OBJECTIVE -To assess the application of autologous transplantation of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) in the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) of diabetic patients and to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of this novel therapeutic approach. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Twenty-eight diabetic patients with CLIwere enrolled and randomized to either the transplant group or the control group. In the transplant group, the patients received subcutaneous injections of recombinant human G-CSF (600 g/day) for 5 days to mobilize stem/progenitor cells, and their PBMNCs were collected and transplanted by multiple intramuscular injections into ischemic limbs. All of the patients were followed up after at least 3 months.RESULTS -At the end of the 3-month follow-up, the main manifestations, including lower limb pain and ulcers, were significantly improved in the patients of the transplant group. Their laser Doppler blood perfusion of lower limbs increased from 0.44 Ϯ 0.11 to 0.57 Ϯ 0.14 perfusion units (P Ͻ 0.001). Mean ankle-brachial pressure index increased from 0.50 Ϯ 0.21 to 0.63 Ϯ 0.25 (P Ͻ 0.001). A total of 14 of 18 limb ulcers (77.8%) of transplanted patients were completely healed after cell transplantation, whereas only 38.9% of limb ulcers (7 of 18) were healed in the control patients (P ϭ 0.016 vs. the transplant group). No adverse effects specifically due to cell transplantation were observed, and no lower limb amputation occurred in the transplanted patients. In contrast, five control patients had to receive a lower limb amputation (P ϭ 0.007, transplant vs. control group). Angiographic scores were significantly improved in the transplant group when compared with the control group (P ϭ 0.003).CONCLUSIONS -These results provide pilot evidence indicating that the autologous transplantation of G-CSF-mobilized PBMNCs represents a simple, safe, effective, and novel therapeutic approach for diabetic CLI. Diabetes Care 28:2155-2160, 2005D iabetes is a common chronic disease with significant morbidity and mortality. One devastating complication of diabetes is peripheral arterial disease (PAD) including critical limb ischemia (CLI), which may result in limb loss. There is no available permanent cure for diabetic CLI at present (1,2).Several investigations have indicated that in patients with diabetes, the circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) exhibit impaired proliferation, adhesion, and incorporation into vascular structures. The adverse metabolic stress factors are associated with reduced number and dysfunction of EPCs (3,4). In response to tissue injury and remodeling, neovascularization usually occurs via the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells from preexisting vasculature (5). However, the EPCs resident within bone marrow and peripheral blood (6 -8) can also contribute to injury-induced and pathology-induced neovascularization. In animal models of diabetes, transplantation of bone marrow-or blood-derived EPC...

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These results suggest that decreased number and function of Treg cells might be one of mechanisms that cause immune regulation dysfunction in ITP.

BackgroundBAY 81-8973 is a new full-length human recombinant factor VIII product manufactured with technologies to improve consistency in glycosylation and expression to optimize clinical performance.ObjectivesTo demonstrate superiority of prophylaxis vs. on-demand therapy with BAY 81-8973 in patients with severe hemophilia A.Patients/MethodsIn this multinational, randomized, open-label crossover study (LEOPOLD II; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01233258), males aged 12–65 years with severe hemophilia A were randomized to twice-weekly prophylaxis (20–30 IU kg−1), 3-times-weekly prophylaxis (30–40 IU kg−1), or on-demand treatment with BAY 81-8973. Potency labeling for BAY 81-8973 was based on the chromogenic substrate assay or adjusted to the one-stage assay. Primary efficacy endpoint was annualized number of all bleeds (ABR). Adverse events (AEs) and immunogenicity were also assessed.ResultsEighty patients (on demand, n = 21; twice-weekly prophylaxis, n = 28; 3-times-weekly prophylaxis, n = 31) were treated and analyzed. Mean ± SD ABR was significantly lower with prophylaxis (twice-weekly, 5.7 ± 7.2; 3-times-weekly, 4.3 ± 6.5; combined, 4.9 ± 6.8) vs. on-demand treatment (57.7 ± 24.6; P < 0.0001, anova). Median ABR was reduced by 97% with prophylaxis (twice-weekly, 4.0; 3-times-weekly, 2.0; combined, 2.0) vs. on-demand treatment (60.0). Median ABR was higher with twice-weekly vs. 3-times-weekly prophylaxis during the first 6-month treatment period (4.1 vs. 2.0) but was comparable in the second 6-month period (1.1 vs. 2.0). Few patients reported treatment-related AEs (4%); no treatment-related serious AEs or inhibitors were reported.ConclusionsTwice-weekly or 3-times-weekly prophylaxis with BAY 81-8973 reduced median ABR by 97% compared with on-demand therapy, confirming the superiority of prophylaxis. Treatment with BAY 81-8973 was well tolerated.

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Key Points rhTPO is a potentially effective and safe treatment option for ITP during pregnancy.

Stem cell factor (SCF) plays important roles in tumor growth and angiogenesis. However, its regulatory mechanism remains largely undefined. Here, we report that hypoxia upregulated the expression of SCF in MCF-7 breast cancer cells in both messenger RNA and protein levels. When hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha expression was knocked down by RNA interference, the MCF-7 cell expression of SCF was decreased significantly. Furthermore, the SCF receptor, c-kit phosphorylation was significantly strengthened by the condition culture media from hypoxic MCF-7 and MCF-7-c cells. The survival of A549 cells was more dependent on SCF under hypoxia. Analysis of SCF promoter 5'-flanking region revealed a potential hypoxia-response element (HRE; 5'-GCGTG-3') located at -68 to -64 relative to the transcriptional start site. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that HIF-1 alpha directly bound to this region under normoxia, and this binding activity was significantly enhanced under hypoxia. Overexpression of HIF-1 alpha significantly upregulated the expression of luciferase reporter gene under control of the SCF promoters in both MCF-7 cells and human embryonic kidney 293 cells, but mutation of the HRE site completely blocked this effect. Epidermal growth factor was also able to enhance the SCF expression under normoxia in MCF-7 cells, which was dependent on HIF-1 alpha. Taken together, our data demonstrated that HIF-1 alpha was a key regulator of SCF expression in breast cancer cells. Hypoxia and epidermal growth factor receptor signal coexisted in the tumor microenvironment and might promote angiogenesis through HIF-1 alpha-mediated upregulation of SCF and other angiogenic factors.

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