Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative condition of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) characterised by chronic inflammation and damage to joint structures. Because of the complexity of TMJ-OA, only symptomatic treatments are currently available. Recent reports have shown that many of stem cells can exert anti-inflammatory and tissue-regenerating effects. In this study, we investigated the potential cartilage-regenerating and anti-inflammatory effects of human umbilical cord matrix-mesenchymal stem cells (hUCM-MSCs) for the treatment of TMJ-OA. hUCM-MSC lines, isolated from different donors, which showed different activities in vitro. Using a selected cell line, we used different concentrations of hUCM-MSCs to assess therapeutic effects in a rabbit model of monosodium iodoacetate-induced TMJ-OA. Compared with the untreated control group, the potential regenerative result and anti-inflammatory effects of hUCM-MSCs were evident at all the tested concentrations in rabbits with induced TMJ-OA. The median dose of hUCM-MSCs showed the prominent cartilage protective effect and further cartilage regeneration potential. This effect occurred via upregulated expression of growth factors, extracellular matrix markers, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory effect of hUCM-MSCs was comparable to that of dexamethasone (DEX). However, only hUCM-MSCs showed potential chondrogenesis effects in this study. In conclusion, our results indicate that hUCM-MSCs may be an effective treatment option for the treatment of TMJ-OA.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for up to 90% of all primary hepatic malignancies and is the fifth most common malignancy and fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. 1,2 Treatment choices for patients with HCC are affected by the tumor stage, degree of liver dysfunction, and patient comorbidities.Liver transplantation (LT), liver resection (LR), and radiofrequency ablation are common curative treatment options, although LT is considered the best treatment strategy, as it removes the tumor and cures the underlying liver disease. 3,4 However, because of the shortage of available donor grafts leading to dropout or waiting-time mortality, LR is considered a reasonable first-line locoregional treatment modality in selected transplantation-eligible patients. Unfortunately,