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The heart is an organ with a limited capacity for regeneration and repair. In this paper, a new mathematical model is presented to study the left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) and followed stem cell therapeutic effort. The model represents the post-MI regeneration process of cardiomyocytes under stem cell therapy with oxygen restoration. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE) is studied numerically in order to demonstrate the functionality and performance of the new model. The optimal time of stem cell injection for various oxygen restorations is determined. Moreover, the regeneration of cardiomyocytes is successfully correlated with improved left ventricle function observed in experiments. The proposed nonlinear ODE model is able to capture the complicated biological interactions in post-MI remodeling and can serve as a platform for in silico simulation and perturbation to optimize MI stem cell therapy.

The first case was a 4-year old, 10kgs intact male Shiba Inu presenting fracture of the distal third of its right ulna and radius. The patient was first managed at a Local Veterinary Hospital (LVH) twice with bone plates but non-union was observed, along with bone infection and bone defect on a large area. The fracture site was re-stabilized and given stem cell therapy at Famous Veterinary Hospital (FVH). The area of bone defect reduced significantly with prominent callus formation. The second case was a 9-year old, 3.3kgs intact female Toy Poodle with fracture of the distal right radius and ulna. The fracture was first stabilized with bone plates at LVH but non-union was observed. Resorption of bone was visible radiographically around the proximal screw, which led to fracture and implant loosening at that location. Pan-arthrodesis followed after stem cells administration was performed at FVH. Radiography showed sufficient growth of the radius and union of the ulna occurred at 145 days after therapy. The third case was a 3.5-year old, 10kgs intact male Mongrel attended at LVH for a humerus fracture. Fracture reduction with bone plates was attempted twice at LVH but both loosened eventually. At FVH, an external skeletal fixator was used to stabilize the fracture, followed by stem cell therapy. There was radiographic evidence that the humerus healed well by the 35th day after therapy and was completely united by Day 113 of post-surgery and therapy.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by amenorrhea, infertility, lack of estrogen, and elevated gonadotropin levels before the age of 40. Most POF females have fertility problems due to defects of germ cell development or complete ovarian failure. Though hormonal therapy could partially restore ovarian function, effects of these treatments are transient, much less for regeneration and repair of the ovaries. With the rise of regenerative medicine, stem cells transplantation gives new hope for repairing POF related ovaries damage. Studies from animal models indicate that stem cell transplantation can, at least in part, repair ovarian structure, improve ovarian function and fertility in POF, i.e., the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) can differentiate to ovaries and facilitate fertility recovery. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, which limits their clinical applications. Here, we discuss the recent progress on the clinical applications of stem cells for POF treatment, which would become promising therapies for POF patients.

Cardiovascular disease remains the single highest global cause of death and a significant financial burden on the healthcare system. Despite the advances in medical treatments, the prevalence and mortality for heart failure remain unacceptably high. New approaches are urgently needed to reduce this burden and improve patient outcomes and quality of life. One such promising approach is stem cell therapy, including embryonic stem cells, bone marrow derived stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. However, the cardiac microenvironment following myocardial infarction poses huge challenges with inflammation, adequate retention, engraftment and functional incorporation all crucial concerns. The lack of cardiac regeneration, cell viability and functional improvement has hindered the success of stem cell therapy in clinical settings. The use of biomaterial scaffolds in conjunction with stem cells has recently been shown to enhance the outcome of stem cell therapy for heart failure and myocardial infarction. This review outlines some of the current challenges in the treatment of heart failure and acute myocardial infarction through improving stem cell therapeutic strategies, as well as the prospect of suitable biomaterial scaffolds to enhance their efficacy and improve patient clinical outcomes.

Thin endometrium (TE) is a heterogeneous uterine disorder characterized by TE that results in infecundity. Patients with TE are usually associated with menstrual abnormalities and suffer from pelvic pain. A number of treatments have been employed to promote endometrial growth, but none has been validated effective. With the development of stem cell therapy, better means for TE treatment to improve endometrium, thus restoring its function become possible. Studies in TE mouse models have shown that stem cell implantation could improve pregnancy. However, the efficiency is relatively low and the safety for its clinical applications remains unclear. Here, we summarize recent progresses on the clinical application of stem cells for TE treatment, which would provide valuable references for stem cell therapy in TE patients.