Regenerative Medicine Highlights: October – December 2023
Journal Development Editor, Jasmine Hagan, shares her top papers from the October, November and December issues of Regenerative Medicine.
In the final quarter of 2023, we continued to publish a number of exciting articles covering a range of topics, including regulation and policy, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, and wound healing.
In this feature, I share some of my top articles from issues 10, 11 and 12 of Volume 18, providing a snapshot of some of the most exciting work in the field, published in Regenerative Medicine.
Safety and efficacy claims made by US businesses marketing purported stem cell treatments and exosome therapies
In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of businesses selling and promoting unproven stem cell interventions and exosome products that have not been approved by the FDA. The implications of this include risks to the health of patients through serious adverse events and financial burden, as patients often have to pay significant amounts of money for treatment. This study by Turner et al. examined and analyzed the safety and efficacy claims made by US businesses involved in the direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven stem cell treatments and exosome therapies. Their approach involved data mining and content analysis of 978 company websites to identify the safety and efficacy claims made about the products.
A significant finding from the study was that over 50% of the businesses identified did not make explicit claims about the safety or efficacy of the stem cell and exosome products that they sell, with the businesses utilizing alternative marketing strategies to attract interest from prospective clients. Turner et al. emphasize the importance of promoting patient safety and protecting patients from misrepresentations, and the role that regulatory boards such as the US FDA can play in tackling the issue.
Secretome profile of TNF-α-induced human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells unveils biological processes relevant to skin wound healing
In this research article, Tai et al. explore the therapeutic benefits of the TNF-α-induced human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) secretome for wound healing. The researchers generated the hUCMSC secretome under two conditions, one induced by TNF-α and the other uninduced, to make a comparison.
Through protein profiling and gene ontology analysis of the proteins present in the TNF-α-induced and uninduced secretomes, the team identified proteins associated with inflammation, tissue repair and cellular development. In addition, they found that the TNF-α-induced secretome contained higher levels of cytokines and growth factors, which enhanced the wound closure rate in keratinocytes.
The findings from the study are significant as they provide a clearer understanding of the role that hUCMSCs play in wound healing.
Keeping an eye on sustainable regeneration
This commentary explores sustainable tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches to overcoming the scarcity of corneal tissues for transplantation. Corridon et al. argue that while cadaveric tissue has been the main source of cornea for transplanting, it has its challenges, including reduced availability due to low organ donation rates and risk of graft rejection. In a bid to reduce the scarcity of corneal tissues for transplantation, they propose slaughterhouse waste as an alternative source to create bioartificial corneas. By utilizing slaughterhouse products for biomedical applications, the authors argue that this could have economic benefits, as well as improve sustainability and resource efficiency principles.
The researchers emphasize that before this can be implemented in a clinical setting, further research is needed to improve immunosuppressive strategies and assess the long-term viability of corneal transplants derived from slaughterhouse waste.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the articles from the October, November, and December issues of Volume 18.
We saw over 75 papers published last year, covering a range of topics in the field of regenerative medicine. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our authors, reviewers and readers for their integral role in delivering Volume 18 of Regenerative Medicine. With a constantly evolving field, we remain dedicated to delivering the latest exciting developments to our readers and look forward to 2024!
If you have any queries about Regenerative Medicine or are interested in publishing in the journal, please contact Journal Development Editor, Jasmine Hagan ([email protected]).