Isolating stem cells from skin: designing a novel highly efficient non-enzymatic approach.

Stem cells are undifferentiated elements capable to acquire a specific cellular phenotype under the influence of specific stimuli, thus being involved in tissue integrity and maintenance. In the skin tissue self-renewal and wound healing after injury is a complex process, especially in adulthood, due to the aging process and the continuous exposure to damaging agents. The importance of stem cells in regenerative medicine is well known and defining or improving their isolation methods is therefore a primary and crucial step. In the present paper we present a novel method to isolate stem cells from human skin, including the involvement of a novel medium for the maintenance and expansion of in vitro cultures. The biopsies were mechanically digested and put in culture. The migrating cells were positive selected with magnetic cell sorting, characterized by flow-cytometry analysis, and viability detected by MTT assay. Cells exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype, as demonstrated by the positive acquirement of an osteogenic or adipogenic phenotype when cultured in specific conditioned media. Taken together our results disclose a novel method for culturing and expanding stem cells from skin and pave the way for future clinical applications in tissue regeneration.

PVA and PCL nanofibers are suitable for tissue covering and regeneration.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic approach to skin defects resulting from split thickness grafting. Within the study, nanofiber-based dressings fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) were used, with different mass density. The study was performed in 1 female minipig. Nine defects (approx. 4x4 cm) were made in the superficial skin layer. The tested materials were applied to the squared skin defect and covered by a Jelonet paraffin gauze, sutured in the corners of the defects. The animal was monitored daily during the healing process (21 days). On day 5, 12, and 27, the healing of the wound was evaluated, and a biopsy was performed for further histologic testing. At the end of the study (on day 27 after the procedure), the animal was euthanized, and a standard pathologic evaluation was performed. We can conclude that the nanofiber scaffold which was well tolerated, could be used as a smart skin cover which could be functionalized with another bioactive substances directly on the surgeon table, among potential bioactive substances belong platelet derivatives, antibiotics, etc.

n-3 PUFAs-From dietary supplements to medicines.

Although there has been a great progress in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) still remains high. One of the most important underlying causes explaining this phenomenon is the sudden cardiac death. Nearly half of all cardiovascular deaths in the USA each year is attributed to this unpredictable and unexpected complication of AMI. Hence, there is an urgent medical need for a targeted therapy to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death. Since 1980 there have been several epidemiological and other studies concerning the benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) in cardiovascular health and prevention. Results from one of the largest studies, GISSI Prevenzione Trial show that adding the n-3 PUFAs to standard therapy of patients who survived AMI reduces sudden cardiac death (44% risk reduction, p=0.0006). In addition, significant decline in all-cause cardiovascular mortality (21% risk reduction, p=0.0064) further emphasizes the role of n-3 PUFA in cardiovascular prevention. To date, beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA are attributed to their antiarrhythmic, lipid lowering, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties. To conclude, EPA and DHA improve the prognosis of cardiovascular patients in the secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death without any documented side effects.