Human umbilical cord blood-borne fibroblasts contain marrow niche precursors that form a bone/marrow organoid in vivo

Human umbilical cord blood (CB) has attracted much attention as a reservoir for functional hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and, recently, as a source of blood-borne fibroblasts (CB-BFs). Previously, we demonstrated that bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) and CB-BF pellet cultures make cartilage in vitro. Furthermore, upon in vivo transplantation, BMSC pellets remodelled into miniature bone/marrow organoids. Using this in vivo model, we asked whether CB-BF populations that express characteristics of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche contain precursors that reform the niche. CB ossicles were regularly observed upon transplantation. Compared with BM ossicles, CB ossicles showed a predominance of red marrow over yellow marrow, as demonstrated by histomorphological analyses and the number of hematopoietic cells isolated within ossicles. Marrow cavities from CB and BM ossicles included donor-derived CD146-expressing osteoprogenitors and host-derived mature hematopoietic cells, clonogenic lineage-committed progenitors and HSCs. Furthermore, human CD34+ cells transplanted into ossicle-bearing mice engrafted and maintained human HSCs in the niche. Our data indicate that CB- BFs are able to recapitulate the conditions by which the bone marrow microenvironment is formed and establish complete HSC niches, which are functionally supportive of hematopoietic tissue

Exercise-Induced Changes in the Cortical Bone of Growing Mice Are Bone and Gender Specific

Fracture risk and mechanical competence of bone are functions of bone mass and tissue quality, which in turn are dependent on the bone's mechanical environment. Male mice have a greater response to non-weight-bearing exercise than females, resulting in larger, stronger bones compared with control animals. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that short-term weight-bearing running during growth (21 days starting at 8 weeks of age; 30 min/day; 12 m/min; 5° incline; 7 days/week) would similarly have a greater impact on cross-sectional geometry and mechanical competence in the femora and tibiae of male mice versus females. Based on the orientation of the legs during running and the proximity of the tibia to the point of impact, this response was hypothesized to be greatest in the tibia. Exercise-related changes relative to controls were assayed by four-point bending tests, while volumetric bone mineral density and cross-sectional geometry were also assessed. The response to running was bone- and gender-specific, with male tibiae demonstrating the greatest effects. In male tibiae, periosteal perimeter, endocortical perimeter, cortical area, medial–lateral width and bending moment of inertia increased versus control mice suggesting that while growth is occurring in these mice between 8 and 11 weeks of age, exercise accelerated this growth resulting in a greater increase in bone tissue over the 3 weeks of the study. Exercise increased tissue-level strain-to-failure and structural post-yield deformation in the male tibiae, but these post-yield benefits came at the expense of decreased yield deformation, structural and tissue-level yield strength and tissue-level ultimate strength. These results suggest that exercise superimposed upon growth accelerated growth-related increases in tibial cross-sectional dimensions. Exercise also influenced the quality of this forming bone, significantly impacting structural and tissue-level mechanical properties

Microstructure and mineral composition of dystrophic calcification associated with the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This work was supported in part by the intramural research programs of NIEHS (FWM, LGR) and NIDCR (PGR), ADAF (NE), NIST (NE, JS), the Medical Research Council, UK (AB through the provision of the facility for the determination of mineralization density at the microscopic scale from BSE imaging) and the Veterinary Advisory Committee of the Horserace Betting Levy Board, UK (AB via support of M Arora)

Intra-subject variability in human bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) replicative senescence: Molecular changes associated with BMSC senescence

AbstractThe outcomes of clinical trials using bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) are variable; the degree of the expansion of BMSCs during clinical manufacturing may contribute to this variability since cell expansion is limited by senescence. Human BMSCs from aspirates of healthy subjects were subcultured serially until cell growth stopped. Phenotype and functional measurements of BMSCs from two subjects including senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining and colony formation efficiency changed from an early to a senescence pattern at passage 6 or 7. Transcriptome analysis of 10 early and 15 late passage BMSC samples from 5 subjects revealed 2122 differentially expressed genes, which were associated with immune response, development, and cell proliferation pathways. Analysis of 57 serial BMSC samples from 7 donors revealed that the change from an early to senescent profile was variable among subjects and occurred prior to changes in phenotypes. BMSC age expressed as a percentage of maximum population doublings (PDs) was a good indicator for an early or senescence transcription signature but this measure of BMSC life span can only be calculated after expanding BMSCs to senescence. In order to find a more useful surrogate measure of BMSC age, we used a computational biology approach to identify a set of genes whose expression at each passage would predict elapsed age of BMSCs. A total of 155 genes were highly correlated with BMSC age. A least angle regression algorithm identified a set of 24 BMSC age-predictive genes. In conclusion, the onset of senescence-associated molecular changes was variable and preceded changes in other indicators of BMSC quality and senescence. The 24 BMSC age predictive genes will be useful in assessing the quality of clinical BMSC products

Standardised Nomenclature, Abbreviations, and Units for the study of Bone Marrow Adiposity: Report of the Nomenclature Working Group of the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society

Research into bone marrow adiposity (BMA) has expanded greatly since the late 1990s, leading to development of new methods for the study of bone marrow adipocytes. Simultaneously, research fields interested in BMA have diversified substantially. This increasing interest is revealing fundamental new knowledge of BMA; however, it has also led to a highly variable nomenclature that makes it difficult to interpret and compare results from different studies. A consensus on BMA nomenclature has therefore become indispensable. This article addresses this critical need for standardised terminology and consistent reporting of parameters related to BMA research. The International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society (BMAS) was formed in 2017 to consolidate the growing scientific community interested in BMA. To address the BMA nomenclature challenge, BMAS members from diverse fields established a working group (WG). Based on their broad expertise, the WG first reviewed the existing, unsystematic nomenclature and identified terms, and concepts requiring further discussion. They thereby identified and defined 8 broad concepts and methods central to BMA research. Notably, these had been described using 519 unique combinations of term, abbreviation and unit, many of which were overlapping or redundant. On this foundation a second consensus was reached, with each term classified as “to use” or “not to use.” As a result, the WG reached a consensus to craft recommendations for 26 terms related to concepts and methods in BMA research. This was approved by the Scientific Board and Executive Board of BMAS and is the basis for the present recommendations for a formal BMA nomenclature. As an example, several terms or abbreviations have been used to represent “bone marrow adipocytes,” including BMAds, BM-As, and BMAs. The WG decided that BMA should refer to “bone marrow adiposity”; that BM-A is too similar to BMA; and noted that “Ad” has previously been recommended to refer to adipocytes. Thus, it was recommended to use BMAds to represent bone marrow adipocytes. In conclusion, the standard nomenclature proposed in this article should be Standardised Nomenclature, Abbreviations, and Units for the Study of Bone Marrow Adiposity: Report of the Nomenclature Working Group of the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society Nathalie Bravenboer, Miriam A. Bredella, [...], and William P. Cawthorn Additional article information Associated Data Supplementary Materials Abstract Research into bone marrow adiposity (BMA) has expanded greatly since the late 1990s, leading to development of new methods for the study of bone marrow adipocytes. Simultaneously, research fields interested in BMA have diversified substantially. This increasing interest is revealing fundamental new knowledge of BMA; however, it has also led to a highly variable nomenclature that makes it difficult to interpret and compare results from different studies. A consensus on BMA nomenclature has therefore become indispensable. This article addresses this critical need for standardised terminology and consistent reporting of parameters related to BMA research. The International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society (BMAS) was formed in 2017 to consolidate the growing scientific community interested in BMA. To address the BMA nomenclature challenge, BMAS members from diverse fields established a working group (WG). Based on their broad expertise, the WG first reviewed the existing, unsystematic nomenclature and identified terms, and concepts requiring further discussion. They thereby identified and defined 8 broad concepts and methods central to BMA research. Notably, these had been described using 519 unique combinations of term, abbreviation and unit, many of which were overlapping or redundant. On this foundation a second consensus was reached, with each term classified as “to use” or “not to use.” As a result, the WG reached a consensus to craft recommendations for 26 terms related to concepts and methods in BMA research. This was approved by the Scientific Board and Executive Board of BMAS and is the basis for the present recommendations for a formal BMA nomenclature. As an example, several terms or abbreviations have been used to represent “bone marrow adipocytes,” including BMAds, BM-As, and BMAs. The WG decided that BMA should refer to “bone marrow adiposity”; that BM-A is too similar to BMA; and noted that “Ad” has previously been recommended to refer to adipocytes. Thus, it was recommended to use BMAds to represent bone marrow adipocytes. In conclusion, the standard nomenclature proposed in this article should be followed for all communications of results related to BMA. This will allow for better interactions both inside and outside of this emerging scientific community

A cholinergic neuroskeletal interface promotes bone formation during postnatal growth and exercise.

The autonomic nervous system is a master regulator of homeostatic processes and stress responses. Sympathetic noradrenergic nerve fibers decrease bone mass, but the role of cholinergic signaling in bone has remained largely unknown. Here, we describe that early postnatally, a subset of sympathetic nerve fibers undergoes an interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced cholinergic switch upon contacting the bone. A neurotrophic dependency mediated through GDNF-family receptor-α2 (GFRα2) and its ligand, neurturin (NRTN), is established between sympathetic cholinergic fibers and bone-embedded osteocytes, which require cholinergic innervation for their survival and connectivity. Bone-lining osteoprogenitors amplify and propagate cholinergic signals in the bone marrow (BM). Moderate exercise augments trabecular bone partly through an IL-6-dependent expansion of sympathetic cholinergic nerve fibers. Consequently, loss of cholinergic skeletal innervation reduces osteocyte survival and function, causing osteopenia and impaired skeletal adaptation to moderate exercise. These results uncover a cholinergic neuro-osteocyte interface that regulates skeletogenesis and skeletal turnover through bone-anabolic effects

Bone marrow stromal cells attenuate sepsis via prostaglandin E2–dependent reprogramming of host macrophages to increase their interleukin-10 production

Sepsis causes over 200,000 deaths yearly in the US; better treatments are urgently needed. Administering bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs—also known as mesenchymal stem cells) to mice before or shortly after inducing sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture reduced mortality and improved organ function. The beneficial effect of BMSCs was eliminated by macrophage depletion or pretreatment with antibodies specific for interleukin-10 (IL-10) or IL-10 receptor. Monocytes and/or macrophages from septic lungs made more IL-10 when prepared from mice treated with BMSCs versus untreated mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages produced more IL-10 when cultured with BMSCs, but this effect was eliminated if the BMSCs lacked the genes encoding Toll-like receptor 4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene-88, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-1a or cyclooxygenase-2. Our results suggest that BMSCs (activated by LPS or TNF-α) reprogram macrophages by releasing prostaglandin E2 that acts on the macrophages through the prostaglandin EP2 and EP4 receptors. Because BMSCs have been successfully given to humans and can easily be cultured and might be used without human leukocyte antigen matching, we suggest that cultured, banked human BMSCs may be effective in treating sepsis in high-risk patient groups

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Labeling of Bone Marrow Stromal (Mesenchymal) Cells Does Not Affect Their “Stemness”

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are increasingly used to label human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs, also called “mesenchymal stem cells”) to monitor their fate by in vivo MRI, and by histology after Prussian blue (PB) staining. SPION-labeling appears to be safe as assessed by in vitro differentiation of BMSCs, however, we chose to resolve the question of the effect of labeling on maintaining the “stemness” of cells within the BMSC population in vivo. Assays performed include colony forming efficiency, CD146 expression, gene expression profiling, and the “gold standard” of evaluating bone and myelosupportive stroma formation in vivo in immuncompromised recipients. SPION-labeling did not alter these assays. Comparable abundant bone with adjoining host hematopoietic cells were seen in cohorts of mice that were implanted with SPION-labeled or unlabeled BMSCs. PB+ adipocytes were noted, demonstrating their donor origin, as well as PB+ pericytes, indicative of self-renewal of the stem cell in the BMSC population. This study confirms that SPION labeling does not alter the differentiation potential of the subset of stem cells within BMSCs

Bone marrow stromal cells attenuate sepsis via prostaglandin E2— dependent reprogramming of host macrophages to increase their interleukin-10 production

Sepsis causes over 200,000 deaths yearly in the US; better treatments are urgently needed. Administering bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs—also known as mesenchymal stem cells) to mice before or shortly after inducing sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture reduced mortality and improved organ function. The beneficial effect of BMSCs was eliminated by macrophage depletion or pretreatment with antibodies specific for interleukin-10 (IL-10) or IL-10 receptor. Monocytes and/ or macrophages from septic lungs made more IL-10 when prepared from mice treated with BMSCs versus untreated mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages produced more IL-10 when cultured with BMSCs, but this effect was eliminated if the BMSCs lacked the genes encoding Toll-like receptor 4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene-88, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-1a or cyclooxygenase-2. Our results suggest that BMSCs (activated by LPS or TNF-α) reprogram macrophages by releasing prostaglandin E2 that acts on the macrophages through the prostaglandin EP2 and EP4 receptors. Because BMSCs have been successfully given to humans and can easily be cultured and might be used without human leukocyte antigen matching, we suggest that cultured, banked human BMSCs may be effective in treating sepsis in high-risk patient groups.Sepsis, a serious medical condition that affects 18 million people per year worldwide, is characterized by a generalized inflammatory state caused by infection. Widespread activation of inflammation and coagulation pathways progresses to multiple organ dysfunction, collapse of the circulatory system (septic shock) and death. Because as many people die of sepsis annually as from acute myocardial infarction1, a new treatment regimen is desperately needed. In the last few years, it has been discovered that BMSCs are potent modulators of immune responses2-5. We wondered whether such cells could bring the immune response back into balance, thus attenuating the underlying pathophysiology that eventually leads to severe sepsis, septic shock and death6,7. As a model of sepsis, we chose cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), a procedure that has been used for more than two decades8. This mouse model closely resembles the human disease: it has a focal origin (cecum), is caused by multiple intestinal organisms, and results in septicemia with release of bacterial toxins into the circulation. With no treatment, the majority of the mice die 24-48 h postoperatively. Originally published Nature Medicine, Vol. 15, No. 1, Jan 200