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"Use of nanomaterials as scaffolds for the targeted differentiation of pluripotent cells"
Abstract
The discovery of stem cells and their occupancy for research and therapeutic aim constituted a milestone in Science. A brief reference to the progress and the leading facts of the discovery could facilitate the understanding of the basic principles of stem cells. Though, there is an indispensable need of discrimination and classification of stem cells; one of the categories consists the pluripotent stem cells (PSCs).
Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs, iPSCs) constitute the pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), allocated due to common properties. The latter, are considered to be a valuable tool of science, combining adequate potency, variability in used techniques, successful differentiation, while not subjected in strict bioethical restrictions. Exploitation of them could provide benefit in the fields of embryology, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug development, disease modeling and personalized medicine.
The variety culture and differentiation methods that can be used according to the needs, along with the ease of handling those cells, are providing a great benefit for ESCs. Nevertheless, Stem Cell field is still premature, demanding the optimization of methods, and especially in differentiation, in order to provide mature in vivo like cell types. Nanotechnology, implicated in the construction of adjustable and biocompatible materials in the nanometer scale, comprises a promising tool.
Due to lack of understanding of the implicated mechanisms and relevance in regenerative capacity, complexity and cellular microenvironment, to other well studied tissues, cardiac tissue differentiation is considered to be a challenge. Graphene is a nanomaterial consisted of carbon which can be produced simply and economically.It appears to be a strong candidate to facilitate the mature cardiac cells’ production. Further research and methodology optimization could elucidate grapheme-cells interactions, revealing cardiac cells’ develop and function key mechanisms.
MPESLIKA Evangelia
"Use of cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic pluripotent differentiation and induced pluripotent in preclinical and clinical trials"
Abstract
During the last decades, there is a great interest in the research and study of stem cells and their applications, as it is a scientific field with an important developmental and regenerative role in biomedicine.
This master thesis refers to stem cells in general, but also to the ability that some of them have, to differentiate into cardiomyocytes with regenerative properties. More specifically, several pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are presented, which are concerning the conversion of induced pluripotent stem cells, pluripotent embryonic stem cells and various other stem cells into cardiomyocytes, for their use in modern therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise worldwide, with lots of patients, who are not responding to conventional therapies, have to come up with the solution of heart transplantation or even die. Today, although innovative stem cell-regeneration therapies are a promising prospect, they still have to face up biological, technical and bioethical issues.
SARANDI Maria
"New generation sequencing and its contribution to cancer diagnosis"
Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of new generation sequencing especially in cancer. It consists of eight chapters.
The first chapter focuses on Sanger DNA sequencing. Specifically, it presents the method, the dye-terminator sequencing, the automation and sample preparation, the challenges, the Sanger sequencing with microfluids and the applications of microfluids in sequencing technologies. It describes the pattern, sequencing chemistry, platforms, and comparisons with other sequencing techniques. The second chapter focuses on NGS, a next-generation sequencing technology. The third chapter presents inherited cancer syndromes and the fourth chapter analyzes cancer somatic mutation concluding with remarks about Gene-Panels for the analysis of somatic mutations and the technology of liquid biopsy. The fifth chapter presents pharmacogenetics and the sixth focuses on other applications and future directions. Chapter seven presents the limitations and complications of NGS in genetic diagnostics and ethics. Finally, the eighth chapter concludes with observations.
GRAVOU Vasiliki
"The role of cancer stem cells in the resistance that develops during anticancer drug treatments"
Abstract
Stem cells are unspecialized cells with self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. Recent years, are the center of many scientific researches. More specifically, Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) are located in specific microenvironments in the body, known as niches, where they remain undifferentiated until they receive the appropriate signal. Their operation focuses on regenerating the damaged tissues and maintaining the homeostasis into the organism. Very often, though, stem cells proliferate uncontrollably, which leads to the appearance of Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) in various malignancies. CSCs are able to activate oncogenesis, and in addition contribute to cancer recurrence even after a series of successful chemotherapies. Moreover, due to their plasticity they can switch between CSC and non-CSC states, avoid cell death and metastasize, even after a long period of life (cancer stem cell quiescence). Chemotherapeutic agents, which target mainly rapidly proliferating cancer cells, aren’t effective in Cancer Stem Cells.
This review studies in particular the developed resistance to anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapies) in different types of cancer due to the existence of CSCs. The selective targeting of CSCs and their microenvironment is a promising strategy against cancer.
GRENDA Anna
"Congenital anomalies of the urinary tract (CAKUT) as multifactorial diseases: genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors"
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract cover a wide range of structural malformations which are present in 3 to 7 out of 1.000 births, accounting for 23% of birth defects. CAKUT represent the cause of 40-50% of pediatric and 7% of adult end-stage renal disease worldwide. This heterogeneous group of anomalies includes many different forms of defects that range from renal dysplasia and renal agenesis to various malformations and obstructions of the ureters. Thanks to long-term and comprehensive research, is confirmed that CAKUT are the result of many factors, some of which many times do not have anything in common; abnormalities in these cases can cause those defects. These factors can be conventional genetic factors, which are mainly genes and their mutations, as well as various environmental and epigenetic causes. The latter of them involve changes that affect gene activity and expression without alterations in the DNA sequence.
The goal of this post-graduate study is the presentation and analysis of all established or candidate causes that lead or might lead to CAKUT: the way that they affect the manifestation of those defects, their importance in conjunction with the direction and perspective of future research. This study is based on recent references and material in order to describe the current state of play.
The first chapter of the study consists of a short introduction in the developmental process of the kidney and urinary tract, including a special analysis of the signaling pathways that are activated during the various phases of this developmental process. The CAKUT-causing factors determine the development of the kidney and urinary tract (as well as of other systems), either by affecting one or more parameters that take part in the signaling pathways, or by being part of these pathways themselves. As a result, the understanding of the connection that exists between those factors and the signaling pathways requires the presentation and analysis of nephrogenesis prior to the one of the CAKUT-causing factors.
The second chapter of the study includes the presentation of various forms of CAKUT. For each individual CAKUT, there is a description of the phenotype, the frequency of its occurrence and the methods of identifying and possibly rectifying the disease. In the next chapter, it will be described the connection between each of these anomalies with one or more possible causes.
The third and final chapter of the study focuses on the presentation and analysis of the various CAKUT causes, often by specific reference to each individual factor that might be a candidate for the occurrence of these anomalies. It is a fact that despite all the previous studies that have been conducted in that field, the international scientific community does not share a common opinion about neither the impact, nor the frequency of most of these factors in relevance to CAKUT occurrence. Furthermore, only a small percentage of the recorded CAKUT cases have been attributed to specific causes and confirmed beyond any doubt, whereas the causes of the majority of them have yet to be identified. In a nutshell, it seems that the road to identifying, understanding and connecting each candidate factor of causing a CAKUT with one or more of these anomalies, is still a long one.
More research is required to clarify most of the aforementioned cases. However, achieving this goal will lead to a better understanding of the signaling pathways that regulate the development of the kidney and urinary tract and the way that the latter is affected by the defects of the former. This understanding will ultimately lead to innovative methods of prenatal prognosis and targeted therapeutic approaches.
PATSIAS Christodoulos