Ooplast-mediated developmental rescue of bovine oocytes exposed to ethidium bromide

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Ooplasm transfer has been used successfully to treat infertility in women with ooplasmic insufficiency and has culminated in the birth of healthy babies. To investigate whether mitochondrial dysfunction is a factor in ooplasmic insufficiency, bovine oocytes were exposed to ethidium bromide, an inhibitor of mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription, during in-vitro maturation (IVM). Exposure of immature oocytes to ethidium bromide for 24 h during IVM hampered meiotic resumption and the migration of cortical granules. However, a briefer treatment with ethidium bromide during the last 4 h of IVM led to partial arrest of preimplantation development without affecting oocyte maturation. Ooplasm transfer was then performed to rescue the oocytes with impaired development. In spite of this developmental hindrance, transfer of normal ooplasm into ethidium bromide-treated oocytes resulted in a complete rescue of embryonic development and the birth of heteroplasmic calves. Although this study unable to determine whether developmental rescue occurred exclusively through introduction of unaffected mitochondria into ethidium bromide-damaged oocytes, e. g. ethidium bromide may also affect other ooplasm components, these results clearly demonstrate that ooplasm transfer can completely rescue developmentally compromised oocytes, supporting the potential use of ooplasm transfer in therapeutic applications. (C) 2010, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.222172183Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [2002/05054-7, 2004/01841-0, 2006/03516-4, 2006/59074-0

Mesenchymal stem cell-educated Macrophages

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) mediate their immunosuppressive effects via a variety of mechanisms. One of these mechanisms involves the induction of macrophages with immunomodulatory capacities. This effect of MSC may be exploited when MSC are used as a cell therapeutic product. Furthermore, MSC are resident in tissues where they may locally target infiltrating macrophages to adapt more regulatory properties. The present review discusses the interaction between MSC and macrophages, the induction of MSC-educated macrophages, how these cells position between other immune regulatory cells, and how they may be used in the clinic