A Simplified and Effective Approach for the Isolation of Small Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Human Peripheral Blood.

Pluripotent stem cells are key players in regenerative medicine. Embryonic pluripotent stem cells, despite their significant advantages, are associated with limitations such as their inadequate availability and the ethical dilemmas in their isolation and clinical use. The discovery of very small embryonic-like (VSEL) stem cells addressed the aforementioned limitations, but their isolation technique remains a challenge due to their small cell size and their efficiency in isolation.

Conditioned medium from a human adipose-derived stem cell line ameliorates inflammation and fibrosis in a lung experimental model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive parenchymal lung disease that results in fibrogenesis and the conditioned medium from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (CM-ADSCs) has been shown to be efficacious in pulmonary fibrosis animal models. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of CM-ADSCs on lung inflammation and fibrosis in a Bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. CM-ADSCs safety and toxicity were evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats and no adverse effects were observed.

An optogenetic approach for assessing formation of neuronal connections in a co-culture system.

Here we describe a protocol to generate a co-culture consisting of 2 different neuronal populations. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are reprogrammed from human fibroblasts using episomal vectors. Colonies of iPSCs can be observed 30 days after initiation of fibroblast reprogramming.

Lmx1a allows context-specific isolation of progenitors of GABAergic or dopaminergic neurons during neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

LIM homeobox transcription factor 1 alpha (Lmx1a) is required for the development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, roof plate formation, and cortical hem development. We generated a reporter embryonic stem cell (ESC) line for Lmx1a and used it to track differentiation and extract neural progenitors from differentiating mouse ESCs. Lmx1a(+) cells gave rise to functional cortical upper layer GABAergic neurons or dopaminergic neurons depending on the culture conditions used for differentiation.