Current stem cell research & therapy最新文献

{"title":"Emodin Enhances Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential in Fibrocartilage Stem Cells for Temporomandibular Joint Cartilage Regeneration.","authors":"Jiayi Chen, Danhua Ling, Rundong Zhang, Yanzhen Zhang, Ying Wang","doi":"10.2174/011574888X436705260217044140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X436705260217044140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a degenerative disease mainly characterized by cartilage degeneration. Regeneration of condylar cartilage plays a crucial role in enhancing joint function and mitigating the advancement of TMJOA. Emodin has shown efficacy in promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting extracellular matrix degradation, suggesting its potential as a novel therapeutic approach for promoting condylar cartilage regeneration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we isolated and characterized distinct Fibrocartilage Stem Cells (FCSCs) from the condyles of Sprague Dawley rats. Proliferation and differentiation of FCSCs were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. Western blot and Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses were conducted to evaluate the expression levels of bone and cartilage anabolic metabolism markers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The CCK-8 assay demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in cell proliferation, and the peak cell viability was observed at approximately 20 μM (P < 0.01). Analysis using qRT-PCR revealed significant upregulation of the fibrocartilage-specific marker, specifically Col I (P < 0.0001), alongside the concurrent downregulation of adipogenic markers Ppar-γ and LPL (P < 0.05), as well as osteogenic markers ACAN and ALP. Western blot analysis further confirmed elevated levels of Col I and reduced levels of ACAN and ALP following treatment with 20 μM.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings demonstrated that emodin selectively promoted the differentiation of FCSCs towards chondrogenic lineages within a specific concentration range in vitro.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In conclusion, emodin enhanced the fibrocartilage-specific differentiation of FCSCs, indicating the potential therapeutic application of emodin in regenerating cartilage in the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147792814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MiR-296-3p in Follicular Fluid‑derived Extracellular Vesicles Ameliorates the Ovarian Granulosa Cell Inflammatory Stress Response in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.","authors":"Xingyu Bi, Pengfei Zhu, Dan Su, Xueqing Wu, Lu Li","doi":"10.2174/011574888X424112251203174621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X424112251203174621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study aimed to determine the expression of microRNA-296-3p (miR- 296-3p) in follicular fluid extracellular vesicles (EVs) of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and its role in regulating ovarian granulosa cell inflammation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A case-control study was conducted involving 30 PCOS patients and 30 control subjects. Clinical indicators, including body mass index (BMI), basal luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T), were measured. The expression level of miR-296-3p in follicular fluid EVs was quantified. Functional assays were performed in LPS-induced ovarian granulosa cells by overexpressing miR-296-3p, and subsequent changes in cell viability and the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β) were analyzed. Bioinformatic analysis identified potential target genes of miR-296-3p.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The PCOS group showed significantly higher BMI, LH, and testosterone levels (P < 0.05). MiR-296-3p expression was markedly downregulated in PCOS follicular fluid EVs (P < 0.01). Its overexpression enhanced granulosa cell viability (P < 0.05), decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α), and increased TGF-β (P < 0.05). We identified 408 potential target genes of miR-296-3p, enriched in inflammation regulation, tumorigenesis, and hormone secretion.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings indicate miR-296-3p is significantly downregulated in PCOS and exerts anti-inflammatory effects on granulosa cells, supporting its involvement in PCOS-associated inflammation. The study links miR-296-3p to granulosa cell inflammatory response, though functional validation of target genes remains for future work.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MiR-296-3p is downregulated in PCOS follicular fluid EVs and alleviates granulosa cell inflammation, offering novel insight into PCOS pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147792840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An In Silico and In vitro Study Examining the Links between T-Cells, MicroRNA, and mRNA Targets/Pathways Associated with Immune-Related Pathogenesis in Acquired Aplastic Anemia.","authors":"Bhuvnesh Rai, Ghazala Sabereen, Pragati Saxena, Jyotika Srivastava, Ruchi Gupta, Chandra Prakash Chaturvedi","doi":"10.2174/011574888X446605260311082144","DOIUrl":"10.2174/011574888X446605260311082144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>MicroRNA and mRNA profiling of T cells from Acquired Aplastic Anaemia (AA) patients using both in-silico and in-vitro methods identified molecular changes, including altered immune-regulatory gene expression, linked to T-cell dysregulation and AA pathobiology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>MicroRNA (GSE82095) and mRNA (GSE3807) profiles of T cells were obtained from patients with aplastic anaemia and controls using the GEO database. Differential expression was analyzed using GEO2R and TAC 4.0, selecting miRNAs and mRNAs with fold change >2 and an adjusted p-value <0.05. Enrichment analysis of significant miRNAs was conducted via miEAA2.0, while their gene targets were predicted using miRNet and validated with MiRTarBase, TargetScan, miRanda, and MiRDB. Functional enrichment of these targets was assessed using GSEA (FDR < 0.25). This workflow enabled a thorough evaluation of miRNA-mRNA interactions in AA.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>The T-cell dataset identified 41 miRNAs and 944 mRNA targets that were significantly altered in Aplastic Anemia (AA) cases versus controls (P<0.05). Venn diagram analysis showed all 944 differentially expressed genes overlapped with the 8305 possible mRNA targets of T-cell miRNAs, which were then used for GSEA to identify enriched gene ontology and pathways. Twenty top mRNA targets underwent further PPI network and hub gene analysis, highlighting 10 key pathways, including Interleukin-13, PI3K-Akt, IFN gamma, MAPK, hematopoietic lineage, mTOR, Interleukin- 4/13, TGF-beta, haemostasis, and cytokine receptor interaction. Network analysis identified 10 hub genes (e.g., EP300, CREBBP, CEBPB, CEBPA, FOS, NCOA3, ESR1, RUNX1, PPARG, and NCOR1) and common transcription factors (e.g., EP300, CREBBP, CEBPB, RUNX1, etc.). GSEA and DAVID analyses indicate these genes and pathways are closely involved in the immune pathogenesis of acquired AA.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study of miRNA and mRNA expression in T cells from acquired aplastic anemia patients shows significant molecular changes linked to immune dysregulation. Key miRNAs, hub genes, and pathways like IL-13, PI3K-Akt, and NOTCH may play a role in AA pathobiology. Analysis of protein interactions and transcription factors identified further regulatory nodes involved in abnormal immune responses. These findings reveal miRNA-mRNA networks in acquired aplastic anaemia and propose them as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets, pending further experimental validation of their clinical significance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Computational analysis shows that miRNAs regulate key T-cell mRNA and signalling pathways in AA patients. Following experimental validation, these microRNA-target interactions could be explored for potential diagnostic or therapeutic roles in AA.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147725119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-culture of Rat Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exerts an Anti-apoptotic Effect on Nucleus Pulposus Cells Through the PI3K/Akt Pathway.","authors":"Defang Li, Weibin Chen, Lei Ding, Lihan Chen, Houlei Wang, Qingmin Zeng","doi":"10.2174/011574888X434832260306204705","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X434832260306204705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study aims to investigate the effect of non-contact co-culture of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Rat primary BMSCs and NPCs were isolated and cultured in vitro. To induce apoptosis, NPCs were exposed to varying concentrations of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). A non-contact co-culture system was utilized to assess the influence of BMSCs on TBHP-induced apoptosis in NPCs. Apoptosis rates were measured by flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was analyzed by Western blot.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Primary cultures successfully yielded both BMSCs and NPCs. TBHP treatment led to a concentration- dependent increase in NPC apoptosis. Based on the CCK-8 assay, 100 μmol/ml was selected as the optimal experimental concentration. Co-culture with BMSCs significantly enhanced the anti-apoptotic capacity of NPCs, reducing the apoptosis rate. This was accompanied by decreased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins caspase-3 and Bax, and increased expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway was also observed, with elevated levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>In the non-contact co-culture system, BMSCs alleviated TBHP-induced NPC damage via a paracrine effect, providing new theoretical insights for therapeutic development.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>BMSCs may reduce TBHP-induced NPC damage through paracrine signaling, a mechanism linked to the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147679674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Fractionated Electron Beam Irradiation on Senescence Development in Human Adipose Tissue Stromal Cells.","authors":"Svetlana Lyamina, Denis Baranovskii, Sergey Kalish, Ekaterina Kozhevnikova, Tatiana Ivanova, Anastas Kisel, Sergey Koryakin, Vyacheslav Saburov, Elena Isaeva, Dmitrii Atiakshin, Ilya D Klabukov, Vadim Govorun","doi":"10.2174/011574888X420460251201091226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X420460251201091226","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction/objective: </strong>The proliferative capacity of adipose tissue stem cells (ATSCs) declines with aging due to the onset of senescence. This study aimed to determine whether fractionated electron irradiation can induce stable senescence in human ATSCs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Human ATSCs were exposed to electron beam irradiation using a Novac-11 accelerator. Irradiated and control ATSCs were subsequently cultured for 14 days in serum-free medium under either normoxic (5% CO₂, 21% O₂) or hypoxic (5% CO₂, 6.5% O₂) conditions. Cellular senescence was assessed by β-galactosidase staining. Expression of surface markers CD90 and CD105 was analyzed using flow cytometry. To quantify gene expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, p16, p21, and TGF-β, total RNA was extracted and subjected to qPCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Approximately 60% of irradiated ATSCs cultured under hypoxic conditions exhibited senescence. The proportion of CD90- and CD105-positive cells was significantly reduced compared to both the baseline culture and the normoxic group (p < 0.05). Expression levels of p16 and p21 did not differ significantly from controls after 14 days under either hypoxic or normoxic conditions (p > 0.05). In contrast, IL-6 and TGF-β1 expression levels were significantly elevated compared to control groups (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study demonstrates that fractionated electron irradiation can induce stable senescence in ATSCs, particularly under hypoxic conditions. The significantly higher percentage of senescent cells in the irradiated hypoxic group suggests a synergistic effect, in which irradiation combined with reduced oxygen tension enhances senescence induction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Fractionated electron irradiation can effectively induce a stable state of cellular senescence in ATSCs, with hypoxia further promoting this effect.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147494951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of Bone Regeneration in a Rat Calvarial Defect Model Using All-trans Retinoic Acid and 3D-printed PLA Scaffolds.","authors":"Delgadillo-Guzman Dealmy, Gilberto Parrilla-Virrey, Ruben Garcia-Garza, Jorge-Alberto Butrón-Castilla, Alfonso-Ibrahim Sharara-Núñez, Ana-Sofia Mireles-Vazquez, David Pedroza-Escobar","doi":"10.2174/011574888X402308251202001037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X402308251202001037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Bone implant integration is highly variable. Retinoic acid (AR) regulates osteogenesis, partly through bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) signaling. However, its impact on later-stage bone remodeling remains unclear. This study investigated all-trans retinoic acid (AR)'s role in a rat calvarial defect model using 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) implants.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study investigated AR's effects using a standardized rat calvarial defect model with 3D-printed PLA implants. Four groups were compared: (1) surgery alone; (2) surgery + PLA; (3) surgery + AR; (4) surgery + PLA + AR. The differences between groups were determined employing a 2-way ANOVA for each variable. A statistically significant value of P < 0.05 was considered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Radiographic analysis revealed significantly increased bone formation in AR-treated groups. While BMP-7 levels were unaffected, AR's modulation of the inflammatory response and its influence on bone marrow stromal cell differentiation into osteoblasts are implicated.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings highlight AR's potential in enhancing bone regeneration through stem cell modulation within a biocompatible scaffold, highlighting its promise for regenerative medicine strategies. The osteogenic effect observed with the PLA + AR combination may be attributed to multiple mechanisms. AR has been shown to influence mesenchymal stem cell differentiation by regulating key transcription factors such as Runx2 and Osterix, promoting osteoblast lineage commitment. In addition, AR can enhance angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling, indirectly supporting bone formation. The 3D-printed PLA scaffold provides a structural framework that favors cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteoconductivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Together, these factors likely contribute synergistically to the observed enhancement in bone regeneration. Although our current study did not delve into molecular pathway analyses, we acknowledge this as a limitation and propose further investigation into the signaling cascades involved.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147494941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research Trends in Stem Cell Therapy for Stress Urinary Incontinence from 2000 to 2025: A Bibliometric Analysis.","authors":"Jiemei Chen, Yaofeng Zhi, Wanmin Liu, Yuanyuan Deng, Qian Zhong, Weijian Zhang, Xin Zhang, Xiaohong Ruan","doi":"10.2174/011574888X421407251212103110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X421407251212103110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), the most prevalent type of urinary incontinence, has received increased attention from researchers because of its significant impact on daily life. In addition to conventional treatments, stem cell therapy is increasingly being recommended for SUI treatment. In this study, we perform a bibliometric analysis of published studies on the use of stem cell therapy for SUI treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To collect and quantitatively evaluate the relevant literature in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), PubMed, and Scopus databases, we retrieved studies published from 2000 to 2025 and used CiteSpace for visual analysis. Microsoft Office Excel 2019 was used to sort the data and generate tables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 316 articles were retrieved on April 01, 2025, after data merging. The annual number of publications presented an increasing trend initially, but then decreased. The keywords \"stress urinary incontinence\", \"urinary incontinence\", \"cell therapy\", \"adipose-derived stem cell\", and \"regenerative medicine\" were the top five keywords used in the co-occurrence analysis. In terms of publication region, the USA has the largest number of publications, followed by China. Case Western Reserve University and Wake Forest University were the top 2 institutions according to the institution map. Michael B. Chancellor was the most productive author, with 14 publications. <i>J Urology</i> and <i>Urology</i> were the top 2 cited journals, with 185 and 163 articles.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results revealed the growing acceptance of stem cell therapy for SUI. This study provides researchers with an overview of the literature and suggests future research directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stem Cell Secretome for Aging Therapy: Potential Benefits and Key Challenges.","authors":"Mengqi Chen, Li Xing","doi":"10.2174/011574888X436321251206110646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X436321251206110646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global aging population is expanding rapidly, making aging a major driver of mortality and morbidity. Stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for mitigating aging and treating aging-related diseases. Its therapeutic benefits are increasingly attributed to the stem cell secretome, a complex mixture of paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles that underlies tissue repair and homeostasis. This review consolidates recent preclinical and clinical advances in stem cell secretome research, analyzing its composition, biological functions, and therapeutic applications in the context of aging and associated pathologies. The stem cell secretome demonstrates significant potential as a transformative anti-aging intervention. It orchestrates key regenerative processes, including angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and cell survival, thereby mitigating cellular senescence and aging-related tissue degeneration. Furthermore, its versatility allows it to be engineered as a customizable drug delivery platform. Nonetheless, clinical translation faces several challenges, including the elucidation of underlying mechanisms, identification of active components, optimization of dosing strategies, and standardization of cell sources. The stem cell secretome emerges as a highly promising, cell-free alternative to whole-cell therapies. To fully unlock its clinical potential, future research must prioritize addressing existing challenges, particularly in standardizing production, defining potency, and ensuring safety and efficacy in human applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Stem Cell-Based Therapies on Tendon Graft Healing and Ligamentization after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Sudhir Kushwaha, Nitish Kumar, Vivek Kumar, Rajnand Kumar, Ajay Bharti","doi":"10.2174/011574888X415493251218153304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X415493251218153304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Successful return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) depends on rapid, robust \"ligamentization\" of the tendon graft. Preclinical and early clinical studies suggest that biologic augmentation with stem cells may accelerate this remodeling process, but the magnitude and consistency of benefit remain uncertain. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized the available evidence on the efficacy of stem cell-based interventions in enhancing intra-articular ligamentization of tendon grafts following primary ACLR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and medRxiv were searched from inception to 1 April 2025. Controlled animal or human studies comparing stem-cell therapy (any source or delivery) with standard ACLR were eligible.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fourteen studies (10 animal, 4 early-phase human; n = 563 specimens/patients) met inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis of four biomechanical studies (n = 150 grafts) demonstrated a large, significant improvement in load-to-failure (SMD = 1.22, 95 % CI 0.89-1.55; p < 0.001; I² = 12 %).</p><p><strong>Discussions: </strong>Stem cell augmentation improves biomechanical and histological graft maturation in ACL reconstruction, but current subgroup findings are limited by small human study sizes, a lack of patient-centered functional outcomes, and high variability, which restricts clinical applicability and generalizability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Stem cell therapies, particularly mesenchymal stem cells delivered around or within the graft, improve tendon graft healing and ligamentization robustly in animal models; early safety signals in humans are promising, but definitive clinical benefit remains to be established in adequately powered randomized trials. Routine clinical adoption should await clearer evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cancer Stem Cells in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Path to Understanding.","authors":"Dhruv Singhal, Manju Saini, Swastika Ghosal, Udit Sengupta, Chirag Bhaumik, Manju Kashyap, Lucky Krishnia, Manoj Kumar Kashyap","doi":"10.2174/011574888X389155260105191934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/011574888X389155260105191934","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The sixth most common cancer in developing countries is the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), with a poor prognosis because the 5-year survival rate of patients with ESCC is only 35%. The incidence of ESCC is influenced by various factors, including diet, genetics, environmental exposures, and socio-economic status; almost all biological drivers of ESCC involve cancer stem cells (CSCs), which drive tumor initiation, therapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. CSC-related biomarkers in ESCC provide useful information on prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment methods. The accessory characteristics that identify CSCs are unique enzymatic activity, surface markers, and drug resistance; hence, contributing to their ability to overcome traditional forms of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These biomarkers not only enable the isolation of CSCs but are also highly correlated with the clinical outcome of ESCC. A multiconjugation of certain CSC markers can improve detection accuracy and inform more precise treatment strategies. In addition, the development of ESCC-specific CSC biomarkers has the potential to develop targeted immunotherapy, which will eventually result in better patient outcomes. A CSC-based therapeutic approach provides a holistic understanding of CSC biology and the development of comprehensive treatment options for ESCC. Although several studies have investigated CSCs across various contexts, a comprehensive review focusing on their role, biomarkers, and therapeutic potential in ESCC is currently lacking, and this review aims to address that gap.</p>","PeriodicalId":93971,"journal":{"name":"Current stem cell research & therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}