Previously, we established a simple method for deriving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-MSCs). These iPSC-MSCs were capable of forming osteogenic structures in scaffolds and nanofibers. The objective of this study is to systematically characterize the mesenchymal characteristics of the iPSC-MSCs by comparing them to bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs).

Bertolotti's syndrome (BS) refers to the possible association between the congenital malformation lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV), and low back pain (LBP). Several treatments have been proposed including steroid injections, resections of the LSTV, laminectomy, and lumbar spinal fusion. The aim of this review was to compare the clinical outcomes in previous trials and case reports for these treatments in patients with LBP and LSTV. A PubMed search was conducted. We included English studies of patients diagnosed with LSTV treated with steroid injection, laminectomy, spinal fusion or resection of the transitional articulation. Of 272 articles reviewed 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. Their level of evidence were graded I-V and the clinical outcomes were evaluated. Only 1 study had high evidence level (II). The remainders were case series (level IV). Only 5 studies used validated clinical outcome measures. A total of 79 patients were reported: 31 received treatment with steroid injections, 33 were treated with surgical resection of the LSTV, 8 received lumbar spinal fusion, and 7 cases were treated with laminectomy. Surgical management seems to improve the patient's symptoms, especially patients diagnosed with "far out syndrome" treated with laminectomy. Clinical outcomes were more heterogenetic for patient's treated with steroid injections. The literature regarding BS is sparse and generally with low evidence. Non-surgical management (e.g., steroid injections) and surgical intervention could not directly be compared due to lack of standardization in clinical outcome. Generally, surgical management seems to improve patient's clinical outcome over time, whereas steroid injection only improves the patient's symptoms temporarily. Further studies with larger sample size and higher evidence are warranted for the clinical guidance in the treatment of BS.

Induced mesenchymal stromal cells (iMSCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are attractive cells for regenerative medicine. However, the transcriptome of iMSCs and signature genes that can distinguish MSCs from fibroblasts and other cell types are rarely explored. In this study, we reported an optimized feeder-free method for the generation of iMSCs from human pluripotent stem cells. These iMSCs display a typical MSC morphology, express classic MSC markers (CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD166), are negative for lymphocyte markers (CD11b, CD14, CD31, CD34, CD45, HLA-DR), and are potent for osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Using genome-wide transcriptome profiling, we created an easily accessible transcriptome reference for the process of differentiating PSCs into iMSCs. The iMSC transcriptome reference revealed clear patterns in the silencing of pluripotency genes, activation of lineage commitment genes, and activation of mesenchymal genes during iMSC generation. All previously known positive and negative markers for MSCs were confirmed by our iMSC transcriptomic reference, and most importantly, gene classification and time course analysis identified 52 genes including FN1, TGFB1, TAGLN and SERPINE1, which showed significantly higher expression in MSCs (over 3 folds) than fibroblasts and other cell types. Taken together, these results provide a useful method and important resources for developing and understanding iMSCs in regenerative medicine.

The ideal rehabilitation strategy following lumbar spinal fusion surgery has not yet been established. This paper is a study protocol, describing the rationale behind and the details of a cognitive-behavioural rehabilitation intervention for lumbar spinal fusion patients based on the best available evidence. Predictors of poor outcome following spine surgery have been identified to provide targets for the intervention, and the components of the intervention were structured in accordance with the cognitive-behavioural model. The study aims to compare the clinical and economical effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioural rehabilitation strategy to that of usual care for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery.

BMSCs, also known as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, provide an excellent source of progenitor cells for regenerative therapy. To assess whether osteoarthritis (OA) affects the regenerative potential of BMSCs we compared the proliferation and differentiation potential as well as the surface marker expression profile of OA- versus control BMSCs. BMSCs were isolated from bone marrow aspirates of n=14 patients with advanced-stage idiopathic hip OA (67±6years) and n=15 healthy individuals (61±4years). Proliferation was quantified by total DNA content and colony-forming-units of fibroblastsmax (CFU-F) assay. Differentiation assays included immunohistology, cell-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and osteogenic, chondrogenic as well as adipogenic marker gene qRT-PCR. Expression of BMSC-associated surface markers was analyzed using flow cytometry. No significant intergroup differences were observed concerning the proliferation potential, cell-specific ALP activity as well as adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation marker gene expressions. Interestingly, SOX9 gene expression levels were significantly increased in OA-BMSCs after 14days of chondrogenic stimulation (p<0.01). The surface markers CD73, CD90 and STRO-1 were elevated in relation to CD14, CD34 and CD45 in both groups (p<0.0001). Notably, OA-BMSCs showed significantly increased CD90 (p<0.01) and decreased CD166 (p<0.001) levels. Overall, the in vitro characteristics of BMSCs are not markedly influenced by OA. However, increased SOX9 and CD90 as well as reduced CD166 expression levels in OA-BMSCs warrant further investigation. These data will help to further understand the role of BMSC in OA and facilitate the application of autologous cell-based strategies for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration in OA patients.

This data article contains data related to the research article entitled, "in vitro characterization of bone marrow stromal cells from osteoarthritic donors" [1]. Osteoarthritis (OA) represents the main indication for total joint arthroplasty and is one of the most frequent degenerative joint disorders. However, the exact etiology of OA remains unknown. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) can be easily isolated from bone marrow aspirates and provide an excellent source of progenitor cells. The data shows the identification of pivotal genes and pathways involved in osteoarthritis by comparing gene expression patterns of BMSCs from osteoarthritic versus healthy donors using an array-based approach.

We describe a simple method for bone engineering using biodegradable scaffolds with mesenchymal stem cells derived from human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hiPS-MSCs). The hiPS-MSCs expressed mesenchymal markers (CD90, CD73, and CD105), possessed multipotency characterized by tri-lineages differentiation: osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic, and lost pluripotency - as seen with the loss of markers OCT3/4 and TRA-1-81 - and tumorigenicity. However, these iPS-MSCs are still positive for marker NANOG. We further explored the osteogenic potential of the hiPS-MSCs in synthetic polymer polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds or PCL scaffolds functionalized with natural polymer hyaluronan and ceramic TCP (PHT) both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that these iPS-MSCs are functionally compatible with the two 3D scaffolds tested and formed typically calcified structure in the scaffolds. Overall, our results suggest the iPS-MSCs derived by this simple method retain fully osteogenic function and provide a new solution towards personalized orthopedic therapy in the future.