The obtained results suggest that electrospinning technology and femtosecond laser micro-structuring could be employed for the development of multi-layer scaffolds. Different biopolymers, such as PLA, fibrin, and collagen, could be used as appropriate environments for cell inhabitation and as an inner layer of the multi-layer scaffold. PI could be suitable as a barrier blocking cell migration from the scaffold. However, additional studies are needed to determine optimal parameters of inner and outer scaffold layers.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic potential of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and to assess the influence of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) on bone regeneration using ADSCs. Materials & methods: Bone defects were randomly allocated to the five treatment modalities: spontaneous healing, natural bovine bone mineral (BBM), BBM loaded with PRGF, BBM loaded with ADSCs and BBM loaded with a combination of ADSCs and PRGF. Results: The PRGF significantly enhanced the biomaterial-to-bone contact. Defects treated with ADSCs and PRGF or a combination of both showed the greatest bone regeneration. Conclusion: Combining PRGF and ADSCs boosts the bone graft regenerative potential at the earliest period of healing.

Fetal and bone marrow stem cells are supposed to be the key players in stem-cell-based therapies. Our aim was to evaluate the potency of two different types of stem cells and their spontaneous behavior in vivo after implantation into the epimyocard of healthy rabbit heart ventricles. For this purpose, rabbit allogenic fetal and autologous bone marrow stem cells were seeded on collagen scaffolds and subsequently implanted into the epimyocard of heart ventricles. Two months later these scaffolds were removed and a histological analysis was performed. The results have shown that different types of stem cells have generated two different types of structures in the sites of implantation. Autologous bone marrow cells in the collagen scaffold showed a chondrogenic differentiation pathway. Fetal cells were destroyed by the host immune system, although formation of allogenic structures in the epimyocard was observed, implying that cells of different sources in collagen scaffolds, after implantation in vivo, undergo differentiation.

Background. Antitumor immunotherapy strategies, such as cytokine- based or cell-based immunotherapies, are designed to activate immune response against cancer cells, but considering that malignancy may be associated with the expansion of immunosuppressive components of antitumor immunity, it is likely that in such cases activation of the immune system would further enhance activity of these components, leading to more severe suppression of antitumor immune response thus making more favourable conditions for tumor progression. Materials and methods. We studied the expression of biomarkers, representing immunosuppressive (FOXP3) and cytotoxic (perforin, IFN-γ) CD8highCD57+ T-cell subpopulation functions in the peripheral blood of 34 patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and 26 controls by multicolour flow cytometry. Results. CD8highCD57+ T cell subpopulation of all CD8+ T cells in RCC patients was significantly higher compared to age-matched healthy controls (p = 0.003). It was found that the mean percentage of suppressive CD8highCD57+FOXP3+ T-cell subset and cytotoxic CD8highCD57+Perforin+ T-cell subset in the CD8highCD57+ T-cell subpopulation was significantly increased in RCC patients compared to controls (p = 0.0004 and p = 0.008, respectively). There was no strong and biologically relevant negative correlation between the expression of FOXP3 and Perforin in the peripheral blood CD8highCD57+ T-cell subpopulation of RCC patients. Conclusions. Subsets of immunosuppressive FOXP3+ T cell and tumor-attacking (cytotoxic) Perforin+ T cells in the CD8highCD57+ T-cell subpopulation are significantly increased in RCC patients compared to controls. These quantitative rearrangements are independent and individual for each RCC patient.