Dental pulp stem cells: characteristics, cryopreservation and therapeutic potentialities

Stem cells discovery and their potential have led to the emergence of new forms of therapy with the development of bio-engineering cell and tissue methods underlying future medicine. The availability of stem cells and their preservation thus become an issue for everyone's health. Among the different sources of stem cells, those in the dental pulp have the advantage of being pluripotent, they can be cryopreserved and stored for long periods without losing their multiplication and differentiation capacities and finally they are easily accessible. The wisdom or natal teeth extracted for medical reasons are an opportunity for everyone to preserve stem cells for an autologous use. Biobanks authorized and specialized in the preparation and storage of pulp stem cells provide access to autologous regenerative medicine of tomorrow.     

A new potential anti-cancer beta-carboline derivative decreases the expression levels of key proteins involved in glioma aggressiveness: A proteomic investigation

Gliomas remain highly fatal due to their high resistance to current therapies. Deregulation of protein synthesis contributes to cancer onset and progression and is a source of rising interest for new drugs. CM16, a harmine derivative with predicted high blood–brain barrier penetration, exerts antiproliferative effects partly through translation inhibition. We evaluated herein how CM16 alters the proteome of glioma cells. The analysis of the gel-free LC/MS and auto-MS/MS data showed that CM16 induces time- and concentration-dependent significant changes in the total ion current chromatograms. In addition, we observed spontaneous clustering of the samples according to their treatment condition and their proper classification by unsupervised and supervised analyses, respectively. A two-dimensional gel-based approach analysis allowed us to identify that treatment with CM16 may downregulate four key proteins involved in glioma aggressiveness and associated with poor patient survival (HspB1, BTF3, PGAM1, and cofilin), while it may upregulate galectin-1 and Ebp1. Consistently with the protein synthesis inhibition properties of CM16, HspB1, Ebp1, and BTF3 exert known roles in protein synthesis. In conclusion, the downregulation of HspB1, BTF3, PGAM1 and cofilin bring new insights in CM16 antiproliferative effects, further supporting CM16 as an interesting protein synthesis inhibitor to combat glioma.     

Cellular resolution anatomical and molecular atlases for prenatal human brains

Increasing interest in studies of prenatal human brain development, particularly using new single-cell genomics and anatomical technologies to create cell atlases, creates a strong need for accurate and detailed anatomical reference atlases. In this study, we present two cellular-resolution digital anatomical atlases for prenatal human brain at postconceptional weeks (PCW) 15 and 21. Both atlases were annotated on sequential Nissl-stained sections covering brain-wide structures on the basis of combined analysis of cytoarchitecture, acetylcholinesterase staining, and an extensive marker gene expression dataset. This high information content dataset allowed reliable and accurate demarcation of developing cortical and subcortical structures and their subdivisions. Furthermore, using the anatomical atlases as a guide, spatial expression of 37 and 5 genes from the brains, respectively, at PCW 15 and 21 was annotated, illustrating reliable marker genes for many developing brain structures. Finally, the present study uncovered several novel developmental features, such as the lack of an outer subventricular zone in the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex, and the apparent extension of both cortical (excitatory) and subcortical (inhibitory) progenitors into the prenatal olfactory bulb. These comprehensive atlases provide useful tools for visualization, segmentation, targeting, imaging, and interpretation of brain structures of prenatal human brain, and for guiding and interpreting the next generation of cell census and connectome studies.     

Feasibility of real-time echocardiographic evaluation during patient transport.

Echocardiography is a key diagnostic tool in evaluating patients with cardiac emergencies and chest trauma. The lack of qualified real-time interpretation limits its use by emergency first responders. Early diagnosis of cardiac emergencies has the potential to facilitate triage and medical intervention to improve outcomes. We investigated the feasibility of remote, real-time interpretation of echocardiograms during patient transport. Echocardiograms using a hand-carried ultrasound device were transmitted from an ambulance in transit to a tertiary care facility using a distributed mobile local area network. Transmitted studies were reviewed by a cardiologist for ability to interpret predefined features. Transmission quality and reliability were assessed. Echocardiographic images were successfully transmitted greater than 88% of transport time. The evaluation of left-ventricular size and function, and presence of pericardial effusion were greater than 90% concordant, but only 66% of all echocardiographic features were concordant. Most transmission losses were brief (相似文献   

Motor cortex stimulation in neuropathic pain. Correlations between analgesic effect and hemodynamic changes in the brain. A PET study

To investigate brain mechanisms whereby electrical stimulation of the motor cortex (MCS) may induce pain relief in patients with neuropathic pain, cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes were studied using H2O PET in 19 consecutive patients treated with MCS for refractory neuropathic pain. Patients were studied in three conditions, (a) before MCS (Baseline, stimulator stopped 4 weeks before), (b) during a 35-min period of MCS and (c) during a 75-min period after MCS had been discontinued (OFF). Compared to Baseline, turning on the stimulator was associated with CBF increase in the contralateral (anterior) midcingulate cortex (aMCC, BA24 and 32) and in the dorso-lateral prefrontal (BA10) cortices. The most important changes of CBF were observed in the 75 min after discontinuation of MCS (OFF). This post-stimulation period was associated with CBF increases in a large set of cortical and subcortical regions (from posterior MCC (pMCC) to pregenual (pg) ACC, orbitofrontal cortex, putamen, thalami, posterior cingulate and prefrontal areas) and in the brainstem (mesencephalon/periaqueductal grey (PAG) and pons). CBF changes in the post-stimulation period correlated with pain relief. Functional connectivity analysis showed significant correlation between pgACC and PAG, basal ganglia, and lower pons activities, supporting the activation of descending ACC-to-PAG connections. MCS may act in part through descending (top-down) inhibitory controls that involve prefrontal, orbitofrontal and ACC as well as basal ganglia, thalamus and brainstem. These hemodynamic changes are lengthened and might therefore underlie the long-lasting clinical effects that largely outlast the actual stimulation periods.     

An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) / International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for female pelvic organ prolapse (POP)

Introduction

The terminology for female pelvic floor prolapse (POP) should be defined and organized in a clinically-based consensus Report.

Methods

This Report combines the input of members of two International Organizations, the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) and the International Continence Society (ICS), assisted at intervals by external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a sub-classification were developed to give a coding to definitions. An extensive process of fourteen rounds of internal and external review was involved to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by collective opinion (consensus).

Results

A Terminology Report for female POP, encompassing over 230 separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically-based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in all the different specialty groups involved in female pelvic floor dysfunction and POP. Female-specific imaging (ultrasound, radiology and MRI) and conservative and surgical managements are major additions and appropriate figures have been included to supplement and clarify the text. Emerging concepts and measurements, in use in the literature and offering further research potential, but requiring further validation, have been included as an appendix. Interval (5–10 year) review is anticipated to keep the document updated and as widely acceptable as possible.

Conclusion

A consensus-based Terminology Report for female POP has been produced to aid clinical practice and research.

     

Differential learning processes for laparoscopic and open supraumbilical pyloromyotomy

Purpose

To compare the learning curves for mastering OP and LP surgical techniques, in terms of effects on completion times and postoperative outcomes/complications.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed for 198 patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. The learning curves were in regard to two groups of surgeons: three of whom performed 106 OPs while three others performed 92 LPs. Treatment-related complications were divided into two categories: specific complications relating to the pyloromyotomy and non-specific complications. A logistic regression model with repeated data was used to explore the occurrence of complications.

Results

The overall postoperative complication rates were not significantly different between the OP (15.1 %) and the LP (11.8 %) groups. Specific complications were more frequent in the LP group (6.4 versus 2.8 %), while non-specific complications were more frequent in the OP group (12.1 versus 5.3 %). The occurrence of complications exhibited a statistically decreasing risk with each supplementary procedure that was performed (p = 0.0067) in the LP group, but not in the OP group (p = 0.9665).

Conclusion

From a learning process perspective, laparoscopy is mainly associated with a significantly higher risk of specific complications. This risk decreases in line with the surgeon’s level of experience, whereas non-specific complications remain stable in open procedures.