Potential Use of Stem Cells for Kidney Regeneration

Significant advances have been made in stem cell research over the past decade. A number of nonhematopoietic sources of stem cells (or progenitor cells) have been identified, including endothelial stem cells and neural stem cells. These discoveries have been a major step toward the use of stem cells for potential clinical applications of organ regeneration. Accordingly, kidney regeneration is currently gaining considerable attention to replace kidney dialysis as the ultimate therapeutic strategy for renal failure. However, due to anatomic complications, the kidney is believed to be the hardest organ to regenerate; it is virtually impossible to imagine such a complicated organ being completely rebuilt from pluripotent stem cells by gene or chemical manipulation. Nevertheless, several groups are taking on this big challenge. In this manuscript, current advances in renal stem cell research are reviewed and their usefulness for kidney regeneration discussed. We also reviewed the current knowledge of the emerging field of renal stem cell biology

A Novel Strategy for Xeno-Regenerative Therapy

The shortage of organs for transplantation is of critical importance worldwide. Xenotransplantation or xeno-embryonic organ transplantation can stably supply organs and is considered to be an established alternative treatment. Regenerative medicine is another option, and recent advances in stem cell research have enabled the reproduction of miniature organs, called organoids, derived in vitro from human induced pluripotent stem cells. However, the in vitro production of large and complex organs that can efficiently function in vivo is not yet accomplished. We proposed a novel strategy for xenotransplantation in which a chimeric kidney is constructed by injecting human nephron progenitor cells into a porcine embryonic kidney, thereby eliminating pig nephron progenitor cells and allowing transplantation into a human and long-term survival. In this chapter, we discussed advantages and pitfalls of xenotransplantation and xeno-embryonic kidney transplantation. Recent attempts of human organoids and blastocyst complementation were reviewed. Finally, we proposed our novel xeno-regenerative therapeutic strategy

Association between Immediate Postoperative Radiographic Findings and Failed Internal Fixation for Trochanteric Fractures: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Failed internal fixations for trochanteric fractures have a strong negative impact owing to increased postoperative mortality and high medical costs. However, evidence on the prognostic value of postoperative radiographic findings for failed internal fixations is limited. We aimed to clarify the association between comprehensive immediate postoperative radiographic findings and failed internal fixation using relative and absolute risk measures. We followed the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines and the Cochrane handbook. We searched specific databases in November 2021. The outcomes of interest were failed internal fixation and cut-out. We pooled the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using a random-effects model and calculated the number needed to harm for each outcome. Thirty-six studies involving 8938 patients were included. The certainty of evidence in the association between postoperative radiographic findings and failed internal fixation or cut-out was mainly low or very low except for the association between intramedullary malreduction on the anteromedial cortex and failed internal fixation. Moderate certainty of evidence supported that intramedullary malreduction on the anteromedial cortex was associated with failed internal fixation. Most postoperative radiographic findings on immediate postoperative radiographs for trochanteric fractures were uncertain as prognostic factors for failed internal fixations

Effect of O-arm for spinal injury

Purpose : To compare the effectiveness of O-arm navigation with that of conventional fluoroscopic guidance in corrective posterior fixation for cervical spinal injury. Methods : This retrospective comparative study involved 11 consecutive patients who underwent corrective posterior fixation using O-arm navigation or conventional fluoroscopy for cervical spinal injury between February 2016 and May 2021. Patient-specific characteristics (age and sex), number of screws, number of pedicle screws, accuracy of pedicle screw insertion, number of vertebral bodies fixed, operating time, and length of hospital stay were analyzed using the t-test. A P-value 0.05). Conclusion : O-arm navigation can improve the accuracy of cervical pedicle screw insertion. Its introduction could expand the indications for use of pedicle screws in posterior fixation of cervical spinal injury beyond those that are possible using conventional fluoroscopy

Intrinsic double-peak structure of the specific heat in low-dimensional quantum ferrimagnets

Motivated by recent magnetic measurements on A3Cu3(PO4)4 (A=Ca,Sr) and Cu(3-Clpy)2(N3)2 (3-Clpy=3-Chloropyridine), both of which behave like one-dimensional ferrimagnets, we extensively investigate the ferrimagnetic specific heat with particular emphasis on its double-peak structure. Developing a modified spin-wave theory, we reveal that ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic dual features of ferrimagnets may potentially induce an extra low-temperature peak as well as a Schottky-type peak at mid temperatures in the specific heat.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures embedded, Phys. Rev. B 65, 214418 (2002

Distinct Effects of Ketone Bodies on Down-Regulation of Cell Surface Insulin Receptor and Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Phosphorylation in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

ABSTRACT Treatment (м24 h) of cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells with ketoacidosis-related concentrations (м3 mM) of acetoacetate (but not ␤-hydroxybutyrate, acetone, and acidic medium) caused a time-and concentration-dependent reduction of cell surface 125 I-insulin binding by ϳ38%, with no change in the K d value. The reduction of 125 I-insulin binding returned to control nontreated level at 24 h after the washout of acetoacetate-treated cells. Acetoacetate did not increase the internalization rate of cell surface insulin receptor (IR), as measured in the presence of brefeldin A, an inhibitor of cell surface vesicular exit from the trans-Golgi network. Acetoacetate (10 mM for 24 h) lowered cellular levels of the immunoreactive IR precursor molecule (ϳ190 kDa) and IR by 22 and 28%, respectively. Acetoacetate decreased IR mRNA levels by ϳ23% as early as 6 h, producing their maximum plateau reduction at 12 and 24 h. The half-life of IR mRNA was shortened by acetoacetate from 13.6 to 9.5 h. Immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot analysis revealed that insulin-induced (100 nM for 10 min) tyrosine-phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) was attenuated by 56% in acetoacetate-treated cells, with no change in IRS-1 level. These results suggest that chronic treatment with acetoacetate selectively down-regulated the density of cell surface functional IR via lowering IR mRNA levels and IR synthesis, thereby retarding insulin-induced activation of IRS-1