NVs (IONP-NVs) within the infarcted heart was markedly augmented by magnetic guidance. Furthermore, IONPs significantly increased the levels of therapeutic molecules in IONP-MSCs and IONP-NVs, which can reduce the concern of low exosome productivity. The injection of IONP-NVs into the infarcted heart and magnetic guidance induced an early shift from the inflammation phase to the reparative phase, reduced apoptosis and fibrosis, and enhanced angiogenesis and cardiac function recovery. This approach can enhance the therapeutic potency of an MSC-derived NV therapy.