Various stem cells gradually turned to be critical players in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapies. Current evidence has demonstrated that in addition to growth factors and the extracellular matrix, multiple metabolic pathways definitively provide important signals for stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. In this review, we mainly focus on a detailed overview of stem cell metabolism in vitro. In stem cell metabolic biology, the dynamic balance of each type of stem cell can vary according to the properties of each cell type, and they share some common points. Clearly defining the metabolic flux alterations in stem cells may help to shed light on stemness features and differentiation pathways that control the fate of stem cells.

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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent an attractive cell type for research and therapy due to their ability to proliferate, differentiate, modulate immune reactions, and secrete trophic factors. MSCs exist in a multitude of tissues, including bone marrow, umbilical cord, and adipose tissues. Moreover, MSCs have recently been isolated from the liver. Compared with other MSC types, liver-derived human MSCs (LHMSCs) possess general morphologies, immune functions, and differentiation capacities. Interestingly, LHMCSs produce higher levels of pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic cytokines than those of bone marrow-derived MSCs. Thus, these cells may be a promising therapeutic source for liver diseases. This paper summarizes the biological characteristics of LHMSCs and their potential benefits and risks for the treatment of liver diseases.

Aim: To evaluate the levels of metabolites and cytokines in the serum of patients with severe and non-severe idiosyncratic druginduced liver injury (DILI) and to identify biomarkers of DILI severity. Methods: Gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (UPLC− MS) based metabolomic approaches were used to evaluate the metabolome of serum samples from 29 DILI patients of severity grade 3 (non-severe), 27 of severity grade 4 (severe), and 36 healthy control (HC). The levels of total keratin-18 (K18), fragment K18, and 27 cytokines were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The alkaline phosphatase activity (p = 0.021) and international normalized ratio (INR) (p < 0.001) differed significantly between the severe and non-severe groups. The severe group had a higher serum fragment K18 level than the non-severe group. A multivariate analysis showed good separation between all pairs of the HC, non-severe, and severe groups. According to the orthogonal partial least-squares−discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model, 14 metabolites were selected by GC−MS and 17 by UPLC−MS. Among these metabolites, the levels of 16 were increased and of 15 were decreased in the severe group. A pathway analysis revealed major changes in the primary bile acid biosynthesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolic pathways. The levels of PDGF-bb, IP-10, IL-1Rα, MIP-1β, and TNF-α differed significantly between the severe and non-severe groups, and the levels of most of the metabolites were negatively correlated with those of these cytokines. An OPLS-DA model that included the detected metabolites and cytokines revealed clear separation of the severe and non-severe groups. Conclusion: We identified 31 metabolites and 5 cytokines related to the severity of idiosyncratic DILI. The primary bile acid biosynthesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism pathways were also related to the severity of DILI. A model that incorporated the metabolites and cytokines showed clear separation between patients with severe and non-severe DILI, suggesting that these biomarkers have potential as indicators of DILI severity.

This study examines how skin-to-skin contact between father and newborn affects the attachment relationship. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a regional teaching hospital and a maternity clinic in northern Taiwan. The study recruited 83 first-time fathers aged 20 years or older. By block randomization, participants were allocated to an experimental (n = 41) or a control (n = 42) group. With the exception of skin-to-skin contact (SSC), participants from each group received the same standard care. Both groups also received an Early Childcare for Fathers nursing pamphlet. During the first three days postpartum, the intervention group members were provided a daily SSC intervention with their respective infants. Each intervention session lasted at least 15 minutes in length. The outcome measure was the Father-Child Attachment Scale (FCAS). After adjusting for demographic data, the changes to the mean FCAS were found to be significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. We recommend that nurses and midwives use instructional leaflets and demonstrations during postpartum hospitalization, encouraging new fathers to take an active role in caring for their newborn in order to enhance father-neonate interactions and establish parental confidence. This trial is registered with clinical trial registration number NCT02886767.