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- Abreu, Soraia Carvalho, et al.
(författare)
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Lung Inflammatory Environments Differentially Alter Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Behavior
- 2019
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 1522-1504 .- 1040-0605. ; 317:6, s. 823-831
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mesenchymal stromal (stem) cells (MSCs) are increasingly demonstrated to ameliorate experimentally-induced lung injuries through disease-specific anti-inflammatory actions, thus suggesting that different in vivo inflammatory environments can influence MSC actions. To determine the effects of different representative inflammatory lung conditions, human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hMSCs) were exposed to in vitro culture conditions from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples obtained from patients with either the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or with other lung diseases including acute respiratory exacerbations of cystic fibrosis (CF) (non-ARDS). hMSCs were subsequently assessed for time- and BALF concentration-dependent effects on mRNA expression of selected pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, and for overall patterns of gene and mRNA expression. Both common and disease specific-patterns were observed in gene expression of different hMSC mediators, notably interleukin (IL)-6. Conditioned media obtained from non-ARDS BALF-exposed hMSCs was more effective in promoting an anti-inflammatory phenotype in monocytes than was conditioned media from ARDS BALF-exposed hMSCs. Neutralizing IL-6 in the conditioned media promoted generation of anti-inflammatory monocyte phenotype. These results demonstrated that different lung inflammatory environments differentially alter hMSC behavior. Further identification of these interactions and the driving mechanisms may influence clinical use of MSCs for treating lung diseases.
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| 2. |
- Calvente, Alice, et al.
(författare)
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Spiny but photogenic : amateur sightings complement herbarium specimens to reveal the bioregions of cacti
- 2023
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Ingår i: American Journal of Botany. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0002-9122 .- 1537-2197. ; 110:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Premise: Cacti are characteristic elements of the Neotropical flora and of major interest for biogeographic, evolutionary, and ecological studies. We tested global biogeographic boundaries for Neotropical Cactaceae using specimen-based occurrences, coupled with data from visual observations, as a means to tackle the known collection biases in the family.Methods: Species richness and record density were assessed for preserved specimens and human observations, and a bioregional scheme tailored to Cactaceae was produced using the interactive web application Infomap Bioregions, based on data from 261,272 point records cleaned through automated and manual steps.Results: We found that areas in Mexico and southwestern USA, in eastern Brazil, and along the Andean region have the greatest density of records and the highest species richness. Human observations complement information from preserved specimens substantially, especially along the Andes. We propose 24 cactus bioregions, among which the most species-rich are northern Mexico/southwestern USA, central Mexico, southern central Mexico, Central America, Mexican Pacific coast, central and southern Andes, northwestern Mexico/extreme southwestern USA, southwestern Bolivia, northeastern Brazil, and Mexico/Baja California.Conclusions: The bioregionalization proposed shows biogeographic boundaries specific to cacti and can thereby aid further evolutionary, biogeographic, and ecological studies by providing a validated framework for further analyses. This classification builds upon, and is distinctive from, other expert-derived regionalization schemes for other taxa. Our results showcase how observation data, including citizen-science records, can complement traditional specimen-based data for biogeographic research, particularly for taxa with specific specimen collection and preservation challenges and those that are threatened or internationally protected.
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