Combat or burn injuries are associated with a series of risks, such as microbial infection, an elevated level of inflammatory response, and pathologic scar tissue formation, which significantly postpone wound healing and also lead to impaired repair. Skin engineering for wound healing requires a biomimetic dressing substrate with ideal hydrophilicity, holding antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In addition, available bioactive specification is required to reduce scar formation, stimulate angiogenesis, and improve wound repair. In this study, we successfully fabricated chitosan (Ch)–based hydrogel enriched with isolated exosome (EXO) from easy‐accessible stem cells, which could promote fibroblast cell migration and proliferation in vitro. Full‐thickness excisional wound model was used to investigate the in vivo dermal substitution ability of the fabricated hydrogel composed Ch and EXO substrates. Our finding confirmed that the wounds covered with Ch scaffold containing isolated EXO have nearly 83.6% wound closure ability with a high degree of re‐epithelialization, whereas sterile gauze showed 51.5% of reduction in wound size. In summary, obtained results imply that Ch‐glycerol‐EXO hydrogel construct can be utilized at the full‐thickness skin wound substitution and skin tissue engineering.

Background: Endometrium is recently introduced as an available source of mesenchymal stem cells (EnMSCs), which can be obtained without anesthesia and side effects. Regarding the issues and complexities of cell-based therapies, exosomes gain tremendous attention as a novel tool for cell-free therapies. Although several clinical trials are recently established based on therapeutic potential of EnMSCs, biological roles of EnMSC-derived exosomes are still unclear. Methods: The current study was conducted to investigate the potential effects of EnMSC-derived exosomes on proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). For this purpose, EnMSCs and then EnMSC-derived exosomes were isolated and characterized. MTT assay and wound healing assay as well as tube formation assay were applied. Results: The collected data showed that EnMSC-derived exosomes significantly increased proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs. It was observed that the effects of exosomes were applied in a dose dependent manner. In addition, expression analysis by quantitative real-time PCR showed that increased expression of proliferation and angiogenesis genes in HUVECs were treated with EnMSC-derived exosomes in a dose dependent manner. Conclusions: The current study results showed that EnMSC-derived exosomes can exert biological effects such as their source cells and become new candidates for cell-free therapies. Taken together, increased angiogenesis makes EnMSC-derived exosomes a promising tool in regenerative medicine, especially wound healing and treatment of vascular disease.

Background A variety of mutations in the largest human gene, dystrophin, cause a spectrum from mild to severe dystrophin-associated muscular dystrophies. Duchenne (DMD) and Becker (BMD) muscular dystrophies are located at the severe end of the spectrum that primarily affects skeletal muscle. Progressive muscle weakness in these purely genetic disorders encourages families with a positive history for genetic counseling to prevent a recurrence, which requires an accurate prevalence of the disorder. Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of DMD and BMD worldwide. Method The current systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out using Cochrane seven-step procedure. After determining the research question and inclusion and exclusion criteria, the MagIran, SID, ScienceDirect, WoS, ProQuest, Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched to find relevant studies using defined keywords and all possible keyword combinations using the AND and OR, with no time limit until 2021. The heterogeneity of studies was calculated using the I2 test, and the publication bias was investigated using the Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test. Statistical analysis of data was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 2). Results A total of 25 articles involving 901,598,055 people were included. The global prevalence of muscular dystrophy was estimated at 3.6 per 100,000 people (95 CI 2.8–4.5 per 100,000 people), the largest prevalence in the Americans at 5.1 per 100,000 people (95 CI 3.4–7.8 per 100,000 people). According to the subgroup analysis, the prevalence of DMD and BMD was estimated at 4.8 per 100,000 people (95 CI 3.6–6.3 per 100,000 people) and 1.6 per 100,000 people (95 CI 1.1–2.4 per 100,000 people), respectively. Conclusion Knowing the precise prevalence of a genetic disorder helps to more accurately predict the likelihood of preventing its occurrence in families. The global prevalence of DMD and BMD was very high, indicating the urgent need for more attention to prenatal screening and genetic counseling for families with a positive history.

No abstract

Background Obesity is a complex disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide. There are different weight-management options for obesity treatment, including dietary control, exercise, surgery, and medication. Medications are always associated with different responses from different people. More safety and efficacy of drugs with fewer side effects are valuable for any clinical condition. In this systematic review and network meta-analysis, different anti-obesity drugs are compared to identify the most effective drug. Methods All relevant studies were extracted by searching national and international databases of SID, MagIran, ProQuest, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Google Scholar without time limit until October 2020. Finally, the meta-analysis was performed with the 11 remaining studies containing 14 different drug supplements. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate the effects of each treatment group compared with placebo. A random-effect model was used to evaluate the effect of individual studies on the final result. Heterogeneity and incompatibility of the network were assessed by Cochran’s Q and Higgins I2, and the Net Heat chart, respectively. Data analysis was performed using R software. Results Our results showed that there were significant mean effects in people intervened with Phentermine 15.0 mg + Topiramate 92.0 mg, Phentermine 7.5 mg + Topiramate 46.0 mg, Pramlintide, Naltrexone + Bupropion 32, and Liraglutide, with SMD effects size = − 9.1, − 7.4, − 6.5, − 5.9, − 5.35, respectively. Conclusion This study was performed to compare the effect of different drugs used for weight loss in obese patients. The most effective drugs for weight loss were phentermine and topiramate, pramlintide, naltrexone, bupropion, and liraglutide compared to placebo treatment, respectively. This study provides new insights into anti-obesity drugs and hopes to shed new light on future research to manage and treat obesity.