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It might represent a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of ACL injury.

Knowledge about nerve regeneration after nerve injury and reconstruction in appropriate diabetic animal models is incomplete. Short-term nerve regeneration after reconstruction of a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect with either a hollow chitosan conduit or an autologous nerve graft was investigated in healthy Wistar and diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. After 21 days, axonal outgrowth, the presence of activated and apoptotic Schwann cells and the thickness of the formed matrix in the conduits were measured. In general, nerve regeneration was superior in autologous nerve grafts. In chitosan conduits, a matrix, which was thicker in diabetic rats, was formed and was positively correlated with length of axonal outgrowth. Axonal outgrowth in conduits and in nerve grafts extended further in diabetic rats than in healthy rats. There was a higher percentage of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3)-immunostained cells in nerve segments from healthy rats than in diabetic rats after autologous nerve graft reconstruction. In chitosan conduits, more cleaved caspase 3-stained Schwann cells were generally observed in the matrix from the diabetic rats than in healthy rats. However, there were fewer apoptotic cells in the distal segment in diabetic rats reconstructed with a chitosan conduit. Preoperative glucose levels were positively correlated with axonal outgrowth after both reconstruction methods. Axonal regeneration was better in autologous nerve grafts than in hollow chitosan conduits and was enhanced in diabetic GK rats compared to healthy rats after reconstruction. This study provides insights into the nerve regeneration process in a clinically relevant diabetic animal model.

Human T cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is prevalent worldwide with foci of high prevalence. However, to date no effective vaccine or drug against HTLV-1 infection has been developed. In efforts to define the role of antibodies in the control of HTLV-1 infection, we capitalized on the use of our previously defined anti-gp46 neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) (clone LAT-27) and high titers of human anti-HTLV-1 IgG purified from HAM/TSP patients (HAM-IgG). LAT-27 and HAM-IgG completely blocked syncytium formation and T cell immortalization mediated by HTLV-1 in vitro. The addition of these antibodies to cultures of CD8(+) T cell-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HAM/TSP patients at the initiation of culture not only decreased the numbers of Tax-expressing cells and the production of HTLV-1 p24 but also inhibited the spontaneous immortalization of T cells. Coculture of in vitro-HTLV-1-immortalized T cell lines with autologous PBMCs in the presence of LAT-27 or HAM-IgG, but not an F(ab')2 fragment of LAT-27 or nonneutralizing anti-gp46 mAbs, resulted in depletion of HTLV-1-infected cells. A 24-h (51)Cr release assay showed the presence of significant antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity in LAT-27 and HAM-IgG, but not F(ab')2 of LAT-27, resulting in the depletion of HTLV-1-infected T cells by autologous PBMCs. The depletion of natural killer (NK) cells from the effector PBMCs reduced this ADCC activity. Altogether, the present data demonstrate that the neutralizing and ADCC-inducing activities of anti-HTLV-1 antibodies are capable of reducing infection and eliminating HTLV-1-infected cells in the presence of autologous PBMCs.

For the treatment of ununited fractures, we developed a system of delivering magnetic labelled mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) using an extracorporeal magnetic device. In this study, we transplanted ferucarbotran-labelled and luciferase-positive bone marrow-derived MSCs into a non-healing femoral fracture rat model in the presence of a magnetic field. The biological fate of the transplanted MSCs was observed using luciferase-based bioluminescence imaging and we found that the number of MSC derived photons increased from day one to day three and thereafter decreased over time. The magnetic cell delivery system induced the accumulation of photons at the fracture site, while also retaining higher photon intensity from day three to week four. Furthermore, radiological and histological findings suggested improved callus formation and endochondral ossification. We therefore believe that this delivery system may be a promising option for bone regeneration.

Ki antigen from rabbit thymus extract was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anti-Ki affinity chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography gel filtration. The purified Ki antigen gave a single polypeptide with an MW of 32,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and it specifically reacted with anti-Ki antibody by immunoblotting. The isoelectric point of the Ki antigen was found by isoelectric focusing to be 4.3. An enzymelinked immunosorbent assay using the purified Ki antigen was established, and the clinical significance of the anti-Ki antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was studied. Thirty of 140 patients with SLE (21.4%) had anti-Ki antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas 11 (7.9%) were positive by double immunodiffusion. Analysis of clinical and serologic data on patients with SLE suggested a higher prevalence of central nervous system involvement in patients with anti-Ki antibody.Synthesis of autoantibodies against cellular components such as DNA, RNA, or proteins has been demonstrated in patients with autoimmune diseases

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the kinetics of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in rat skeletal muscle injury model and the contribution of the magnetic cell delivery system to muscle injury repair. A magnetic field generator was used to apply an external magnetic force to the injury site of the tibia anterior muscle, and 1 Â 10 6 MSCs labeled with ferucarbotran-protamine complexes, which were isolated from luciferase transgenic rats, were injected into the injury site. MSCs were injected with and without an external magnetic force (MSC Mþ and MSC MÀ groups, respectively), and phosphate-buffered saline was injected into injury sites as a control. In vivo bioluminescence imaging was performed immediately after the transplantation and, at 12, 24, and 72 h, and 1 and 4 weeks post-transplantation. Also, muscle regeneration and function were histologically and electromechanically evaluated. In vivo bioluminescence imaging showed that the photon of the MSC Mþ group was significantly higher than that of the MSC MÀ group throughout the observation period. In addition, muscle regeneration and function in the MSC Mþ group was histologically and functionally better than that of the MSC MÀ group. The results of our study indicated that magnetic cell delivery system may be of use in directing the transplanted MSCs to the injury site to promote skeletal muscle regeneration.