To evaluate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in the management of chronic wound and observe the correlation between wound healing and CD34+ endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

Ischemic postconditioning (PostC), brief repetitive cycles of ischemia and reperfusion during early reperfusion, is suggested to protect the myocardium in patients with stent thrombosis-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by improved endothelial dysfunction and alteration of cytokine release. These mechanisms are also of importance for the recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), an endogenous repair mechanism for re-endothelialization and neoangiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PostC on recruitment of EPC.

Erythropoietin improves myocardial function and enhances re-endothelialisation. Aim of this study was to analyse progenitor cell mobilisation and restenosis in patients from the Regeneration of Vital Myocardium in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Erythropoietin (REVIVAL-3) study. Patients with STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomly assigned to Epoetin beta (EPO) (n=68) or placebo (n=70). Drug-eluting stents (DES) were utilised in 93% of patients receiving EPO and in 95% of patients receiving placebo (p=0.83). Serial venous blood samples were drawn; CD133+ progenitor cells were quantified by four-colour flow cytometry and cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha were analysed by cytometric bead array. Forty-eight hours after PCI a significant increase in CD133+ progenitor cells was observed in the EPO group. Yet, no differences in plasma cytokines were found. Quantitative coronary angiography after six months revealed an increase in segment diameter stenosis in the EPO group (32 ± 19% vs. 26 ± 14%, p=0.046). However, this increase in neointima generation was not associated with progenitor cell mobilisation. EPO in patients with STEMI treated with PCI is associated with an increase in diameter stenosis that is not associated with circulating progenitor cells.

Between 1996 and 1999, 172 patients (median age, 42 years) with hematologic malignancies were randomly assigned to receive either HLA-identical related bone marrow or G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (G-PBMCs) after myeloablative conditioning. Early results showed that transplantation of G-PBMCs, compared with marrow, was associated with significantly superior 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival. Ten-year follow-up showed a sustained DFS benefit associated with G-PBMCs (mortality or relapse hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.0; P = .03), although the likelihood of overall survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (mortality hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-1.2; P = .20). The 10-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD and the duration of systemic immunosuppression were similar in the 2 groups. In summary, transplantation of HLA-identical related G-PBMCs, compared with marrow, was associated with superior short-term and long-term DFS, and there was no evidence that this benefit was outweighed by GVHD-related late mortality.

Despite improvements in surgical revascularisation, limitations like anatomical factors or atherosclerosis limit the success of revascularisation in diabetic patients with critical limb ischaemia. Stem cells were shown to improve microcirculation in published studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety, feasibility and efficacy of transplantation of bone marrow derived cellular products regarding improvement in microcirculation and lowering of amputation rate.

There are few recent data to delineate the beyond lipids-decreased effect of statins and the effect of different doses of statins on endothelial-derived microparticles (EMPs) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).

Addition of probiotics to infant formula may positively affect immune function in nonexclusively breastfed infants. This study aimed to investigate the effect of infant starter formula containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis (Bb12) on intestinal immunity and inflammation.

The aim was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) in critical limb ischemia (CLI) of type 2 diabetic patients.

Photodynamic therapy is a technique that involves the activation of photosensitizers by light in the presence of tissue oxygen, resulting in the production of reactive radicals capable of inducing cell death.

Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) is a new method of prevention of left ventricular (LV) remodelling in post-infarction patients. Studies published to date point to LV systolic and diastolic function improvement following this therapy however only a few studies assessed the long-term effects of BMSC.

Hypertension is associated with endothelial dysfunction and activated Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the selective mineralocorticoid receptor blocker, eplerenone, on endothelial function and ROCK activity in patients with hypertension. The study was carried out over 48 weeks in 60 untreated patients with hypertension who were randomly assigned to eplerenone, nifedipine, and losartan groups. We evaluated the effects of each treatment on flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and ROCK activity in peripheral leukocytes. Eplerenone increased FMD and decreased leukocyte ROCK activity. Nifedipine decreased ROCK activity but did not alter FMD. Losartan increased FMD but did not alter ROCK activity. Hypotensive effects were similar in the three groups, as was nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation during the follow-up period. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to other parameters. The study results show that eplerenone improves endothelial function and inhibits ROCK activity in patients with essential hypertension.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is neuroprotective in experimental stroke and mobilizes CD34(+) peripheral blood stem cells into the circulation. We assessed the safety of G-CSF in recent stroke in a phase IIb single-center randomized, controlled trial.

The injection of stem cells in the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been tested almost exclusively by anterograde intra-arterial coronary (IAC) delivery. The retrograde intravenous coronary (IVC) delivery may be an additional route.

The effects of intracoronary injection of mononuclear bone marrow cells (mBMC) on haemostasis are not clarified. The aim of the present substudy of the autologous stem cell transplantation in acute myocardial infarction (ASTAMI) trial was to investigate the influence of intracoronary injection of mBMC on selected circulating prothrombotic markers.

  With aging, the barrier repair kinetics following any weakening of the epidermal permeability barrier function is commonly slowed down.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) develops in patients with chronic liver disease and has high mortality. Mobilization of bone marrow-derived stem cells with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) could promote hepatic regeneration.

Treatment of early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) with autologous implantation of iliac crest bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells, which contain tens of thousands of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), recently achieved a promising outcome.

c-kit-positive, lineage-negative cardiac stem cells (CSCs) improve post-infarction left ventricular (LV) dysfunction when administered to animals. We undertook a phase 1 trial (Stem Cell Infusion in Patients with Ischemic cardiOmyopathy [SCIPIO]) of autologous CSCs for the treatment of heart failure resulting from ischaemic heart disease.

The liver has an excellent regenerative capacity after resection. However, below a critical level of future liver remnant volume (FLRV), partial hepatectomy is accompanied by a significant increase of postoperative liver failure. There is accumulating evidence for the contribution of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) to participate in liver regeneration. Here we report our experience with portal vein embolisation (PVE) and CD133+ BMSC administration to the liver, compared with PVE alone, to augment hepatic regeneration in patients with critically low FLRV or impaired liver function.

Angiogenesis involves the interplay of endothelial progenitor cells, pericytes, growth factors, and cellular matrix components. The use of mesenchymal stem cells, which are closely related to pericytes and produce diverse angiogenic growth factors and matrix molecules, seems to be a promising therapeutic modality. We postulate that the use of a combination cell product (mesenchymal stem cells in conjunction with a source of endothelial progenitor cells) is safe and efficient and may optimize the clinical results obtained with the use of endothelial progenitor cells alone. This study assessed whether the intramuscular infusion of a combination cell product represents a viable, effective, and lasting therapeutic modality to improve perfusion in severely ischemic limbs.