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Improved cold storage of human hepatocytes
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As a first result of our latest projects concerning the role of miRNA in liver regeneration the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology has accepted our paper "Temporal expression profiles indicate a primary function for microRNA during the peak of DNA replication after rat partial hepatectomy": The liver has the unique capacity to regenerate after surgical resection. However, the regulation of liver regeneration is not completely understood. Recent reports indicate an essential role for small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of hepatic development, carcinogenesis, and early regeneration. We hypothesized that miRNAs are critically involved in all phases of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. We performed miRNA microarray analyses after 70% partial hepatectomy in rats under isoflurane anesthesia at different time points (0 hours - 5 days) and after sham laparotomy. Putative targets of differentially expressed miRNAs were determined using a bioinformatic approach. 2D-PAGE proteomic analyses and protein identification were performed on specimens at 0 and 24 hours after resection. The temporal dynamics of liver regeneration were characterized by BrdU, PCNA, IL-6, and HGF. We demonstrate that miRNA expression patterns changed during liver regeneration and that these changes were most evident during the peak of DNA replication at 24 hours after resection. Expression of thirteen miRNAs was significantly reduced 12-48 hours after resection (> 25% change), ouf of which downreguation was confirmed in isolated hepatocytes for 6 miRNAs at 24 hours, whereas three miRNAs were significantly upregulated. Proteomic analysis revealed 65 upregulated proteins; among them 23 represent putative targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs. We provide a temporal miRNA expression and proteomic dataset of the regenerating rat liver, which indicates a primary function for miRNA during the peak of DNA replication. These data will assist further functional studies on the role of miRNAs during liver regeneration. Authors are N. Raschzok, W. Werner, H. Sallmon, N. Billecke, C. Dame, P. Neuhaus and I.M. Sauer.
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Our manuscript "Depletion of donor dendritic cells ameliorates immunogenicity of both skin and hind limb transplants" has been accepted for publication in Frontiers in Immunology, section Alloimmunity and Transplantation. Authors are Muhammad Imtiaz Ashraf, Joerg Mengwasser, Anja Reutzel-Selke, Dietrich Polenz, Kirsten Führer, Steffen Lippert, Peter Tang, Edward Michaelis, Rusan Catar, Johann Pratschke, Christian Witzel, Igor M. Sauer, Stefan G. Tullius, and Barbara Kern.

Acute cellular rejection remains a significant obstacle affecting successful outcomes of organ transplantation including vascularized composite tissue allografts (VCA). Donor antigen presenting cells (APC), particularly dendritic cells (DC), orchestrate early alloimmune responses by activating recipient effector T cells. Employing a targeted approach, we investigated the impact of donor-derived conventional DC (cDC) and APC on the immunogenicity of skin and skin-containing VCA grafts, using mouse models of skin and hind limb transplantation.
By post-transplantation day 6, skin grafts demonstrated severe rejections, characterized by predominance of recipient CD4 T cells. In contrast, hind limb grafts showed moderate rejection, primarily infiltrated by CD8 T cells. While donor depletion of cDC and APC reduced frequencies, maturation, and activation of DC in all analysed tissues of skin transplant recipients, reduction in DC activities was only observed in the spleen of hind limb recipients. Donor cDC and APC depletion did not impact all lymphocyte compartments but significantly affected CD8 T cells and activated CD4 T in lymph nodes of skin recipients. Moreover, both donor APC and cDC depletion attenuated the Th17 immune response, evident by significantly reduced Th17 (CD4+IL-17+) cells in the spleen of skin recipients and reduced levels of IL-17E and lymphotoxin-α in the serum samples of both skin and hind limb recipients. In conclusion, our findings underscore the highly immunogenic nature of skin component in VCA. The depletion of donor APC and cDC mitigates the immunogenicity of skin grafts while exerting minimal impact on VCA.

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