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Objective: Understanding and targeting cancer stem cells (CSC) are areas of active research in oncology and further dissemination of scientific results is urgently needed to accelerate the comprehension of their involvement in tumor heterogeneity, resistance to conventional therapies and metastasis. In the context of open science, open access and data sharing, the aim of this study is to assess the current practices of cancer researchers in terms of publications and dissemination of research data., Method: A bibliometric study was conducted based on a bibliographic search using the Web of Science, and CSC articles with at least one Spanish affiliation were retrieved. A comparative study of the openness criteria of the journals was carried out, as well as an analysis of the associated data attached to the articles as supplementary material or deposited in repositories., Results: 708 documents from 282 journals were retrieved. 303 articles contained associated research data, mostly published in Q1 journals, demonstrating a correlation between impact journals and their commitment to quality improvement. Supplementary material was the preferred method of data sharing, being pdf the most used file type. Only 69 articles mentioned datasets deposited in repositories, mainly from genomic nature. The main cancers studied were digestive and gastrointestinal, neurological, breast, hematological and respiratory, which coincided with the tumor types with the highest incidence and mortality, and in which the presence of CSC has been described., Conclusions: Researchers and publishers have become more aware of open science practices, but there is still a need for data quality according to the FAIR principles., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (Copyright © 2024 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Understanding and targeting cancer stem cells (CSC) are areas of active research in oncology and further dissemination of scientific results is urgently needed to accelerate the comprehension of their involvement in tumor heterogeneity, resistance to conventional therapies and metastasis. In the context of open science, open access and data sharing, the aim of this study is to assess the current practices of cancer researchers in terms of publications and dissemination of research data. Method: A bibliometric study was conducted based on a bibliographic search using the Web of Science, and CSC articles with at least one Spanish affiliation were retrieved. A comparative study of the openness criteria of the journals was carried out, as well as an analysis of the associated data attached to the articles as supplementary material or deposited in repositories. Results: 708 documents from 282 journals were retrieved. 303 articles contained associated research data, mostly published in Q1 journals, demonstrating a correlation between impact journals and their commitment to quality improvement. Supplementary material was the preferred method of data sharing, being pdf the most used file type. Only 69 articles mentioned datasets deposited in repositories, mainly from genomic nature. The main cancers studied were digestive and gastrointestinal, neurological, breast, hematological and respiratory, which coincided with the tumor types with the highest incidence and mortality, and in which the presence of CSC has been described. Conclusions: Researchers and publishers have become more aware of open science practices, but there is still a need for data quality according to the FAIR principles. Resumen: Objetivo: La investigación activa en células madre cancerosas (CMC) requiere la difusión de los resultados científicos para acelerar la comprensión de la heterogeneidad tumoral, la resistencia a las terapias convencionales y la metástasis. En el contexto de la ciencia abierta, el acceso abierto y el intercambio de datos, el objetivo de este estudio es evaluar las prácticas actuales de los investigadores del cáncer en términos de publicaciones y difusión de datos de investigación. Método: Se realizó un estudio bibliométrico a partir de una búsqueda bibliográfica utilizando Web of Science y se recuperaron artículos sobre CMC firmados por al menos una institución española. Se realizó un análisis de los criterios de apertura de las revistas, así como de los datos asociados a los artículos. Resultados: Se recuperaron 708 documentos de 282 revistas. De ellos, 303 artículos contenían datos de investigación asociados, mayoritariamente publicados en revistas del primer cuartil, mostrando una correlación entre las revistas de impacto y su calidad. El material suplementario fue el método preferido para compartir datos, siendo el pdf el formato más utilizado. Solo 69 artículos mencionaron conjuntos de datos depositados en repositorios, principalmente de naturaleza genómica. Los cánceres estudiados fueron el digestivo y gastrointestinal, el neurológico, el de mama, el hematológico y el respiratorio, coincidiendo con los tumores con mayor incidencia y mortalidad, y en los que se ha descrito la presencia de CMC. Conclusiones: Los investigadores y los editores se han vuelto más conscientes de las prácticas de ciencia abierta, pero todavía existe la necesidad de implementar la calidad de los datos de acuerdo con los principios FAIR.

Single-Cell Sequencing (SCS) technology plays an important role in the field of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) research. This paper comprehensively describes the application of SCS technology in the field of MSCs research, including (1) SCS enables more precise MSCs characterization and biomarker definition. (2) SCS reveals the prevalent gene expression heterogeneity among different subclusters within MSCs, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of MSCs function and diversity in developmental, regenerative, and pathological contexts. (3) SCS provides insights into the dynamic transcriptional changes experienced by MSCs during differentiation and the complex web of important signaling pathways and regulatory factors controlling key processes within MSCs, including proliferation, differentiation and regulation, and interactions mechanisms. (4) The analytical methods underpinning SCS data are rapidly evolving and converging with the field of histological research to systematically deconstruct the functions and mechanisms of MSCs. This review provides new perspectives for unraveling the biological properties, heterogeneity, differentiation potential, biological functions, and clinical potential of MSCs at the single-cell level.

Single-Cell Sequencing (SCS) technology plays an important role in the field of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) research. This paper comprehensively describes the application of SCS technology in the field of MSCs research, including (1) SCS enables more precise MSCs characterization and biomarker definition. (2) SCS reveals the prevalent gene expression heterogeneity among different subclusters within MSCs, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of MSCs function and diversity in developmental, regenerative, and pathological contexts. (3) SCS provides insights into the dynamic transcriptional changes experienced by MSCs during differentiation and the complex web of important signaling pathways and regulatory factors controlling key processes within MSCs, including proliferation, differentiation and regulation, and interactions mechanisms. (4) The analytical methods underpinning SCS data are rapidly evolving and converging with the field of histological research to systematically deconstruct the functions and mechanisms of MSCs. This review provides new perspectives for unraveling the biological properties, heterogeneity, differentiation potential, biological functions, and clinical potential of MSCs at the single-cell level., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Wang, Zhu, Ma, Huang, Guo and Zhu.)

Hematopoietic aging is associated with decreased hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal capacity and myeloid skewing. We report that culture of bone marrow (BM) HSCs from aged mice with epidermal growth factor (EGF) suppressed myeloid skewing, increased multipotent colony formation, and increased HSC repopulation in primary and secondary transplantation assays. Mice transplanted with aged, EGF-treated HSCs displayed increased donor cell engraftment within BM HSCs and systemic administration of EGF to aged mice increased HSC self-renewal capacity in primary and secondary transplantation assays. Expression of a dominant negative EGFR in Scl/Tal1+ hematopoietic cells caused increased myeloid skewing and depletion of long term-HSCs in 15-month-old mice. EGF treatment decreased DNA damage in aged HSCs and shifted the transcriptome of aged HSCs from genes regulating cell death to genes involved in HSC self-renewal and DNA repair but had no effect on HSC senescence. These data suggest that EGFR signaling regulates the repopulating capacity of aged HSCs.

As the primary goal in the wound care intervention is the promotion of rapid wound healing, researchers sought to find a remedy. In this progression course, nanocomposite-based hydrogels have attracted the attention. Herein, we used a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel in combination with two forms of clay nanoparticles, namely unmodified montmorillonite (MONT) and modified (OMONT), to fabricate a nanocomposite-based hydrogels and combat the lack of stem cells' adhesion to PVA, followed by seeding of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on them. To investigate the characteristics of these constructs, corresponding tests were performed. The Young's modulus and elongation at break of PVA/5% OMONT were 3.7 [+ or -] 0.014 and 800 [+ or -] 35, respectively, which were higher than those of PVA/5% MONT (3 [+ or -] 0.03 and 320 [+ or -] 14). In addition, the hardness of the modified group (7.2 [+ or -] 0.07) was lower than the unmodified one (9.8 [+ or -] 0.07). The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) in the OMONT group was 39 [+ or -] 0.28, which was lower than PVA/5% MONT (46 [+ or -] 4.24). Hence, ADSCs/PVA montmorillonite dressing may improve wound healing and provide a new way to employ stem cells, significantly impacting skin tissue engineering safely. Highlights * Modified montmorillonite had higher stem cell binding. * The lack of stem cells' adhesion to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was solved. * Adipose-derived stem cells/PVA montmorillonite dressing may improve wound healing. * It is a novel promising approach for skin tissue engineering. KEYWORDS montmorillonite, nanocomposites, PVA hydrogel, stem cells, 1 | INTRODUCTION As the primary goal in the wound care intervention is the promotion of rapid wound healing, researchers sought to find a remedy. (1) In this progression course, [...]

Summary: Vascular complications caused by diabetes mellitus contribute a major threat to increased disability and mortality of diabetic patients, which are characterized by damaged endothelial cells and angiogenesis. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) have been demonstrated to alleviate endothelial cell damage and improve angiogenesis. However, these investigations overlooked the pivotal role of vasculogenesis. In this study, we utilized blood vessel organoids (BVOs) to investigate the impact of high glucose on vasculogenesis and subsequent angiogenesis. We found that BVOs in the vascular lineage induction stage were more sensitive to high glucose and more susceptible to affect endothelial cell differentiation and function. Moreover, hucMSCs can alleviate the high glucose-induced inhibition of endothelial cell differentiation and dysfunction through MAPK signaling pathway downregulation, with the MAPK activator dimethyl fumarate further illustrating the results. Thereby, we demonstrated that high glucose can lead to abnormal vasculogenesis and impact subsequent angiogenesis, and hucMSCs can alleviate this effect.

Summary: p53 is the most mutated tumor suppressor gene in human cancers. Besides p53 classical functions inducing cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in stressed cells, additional p53 non-canonical roles in unstressed cells have emerged over the past years, including the mode of stem cell division regulation. However, the mechanisms by which p53 impacts on this process remain elusive. Here, we show that Drosophila p53 controls asymmetric stem cell division (ASCD), a key process in development, cancer and adult tissue homeostasis, by transcriptionally activating Numb, Brat, and Traf4 ASCD regulators. p53 knockout caused failures in their localization in dividing neural stem cells, as well as a significant decrease in their expression levels. Moreover, p53 directly bound numb, brat, and Traf4 regulatory regions. Remarkably, human and mice genes related to Drosophila brat (TRIM32) and Traf4 (TRAF4) were recently identified in a meta-analysis of transcriptomic and ChIP-seq datasets as predicted conserved p53 targets.

Summary: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) leads to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) and is not well addressed by current therapies. The genioglossus (GG) is the largest upper airway dilator controlling OSA pathology, making its repair a potential treatment. This study investigates dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in repairing GG injury in a CIH mouse model. We induced DPSCs to myogenic lineage cells (iDPSCs) and transplanted them into GG of CIH mice. DPSCs/iDPSCs grafts improved EMGGG and muscle type transitions while reducing tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK) levels, improving body weight. Moreover, iDPSCs increased Pax7+/Ki67+ and human-derived STEM121 cells in the GG compared with DPSCs. DPSCs/iDPSCs enhanced Desmin+ myotube formation in myoblasts under hypoxia in vitro, with iDPSCs increased human-derived myogenic markers and nuclei in myotubes. These results indicate that iDPSCs, beyond their paracrine effects like DPSCs, directly participate in myogenic differentiation, supporting the potential use of DPSCs for OSA treatment.

Summary: Pluripotent-stem-cell-derived blastocyst-like structures (blastoids) offer insights into early human embryogenesis (5–10 days post-fertilization). The similarity between blastoids and human blastocysts remains uncertain. To investigate, we evaluated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data from seven blastoid models, comparing them to peri-implantation blastocysts. We quantified cell-type composition, transcriptomic overlap, lineage profiles, and developmental propensities for primary (epiblast, primitive endoderm, trophectoderm) and potential lineages (amnion, extravillous cytotrophoblasts, syncytial trophoblasts). Blastoids from extended pluripotent stem cells (EPSCs) are distinct from those from naive pluripotent stem cells (nPSCs), which cluster closer to natural blastocysts. EPSC-blastoids show a higher composition of primitive endoderm cells and ambiguous cells with notable endoderm signatures. Starting cell lines' scRNAseq analysis reveals higher heterogeneity in nPSCs and prevalent amnionic signatures in EPSCs. These findings suggest gene expression heterogeneity in founding cells influences blastoid lineage differentiation, aiding protocol optimization for better human embryogenesis models.

Summary: Cellular quiescence is a reversible and tightly regulated stem cell function essential for healthy aging. However, the elements that control quiescence during aging remain poorly defined. Using melanocyte stem cells (McSCs), we find that stem cell quiescence is neither passive nor static. For example, gene expression profiling of the transition from proliferating melanoblasts to quiescent melanocyte stem cells reveals tissue-specific regulation of the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1. In vitro, quiescence assays demonstrate that PD-L1 expression is a physiological attribute of quiescence in this cell lineage and reinforces this cell state. In vivo, a subset of quiescent McSCs is marked by PD-L1. While the overall number of McSCs decreases with age, PD-L1+ McSCs appear resistant to depletion. This phenomenon coincides with an aged McSC pool that exhibits a deeper transcriptomic quiescence. We predict that quiescent PD-L1+ stem cells retained with age may serve as cellular targets for reactivation.

Summary: The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex, with much room for a greater understanding and development of improved therapies. Therefore, establishing a reliable IBD model is crucial for future advancements. In this study, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived colon organoids (hiPSC-COs) were treated with a combination of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin (IL)-1β (3 cytokines [3CK]), known to be elevated in the serum of IBD patients. Inflammatory responses in stromal cells and damage to intestinal epithelial cells were observed in the 3CK-treated hiPSC-COs. Comparison of molecular signatures of 3CK-treated hiPSC-COs with those of ulcerative colitis (UC) patient’s colon revealed that 3CK-treated hiPSC-COs resemble UC patient’s colon. Furthermore, the elevated production of inflammatory cytokines observed in 3CK-treated hiPSC-COs was attenuated by treatment with tofacitinib. Our UC model will be an essential tool to understand its pathologic mechanisms and identify effective therapeutic approaches.