To meet the unique needs of Latino families, services need to be provided in culturally sensitive context that address children's needs within family units.

BackgroundFirst trimester (FTM) and term human umbilical cord-derived perivascular cells (HUCPVCs), which are rich sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can give rise to Sertoli cell (SC)-like as well as haploid germ cell (GC)-like cells in vitro using culture conditions that recapitulate the testicular niche.Gamete-like cells have been produced ex vivo using pluripotent stem cells as well as MSCs. However, the production of functional gametes from human stem cells has yet to be achieved.MethodsThree independent lines of FTM and term HUCPVCs were cultured using a novel 5-week step-wise in vitro differentiation protocol recapitulating key physiological signals involved in testicular development. SC- and GC-associated phenotypical properties were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative PCR immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). Functional spermatogonial stem cell-like properties were assessed using a xenotranplantation assay.ResultsWithin 3 weeks of differentiation, two morphologically distinct cell types emerged including large adherent cells and semi-attached round cells. Both early GC-associated markers (VASA, DAZL, GPR125, GFR1α) and SC-associated markers (FSHR, SOX9, AMH) were upregulated, and 5.7 ± 1.2% of these cells engrafted near the inner basal membrane in a xenograft assay. After 5 weeks in culture, 10–30% of the cells were haploid, had adopted a spermatid-like morphology, and expressed PRM1, Acrosin, and ODF2. Undifferentiated HUCPVCs secreted key factors known to regulate spermatogenesis (LIF, GDNF, BMP4, bFGF) and 10–20% of HUCPVCs co-expressed SSEA4, CD9, CD90, and CD49f. We hypothesize that the paracrine properties and cellular heterogeneity of HUCPVCs may explain their dual capacity to differentiate to both SC- and GC-like cells.ConclusionsHUCPVCs recapitulate elements of the testicular niche including their ability to differentiate into cells with Sertoli-like and haploid spermatid-like properties in vitro. Our study supports the importance of generating a niche-like environment under ex vivo conditions aiming at creating mature GC, and highlights the plasticity of HUCPVCs. This could have future applications for the treatment of some cases of male infertility.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0491-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Myocardial infarction (MI) causes an extensive loss of heart muscle cells and leads to congestive heart disease (CAD), the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Mesenchymal stromal cell- (MSC-) based cell therapy is a promising option to replace invasive interventions. However the optimal cell type providing significant cardiac regeneration after MI is yet to be found. The aim of our study was to investigate the cardiomyogenic differentiation potential of first trimester human umbilical cord perivascular cells (FTM HUCPVCs), a novel, young source of immunoprivileged mesenchymal stromal cells. Based on the expression of cardiomyocyte markers (cTnT, MYH6, SIRPA, and CX43) FTM and term HUCPVCs achieved significantly increased cardiomyogenic differentiation compared to bone marrow MSCs, while their immunogenicity remained significantly lower as indicated by HLA-A and HLA-G expression and susceptibility to T cell mediated cytotoxicity. When applying aggregate-based differentiation, FTM HUCPVCs showed increased aggregate formation potential and generated contracting cells within 1 week of coculture, making them the first MSC type with this ability. Our results indicate that young FTM HUCPVCs have superior cardiomyogenic potential coupled with beneficial immunogenic properties when compared to MSCs of older tissue sources, suggesting that in vitro predifferentiation could be a potential strategy to increase their effectiveness in vivo.

Localized vascular disruption after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a cascade of secondary events, including inflammation, gliosis, and scarring, that can further impact recovery. In addition to immunomodulatory and neurotrophic properties, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess pericytic characteristics. These features make MSCs an ideal candidate for acute cell therapy targeting vascular disruption, which could reduce the severity of secondary injury, enhance tissue preservation and repair, and ultimately promote functional recovery. A moderately severe cervical clip compression/contusion injury was induced at C7‐T1 in adult female rats, followed by an intravenous tail vein infusion 1 hour post‐SCI of (a) term‐birth human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs); (b) first‐trimester human umbilical cord perivascular cells (FTM HUCPVCs); (c) adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; or (d) vehicle control. Weekly behavioral testing was performed. Rats were sacrificed at 24 hours or 10 weeks post‐SCI and immunohistochemistry and ultrasound imaging were performed. Both term and FTM HUCPVC‐infused rats displayed improved ( p < .05) grip strength compared with vehicle controls. However, only FTM HUCPVC‐infusion led to significant weight gain. All cell infusion treatments resulted in reduced glial scarring ( p < .05). Cell infusion also led to increased axonal, myelin, and vascular densities ( p < .05). Although post‐traumatic cavity volume was reduced with cell infusion, this did not reach significance. Taken together, we demonstrate selective long‐term functional recovery alongside histological improvements with HUCPVC infusion in a clinically relevant model of cervical SCI. Our findings highlight the potential of these cells for acute therapeutic intervention after SCI.

No abstract