Explore the vast range of titles available.

The short survival time of transplanted adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) is a problem for skin wound healing. Transplantation after the formation of cellular spheroids has been investigated as a promising method for prolonging cellular survival. However, there have been technical restrictions for transplantation of spheroids in clinical practice. Here, we show an effective method for transplantation of ASC spheroids onto skin wounds in order to efficiently cure refractory ulcers. To assist anchoring of spheroids onto skin wounds, we used a 120-nm-thick free-standing film (nanosheet) that has a highly adhesive property. Bioluminescence imaging showed that ASC spheroids carried by the nanosheet survived for 14 days, which is about two-times longer than that previously reported. Wounds treated with a nanosheet carrying ASC spheroids were 4-times smaller than untreated wounds on day 14. This method for transplantation of spheroids could be applied to cell therapy for various refractory skin wounds.

BackgroundMany approaches have been reported to repair soft-tissue defects of the hand using dorsal metacarpal artery flaps. Use of a perforator-based propeller flap from the first intermetacarpal space to the dorsum of the hand has been described. The aim of this study was to confirm the functional anatomy of a first dorsal metacarpal artery (FDMA) perforator flap.MethodsTwenty-nine fixed cadaveric hands were dissected to determine the origin, course, and branches of the FDMA. Clinically, five cases of soft tissue defects of the hand underwent reconstructive surgery using an FDMA perforator-based propeller flap.ResultsThe FDMA was found in 27 specimens (93%). The ulnar branch of the FDMA always supplied the cutaneous perforator (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 1.6), and the most distal cutaneous perforating branch was found along the metacarpal long axis within 25 mm of the tip of the metacarpal head with high frequency (28/29, 97%). In the two hands that had aplasia of the FDMA, well-developed perforators arose directly from the radial artery and advanced to the metacarpal head. Seven hands (24%) had perforators arising from the palmar arterial system, penetrating through or passing close by the second metacarpal bone. In clinical application, all the flaps survived completely without major complications.ConclusionsThe FDMA perforator-based propeller flap is minimally invasive and technically simple. It is expected to be a new option for hand reconstruction.

Photobiomodulation studies have reported that blue light irradiation induces the production of reactive oxygen species. We investigated the effect of blue laser (405 nm) irradiation on the ATP levels in mouse skin and determined the types of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species using cultured mouse fibroblasts. Blue laser irradiation caused a decrease in the ATP level in the mouse skin and triggered the generation of superoxide anion and hypochlorous acid, whereas nitric oxide and peroxynitrite were not detected. Moreover, blue laser irradiation resulted in reduced cell viability. It is believed that the decrease in the skin ATP level due to blue light irradiation results from the increased levels of oxidative stress due to the generation of reactive oxygen species. This method of systematically measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species may be useful for understanding the effects of irradiation conditions.

Background Chest wall necrosis can manifest as a late effect of radiation therapy for breast cancer. Only two cases of fistulas communicating with the respiratory tract as a result of radiation-induced necrosis of the lungs or bronchi have been reported. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of a pulmonary cutaneous fistula arising as a late effect of radiation therapy for breast cancer, which was successfully repaired using a free omental graft. Case presentation A 64-year-old woman underwent Halsted surgery and postoperative radiation therapy for breast cancer 25 years earlier. One year before visiting our hospital, she developed a fistula and bleeding in her left clavicular region, which was expanding. On initial examination, a 6-cm-wide skin defect was observed in the left clavicular region and the clavicle appeared sequestrated. Computed tomography revealed part of the first to third left ribs, part of the left clavicle, the subclavian artery, and the brachial plexus to be missing. Several rounds of debridement revealed approximately 10 bronchial stumps on the surface of the collapsed lung, from which exhaled air and sputum were effusing. Surgery was performed to implant a free omental flap with vascular anastomosis and a skin graft in the neck region, and the pulmonary cutaneous fistula was closed. Two years after surgery, emphysema remained inside the omentum, which spontaneously resolved by the 3rd postoperative year. Conclusions Various treatment options are conceivable for the repair of pulmonary cutaneous and bronchocutaneous fistulas induced by radiation damage (e.g., free tissue grafts and endoscopic bronchial occlusion); however, these are rarely reported, and the most reliable method thus remains unclear. Positive outcomes in our case indicate that implanting a free omental graft may be effective. Furthermore, spontaneous healing can be expected for the residual emphysema inside the omentum.

Although treatments for alopecia are in high demand, not all treatments are safe and reliable. Dalteparin/protamine nanoparticles (D/P NPs) can effectively carry growth factors (GFs) such as fibroblast GF (FGF)-2. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of FGF-2-containing D/P NPs (FGF-2&D/P NPs) on hair growth. In this study, the participants were 12 volunteers with thin hair. One milliliter of FGF-2 (100 ng/mL) and D/P NPs (56 μg/mL) was applied and massaged on the skin of the scalp by the participants twice a day. They were evaluated for 6 months. Participants were photographed using a digital camera for general observation and a hair diagnosis system for measuring hair diameter. The mean diameter of the hairs was significantly higher following the application of FGF-2&D/P NPs for 6 months. Objective improvements in thin hair were observed in two cases. Nine participants experienced greater bounce and hair resilience. The transdermal application of FGF-2&D/P NPs to the scalp can be used as a new treatment for alopecia.

We examined the effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on radiation-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in keratinocytes and healing of radiation-induced skin injury in a rat model. PGE1 had a protective effect on radiation-induced growth inhibition in keratinocytes in vitro, but not in fibroblasts. Varying concentrations of PGE1 were subcutaneously administered into the posterior neck region. X-irradiation at a dose of 20Gy was administrated to the lower part of the back using a lead sheet with two holes 30min to 1h before or after the administration of PGE1. Although X-irradiation induced epilation, minor erosions, or skin ulcers in almost all rats, PGE1 administration prior to irradiation reduced these irradiation injuries. Staining with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling showed that proportions of apoptotic keratinocytes in the X-irradiated skin of PGE1-administered rats were significantly lower than for those in the skin of rats which did not receive PGE1. Cutaneous full-thickness defective wounds were then formed in X-irradiated areas to examine the time course of wound healing. Wound healing was significantly delayed because of X-irradiation, but PGE1 administration prior to irradiation led to a significantly shorter delay in wound healing compared with controls. Decreasing delay in wound healing was correlated with concentration of PGE1 administrated. Thus, PGE1-administration may potentially alleviate the radiation-induced skin injury.

We report a 29-year-old man with blepharochalasis and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Although standard blepharoplasty with aponeurotic fixation was performed, palpebral ptosis recurred after 3 months. Eyelid function and appearance improved after additional operations. A stepwise surgical approach is appropriate in patients with blepharochalasis and MCS.

Fragmin/protamine microparticles (F/P MPs) have been used as carriers for the preservation and activation of cytokines in human plasma (HP)–Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) gels. This study investigated a three-dimensional (3D) culture system using an HP–DMEM gel with 0.1 mg/mL F/P MPs and 5 ng/mL FGF-2 for the proliferation of human dermal fibroblast cells (DFCs), human microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) and human coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs), or 5 ng/mL interleukin (IL)-3/granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for a human hematopoietic cell line (TF-1 cells). DFCs, MVECs, SMCs and TF-1 cells grew rapidly under 3D culture conditions using a low-concentration HP (2 %)–DMEM gel with F/P MPs and FGF-2 (for DFCs, MVECs and SMCs) or IL-3/GM-CSF (for TF-1 cells) at doubling times of 22, 23, 25 and 18 h, respectively, without the use of animal serum, compared to under 2D culture conditions using low-concentration human serum (2 %)–DMEM with 5 ng/mL FGF-2 or IL-3/GM-CSF on F/P MP-coated plates at doubling times of approximately 26, 25, 40 and 20 h, respectively.