Creation of Laryngeal Grafts from Primary Human Cells and Decellularized Laryngeal Scaffolds

Current reconstruction methods of the laryngotracheal segment fail to replace the complex functions of the human larynx. Bioengineering approaches to reconstruction have been limited by the complex tissue compartmentation of the larynx. We attempted to overcome this limitation by bio-engineering laryngeal grafts from decellularized canine laryngeal scaffolds recellularized with human primary cells under one uniform culture medium condition. First, we generated laryngeal scaffolds with preserved glycosaminoglycan content and biomechanical properties by detergent perfusion-decellularization over nine days. We proofed biocompatibility by absence of a CD3 lymphocyte response to subcutaneously implanted scaffolds in immune-competent rats. We then developed a uniform culture medium that strengthened the endothelial barrier over 5 days after an initial growth phase. Simultaneously, this culture medium supported airway epithelial cell and skeletal myoblast growth while maintaining their full differentiation and maturation potential. We then applied the uniform culture medium composition to whole laryngeal scaffolds seeded with endothelial cells from both carotid arteries and external jugular veins and generated re-endothelialized arterial and venous vascular beds. Under the same culture medium condition, we bio-engineered epithelial monolayers onto laryngeal mucosa and repopulated intrinsic laryngeal muscle. We were then able to demonstrate early muscle formation in heterotopic transplantations in immuno-deficient mice. The model supported the formation of three humanized laryngeal tissue compartments under one uniform culture condition, possibly a key factor in developing, complex, multicellular, ready-to-transplant tissue grafts

Pulsar spins from an instability in the accretion shock of supernovae

Rotation-powered radio pulsars are born with inferred initial rotation periods of order 300 ms (some as short as 20 ms) in core-collapse supernovae. In the traditional picture, this fast rotation is the result of conservation of angular momentum during the collapse of a rotating stellar core. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that pulsar spin is directly correlated with the rotation of the progenitor star. So far, however, stellar theory has not been able to explain the distribution of pulsar spins, suggesting that the birth rotation is either too slow or too fast. Here we report a robust instability of the stalled accretion shock in core-collapse supernovae that is able to generate a strong rotational flow in the vicinity of the accreting proto-neutron star. Sufficient angular momentum is deposited on the proto-neutron star to generate a final spin period consistent with observations, even beginning with spherically symmetrical initial conditions. This provides a new mechanism for the generation of neutron star spin and weakens, if not breaks, the assumed correlation between the rotational periods of supernova progenitor cores and pulsar spin.Comment: To be published in Natur

Nonlocal observables and lightcone-averaging in relativistic thermodynamics

The unification of relativity and thermodynamics has been a subject of considerable debate over the last 100 years. The reasons for this are twofold: (i) Thermodynamic variables are nonlocal quantities and, thus, single out a preferred class of hyperplanes in spacetime. (ii) There exist different, seemingly equally plausible ways of defining heat and work in relativistic systems. These ambiguities led, for example, to various proposals for the Lorentz transformation law of temperature. Traditional 'isochronous' formulations of relativistic thermodynamics are neither theoretically satisfactory nor experimentally feasible. Here, we demonstrate how these deficiencies can be resolved by defining thermodynamic quantities with respect to the backward-lightcone of an observation event. This approach yields novel, testable predictions and allows for a straightforward-extension of thermodynamics to General Relativity. Our theoretical considerations are illustrated through three-dimensional relativistic many-body simulations.Comment: typos in Eqs. (12) and (14) corrected, minor additions in the tex

Sustainability of treatment effect of a 3-year early intervention programme for first-episode psychosis

postprin

Extracellular Matrix Aggregates from Differentiating Embryoid Bodies as a Scaffold to Support ESC Proliferation and Differentiation

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have emerged as potential cell sources for tissue engineering and regeneration owing to its virtually unlimited replicative capacity and the potential to differentiate into a variety of cell types. Current differentiation strategies primarily involve various growth factor/inducer/repressor concoctions with less emphasis on the substrate. Developing biomaterials to promote stem cell proliferation and differentiation could aid in the realization of this goal. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components are important physiological regulators, and can provide cues to direct ESC expansion and differentiation. ECM undergoes constant remodeling with surrounding cells to accommodate specific developmental event. In this study, using ESC derived aggregates called embryoid bodies (EB) as a model, we characterized the biological nature of ECM in EB after exposure to different treatments: spontaneously differentiated and retinoic acid treated (denoted as SPT and RA, respectively). Next, we extracted this treatment-specific ECM by detergent decellularization methods (Triton X-100, DOC and SDS are compared). The resulting EB ECM scaffolds were seeded with undifferentiated ESCs using a novel cell seeding strategy, and the behavior of ESCs was studied. Our results showed that the optimized protocol efficiently removes cells while retaining crucial ECM and biochemical components. Decellularized ECM from SPT EB gave rise to a more favorable microenvironment for promoting ESC attachment, proliferation, and early differentiation, compared to native EB and decellularized ECM from RA EB. These findings suggest that various treatment conditions allow the formulation of unique ESC-ECM derived scaffolds to enhance ESC bioactivities, including proliferation and differentiation for tissue regeneration applications. © 2013 Goh et al

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB

Current Bioengineering and Regenerative Strategies for the Generation of Kidney Grafts on Demand

[EN] Currently in the USA, one name is added to the organ transplant waiting list every 15 min. As this list grows rapidly, fewer than one-third of waiting patients can receive matched organs from donors. Unfortunately, many patients who require a transplant have to wait for long periods of time, and many of them die before receiving the desired organ. In the USA alone, over 100,000 patients are waiting for a kidney transplant. However, it is a problem that affects around 6% of the word population. Therefore, seeking alternative solutions to this problem is an urgent work. Here, we review the current promising regenerative technologies for kidney function replacement. Despite many approaches being applied in the different ways outlined in this work, obtaining an organ capable of performing complex functions such as osmoregulation, excretion or hormone synthesis is still a long-term goal. However, in the future, the efforts in these areas may eliminate the long waiting list for kidney transplants, providing a definitive solution for patients with end-stage renal disease.This study was supported by a grant from ALCER-TURIA, ASTELLAS and PRECIPITA CROWDFUNDING.Garcia-Dominguez, X.; Vicente Antón, JS.; Vera Donoso, CD.; Marco-Jiménez, F. (2017). Current Bioengineering and Regenerative Strategies for the Generation of Kidney Grafts on Demand. Current Urology Reports. 18(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-017-0650-6S18181Ott HC, Mathisen DJ. Bioartificial tissues and organs: are we ready to translate? Lancet. 2011;378:1977–8.Salvatori M, Peloso A, Katari R, Orlando G. Regeneration and bioengineering of the kidney: current status and future challenges. Curr Urol Rep. 2014;15:379.D’Agati VD. Growing new kidneys from embryonic cell suspensions: fantasy or reality? J Am Soc Nephrol. 2002;11:1763–6.Abouna GM. Organ shortage crisis: problems and possible solutions. 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Two-step oligoclonal development of male germ cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106:175–80.Fraidenraich D, Stillwell E, Romero E, Wilkes D, Manova K, Basson CT, et al. Rescue of cardiac defects in id knockout embryos by injection of embryonic stem cells. Science. 2004;306:247–52.Kobayashi T, Yamaguchi T, Hamanaka S, Kato-Itoh M, Yamazaki Y, Ibata M, et al. Generation of rat pancreas in mouse by interspecific blastocyst injection of pluripotent stem cells. Cell. 2010;142:787–99.Matsunari H, Nagashima H, Watanabe M, Umeyama K, Nakano K, Nagaya M, et al. Blastocyst complementation generates exogenic pancreas in vivo in apancreatic cloned pigs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110:4557–62.Espejel S, Roll GR, McLaughlin KJ, Lee AY, Zhang JY, Laird DJ, et al. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes have the functional and proliferative capabilities needed for liver regeneration in mice. J Clin Invest. 2010;120:3120–6.Usui J, Kobayashi T, Yamaguchi T, Knisely AS, Nishinakamura R, Nakauchi H. Generation of kidney from pluripotent stem cells via blastocyst complementation. Am J Pathol. 2012;180:2417–26.Aggarwal S, Moggio A, Bussolati B. Concise review: stem/progenitor cells for renal tissue repair: current knowledge and perspectives. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2013;2:1011–9.Yokote S, Yokoo T. Organogenesis for kidney regeneration. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2013;18:186–90.Crapo PM, Gilbert TW, Badylak SF. An overview of tissue and whole organ decellularization processes. Biomaterials. 2011;32:3233–43.Berthiaume F, Maguire TJ, Yarmush ML. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: history, progress, and challenges. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng. 2011;2:403–30.Badylak SF. Xenogeneic extracellular matrix as a scaffold for tissue reconstruction. Transpl Immunol. 2004;12:367–77.Badylak SF. The extracellular matrix as a biologic scaffold material. 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Efficacy and safety of renal tubule cell therapy for acute renal failure. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008;19:1034–40.Yokoo T, Ohashi T, Shen JS, Sakurai K, Miyazaki Y, Utsunomiya Y, et al. Human mesenchymal stem cells in rodent whole-embryo culture are reprogrammed to contribute to kidney tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005;102(9):3296–300.Yokoo T, Fukui A, Ohashi T, Miyazaki Y, Utsunomiya Y, Kawamura T, et al. Xenobiotic kidney organogenesis from human mesenchymal stem cells using a growing rodent embryo. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006;17:1026–34.Cooper DK. A brief history of cross-species organ transplantation. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2012;25:49–57.Costa MR, Fischer N, Gulich B, Tönjes RR. Comparison of porcine endogenous retroviruses infectious potential in supernatants of producer cells and in cocultures. Xenotransplantation. 2014;21:162–73.Takeda S, Rogers SA, Hammerman MR. Differential origin for endothelial and mesangial cells after transplantation of pig fetal renal primordia into rats. Transpl Immunol. 2006;15:211–5.Yasutomi Y. Establishment of specific pathogen-free macaque colonies in Tsukuba Primate Research Center of Japan for AIDS research. Vaccine. 2010;28:75–7.Dekel B, Burakova T, Arditti FD, Reich-Zeliger S, Milstein O, Aviel-Ronen S, et al. Human and porcine early kidney precursors as a new source for transplantation. Nat Med. 2003;9:53–60.Hammerman MR. Classic and current opinion in embryonic organ transplantation. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2014;19:133–9.Rogers SA, Hammerman MR. Prolongation of life in anephric rats following de novo renal organogenesis. Organogenesis. 2004;1:22–5.•• Yokote S, Matsunari H, Iwai S, Yamanaka S, Uchikura A, Fujimoto E, et al. Urine excretion strategy for stem cell-generated embryonic kidneys. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112:12980–5. This manuscript describes the developed-metanephros ability to produce urine when it was connected to the excretory system of the recipient organism. They demonstrated the potential of this technique as a possible solution to the kidneys shortage.Yokote S, Yokoo T, Matsumoto K, Utsunomiya Y, Kawamura T, Hosoya T. The effect of metanephroi transplantation on blood pressure in anephric rats with induced acute hypotension. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2012;27:3449–55.Matsumoto K, Yokoo T, Yokote S, Utsunomiya Y, Ohashi T, Hosoya T. Functional development of a transplanted embryonic kidney: effect of transplantation site. J Nephrol. 2012;25:50–5.Yokote S, Yokoo T, Matsumoto K, Ohkido I, Utsunomiya Y, Kawamura T, et al. Metanephroi transplantation inhibits the progression of vascular calcification in rats with adenine-induced renal failure. Nephron Exp Nephrol. 2012;120:e32–40.Matsumoto K, Yokoo T, Matsunari H, Iwai S, Yokote S, Teratani T, et al. Xeno‐transplanted embryonic kidney provides a niche for endogenous mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into erythropoietin-producing tissue. Stem Cells. 2012;30:1228–35.Abrahamson DR. Glomerular development in intraocular and intrarenal graft of fetal kidney. Lab Investig. 1991;64:629–39.Woolf AS, Palmer SJ, Snow ML, Fine LG. Creation of functioning chimeric mammalian kidney. Kidney Int. 1990;38:991–7.Robert B, St John PL, Hyink DP, Abrahamson DR. Evidence that embryonic kidney cells expressing flk-1 are intrinsic, vasculogenic angioblasts. Am J Physiol. 1996;271:F744–53.Koseki C, Herzlinger D, Al-Awqati Q. Integration of embryonic nephrogenic cells carrying a reporter gene into functioning nephrons. Am J Physiol. 1991;261:C550–4.Rogers SA, Lowell JA, Hammerman NA, Hammerman MR. Transplantation of developing metanephroi into adult rats. Kidney Int. 1998;54:27–37.Barakat TL, Harrison RG. The capacity of fetal and neonatal renal tissues to regenerate and differentiate in a heterotropic allogenic subcutaneous tissue site in the rat. J Anat. 1971;110:393–407.Rogers SA, Liapis H, Hammerman MR. Transplantation of metanephroi across the major histocompatibility complex in rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2001;280:R132–6.Vera-Donoso CD, García-Dominguez X, Jiménez-Trigos E, García-Valero L, Vicente JS, Marco-Jiménez F. Laparoscopic transplantation of metanephroi: a first step to kidney xenotransplantation. Actas Urol Esp. 2015;39:527–34.•• Marco-Jiménez F, Garcia-Dominguez X, Jimenez-Trigos E, Vera-Donoso CD, Vicente JS. Vitrification of kidney precursors as a new source for organ transplantation. Cryobiology. 2015;70:278–82. This study found that it is possible to create a long-term biobank of kidney precursors as an unlimited source of organs for transplantation and open new therapeutic possibilities for the patients with chronic renal failure.Garcia-Dominguez X, Vicente JS, Vera-Donoso C, Jimenez-Trigos E, Marco-Jiménez F. First steps towards organ banks: vitrification of renal primordia. CryoLetters. 2016;37:47–52.•• García-Domínguez X, Vera-Donoso CD, García-Valero L, Vicente JS, Marco-Jiménez F. Embryonic organ transplantation: the new era of xenotransplantation. In: Abdeldayem H, El-Kased AF, El-Shaarawy A, editors. Frontiers in transplantology. 2016. pp. 26–46. This manuscript describes for the first time the protocol for transplantation of embryonic kidneys as an organ replacement therapy using laparoscopic surgery.Bottomley MJ, Baicu S, Boggs JM, Marshall DP, Clancy M, Brockbank KG, et al. Preservation of embryonic kidneys for transplantation. Transplant Proc. 2005;37:280–4.Hara J, Tottori J, Anders M, Dadhwal S, Asuri P, Mobed-Miremadi M. Trehalose effectiveness as a cryoprotectant in 2D and 3D cell cultures of human embryonic kidney cells. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2016. doi: 10.3109/21691401.2016.1167698 .Xu Y, Zhao G, Zhou X, Ding W, Shu Z, Gao D. Biotransport and intracellular ice formation phenomena in freezing human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T). Cryobiology. 2014;68:294–302

Validation of the Cardiosphere Method to Culture Cardiac Progenitor Cells from Myocardial Tissue

At least four laboratories have shown that endogenous cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) can be grown directly from adult heart tissue in primary culture, as cardiospheres or their progeny (cardiosphere-derived cells, CDCs). Indeed, CDCs are already being tested in a clinical trial for cardiac regeneration. Nevertheless, the validity of the cardiosphere strategy to generate CPCs has been called into question by reports based on variant methods. In those reports, cardiospheres are argued to be cardiomyogenic only because of retained cardiomyocytes, and stem cell activity has been proposed to reflect hematological contamination. We use a variety of approaches (including genetic lineage tracing) to show that neither artifact is applicable to cardiospheres and CDCs grown using established methods, and we further document the stem cell characteristics (namely, clonogenicity and multilineage potential) of CDCs.CPCs were expanded from human endomyocardial biopsies (n = 160), adult bi-transgenic MerCreMer-Z/EG mice (n = 6), adult C57BL/6 mice (n = 18), adult GFP(+) C57BL/6 transgenic mice (n = 3), Yucatan mini pigs (n = 67), adult SCID beige mice (n = 8), and adult Wistar-Kyoto rats (n = 80). Cellular yield was enhanced by collagenase digestion and process standardization; yield was reduced in altered media and in specific animal strains. Heparinization/retrograde organ perfusion did not alter the ability to generate outgrowth from myocardial sample. The initial outgrowth from myocardial samples was enriched for sub-populations of CPCs (c-Kit(+)), endothelial cells (CD31(+), CD34(+)), and mesenchymal cells (CD90(+)). Lineage tracing using MerCreMer-Z/EG transgenic mice revealed that the presence of cardiomyocytes in the cellular outgrowth is not required for the generation of CPCs. Rat CDCs are shown to be clonogenic, and cloned CDCs exhibit spontaneous multineage potential.This study demonstrates that direct culture and expansion of CPCs from myocardial tissue is simple, straightforward, and reproducible when appropriate techniques are used

Bioelectrical impedance phase angle in clinical practice: implications for prognosis in stage IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A frequent manifestation of advanced lung cancer is malnutrition, timely identification and treatment of which can lead to improved patient outcomes. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy-to-use and non-invasive technique to evaluate changes in body composition and nutritional status. We investigated the prognostic role of BIA-derived phase angle in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case series of 165 stages IIIB and IV NSCLC patients treated at our center. The Kaplan Meier method was used to calculate survival. Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to evaluate the prognostic effect of phase angle, independent of stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>93 were males and 72 females. 61 had stage IIIB disease at diagnosis while 104 had stage IV. The median phase angle was 5.3 degrees (range = 2.9 – 8). Patients with phase angle <= 5.3 had a median survival of 7.6 months (95% CI: 4.7 to 9.5; n = 81), while those with > 5.3 had 12.4 months (95% CI: 10.5 to 18.7; n = 84); (p = 0.02). After adjusting for age, stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history we found that every one degree increase in phase angle was associated with a relative risk of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.97, P = 0.02).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found BIA-derived phase angle to be an independent prognostic indicator in patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC. Nutritional interventions targeted at improving phase angle could potentially lead to an improved survival in patients with advanced NSCLC.</p

Bioelectrical impedance phase angle as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy-to-use, non-invasive, and reproducible technique to evaluate changes in body composition and nutritional status. Phase angle, determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), detects changes in tissue electrical properties and has been hypothesized to be a marker of malnutrition. Since malnutrition can be found in patients with breast cancer, we investigated the prognostic role of phase angle in breast cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated a case series of 259 histologically confirmed breast cancer patients treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Kaplan Meier method was used to calculate survival. Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to evaluate the prognostic effect of phase angle independent of stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history. Survival was calculated as the time interval between the date of first patient visit to the hospital and the date of death from any cause or date of last contact/last known to be alive.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 259 patients, 81 were newly diagnosed at our hospital while 178 had received prior treatment elsewhere. 56 had stage I disease at diagnosis, 110 had stage II, 46 had stage III and 34 had stage IV. The median age at diagnosis was 49 years (range 25 – 74 years). The median phase angle score was 5.6 (range = 1.5 – 8.9). Patients with phase angle <= 5.6 had a median survival of 23.1 months (95% CI: 14.2 to 31.9; n = 129), while those > 5.6 had 49.9 months (95% CI: 35.6 to 77.8; n = 130); the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.031). Multivariate Cox modeling, after adjusting for stage at diagnosis and prior treatment history found that every one unit increase in phase angle score was associated with a relative risk of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.68 to 0.99, P = 0.041). Stage at diagnosis (p = 0.006) and prior treatment history (p = 0.001) were also predictive of survival independent of each other and phase angle.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates that BIA-derived phase angle is an independent prognostic indicator in patients with breast cancer. Nutritional interventions targeted at improving phase angle could potentially lead to an improved survival in patients with breast cancer.</p