Das essentielle Spurenelement Selen (Se) wird als Selenocystein (Sec) in sog. Selenoproteine eingebaut. Selenoproteine haben aufgrund von Sec besondere Eigenschaften und eine Reihe von wichtigen Funktionen im Körper. Im Menschen führt starker Se-mangel zu degenerativen Knorpelerkrankungen und stellt einen Risikofaktor für die Entwicklung von Krebs, Entzündungen, kognitiven Verfall, Schlaganfall und Schilddrüsenerkrankungen dar. Hypoxie tritt ebenfalls in einer Vielzahl schwerer Erkrankungen wie Krebs, Sepsis oder Trauma auf. Auf zellulärer Ebene wird die Hypoxieantwort über Transkriptionsfaktoren der HIF-Familie („Hypoxia-Inducible Factor“) vermittelt. Die Leber ist das zentrale Organ des Selenmetabolismus. Hier wird über die Nahrung aufgenommenes Selen in organisches Sec umgewandelt und in Form von Selenoprotein P (SePP) dem Körper zur Verfügung gestellt. Die Hypothese dieser Arbeit war, dass Hypoxie die Selenoproteinbiosynthese beeinflusst. Experimentell induzierte Hypoxie führte in humanen hepatokarzinomen Zellen zu einer verminderten Expression fast aller Selenproteinen bis auf die für Überleben und Abwehr von reaktiven Sauerstoffspezies wichtige Glutathion Peroxidase 4 (GPX4), welche auch unter hypoxischen Bedingungen stabil exprimiert wurde. Diese Umverteilung von Sec, weg von der Biosynthese des sezernierten SePP hin zur intrazellulären GPX4, wurde HIF unabhängig vermittelt. Stattdessen wurden Schlüsselenzyme der Sec-Biosynthese spezifisch herunterreguliert. Mesenchymale Stammzellen (MSC) leben im Körper unter hypoxischen Bedingungen und haben aufgrund Ihrer Plastizität ein großes regeneratives Potential. In diesem Zellmodel führte nicht Hypoxie, sondern Se-Supplementation, zu einer Herunterregulation der Selenoprtoeinbiosynthese. Dieser Effekt dürfte für die Proliferationskapazität der MSC essentiell sein. In dieser Arbeit werden diese Ergebnisse vorgestellt und vor dem Hintergrund einer Studie zu Se-Spiegeln bei Patienten mit Polytrauma diskutiert. / The essential trace element Selenium (Se) is incorporated into proteins, so called selenoproteins, in form of the 21st proteinogenic amino acid selenocysteine (Sec). Due to the unique biochemical characteristics of Sec, selenoproteins fulfill a number of important functions within the body. In humans, a profound Se deficiency predisposes to a degenerative cartilage disease and moderate Se deficiency constitutes a risk factor for a variety of diseases, such as cancer, inflammation, cognitive decline, stroke or thyroid diseases. Hypoxia occurs in a number of severe illnesses, e.g. in cancer, sepsis or trauma. The cellular transcriptional response is mediated via „Hypoxia inducible factors“ (HIF). The liver is the central organ of Se metabolism, where dietary Se is organified to Sec and distributed in form of selenoprotein P (SePP) throughout the body. This thesis tested the hypothesis that hypoxia may directly affect selenoprotein biosynthesis. In human hepatocarcinoma cells, an experimentally-induced hypoxia led to a reduction of almost all selenoproteins analyzed, with the notably exception of Glutathione Peroxidase, type 4 (GPX4). The enzyme GPX4, important for neutralizing lipid hydroperoxides, remained stably expressed under hypoxic conditions. This redistribution of Sec, away from the secreted Se transporter SePP towards the intracellular protective enzyme GPX4, was HIF independent and rather a result down-regulation of key enzymes at the bottleneck of Sec biosynthesis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) survive in the human body in a hypoxic niche. Due to their great plasticity, MSC have a huge regenerative potential. In this cell model, it was not hypoxia, but rather Se supply itself, which led to a coordinated down-regulation of the whole Sec biosynthesis machinery causing diminished selenoprotein biosynthesis. In this thesis these results are presented and discussed in light of a clinical trial on the importance of Se in polytraumatic patients.

L'incidence des maladies cardiovasculaires d'origine athéromateuse constitue un problème majeur en santé publique et malgré le développement de techniques curatives endovasculaires, la chirurgie demeure nécessaire chez de nombreux patients. La faible disponibilité des vaisseaux naturels, autologues ou non, et les limites mécaniques et biologiques des substituts artificiels pour le remplacement des vaisseaux de petit calibre, imposent le recours à une nouvelle science : l'ingénierie vasculaire. Ce concept a émergé et évolué depuis quelques années. Il pourrait permettre de proposer de nouveaux types de substituts vasculaires synthétiques et/ou biologiques, en particulier grâce à l'utilisation de cellules souches, ouvrant d'intéressantes perspectives dans le domaine de l'ingénierie vasculaire. Le but de ce travail a été d'obtenir de manière fiable et reproductible des cellules à phénotype endothélial mature à partir de cellules souches mésenchymateuses (CSMs) issus de la gelée de Wharton (GW) du cordon ombilical et de la moelle osseuse (MO). Cependant, la différenciation de ces cellules nécessite une fonctionnalisation de la surface de culture, et notre groupe a démontré l'avantage des films multicouches de polyélectrolytes, constitués de PAH (hydrochlorure de poly(allylamine)) et de PSS (poly(styrène sulfonate)), sur l'adhésion, la prolifération et la différenciation cellulaire. Les cellules ont été cultivées sur films (PAH-PSS)4 ou sur collagène de type I (témoin), en présence de facteurs de croissance angiogéniques. La différenciation en cellules endothéliales (CEs) a été suivie par l'expression des marqueurs endothéliaux (PCR et western blot), et la fonctionnalité par leur capacité à incorporer les lipoprotéines acétylées (Ac-LDLs) ainsi que la capacité à produire du monoxyde d'azote et à exprimé le facteur von Willebrand (vWF). Après 14 jours de stimulation, seules les CSM-GWs étaient différenciées en CEs fonctionnelles démontrant l'intérêt de combiner l'utilisation des CSM-GWs et des films (PAH-PSS)4 dans le domaine de l'ingénierie vasculaire / The incidence of cardiovascular disease remains a major public health problem. Despite the development of endovascular therapies, surgical treatment is necessary for many patients. The low availability of natural vessels, autologous or not, and the mechanical and biological limits of artificial substitutes, led to the use of a new domain: vascular engineering. In recent years, the concept has emerged and evolved. He could afford to offer new types of synthetic vascular substitutes and / or biological, in particular through the use of stem cells, offering interesting perspectives in the field of vascular engineering. The purpose of this study was to obtain a reliable and reproducible protocol to generate functional endothelial cells (ECs) from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (WJ) and bone marrow (BM). Nevertheless, their differentiation into vascular cells needs a culture surface functionalization; our group demonstrated the potential use of polyelectrolyte multilayer made of poly(allylamine hydrochloride): PAH, and poly(styrene sulfonate): PSS, in promoting cells adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Cells were cultured on (PAH-PSS)4 films or collagen type I (used as control), in the presence of angiogenic growth factors. Cells differentiation into EC was followed through the expression of endothelial markers (PCR and western blot); cell functionality was checked through their ability to incorporate acetylated LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), to produce NO (Nitric oxide) and to express the von Willebrand factor (vWF). After 14 days of stimulation, only WJ-MSCs were able to generate functional ECs demonstrating the potential of combining WJ-MSCs and (PAH-PSS)4 films in vascular tissue engineering field

Parmi les facteurs de risque environnementaux de l'arthrose, la consommation de tabac occupe une place importante, mais reste encore controversée. Parmi les 4000 composés présents dans la cigarette, la nicotine est l'une des molécules les plus actives physiologiquement. Au cours de ce travail, nous avons étudié l'impact de la nicotine sur les chondrocytes humains et la prolifération et la différenciation chondrogénique des cellules souches mésenchymateuses de la gelée de Wharton (CSM-GW). Nous avons trouvé que la nicotine aux concentrations utilisées n’a pas d’effet sur la prolifération cellulaire, mais induit une augmentation de l’expression de la métalloproteinase matricielle (MMP13) dans les chondrocytes humains. Ces données suggèrent que la nicotine a un effet pro-catabolique sur les chondrocytes humains, en stimulant la dégradation des composants matriciels. Chez des patients arthrosiques fumeurs, les voies de synthèse et de dégradation des composants matriciels sont plus activées dans les chondrocytes par rapport aux non fumeurs. De plus, la nicotine inhibe la prolifération et la migration cellulaire de CSM-GW, et présente un effet délétère sur la chondrogénèse de CSM-GW. Elle stimule la réaction inflammatoire et la différenciation hypertrophique. Nous avons montré, pour la première fois, l'expression du nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), en particulier de la sous unité α7 dans les CSM-GW aux niveaux transcriptionnel et traductionnel. L’effet délétère de la nicotine sur les CSM-GW serait probablement médiée par la sous unité α7 nAChR, De façon intéressante, l’α-Bungarotoxin (α-BTX), inhibiteur spécifique de α7 nAChR, peut réverser cet effet partiellement. En conclusion, nous suggérons que la nicotine pourrait altérer l’ontogenèse du cartilage, et induire potentiellement l’augmentation de la prévalence de l’arthrose chez l’adulte / Among the environmental risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA), tobacco consumption features prominently but is still controversial today. Among the 4,000 compounds present in cigarette smoke, nicotine is one of the most physiologically active molecules. The aim of the study is to measure the impact of nicotine on human chondrocytes and on the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of Wharton’s Jelly stem cells (WJ-MSC). We found that nicotine at the concentrations used had no effect on the proliferation of primary human OA chondrocytes, but induced an increase in the expression of matrix metalloproteases (MMP13). It unravels the catabolic effects of nicotine in the joint by stimulating matrix degradation. This result suggests a pro-catabolic effect of nicotine in the joint by stimulating matrix degradation. In smokers, the synthesis as well as the degradation pathways in chondrocytes are stimulated, when compared to no smokers. In addition, the cell proliferation and migration of WJ-MSC were significantly impaired by nicotine, and it also had an adverse effect on the chondrogenesis of WJ-MSC by stimulating the inflammatory response and hypertrophic differentiation. We have shown, for the first time, the expression of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), in particular that of the α7 subunit in the WJ-MSC at the transcriptional and translational levels. The adverse effect of nicotine on WJ-MSC was probably mediated by α7 nAChR. Interestingly, α-Bungarotoxin (α-BTX), a specific inhibitor of α7 nAChR, could partially reverse this effect. In conclusion the results show that nicotine has an adverse effect on the ontogenesis of cartilage, and potentially induces an increase in the prevalence of osteoarthritis in adults

Les vésicules extracellulaires nanométriques (nEVs) issues de cellules souches mésenchymateuses (CSMs) et les nanovésicules synthétiques sont au centre de nombreuses recherches pour le développement de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques en médecine régénérative. La mise en place d’une méthode standardisée pour isoler les nEVs à partir de milieu conditionné de CSMs et de pouvoir les caractériser a été nécessaire. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur leur taille qui se situe entre 30 et 150 nm ainsi que la présence de certains de leur marqueurs membranaires (CD9, CD63 et CD81). Durant ce travail, deux méthodes d’isolement ont été testées. Les résultats obtenus par les analyses physiques (Nanosight®, microscopie électronique à transmission) et biologiques (cytométrie en flux) des différents échantillons ont permis de standardiser la méthode d’isolement des nEVs par centrifugations et ultracentrifugations successives. Ensuite, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’utilisation de ces nEVs sécrétées par les CSMs en culture cellulaire. Il a été mis en évidence que des interactions existent entre ces nEVs et des cellules endothéliales (CEs) in vitro. Ces interactions vont entraîner des modifications dans le comportement cellulaire des CEs en augmentant leur potentiel de formation de réseaux vasculaires. En parallèle de ces travaux sur les nEVs, une étude a été réalisée sur l’utilisation de nanovésicules synthétiques, des nanoliposomes (NLPs), élaborées à partir de lécithine d’agro-ressource (saumon) comme transporteur de TGF-ß1 pour une application en médecine régénérative. Après leur caractérisation physico-chimique, cette étude préliminaire a montré que ces NLPs ne présentent pas de cytotoxicité pour les CSMs in vitro. Il existe un potentiel important d’utilisation des nEVs de CSMs ainsi des NLPs pour développer de nouvelles stratégies innovantes en thérapie « cell-free » dans le domaine de la médecine régénérative / Nanoscale extracellular vesicles (nEVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and synthetic nanovesicles are at the centre of many research studies for the development of new therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine. A standardized method was used to isolate nEVs from conditioned media of CSMs and to characterize them. We focused on their size with a range of 30 to 150 nm and the presence of some of their membrane markers (CD9, CD63 and CD81). During this work, two isolation methods were tested. The results obtained by the physical (Nanosight®, transmission electron microscopy) and biological (flow cytometry) analyses of the different samples allowed to standardize the method of isolation of the nEVs by successive centrifugation and ultracentrifugation. Then, we studied the use of these nEVs derived from MSCs in cell culture. Interactions between these nEVs and endothelial cells (ECs) have been demonstrated in vitro. These interactions lead to changes in the cellular behaviour of ECs by increasing their potential to form vascular networks. In parallel of this work on nEVs, we studied the use of synthetic nanovesicles, called nanoliposomes (NLPs) prepared from agro-resource derived lecithin (salmon) as TGF-β1 transporters for applications in regenerative medicine. After their physicochemical characterization, this preliminary study showed that these NLPs do not exhibit cytotoxicity for MSCs in vitro. There is an important potential for the use of nEVs derived from MSCs as well as NLPs to develop new cell-free therapy innovative strategies in the field of regenerative medicine

La thérapie cellulaire et les médicaments de thérapie innovante sont des solutions prometteuses pour la régénération des tissus ou organes présentant des défauts fonctionnels ou organiques. Avant le stade de l'insuffisance cardiaque terminale (stade IV NYHA) suite à un infarctus du myocarde, l'implantation d'un patch de fibrine cellularisé avec des progéniteurs myocardiques sur le site de nécrose de l'infarctus, est l'une des perspectives qui permettrait de régénérer un muscle cardiaque fonctionnel et apparait comme étant une alternative nouvelle avec notamment un essai clinique de phase I en cours (ESCORT : NCT02057900). Cependant, cette thérapie innovante présente de réelles contraintes, parmi lesquelles, un protocole nécessitant, i) une utilisation pour la production de cellules progénitrices myocardiques CD15+, de DMSO, de sérum foetal bovin, de trypsine porcine, de fibroblastes murins pouvant être la source d'une contamination chimique ou microbiologique, ii) une caractérisation importante des cellules produites, pour déterminer leur viabilité, leur pureté, leur état de différenciation, iii) d'implanter le patch de fibrine cellularisé dans un délai limité avant l'obtention des résultats de stérilité et d'endotoxines, iv) d'inciser le péricarde et de former une poche, geste chirurgical très invasif, afin d'implanter le patch cellularisé. Avec l'objectif de limiter ces contraintes et de renforcer la sécurisation pharmaceutique de ce médicament de thérapie innovante, les différents axes de ce travail ont porté sur i) l'ajout, juste avant l'implantation, d'une étape de cryoconservation des cellules dans un milieu sans sérum et sans DMSO, mais avec des agents cryoprotectants de qualité pharmaceutique. L'avantage apporté par la cryoconservation étant de rendre possible une production par lot, et la réalisation des contrôles sans contrainte de temps avant l'implantation, ii) la vectorisation des cellules par une encapsulation dans des microsphères formant une suspension injectable et permettant une implantation directement au travers du péricarde et immédiatement après la décongélation, iii) l'utilisation de polymères bioadhésifs afin de maintenir les microsphères au site d'implantation. Dans un premier temps, ce travail a permis d'identifier l'alginate de sodium de faible viscosité à 1,2% comme polymère pour réaliser l'encapsulation à l'aide d'une buse vibrante de 120 µm de diamètre. La nature et la concentration d'agents cryoprotectants ont également été définies. Les agents cryoprotectants ont été sélectionnés parmi les oses (glucose, saccharose, tréhalose), les polyols (glycérol, mannitol, sorbitol) et l'urée, à une concentration permettant d'atteindre une osmolarité totale de 500 mOsm/L pour abaisser le point de congélation de l'eau. Enfin le chitosane de faible viscosité à 0,5% a été utilisé comme polymère bioadhésif de surface pour maintenir les propriétés mécaniques et la forme des microsphères après la congélation. Dans un second temps, une évaluation biologique a permis de mesurer l'impact des étapes du procédé d'encapsulation et de cryoconservation, sur des cellules souches mésenchymateuses humaines utilisées comme modèle. Il a ainsi été possible d'optimiser le protocole ce qui a eu pour effet d'augmenter la viabilité, évaluée après encapsulation et congélation par une analyse en cytométrie de flux avec le 7AAD, de moins de 5% à environ 35%. / Cell therapy and advanced therapy medicinal products are promising solutions for the regeneration of tissues or organs with functional or organic defects. Before the terminal heart failure stage (stage IV NYHA) following a myocardial infarction, the implantation of a cellularized fibrin patch with myocardial progenitors at the location of the infarct necrosis, is one of the perspectives that would allow a functional heart muscle to regenerate and appears to be a new alternative, in particular, with an ongoing Phase I clinical trial (ESCORT : NCT02057900). However, this innovative therapy presents real constraints, among which, a protocol requiring, i) the use for the production of CD15+ myocardial progenitor cells of, DMSO, bovine fetal serum, porcine trypsin, and murine fibroblasts which may be the source of chemical or microbiological contamination, ii) an important characterization of the produced cells, to determine their viability, purity, and state of differentiation, iii) to implant the cellularized fibrin patch within a limited time frame before getting the results of sterility and endotoxins, iv) to incise the pericardium and to form a pouch, a very invasive surgical gesture, in order to implant the cellularized patch inside. With the objective of limiting these constraints and strengthening the pharmaceutical safety of this innovative therapy medication, different axes of this work have focused on i) the addition, just before the implantation, of a step of cryopreservation of the cells in a medium without serum and without DMSO, but with pharmaceutical-grade cryoprotectants. The advantages of cryopreservation is to allow production in batches, and controls to be carried out without time constraints before the implantation, ii) the vectorization of the cells by encapsulation in microspheres forming an injectable suspension and allowing direct implantation through the pericardium immediately after thawing, iii) the use of bioadhesive polymers to maintain the microspheres at the location of the implantation. This study initially enabled to identify a low-viscosity sodium alginate at 1.2% as a polymer being used for the encapsulation with the use of a vibrating nozzle which diameter is of 120 µm. The nature and the concentration of the cryoprotectants have also been defined. The cryoprotectants were selected from oses (glucose, sucrose, trehalose), polyols (glycerol, mannitol, sorbitol) and urea, at a concentration which achieves a total osmolarity of 500 mOsm/L in order to lower the freezing point of water. Finally, low viscosity chitosan at 0.5% was used as a bioadhesive polymer at the surface of the microspheres to maintain their shapes and mechanical properties after freezing. In a second step, a biological evaluation allowed to measure the impact of the encapsulation and the cryopreservation processes, on human mesenchymal stem cells used as a model. It was thus possible to optimize the protocol, which in return increased the viability ; evaluation made after encapsulation and freezing by a flow cytometry analysis with 7AAD ; from less than 5% to about 35%.

The heterogeneous nature of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) worsens the results of patients treated with standard therapy. Understanding the processes of leukemogenesis can contribute to identification of more appropriate treatment. Family of DLX genes (Distal-less homeobox), belonging to the homeobox genes, are associated with haematological malignancies and solid tumors. In the analysis of expression data, the low level of the DLX1 gene was associated with a worse prognosis of patients with AML. In this work we studied phenotypic changes of cell lines with different expression of the DLX1 gene. We silenced the DLX1 gene in AML cell line (sh cells) and compared it to the parental line with higher expression of DLX1 (NSC cells). By cell cycle analysis and apoptosis assays in vitro and in vivo, we have observed the arrest of sh cells in the G0 phase and a lower number of apoptotic cells. Differences were found when measuring the absolute number of cells in time. In in vitro conditions there were less sh cells, in in vivo environment there was significantly higher number of sh cells engrafted in comparison to NSC cells. Further results have shown that sh cells have lower levels of pro-apoptotic proteins and exhibit a higher level of TGF-β targeting PAI-1 gene that activates replicative senescence. We...

O tecido ósseo possui potencial regenerativo e capacidade em restaurar completamente sua estrutura e função original. Há situações em que o organismo não consegue por si só, a reparação desejada dos defeitos ósseos. Vários métodos são propostos para a reparação de defeitos ósseos, entre eles, o uso de diferentes tipos de enxertos os quais demonstram capacidade em promover a formação óssea. Por muitos anos o osso autógeno foi considerado a referência padrão como enxerto ósseo, devido as suas vantagens biológicas e potencial osteogênico. Entretanto, por este material apresentar limitações, estimulou-se a pesquisa para um substituto ósseo ideal para o enxerto ósseo autogênico. O advento de um novo biomaterial xenogênico, como o osso bovino, que se comporta como promotor de reparação e é portador de fatores de indução óssea parece representar o futuro da reconstrução de defeitos ósseos. Mas pelo pequeno potencial de regeneração óssea produzida pelos enxertos alógenos e xenógenos, os pesquisadores tem utilizado a bioengenharia tecidual óssea para reconstrução de defeitos ósseos. Diante destas informações, este estudo teve como objetivo quantificar histomorfometricamente a reparação óssea após o enxerto de uma associação de osso autógeno e/ou osso bovino composto (Gen-Mix) associados a células- tronco mesenquimais em defeitos ósseos produzidos pela extração dental de ratos. 108 ratos foram separados em 6 grupos : Controle (c) - o defeito ósseo foi preenchido só por sangue; Osso autógeno (oa) - o defeito ósseo foi preenchido por sangue e osso autógeno; Gen-Mix (G-mix) o defeito ósseo foi preenchido por osso bovino composto (osso medular e cortical), liofilizado, desproteinizado, desmineralizado com aglutinante de colágeno bovino, na forma de grânulos de 0,25 a 1.0 mm (Gen-Mix, Baumer, Mogi Mirim, SP, Brasil); Célula-tronco (ctr)o defeito ósseo foi preenchido por sangue e células- tronco obtidas da medula óssea;Osso autógeno + células-tronco(oa+ctr)- o defeito foi preenchido pela associação destes dois compostos; Gen-Mix + células-tronco (G-mix+ctr)- o defeito foi preenchido pela associação dos dois produtos. Os animais foram sacrificados nos períodos de 7, 21 e 42 dias pós-cirurgia (n=6 por grupo) e as amostras teciduais foram processadas para a obtenção de secções finas (5 µ) e coradas com HE. Através de um sistema de análise de imagens se estimou a fração de volume do osso trabecular (%) nas vizinhanças do enxerto no interior do alvéolo. Os resultados histológicos mostraram que os materiais enxertados apresentaram uma osteointegração progressiva e sem reação de corpo estranho. A histometria revelou que o grupo enxertado com G-mix sozinho ou associado as célula- tronco produziu menor formação de osso, ao passo que, o osso autógeno sozinho ou associado ás células-tronco foi superior em volume de tecido ósseo em relação aos demais grupos. Conclui-se que o osso autógeno e o Gen-mix isoladamente ou associados ás célula- tronco foram biologicamente compatíveis desenvolvendo osteointegração progressiva e que o osso autógeno foi superior no processo de reparação do defeito ósseo. Estes resultados ainda sugerem que a associação das células-tronco aos enxertos ósseos acelerou a neoformação óssea, principalmente quando associadas ao osso autógeno. / Bone tissue has a regenerative potential as well as a capacity to fully restore its original structure and function. There are situations in which the body cannot repair in a proper way bone defects by itself. Several methods are proposed for repairing bone defects, among them there is the use of different types of grafts that demonstrates the capacity to promote bone formation. For many years, autogenous bone was considered the standard reference as bone grafts, due to its biological advantages and osteogenic potential. However, due to these material limitations, an ideal bone substitute research was encouraged for an autogenous bone graft. The advent of new xenogenic biomaterials, such as bovine bone, that behaves as a repair promoter and also has an induction bone factors, seems to represent the future reconstruction of bone defects. Researchers have used the bioengineered bone tissue for reconstruction of bone defects, due to the short potential produced by xenogeneic and allogenic grafts for bone regeneration. As the previous information show, this study aimed to quantify the histomorphometric bone healing after grafting a combination of autogenous bone and / or bovine bone composite (Gen-Mix) associated with mesenchymal stem cells in bone defects produced by tooth extraction in rats. 108 rats were divided into 6 groups: control (c) - the bone defect was filled only by blood, autogenous bone (oa) - the bone defect was filled with blood and autogenous bone graft; Gen-Mix (G-mix) bone defect were filled by bovine bone composite (marrow and cortical bone), lyophilized, deproteinized, demineralized with bovine collagen binder, in form of 0.25 to 1.0 mm granules (Gen-Mix, Baumer, Mogi Mirim, SP, Brazil); stem cells (ctr), the bone defect was filled with blood and stem cells obtained from bone marrow, autogenous bone + stem cells (oa + ctr) - the defect was filled by the association of these two compounds; Gen-Mix + stem cells ( G-mix + ctr) - the defect was filled by the association of both products. The animals were sacrificed at 7, 21 and 42 days post-surgery (n = 6 per group) and tissue samples were processed to obtain thin sections (5 µ) and stained with HE. The fraction of trabecular bone volume (%) in the vicinity of the graft inside the alveoli was estimated through an image analysis system. Histological findings showed that the grafted material has a progressive osseointegration and no foreign body reaction. The histometric analysis revealed that the group grafted with G-mix alone or associated with stem cells produced less bone formation, while the autogenous bone alone or associated with stem cells was higher in volume of bone tissue in relation to other groups. We conclude that autogenous bone and Gen-mix alone or associated with stem cells are biologically compatible developing progressive osseointegration and the autogenous bone graft was superior in the bone defect repair process. These results also suggested that the association of stem cells to bone grafts accelerated the bone formation, especially when combined with autogenous bone.

Human tissue banks are a potential source of cellular material for the emerging cellbased therapy industry; umbilical cord tissue (UCT) private banking is increasing in such facilities as a source of mesenchymal stem cells for future therapeutic use. However, early handling of UCT is relatively uncontrolled due to the clinical demands of the birth environment and subsequent transport logistics. It is therefore necessary to develop extraction methods that are robust to real world operating conditions,rather than idealised operation. This will be critical for all processes using primary tissue or cell sources. The research work undertaken in this PhD project was initiated by the collaboration with one of the leading private cord blood banks in the UK and later driven by the prospect of expanding the cell therapy and business potential of the bank. The investigation described in this thesis has focused on: - Developing an extraction method for human mesencymal stem cells (hMSCs) from UCT. - Understanding and minimizing the noticed variability in cell yield extracted from UCT by mapping the operating environment and assessing the risk factors before empirically determining their effect on the process. - Establishing the necessary process controls in the production of high quality hMSCs, through a series of wet experiments, targeted at narrowing down the sources of variability down to sub-process level. - Finding a novel method for assessing the cell content and viability of cords prior to processing. Therefore, helping the tissue processing facility to predict the risk of suboptimal cell yield from a given cord tissue section and processing method, given different operating ranges. - Determining the tissue storage requirements and isolation method with acceptable risk of adequate cell recovery. - Characterization of cells extracted from UCT via different extraction methods and comparison to primary cells extracted from other tissue sources. - Investigation of cryopreservation method for UCT. The result of this work provides a solid example of the type of data and analysis that will be required to inform a Quality-by-Design type approach for cell product development and manufacture. It will help tissue processing facilities and banks to predict the probability of cell yields from tissue sections given different operating ranges, and to aid and inform the experimental approach of others.

O osteossarcoma é um tumor ósseo maligno, de maior ocorrência em cães, possui rápido crescimento e alto potencial metastático. Assim, o cão é um modelo útil para o estudo da doença em humanos, tendo em vista as semelhanças clínicas e histopatológicas que ocorrem em ambas às espécies. Atualmente, os estudos a respeito de células-tronco são promissores considerando seu alto potencial terapêutico. Entretanto, ainda prevalecem muitas dúvidas referentes ao tratamento de tumores utilizando a terapia celular. Este tema é pouco conhecido e estudado, por isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a interação entre células-tronco obtidas da polpa dentária canina com as células derivadas osteossarcoma canino. Foram realizados cocultivos celulares das células derivadas de polpa dentária canina, osteossarcoma canino e derivadas de osso normal canino. Analisou-se os aspectos morfológicos das células cocultivadas e controle, assim como a atividade proliferativa, a morte celular, o potencial elétrico mitocondrial e a expressão gênica. A partir dos resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que a interação entre a célula-tronco da polpa dentária canina imatura e as células de osteosarcoma canino não apresentam alterações morfológicas. Entretanto, as células-tronco derivadas da polpa dentária canina e de osso fetal canino sadio parecem servir de suporte para o crescimento tumoral. Além disso, a cocultura celular, em todos os grupos testados, promove alterações na expressão gênica e proteica. / Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor most frequent in dogs. It has fast growth and high metastatic potential. Thus, the dog is an useful model for the study of human disease, due to the clinical and histological similarities found in both species. Currently, studies about stem cells are promising considering its high therapeutic potential. However, many doubts still exist regarding the treatment of tumors using cell therapy. This theme is little known and studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between stem cells obtained from canine immature dental pulpstem cells with osteosarcoma cells derived from dogs. Cellular coculture were performed using cells derived from canine dental pulp, canine osteosarcoma and canine normal bone. The morphological aspects of cocultured cells and control were analyzed, as well as proliferative activity, cell death, the mitochondrial membrane electric potential and gene expression. In summary, it was concluded that the interaction between stem cells from canine immature dental pulp and canine osteosarcoma cells did not show morphological changes. However, stem cells derived from canine dental pulp and healthy canine fetal bone serve to support tumor growth. Furthermore, the cell coculture in all groups tested, causes changes in gene and protein expression.

INTRODUÇÃO O câncer é uma das principais causas de morte no mundo, sendo responsável por cerca de 8 milhões de mortes por ano, segundo dados da OMS. As mortes por câncer são provocadas por tumores que se originam em órgãos como pulmão, fígado, estômago, intestino, mama e esôfago. As células-tronco mesenquimais (CTM) foram identificadas em vários órgãos e estudos da sua interação com células tumorais têm apresentado resultados indicando ação inibitória sobre alguns tipos de tumores. Para explorar essa questão foram analisados os efeitos sobre células tumorais de carcinoma hepatocelular humano (HepG-2) do meio condicionado (MC) obtido do cultivo de CTM isoladas de tecido adiposo (TA), líquido amniótico (LA) e geleia de Wharton (GW). MÉTODOS Os MCs foram coletados após 24 horas de incubação das CTM sub-confluentes com ?-MEM contendo 20% de soro fetal bovino (SFB). Os MCs foram centrifugados e passados através de filtros de 0,22 ?M e armazenadas a -20 °C. O MC da própria célula HepG-2 foi utilizado como controle. Os efeitos dos MCs sobre a proliferação de células HepG-2 foram testados por ensaio MTT, em várias concentrações após 24 h de incubação. O ciclo celular de células HepG-2 tratadas com MC a 25%, 50% ou 75% foi analisado por citometria de fluxo (coloração IP) utilizando o software Modfit LT. A expressão dos genes bcl-2, bcl-6, CCND1 foi analisada por RT-PCR. A proliferação celular foi avaliada pela expressão das proteínas survivina, Bcl-2, PCNA e Ki-67 e pela quantificação de mitocôndrias com corante MitoTracker, assim como pelo potencial de membrana mitocondrial por corante JC-1 Mitoscreen utilizando equipamento de high content analysis. RESULTADOS Os meios condicionados de células-tronco de tecido adiposo (MC-TA) não alteraram a proliferação de células tumorais HepG-2 e os meios condicionados de células-tronco de líquido amniótico (MC-LA) e de geleia de Wharton (MC-GW) provocam aumento da proliferação, confirmada pela contagem de células com núcleos corados com Hoescht 33342. A análise de alterações do ciclo celular demonstrou que a exposição de células HepG-2 aos meios MC-LA diminuem as células na fase G0/G1 e aumentam na fase G2/M do ciclo celular. A expressão dos genes CCND1, Bcl2 e Bcl6 que estão relacionados à proliferação e morte celular não apresentaram alteração. A quantificação das proteínas PCNA e survivina não apresentou alteração sob efeito dos MC, porém a comparação direta entre células tratadas com MC-LA e MC-TA indicou a tendência das células tratadas com MC-LA proliferarem. O percentual de células HepG-2 expressando a proteína Ki-67 foi significativamente menor em relação ao controle quando tratadas com MC-TA, não apresentando diferenças quando tratadas com MC-LA e MC-GW. A contagem de mitocôndrias evidenciou aumento de mitocôndrias nas células HepG-2 tratadas com MC-LA e efeito não significativo dos tratamentos com MC-TA e MC-GW. A diferença do potencial de membrana mitocondrial por JC-1 apresentou aumento da polarização nas células HepG-2 cultivadas com MC-TA. CONCLUSÃO Os resultados confirmam que as células-tronco mesenquimais diferem de acordo com a sua origem tecidual em sua ação na proliferação das células HepG-2. Mais estudos são necessários para estabelecer a causa destas ações, que não parecem ser devido a mediadores mais comuns na proliferação e morte celular / INTRODUCTION Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for about 8 million deaths per year, according to WHO data. Cancer deaths are caused by tumors that originate in organs such as lung, liver, stomach, bowel, breast and esophagus. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified in many organs and studies of their interaction with tumor cells have shown results indicating an inhibitory effect on some types of tumors. To explore this question the effects of the conditioned medium (CM) obtained from mesenchymal stem cell isolated from adipose tissue (AT), amniotic fluid (AF) and Wharton jelly (WJ) on tumor cells of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) were analyzed. METHODS The MSC CM was collected after 24 hours incubation of sub confluent MSC with ?-MEM containing 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The MSC CM were centrifuged and passed through 0.22 ?M filter and stored at -20° C. The CM of HepG-2 cell itself was used as control. The effects of contrast media on proliferation of HepG-2 cells were tested by MTT assay at various concentrations after 24 h of incubation. The cell cycle HepG-2 cells treated with CM at 25%, 50% or 75% was analyzed by flow cytometry (PI staining) using Modfit software LT. The expression of the genes Bcl-2, Bcl-6, CCND1 was analyzed by RT-PCR. Cell proliferation was assessed by the expression of survivin, Bcl-2, Ki-67 and PCNA proteins, and the quantization of mitochondrial by MitoTracker dye, as well as the mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 Mitoscreen dye using high content analysis equipment. RESULTS The conditioned media of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from adipose tissue (AT-CM) did not alter the proliferation of tumor HepG-2 cells and conditioned media of MSC cells from amniotic fluid (AF-CM) and Wharton jelly (WJ-CM) caused increased proliferation, confirmed by counting cells with nuclei stained with Hoechst 33342. The cell cycle analysis showed that exposure of HepG-2 cells to AF-CM means decrease the cells in G0 / G1 cell cycle phase and increase in phase G2 / M. The expression of Bcl2, Bcl6 and CCND1 genes that are related to proliferation and cell death did not change. The quantization of PCNA and survivin protein did not change under the effect of conditioned media, but a direct comparison between cells treated with AF-CM and AT-CM indicated the tendency of cells treated with AF-CM proliferate. The percentage of HepG-2 cells expressing the protein Ki-67 was significantly lower than the control when treated with AT-CM and no differences when treated with AF-CM and WJ-CM. The counting of mitochondria showed increased mitochondria in HepG-2 cells treated with AF-CM and no significant effect of treatment with WJ-CM and AT-CM. The difference in mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 showed an increase in polarization in HepG-2 cells cultured with AT-CM. CONCLUSION The results confirm that mesenchymal stem cells differ according to their tissue origin in its action on the proliferation of HepG-2 cells. More studies are needed to establish the cause of these actions, which seem to be not related to the most common mediators in cell proliferation and death