Muscular dystrophy is a heterogenous group of hereditary muscle disorders caused by mutations in the genes responsible for muscle development, and is generally defined by a disastrous progression of muscle wasting and massive loss in muscle regeneration. Pax7 is closely associated with myogenesis, which is governed by various signaling pathways throughout a lifetime and is frequently used as an indicator in muscle research. In this review, an extensive literature search adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed to identify research that examined signaling pathways in living models, while quantifying Pax7 expression in myogenesis. A total of 247 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS), PubMed and Scopus databases and were thoroughly examined and evaluated, resulting in 19 articles which met the inclusion criteria. Admittedly, we were only able to discuss the quantification of Pax7 carried out in research affecting various type of genes and signaling pathways, rather than the expression of Pax7 itself, due to the massive differences in approach, factor molecules and signaling pathways analyzed across the research. However, we highlighted the thorough evidence for the alteration of the muscle stem cell precursor Pax7 in multiple signaling pathways described in different living models, with an emphasis on the novel approach that could be taken in manipulating Pax7 expression itself in dystrophic muscle, towards the discovery of an effective treatment for muscular dystrophy. Therefore, we believe that this could be applied to the potential gap in muscle research that could be filled by tuning the well-established marker expression to improve dystrophic muscle.

In Malaysia,Piper sarmentosumor ‘kaduk’ is commonly used in traditional medicines. However, its biological effects including in vivo embryonic toxicity and tissue regenerative properties are relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicities and caudal fin tissue regeneration in the presence ofP. sarmentosumaqueous extracts. The phytochemical components and antioxidant activity of the extract were studied using GC–MS analysis and DPPH assay, respectively. Embryo toxicity tests involving survival, heartbeat, and morphological analyses were conducted to determineP. sarmentosumextract toxicity (0–60 µg/mL); concentrations of 0–400 µg/mL of the extract were used to study tissue regeneration in the zebrafish caudal fin. The extract contained several phytochemicals with antioxidant activity and exhibited DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 50.56 mg/mL). Embryo toxicity assays showed that a concentration of 60 μg/mL showed the highest rates of lethality regardless of exposure time. Slower embryogenesis was observed at 40 µg/mL, with non-viable embryos first detected at 50 µg/mL. Extracts showed significant differences (p < 0.01) for tissue regeneration at all concentrations when compared to non-treated samples. In conclusion,Piper sarmentosumextracts accelerated tissue regeneration, and extract concentrations at 60 µg/mL showed the highest toxicity levels for embryo viability.

The challenges of using VEGF to promote osteoblastic differentiation include a short half-life and a narrow therapeutic window. A carrier system combining hydrogel and liposomes may improve the therapeutic efficacy of VEGF for bone regeneration. This study aimed to investigate the effects of delivery of VEGF via liposomal hydrogel on the osteogenesis of MG-63 cells. Liposomal hydrogel scaffold was fabricated and then characterized in terms of the morphological and chemical properties using FESEM and FTIR. In 2.5D analysis, the MG-63 cells were cultured on liposomal hydrogel + VEGF as the test group. The osteogenic effects of VEGF were compared with the control groups, i.e., hydrogel without liposomes + VEGF, osteogenic medium (OM) supplemented with a bolus of VEGF, and OM without VEGF. Cell morphology, viability, and differentiation and mineralization potential were investigated using FESEM, MTT assay, ALP activity, and Alizarin red staining. The characterization of scaffold showed no significant differences in the morphological and chemical properties between hydrogel with and without liposomes (p > 0.05). The final 2.5D culture demonstrated that cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization were significantly enhanced in the liposomal hydrogel + VEGF group compared with the control groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, liposomal hydrogel can be used to deliver VEGF in a sustained manner in order to enhance the osteogenesis of MG-63 cells.

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) exhibit significant potential for bone regeneration therapies. Ho

Background. Proteomic is capable of elucidating complex biological systems through protein expression, function, and interaction under a particular condition. Objective. This study was aimed to determine the potential of ascorbic acid alone in inducing differentially expressed osteoblast-related proteins in dental stem cells via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach. Methods. The cells were isolated from deciduous (SHED) and permanent teeth (DPSC) and induced with 10 µg/mL ascorbic acid. Bone mineralisation and osteoblast gene expression were determined using von Kossa staining and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The label-free protein samples were harvested on days 7 and 21 followed by protein identification and quantification using LC-MS/MS. Based on the similar protein expressed throughout treatment and controls for both SHED and DPSC, overall biological processes followed by osteoblast-related protein abundance were determined using the PANTHER database. STRING database was performed to determine differentially expressed proteins as candidates for SHED and DPSC during osteoblast development. Results. Both cells indicated brownish mineral stain and expression of osteoblast-related genes at day 21. Overall, a total of 700 proteins were similar among all treatments on both days 7 and 21 with 482 proteins appearing in the PANTHER database. Osteoblast-related protein abundance indicated 31 and 14 proteins that related to SHED and DPSC, respectively. Further analysis by the STRING database identified only 22 and 11 proteins involved from the respective group. Differential expressed analysis of similar proteins from these two groups revealed ACTN4 and ACTN1 as proteins that are involved in both SHED and DPSC. In addition, three (PSMD11/RPN11, PLS3, and CLIC1) and one (SYNCRIP) proteins were differentially expressed specifically for SHED and DPSC, respectively. Conclusion. Proteome differential expression showed that ascorbic acid alone can induce osteoblast-related proteins in both SHED and DPSC and generates specific differentially expressed protein markers.