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This article discusses the role of women in stem cell research for osteoarthritis (OA) and highlights the need for effective therapies for OA. It explores the use of stem cells in the treatment of OA and discusses different sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for joint regeneration. The article also discusses various approaches to improving the treatment of cartilage defects and musculoskeletal disorders using stem cells and gene therapy. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and personalized approaches in advancing research and treatment options for OA and musculoskeletal disorders. The article provides an overview of different approaches and technologies used in musculoskeletal regeneration research. Additionally, the article includes a list of references to various scientific articles related to the treatment of osteoarthritis and tissue engineering, which can be useful for library patrons conducting research in these areas. [Extracted from the article]

Articular cartilage (AC) is the thin tissue that covers the long bone ends in the joints and that ensures the transmission of forces between adjacent bones while allowing nearly frictionless movements between them. AC repair is a technologic and scientific challenge that has been addressed with numerous approaches. A major deadlock is the capacity to take in account its complex mechanical properties in repair strategies. In this review, we first describe the major mechanical behaviors of AC for the non‐specialists. Then, we show how researchers have progressively identified specific mechanical parameters using mathematical models. There are still gaps in our understanding of some of the observations concerning AC biomechanical properties, particularly the differences in extracellular matrix stiffness measured at the microscale and at the millimetric scale. Nevertheless, for bioengineering applications, AC repair strategies must take into account what are commonly considered the main mechanical features of cartilage: its ability to withstand high stresses through three main behaviors (elasticity, poroelasticity and swelling). Finally, we emphasize that future studies need to investigate AC mechanical properties at different scales, particularly the gradient of mechanical properties around cells and across the cartilage depth, and the differences in mechanical properties at different scales. This multi‐scale approach could greatly enhance the success of AC restorative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in cell reprogramming showed that OSKM induction is able to improve cell physiology in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that a single short reprogramming induction is sufficient to prevent musculoskeletal functions deterioration of mice, when applied in early life. In addition, in old age, treated mice have improved tissue structures in kidney, spleen, skin, and lung, with an increased lifespan of 15% associated with organ‐specific differential age‐related DNA methylation signatures rejuvenated by the treatment. Altogether, our results indicate that a single short reprogramming early in life might initiate and propagate an epigenetically related mechanism to promote a healthy lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are being widely investigated as acellular therapeutics in regenerative medicine applications. EVs isolated from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are by far the most frequently used in preclinical models for diverse therapeutic applications, including inflammatory, degenerative, or acute diseases. Although they represent promising tools as cell-free therapeutic agents, one limitation to their use is related to the batch-to-batch unreliability that may arise from the heterogeneity between MSC donors. Isolating EVs from MSCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iMSCs) might allow unlimited access to cells with a more stable phenotype and function. In the present review, we first present the latest findings regarding the functional aspects of EVs isolated from iMSCs and their interest in regenerative medicine for the treatment of various diseases. We will then discuss future directions for their translation to clinics with good manufacturing practice implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) can be associated with neurological and cognitive involvement, negatively affecting patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess whether pSS patients are at higher risk of hospitalization for neurological diseases. Through a nationwide retrospective study using the French Health insurance database (based on International Classification for Disease codes, ICD-10), we selected patients hospitalized with new-onset pSS between 2011 and 2018. We compared the incidence of hospitalization for dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS), encephalitis, and peripheral neuropathy with an age- and sex-matched (1:10) hospitalized control group. Adjusted Hazard Ratios (aHR) considered confounding factors, particularly socio-economic status and cardiovascular diseases. We analyzed 25,661 patients hospitalized for pSS, compared with 252,543 matched patients. The incidence of hospitalization for dementia was significantly higher in pSS patients (aHR = 1.27 (1.04–1.55); p = 0.018), as well as the incidence of hospitalization for MS, encephalitis, and inflammatory polyneuropathies (aHR = 3.66 (2.35–5.68), p < 0.001; aHR = 2.66 (1.22–5.80), p = 0.014; and aHR = 23.2 (12.2–44.5), p < 0.001, respectively). According to ICD-10 codes, pSS patients exhibited a higher incidence of hospitalization for dementia, encephalitis, MS, and peripheral neuropathies than controls. Physicians must be aware of these neurological risks to choose the most appropriate diagnostic work-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is one of these diseases, both chronic and complex, whose evolution can be fatal and whose clinical repercussions, variable from one patient to another, can result in a profound alteration of autonomy and quality of life. These two scores reflect respectively the disability induced by SSc and the probability of improvement in response to treatment in patients with early diffuse cutaneous SSc. Keywords: systemic sclerosis; pathophysiology; co-stimulation; abatacept; innate immune system; mesenchymal stromal cell; extracellular vesicles; cancer EN systemic sclerosis pathophysiology co-stimulation abatacept innate immune system mesenchymal stromal cell extracellular vesicles cancer 1 4 4 10/04/21 20210930 NES 210930 In these times of Covid-19 pandemic, during which medical research is mobilized in the fight against the coronavirus, patients continue to suffer from other acute and chronic diseases and research on them must continue. [Extracted from the article]