Author
Rong Zhang
Other affiliations: University of California, Los Angeles, Sichuan University
Bio: Rong Zhang is an academic researcher from University of Southern California. The author has contributed to research in topics: Interstitial cystitis & Urination. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 15 publications receiving 925 citations. Previous affiliations of Rong Zhang include University of California, Los Angeles & Sichuan University.
Papers
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TL;DR: Adipose-derived cells have the potential to differentiate into functional smooth muscle cells and, thus, adipose tissue can be a useful source of cells for treatment of injured tissues where smooth muscle plays an important role.
Abstract: Smooth muscle is a major component of human tissues and is essential for the normal function of a multitude of organs including the intestine, urinary tract and the vascular system. The use of stem cells for cell-based tissue engineering and regeneration strategies represents a promising alternative for smooth muscle repair. For such strategies to succeed, a reliable source of smooth muscle precursor cells must be identified. Adipose tissue provides an abundant source of multipotent cells. In this study, the capacity of processed lipoaspirate (PLA) and adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into phenotypic and functional smooth muscle cells was evaluated. To induce differentiation, PLA cells were cultured in smooth muscle differentiation medium. Smooth muscle differentiation of PLA cells induced genetic expression of all smooth muscle markers and further confirmed by increased protein expression of smooth muscle cell-specific α actin (ASMA), calponin, caldesmon, SM22, myosin heavy chain (MHC), and smoothelin. Clonal studies of adipose derived multipotent cells demonstrated differentiation of these cells into smooth muscle cells in addition to trilineage differentiation capacity. Importantly, smooth muscle-differentiated cells, but not their precursors, exhibit the functional ability to contract and relax in direct response to pharmacologic agents. In conclusion, adipose-derived cells have the potential to differentiate into functional smooth muscle cells and, thus, adipose tissue can be a useful source of cells for treatment of injured tissues where smooth muscle plays an important role.
325 citations
TL;DR: This study demonstrates the feasibility and short term physical properties of bladder tissue engineered from adipose stem cells and increasing smooth muscle mass in the cell-seeded scaffolds with time.
181 citations
TL;DR: Self-regenerating, pluripotent PLA cells were easily isolated from human adipose tissue, making them ideal for tissue regeneration and may provide a feasible and cost-effective cell source for urinary tract reconstruction.
169 citations
TL;DR: In rats, repeated psychological stress results in lasting alterations in micturition frequency, interval, and volume, and this rodent model may represent a valid tool for studying syndromes characterized by increased urinary frequency.
97 citations
TL;DR: The urinary frequency demonstrated previously in anxiety-prone rats exposed to chronic WAS seems to be associated with bladder hyperalgesia, suggesting that this is a potential model for future studies of bladder hypersensitivity syndromes such as interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS).
67 citations
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TL;DR: The isolation, characterization, and preclinical and clinical application of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are reviewed in this article.
Abstract: The emerging field of regenerative medicine will require a reliable source of stem cells in addition to biomaterial scaffolds and cytokine growth factors. Adipose tissue represents an abundant and accessible source of adult stem cells with the ability to differentiate along multiple lineage pathways. The isolation, characterization, and preclinical and clinical application of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are reviewed in this article.
2,189 citations
TL;DR: A closer look at the diversity of smooth muscle origins in vascular development provides new perspectives about how blood vessels differ from one another and why they respond in disparate ways to common risk factors associated with vascular disease.
Abstract: The origins of vascular smooth muscle are far more diverse than previously thought. Lineage mapping studies show that the segmental organization of early vertebrate embryos leaves footprints on the adult vascular system in the form of a mosaic pattern of different smooth muscle types. Moreover, evolutionarily conserved tissue forming pathways produce vascular smooth muscle from a variety of unanticipated sources. A closer look at the diversity of smooth muscle origins in vascular development provides new perspectives about how blood vessels differ from one another and why they respond in disparate ways to common risk factors associated with vascular disease.
657 citations
TL;DR: This study shows that human endometrium contains a small population of MSC-like cells that may be responsible for its cyclical growth, and may provide a readily available source of M SC for tissue engineering applications.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human endometrium has immense regenerative capacity, growing ~5 mm in 7 days every month. We have previously identified a small population of colony-forming endometrial stromal cells which we hypothesize are mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The aim of this study was to determine if the co-expression of two perivascular cell markers, CD146 and platelet-derived growth factor-receptor b (PDGF-Rb), will prospectively isolate endometrial stromal cells which exhibit MSC properties, and determine their location in human endometrium. METHODS: Single cell suspensions of human endometrial stromal cells were fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) sorted into CD146 1 PDGF-Rb 1 and CD146 2 PDGF-Rb 2 populations and analysed for colony-forming ability, in vitro differentiation and expression of typical MSC markers. Full thickness human endometrial sections were co-stained for CD146 and PDGF-Rb. RESULTS: FACS stromal CD146 1 PDGF-Rb 1 stromal cells (1.5% of sorted population) were enriched for colony-forming cells compared with CD146 2 PDGF-Rb 2 cells (7.7+1.7 versus 0.7+0.2% P< 0.0001), and also underwent differentiation into adipogenic, osteogenic, myogenic and chondrogenic lineages. They expressed MSC phenotypic surface markers and were located near blood vessels. CONCLUSION: This study shows that human endometrium contains a small population of MSC-like cells that may be responsible for its cyclical growth, and may provide a readily available source of MSC for tissue engineering applications.
504 citations
TL;DR: The current knowledge of the tissue localization of ASCs in situ, their characterization and heterogeneity in vitro, and the lack of standardization in isolation and culture methods are summarized and discussed.
Abstract: Adipose tissue as a stem cell source is ubiquitously available and has several advantages compared to other sources. It is easily accessible in large quantities with minimal invasive harvesting procedure, and isolation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (ASCs) yields a high amount of stem cells, which is essential for stem-cell-based therapies and tissue engineering. Several studies have provided evidence that ASCs in situ reside in a perivascular niche, whereas the exact localization of ASCs in native adipose tissue is still under debate. ASCs are isolated by their capacity to adhere to plastic. Nevertheless, recent isolation and culture techniques lack standardization. Cultured cells are characterized by their expression of characteristic markers and their capacity to differentiate into cells from meso-, ecto-, and entodermal lineages. ASCs possess a high plasticity and differentiate into various cell types, including adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes, hepatocytes, neural cells, and endothelial and epithelial cells. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that ASCs are a heterogeneous mixture of cells containing subpopulations of stem and more committed progenitor cells. This paper summarizes and discusses the current knowledge of the tissue localization of ASCs in situ, their characterization and heterogeneity in vitro, and the lack of standardization in isolation and culture methods.
419 citations
TL;DR: This UCP1-TRAP data set demonstrates striking similarities and important differences between these cell types, including a smooth muscle-like signature expressed by beige, but not classical brown, adipocytes.
375 citations