German Red Cross

About: German Red Cross is a healthcare organization based out in Berlin, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Transplantation & Mesenchymal stem cell. The organization has 653 authors who have published 1146 publications receiving 40111 citations. The organization is also known as: Deutsches Rotes Kreuz & DRK.

The influence of polymer scaffolds on cellular behaviour of bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types. Therefore, they are widely explored in regenerative medicine. The interaction of MSCs with biomaterials is of great importance for cell proliferation, differentiation and function, and can be strongly influenced by numerous factors, such as the chemical nature and the mechanical properties of the material surface. In this study, we investigated the interaction of bone marrow derived human MSCs with different amorphous and transparent polymers namely polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), poly(ether imide) (PEI), polyetherurethane (PEU) and poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PSAN). To ensure that the MSCs were solely in contact to the testing material we applied polymeric inserts, which were prepared from the aforementioned polymers via injection molding. The explored inserts exhibited a similar wettability with advancing contact angles ranging from 84 ± 7° (PEU) to 99 ± 5° (PS) and a surface roughness of Rq ≤ 0.86 μm. The micromechanical properties determined by AFM indentation varied from 6 ± 1 GPa (PEU) to 24 ± 5 GPa (PSAN). Cells presented different adhesion rates on the polymer surfaces 24 hours after seeding (45 ± 7% (PS), 63 ± 1% (PC), 75 ± 4% (PEI), 69 ± 2% (PEU) and 61 ± 5% (PSAN)). The cells could proliferate on the polymer surfaces, and the fold change of cell number after 16 days of culture reached to 1.93 ± 0.07 (PS), 3.38 ± 0.11 (PC), 3.65 ± 0.04 (PEI), 2.24 ± 0.15 (PEU) and 3.36 ± 0.09 (PSAN). Differences in cell apoptosis could be observed during the culture. After 7 days, the apoptosis of cells on PC, PEI and PSAN decreased to a level comparable to that on standard tissue culture plate (TCP). All of the tested polymers exhibited low cytotoxicity and allowed high cell viability. Compared to cells on TCP, cells on PC and PEI showed similar morphology, distribution as well as F-actin cytoskeleton organization, whereas cells on PSAN were distributed less evenly and cells on PEU were less oriented. Cells were more likely to form clusters on PS. Conclusively, we demonstrated the influence of polymer substrates on the cellular behaviour of MSCs, which could be included in the development of novel design concepts based on polymeric biomaterials.

Continuous enhanced expression of Hsc70 but not Hsp70 in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue.

Abstract: Objective To investigate the expression of constitutive and inducible members of the Hsp70 protein family in synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Frozen sections of synovial tissue and isolated synovial adherent cells obtained from 17 RA patients, 5 OA patients, and 1 patient with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) were analyzed with specific monoclonal antibodies, by immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, and immunoblotting. Results Expression of the constitutive chaperone Hsc70 was increased in synovial tissue from 9 of 9 patients with RA, but was faint or undetectable in 3 of 3 samples from patients with OA. In RA samples, cells mainly of the synovial lining stained intensely for Hsc70 as well as for HLA–DR, CD14, and CD68. Also, in vitro–cultured synovial adherent cells from 8 of 9 RA patients overexpressed Hsc70 (specimens from 1 RA patient were used in both the immunochemistry and the in vitro culture studies). On immunoblots of protein extracts, the synovial and HeLa cell molecules appeared identical in size. The inducible chaperone Hsp70 was not detected in samples from any of the same 17 RA patients, except for rare, isolated cells in 3. Samples from 4 of 5 OA patients also were negative for the inducible chaperone Hsp70, and the fifth was very weakly positive. In addition, tissue from 1 patient with CTS was analyzed 10 months before diagnosis of RA. Synovial tissue from this patient showed extreme overexpression of both Hsc70 and Hsp70. Conclusion In RA, synovial lining cells continuously overexpress Hsc70 but not Hsp70. Hsc70 may be up-regulated due to the high activity of these cells in several respects, including antigen processing and presentation.

Human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells act as functional pericytes in mice and suppress high-glucose-induced proinflammatory activation of bovine retinal endothelial cells

Abstract: The immunomodulatory capacity of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) is relevant for next-generation cell therapies that aim to reverse tissue dysfunction such as that caused by diabetes Pericyte dropout from retinal capillaries underlies diabetic retinopathy and the subsequent aberrant angiogenesis We investigated the pericytic function of ASCs after intravitreal injection of ASCs in mice with retinopathy of prematurity as a model for clinical diabetic retinopathy In addition, ASCs influence their environment by paracrine signalling For this, we assessed the immunomodulatory capacity of conditioned medium from cultured ASCs (ASC-Cme) on high glucose (HG)-stimulated bovine retinal endothelial cells (BRECs) ASCs augmented and stabilised retinal angiogenesis and co-localised with capillaries at a pericyte-specific position This indicates that cultured ASCs exert juxtacrine signalling in retinal microvessels ASC-Cme alleviated HG-induced oxidative stress and its subsequent upregulation of downstream targets in an NF-κB dependent fashion in cultured BRECs Functionally, monocyte adhesion to the monolayers of activated BRECs was also decreased by treatment with ASC-Cme and correlated with a decline in expression of adhesion-related genes such as SELE, ICAM1 and VCAM1 The ability of ASC-Cme to immunomodulate HG-challenged BRECs is related to the length of time for which ASCs were preconditioned in HG medium Conditioned medium from ASCs that had been chronically exposed to HG medium was able to normalise the HG-challenged BRECs to normal glucose levels In contrast, conditioned medium from ASCs that had been exposed to HG medium for a shorter time did not have this effect Our results show that the manner of HG preconditioning of ASCs dictates their immunoregulatory properties and thus the potential outcome of treatment of diabetic retinopathy

Cultivation in human serum reduces adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cell adhesion to laminin and endothelium and reduces capillary entrapment.

Abstract: The increasing use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in clinical cellular therapy requires a safe and controlled production process compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines. Pooled blood group AB human serum (HS) has been used to replace fetal bovine serum (FBS), critically rated by the regulatory agencies, since it can support the expansion of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASC). However, it remains unknown whether the choice of serum affects application-relevant characteristics of ASC. A microarray-based screen has revealed differentially expressed adhesion and extracellular matrix-associated molecules in HS- and FBS-ASC. Since cell therapy relies on the cells' efficacy to home and engraft, HS- and FBS-ASC were compared by analyzing adhesion, migration, and transmigration as well as short-term homing in vivo. HS-cultivated ASC demonstrated a higher adhesion to plastic, but reduced adhesion to extracellular matrix molecules, that is, laminin, and to endothelial cells both...

Proposal for a new scoring system in international interhospital air transport.

Abstract: Several advanced scoring systems have been established for the assessment of patients in clinical intensive care medicine.1 Currently, the widespread use of these systems allows an assessment of outcome, as well as assisting in the optimal choice of treatment settings, for example, time point to admission to the ICU.2 Furthermore, scoring systems can be an advantageous tool for purposes such as quality control and improvement of cost effectiveness.3 Some of these scores have been modified to provide a consistent scoring system in transport medicine, as for example, the rapid acute physiology scoring (RAPS). RAPS, a truncated version of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score, has proved to be a reliable and predictive measurement of patient severity, and physiologic stability, in short distance helicopter transport systems.4,5 As a modified ICU score, RAPS however, is naturally limited, as it solely ranks illness severity, whereas other transport related aspects, such as, specific risk factors, and limitations for aeromedical transport, are not considered.6 RAPS therefore seems to be feasible for short helicopter transport between intensive care units, rather than for international transport. In contrast,patients undergoing long distance interhospital transfer by air ambulance or commercial airline are, if at all, scored by the NACA (National Committee of Aeronautics) score system, which was introduced about 35 years ago during the Vietnam war (Table 1), and last modified in 1976.7 The aim of this score system was a rapid triage of patients evacuated from battlefields, and not the ranking of patients transported between hospitals. Although also modified to accommodate patients suffering from internal diseases, the NACA score system poorly reflects the complex setting of modern interhospital transfer and travel medicine.