No abstract

On September 6 and 7, 2009 a meeting was held in London to identify and discuss what are perceived to be current roadblocks to effective hepatocyte transplantation as it is currently practiced in the clinics and, where possible, to offer suggestions to overcome the blocks and improve the outcomes for this cellular therapy. Present were representatives of most of the active clinical hepatocyte transplant programs along with other scientists who have contributed substantial basic research to this field. Over the 2-day sessions based on the experience of the participants, numerous roadblocks or challenges were identified, including the source of cells for the transplants and problems with tracking cells following transplantation. Much of the discussion was focused on methods to improve engraftment and proliferation of donor cells posttransplantation. The group concluded that, for now, parenchymal hepatocytes isolated from donor livers remain the best cell source for transplantation. It was reported that investigations with other cell sources, including stem cells, were at the preclinical and early clinical stages. Numerous methods to modulate the immune reaction and vascular changes that accompany hepatocyte transplantation were proposed. It was agreed that, to obtain sufficient levels of repopulation of liver with donor cells in patients with metabolic liver disease, some form of liver preconditioning would likely be required to enhance the engraftment and/or proliferation of donor cells. It was reported that clinical protocols for preconditioning by hepatic irradiation, portal vein embolization, and surgical resection had been developed and that clinical studies using these protocols would be initiated in the near future. Participants concluded that sharing information between the groups, including standard information concerning the quality and function of the transplanted cells prior to transplantation, clinical information on outcomes, and standard preconditioning protocols, would help move the field forward and was encouraged.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as cellular switches for signaling cascade involved in cell growth, cell death, mitogenesis, angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. ROS are produced as a byproduct of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the mitochondria. It is estimated that 2-4% of the oxygen consumed during OXPHOS is converted to ROS. Besides mitochondria, NADPH-oxidase 1 (Nox1) also generates a significant amount of ROS in the cell. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondria control Nox 1 redox signaling and the loss of control of this signaling contribute to tumorigenesis. We analyzed Nox1 expression in a mitochondrial gene knockout (ρ 0 ) cell line and in the isogenic cybrid cell line in which mitochondrial genes were restored by transfer of wild type mitochondria into ρ 0 cells. Our study revealed, for the first time, that the inactivation of mitochondrial genes leads to down-regulation of Nox1 and that the transfer of wild type mitochondrial genes restored the Nox1 expression to a level comparable to that in the parental cell line. Consistent with Nox1 down-regulation, we found that ρ 0 cells contained low levels of superoxide anion and that superoxide levels reversed to parental levels in cybrid cells when Nox1 expression was restored by transfer of wild type mitochondria. Increasing mitochondrial superoxide levels also increased the expression of Nox1 in parental cells. Confocal microscopy studies revealed that Nox1 localizes in the mitochondria. Nox1 was highly expressed in breast (86%) and ovarian (71%) tumors and that its expression positively correlated with expression of cytochrome C oxidase encoded by mtDNA. Our study, described in this paper demonstrates the existence of cross talk between the mitochondria and NADPH oxidase. Furthermore, our studies suggest that mitochondria control Nox1 redox signaling and the loss of control of this signaling contributes to breast and ovarian tumorigenesis.

Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir was highly effective at treating adolescents with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection; the dose of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir currently used in adults was well tolerated in adolescents and had an appropriate pharmacokinetic profile. (Hepatology 2017;66:371-378).