1,721,021 research outputs found

    The Emerging Roles of Extracellular Vesicles in Osteosarcoma

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    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous nanosized vesicles that are constitutively released by virtually all types of cells. They have been isolated in almost all body fluids. EVs cargo consists of various molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites), that can be found on EVs surface and/or in their lumen. EVs structure confer stability and allow the transfer of their cargo to specific cell types over a distance. EVs play a critical role in intercellular communication in physiological and pathological settings. The broadening of knowledge on EVs improved our comprehension of cancer biology as far as tumor development, growth, metastasis, chemoresistance, and treatment are concerned. Increasing evidences suggest that EVs have a significant role in osteosarcoma (OS) development, progression, and metastatic process. The modulation of inflammatory communication pathways by EVs plays a critical role in OS and in other bone-related pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In this review we describe the emerging data on the role of extracellular vesicles in osteosarcoma and discuss the effects and function of OS-derived EVs focusing on their future applicability in clinical practice

    In vitro models for the evaluation of angiogenic potential in bone engineering

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    Blood vessels have a fundamental role both in skeletal homeostasis and in bone repair. Angiogenesis is also important for a successful bone engineering. Therefore, scaffolds should be tested for their ability to favour endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation and functions. The type of endothelial cell to use for in vitro assays should be carefully considered, because the properties of these cells may depend on their source. Morphological and functional relationships between endothelial cells and osteoblasts are evaluated with co-cultures, but this model should still be standardized, particularly for distinguishing the two cell types. Platelet-rich plasma and recombinant growth factors may be useful for stimulating angiogenesis

    Extracellular nanovesicles secreted by human osteosarcoma cells promote angiogenesis

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    Angiogenesis involves a number of different players among which extracellular nanovesicles (EVs) have recently been proposed as an efficient cargo of pro-angiogenic mediators. Angiogenesis plays a key role in osteosarcoma (OS) development and progression. Acidity is a hallmark of malignancy in a variety of cancers, including sarcomas, as a result of an increased energetic metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of EVs derived from osteosarcoma cells on angiogenesis and whether extracellular acidity, generated by tumor metabolism, could influence EVs activity. For this purpose, we purified and characterized EVs from OS cells maintained at either acidic or neutral pH. The ability of EVs to induce angiogenesis was assessed in vitro by endothelial cell tube formation and in vivo using chicken chorioallantoic membrane. Our findings demonstrated that EVs derived from osteosarcoma cells maintained either in acidic or neutral conditions induced angiogenesis. The results showed that miRNA and protein content of EVs cargo are correlated with pro-angiogenic activity and this activity is increased by the acidity of tumor microenvironment. This study provides evidence that EVs released by human osteosarcoma cells act as carriers of active angiogenic stimuli that are able to promote endothelial cell functions relevant to angiogenesis

    Insulin receptor isoforms are differently expressed during human osteoblastogenesis.

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    The reciprocal influence and bidirectional cross-talk between bone and energy metabolism is a recent finding, since the discovery that the product of osteoblasts osteocalcin increases pancreatic β-cell proliferation, insulin secretion and sensitivity. Conversely, the anabolic effect of insulin is crucial for osteoblast function, as suggested by severe osteopenia and increased incidence of fracture in insulin-deficient diabetic patients. The Insulin Receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase, which is commonly expressed in the insulin-sensitive liver, muscle, and adipose tissues, is also found in animal and human bone. Here we show that in human bone two insulin receptor isoforms (IR-A and IR-B) are differently expressed. Mature human osteoblasts predominantly express IR-B, whereas IR-A is mainly expressed in osteoblast precursors, and IR-B/IR-A mRNA ratio significantly increases along the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal precursors. Moreover, transfected osteoprogenitors overexpressing IR-A show an increased proliferation rate. In contrast, when transfected with and overexpressing IR-B, their proliferation rate is reduced, corresponding to a more differentiated phenotype. In conclusion, the fine regulation of the expression of different isoforms of IR during osteogenic differentiation confirms the important role played by IR in bone homeostasis, providing the basis for new perspectives on the various involvements of IR isoforms in bone pathophysiology

    Multimodal transfer of MDR by exosomes in human osteosarcoma

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    Exosomes are extracellular vesicles released by both normal and tumour cells which are involved in a new intercellular communication pathway by delivering cargo (e.g., proteins, microRNAs, mRNAs) to recipient cells. Tumour-derived exosomes have been shown to play critical roles in different stages of tumour growth and progression. In this study, we investigated the potential role of exosomes to transfer the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype in human osteosarcoma cells. Exosomes were isolated by differential centrifugation of culture media from multidrug resistant human osteosarcoma MG-63DXR30 (Exo/DXR) and MG-63 parental cells (Exo/S). Exosome purity was examined by transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by immunoblot analysis for the expression of specific exosomal markers. Our data showed that exosomes derived from doxorubicin-resistant osteosarcoma cells could be taken up into secondary cells and induce a doxorubicin-resistant phenotype. The incubation of osteosarcoma cells with Exo/DXR decreased the sensitivity of parental cells to doxorubicin, while exposure with Exo/S was ineffective. In addition, we demonstrated that Exo/DXR expressed higher levels of MDR-1 mRNA and P-glycoprotein compared to Exo/S (p=0.03). Interestingly, both MDR-1 mRNA and P-gp increased in MG-63 cells after incubation with Exo/DXR, suggesting this as the main mechanism of exosome-mediated transfer of drug resistance. Our findings suggest that multidrug resistant osteosarcoma cells are able to spread their ability to resist the effects of doxorubicin treatment on sensitive cells by transferring exosomes carrying MDR-1 mRNA and its product P-glycoprotein

    Isolation, characterisation and osteogenic potential of human bone marrow stromal cells derived from the medullary cavity of the femur

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    Marrow stromal cells (MSC) are increasingly being introduced in orthopaedic practice as potentially powerful effectors of bone regeneration. Since cell recovery of MSC is affected by a high degree of individual variability, sources for collecting adequate amounts of safe and effective MSC under routine conditions are needed. We analysed if femoral bone marrow, which is usually discarded during total hip arthroplasty procedures, is a reliable source of MSC to enhance bone healing and regeneration. Mononuclear cells were isolated, assayed for typical MSC markers, harvested under appropriate culture conditions and evaluated for their ability to differentiate into osteoblasts. Cell recovery and osteogenic potential were independent from donor gender or age, suggesting that elderly individuals are eligible for autologous cell therapy. Although heterogeneous, the pool of MSC recoveredfrom femoral marrow without further in vitro selection or manipulation proved highly effective in proliferating and differentiating along the osteogenic lineage. In conclusion, this source of MSC offers a valuable tool to be used to promote osteogenesis and implant fixation

    Workshop on Stem cells for Bone Regeneration

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    A workshop specifically intended to serve as a forum for young investigators (PhD students, post-doc, and orthopaedic residents or orthopaedic surgeons soon after the end of their residency) that are actively involved in bone stem cell research. Each topic introduced by an overview lecture of an eminent scientist in the field, who expose his more recent researches and will give indications for the future research. Selected presentations by young researchers with the aim of launching and encouraging a pluralistic and informative debate between experts interested in the feasibility and consequences of stem cell research in the orthopaedic field
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