Multilineage differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells are a subgroup of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that express stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3) and CD105. It is capable of generating cells representing all three germ layers from a single cell and is non-tumorigenic. Muse cells can efficiently migrate and integrate into damaged tissues that produce sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), while Muse cells specifically express S1P receptor 2. The factors secreted by Muse cells play anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrosis, and anti-apoptotic effects, and cooperate to complete the function and structure repair of the damaged group. This review summarizes the basic characteristics of Muse cells and describes their application in skin repair.
Familial progressive hyper- and hypopigmentation (FPHH) is characterized by diffuse hyperpigmentation with variable intensity. Cafe'-au-lait macules and larger hypopigmented ash-leaf macules are also present. Herein, we reported a variant case of FPHH. The patient was a two-year-old Chinese girl showing diffuse hyper- and hypopigmented lesions, longitudinal melanonychia in both thumbs, and infantile seizures, without any lentigines.
Dear editor, A 23-year-old female presented with a congenital dark-brown nevus on her upper left thigh, which has gradually enlarged over time and featured elongated hair at its center. Notably, a white halo appeared 3 years ago, which measured approximately 0.5 cm in width and was located about 1.0 cm away from the nevus (Figure 1A). Laser therapy was performed to the central nevus at a local hospital. One year later, a dark-red scar developed at the site of the laser treatment. The skin around the scar gradually became depigmented and presented with a halo, resulting in the distinctive appearance of a “double halo nevus”. Simultaneously, scattered depigmented patches were observed in other body regions, prompting the patient to present to our clinic. The patient denied any other significant medical history and family history. Physical examination revealed a four-ring elliptical skin lesion on the upper left thigh near the groin area, measuring approximately 3.0 cm × 2.0 cm (Figure 1B). This lesion exhibited a unique appearance, characterized by a central dark-red scar surrounded by inner and outer depigmented halos, with normal color skin between them. Interestingly, the three layers appeared to be roughly parallel in arrangement. Furthermore, we observed two irregularly shaped white patches around the anal mucosa. These two patches displayed a distinctive porcelain-white fluorescence under a Wood's lamp (Figure 1D,E). Similar vitiligo lesions were noted on her back. The central scar was excised and subjected to a biopsy. Histopathological analysis revealed a subtle increase in epidermal thickness, a reduction in melanocytes within the basal layer, increased fibroblast proliferation in the mid dermis, and localized collagen sclerosis (Figure 2A,B). These findings were in accordance with the characteristics of scar tissue. SOX-10 immunostaining revealed scattered melanocytes, albeit in lower numbers (Figure 2C). A diagnosis of vitiligo associated with nontypical halo nevus had been made based on all the examinations. Halo nevus (HN) features a centrally pigmented melanocytic nevus encircled by a depigmented zone resembling halo. It is often associated with vitiligo. A recent study proposed a similar pathogenic mechanism for both conditions, marked by a dense infiltration of CD8+ T cells in the skin lesions.1 Workman et al. reported a case of a girl with congenital melanocytic nevus surrounded by a halo, along with vitiligo near the eyes and armpits.2 They suggested that if an autoimmune mechanism underlying both vitiligo and halo formation was assumed, removing the nevus, which acted as a potent antigen, led to a decrease in melanocytic antibodies. The residual melanocytes might have continued to trigger autoimmune responses. Some believe that individuals with HN may be more prone to developing vitiligo. As the age of HN patients decreases, the risk of developing vitiligo increases.3 Zemtsov et al. reported a case of systemic reaction occurring following CO2 laser tattoo removal, suggesting a potential inducement of generalized immune system activation by laser treatment.4 Furthermore, a recent study demonstrated that the development of vitiligo could be associated with immune-mediated melanocyte pyroptosis.5 This complex interplay of immune mechanisms may contribute to the development of vitiligo. After the removal of central melanocytic nevus, our patient's depigmented area did not improve. Instead, a second depigmented ring and vitiligo appeared. Pathological examination found melanocytic cells, though significantly reduced. We hypothesized that laser therapy may not have eliminated all melanocytes, and the presence of residual melanocytic cells could explain the second HN. Interestingly, our patient displayed a distinctive first HN presentation with a ring of unaffected normal-colored skin encircling the nevus. We suspected that the depigmented area initially developed around the nevus as the secondary ring and then expanded outward centrifugally, leading to the formation of a ring-like lesion with atypical characteristics for HN. Caution is essential when contemplating the removal of melanocytic nevi, as procedures like laser therapy that result in nevus destruction may lead to the expansion of depigmented areas or even trigger the development of vitiligo. This research received no funding. There is no conflict of interest. Signed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of the case details included publication of the images.
Hemoporfin-mediated photodynamic therapy (Hemoporfin-PDT) has been approved for port-wine stain (PWS) in China in 2017. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Hemoporfin-PDT for PWS in a real life setting and investigated factors that influence the efficacy. A multicenter retrospective study included patients with PWS who underwent Hemoporfin-PDT in 29 hospitals across China and completed at least two months of follow-up. The efficacy was evaluated based on patien photographs. A total of 1679 patients were included. After the first and second sessions of Hemoporfin-PDT, 63.5 and 75.3% of patients responded, respectively. The response rate of purple-type PWS was significantly lower than that of pink-type PWS (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54–0.94, P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between thick- and pink-type (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.42–1.22, P > 0.05). The response rate of PWS on the limbs was significantly lower than that on the mid-face (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.23–0.53, P < 0.0001), while no significant difference was observed between PWS on the peripheral part of the face, neck or other parts of the body and PWS on the mid-face (P > 0.05). The response rate was lower in male patients with an age > 3 years or ≤ 6 years (P < 0.05). Previous treatment history did not affect the efficacy (P > 0.05). Hemoporfin-PDT was well tolerated. Patients with PWS have a good response and good tolerance to Hemoporfin-PDT.
Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with the development of cutaneous malignant tumors, and differences in HPV subtypes are found in several cancers by histology. NF-κB is persistently activated in most cancers and confers a survival advantage to cancer cells, while A20 is a critical negative regulator of NF-κB and is an important tumor suppressor inactivated in B cell lymphomas. This study was undertaken to identify HPV types in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) as well as to determine whether the crosstalk of A20/NF-κB was involved in HPV-induced SCC. Overall, HPV positivity was observed to be 66.2 %, with HPV16 being most common followed by infection with HPV18. Out of 43 HPV-positive samples, 35 samples were positive for one or more high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types, suggesting a high association of SCC with HR-HPV infection, while only five HPV infections were detected in 21 normal skin samples and low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) infection was the most common. Both A20 and NF-κB were overexpressed in HPV-positive SCC samples (56 vs 87.4 %) and were closely correlated with TNM stage and lymph node transfer, respectively. More interestingly, the expression of A20 and NF-κB was much higher in HR-HPV samples than in LR-HPV samples. These results suggest that the crosstalk of A20 and NF-κB may contribute to HR-HPV-associated tumor growth and metastasis of SCC and may be a novel therapeutic target for SCC in the future.
Repairing damaged tissue caused by bacterial infection poses a significant challenge. Traditional antibacterial hydrogels typically incorporate various components such as metal antimicrobials, inorganic antimicrobials, organic antimicrobials, and more. However, drawbacks such as the emergence of multi-drug resistance to antibiotics, the low antibacterial efficacy of natural agents, and the potential cytotoxicity associated with metal antibacterial nanoparticles in hydrogels hindered their broader clinical application. In this study, we successfully developed imidazolium poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) polymer microspheres (APMs) through emulsion polymerization. These APMs exhibited notable antibacterial effectiveness and demonstrated minimal cell toxicity. Subsequently, we integrated the APMs into a gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)—polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel. This composite hydrogel not only showcased strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties but also facilitated the migration of human skin fibroblasts (HSF) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and promoted osteogenic differentiation in vitro.
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(23.036 .093 25.536)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(45.87 1.273 16.18)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(69.945 .996 12.078)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(20.66 -19.689 31.932)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)