Animal and clinical studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play an important role in cartilage repair. The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells based therapies has been increasingly demonstrated to exosome-mediated paracrine secretion. Here, we investigated the cellular processes and mechanism of exosomes produced by conventional 2D culture (2D-Exos) and exosomes produced from 3D culture (3D-Exos) of umbilical MSCs (U-MSCs) in a hollow-fiber bioreactor for the treatment of cartilage repair. We found that the yield of 3D-Exos was 7.5-fold higher than that of 2D-Exos. The in vitro experiments indicated that both 2D-Exos and 3D-Exos can stimulate chondrocyte proliferation, migration, and matrix synthesis, and inhibit apoptosis, with 3D-Exos exerting a stronger effect than 2D-Exos. This effect was partly attributed to the activation of transforming growth factor beta 1 and Smad2/3 signaling. The injection of 2D-Exos and 3D-Exos showed enhanced gross appearance and attenuated cartilage defect; however, 3D-Exos showed a superior therapeutic effect than 2D-Exos. In summary, our study provides novel insights into the chondroprotective effects of exosomes produced from 3D culture of U-MSCs in a hollow-fiber bioreactor. Because of its promising biological function and high yield, 3D-Exos may become a promising therapeutic method for the treatment of cartilage defects.

In the last decade, maggot has been hailed as the miraculous “medicinal maggot” for its diverse properties, including antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti‐inflammatory, and wound healing activities. The fact that maggots show so many beneficial properties has increased the interest in these tiny larvae dramatically. Whilst there is relatively abundant clinical evidence to demonstrate the success of maggots as debridement agents, not so much emphasis has been placed on the basic science evidence, which was a combination of physical and biochemical actions. This review differs from those earlier works in that it is undertaken to provide an update of the latest scientific basis published on maggot, particularly active ingredients within maggot excretions/secretions (ES). Further investigations should focus on the isolation, identification, recombination, transgenosis, and mass production of the beneficial molecules within maggots.

A conductive, Nb doped TiO₂ (NTO), nanocoating on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is reported as an electrocatalyst support. Pt on this support shows an extraordinary electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation. The nanoscale morphology of the oxides was achieved by making it on CNTs. Nano rutile phase of NTO was successfully obtained without generating insulator phase of TiNb₂O₇ even at 20% doping level. Furthermore, better dispersion and smaller Pt particles were obtained on the NTO/CNTs support. Electrochemical studies showed that the Pt catalysts on the oxide support displayed much higher methanol oxidation activity and CO tolerance than those supported on bare CNTs.

Introduction: Recent research indicated a strong link between the gut microbiota and osteoarthritis. However, the complex interplay between the gut microbiota, serum metabolites, and the progression of osteoarthritis in affected individuals remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of the gut microbiota and serum metabolites in patients with osteoarthritis.Methods: Participants with either healthy knees or osteoarthritis were enrolled and categorized into healthy control (HC) and osteoarthritis (OA) groups. Fecal and blood samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metabolomic analysis via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and integrated evaluation.Results: The results showed no significant variation in gut microbiota richness and diversity between the two groups. However, the abundance of Bacteroides plebeius and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was reduced in the OA group, both of which are known for their potential as next-generation probiotics for human health. Metabolomic analysis indicated that serum metabolites, including pyrogallol and 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), were significantly lower in the OA group. These metabolites are known to positively impact osteoarthritis progression and other diseases and demonstrated good diagnostic performance for distinguishing osteoarthritis patients from healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between Bacteroides plebeius and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and between pyrogallol and 3HB.Discussion: This study highlighted specific gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles in osteoarthritis patients, suggesting that the specific changes in bacteria and derived metabolites are closely tied to osteoarthritis progression. This underscores the potential of gut microbiota and serum metabolites as modifiable elements and therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis prevention.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a now regarded as a worldwide whole joint disease with synovial inflammation, cartilage degeneration, and subchondral sclerosis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used drugs for OA treatment which only relieve the symptoms and restrain the progression of OA. However, various severe adverse effects often occur in patients with long-term NSAIDs use, which heavily burdens the healthcare system and impacts the quality of life. Therefore, it is much imperative to identify alternative drugs with increased efficacy. Syringaresinol (Syr), a naturally occurring phytochemical which belonging to the lignan group of polyphenols, shows anti-tumor and anti-oxidant activities, which to benefit human health. Studies has shown Syr can regulate the inflammatory response by modulating the secretion and expression level of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. it also shows the inhibitory effect on NF-κB pathway in mouse cells. In the present study, we aimed to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of Syr in OA. In vitro Syr treatment in IL-1β-activated mouse chondrocytes significantly restrained the expression of NO, PGE2, IL-6, TNF-α, INOS, COX-2 and MMP-13. Moreover, it considerably ameliorated the degradation of aggrecan and collagen II. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of the NF-kB signaling pathway was significantly suppressed by Syr. Moreover, in vivo, the cartilage degeneration was attenuated and the increased Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores were reversed in the DMM + Syr group, comprared to those in the DMM group. In sum, our study demonstrated that Syr can attenuate the inflammation in vitro and further verified its effect on OA in vivo. Thus, Syr might be a potent therapeautic alternative for OA treatment.