The Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), was established in 2003 as a Centre for Science, Technology & Engineering in collaboration with National University of Ireland, Galway. It obtained an award of €14.9 million from Science Foundation Ireland over five years.It conducts basic research and applied research in regenerative medicine, an emerging field that combines the technologies of gene therapy and adult stem cell therapy. The goal is to use cells and genes to regenerate healthy tissues that can be used to repair or replace other tissues and organs in a minimally invasive approach.Centres for Science, Engineering & Technology help link scientists and engineers in partnerships across academia and industry to address crucial research questions, foster the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies, attract industry that could make an important contribution to Ireland and its economy, and expand educational and career opportunities in Ireland in science and engineering. CSETs must exhibit outstanding research quality, intellectual breadth, active collaboration, flexibility in responding to new research opportunities, and integration of research and education in the fields that SFI supports.
Background: Aging population is rapidly expanding worldwide, and age-related cognitive impairments prove detrimental for achieving a better productive and quality of life. Lack of effective therapies for age-related cognitive impairment focuses attention on developing preventive strategies, such as nutritional interventions, cell therapies and environmental manipulations. The objective of the present study was to explore the comparative benefits of potential memory-enhancing strategies like supplementation of choline (Ch) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or administration of human embryonic kidney stem cell conditioned media (HEK-CM) or exposure to environmental enrichment (EE), that attenuates cognitive impairments in aging mice. Methods: 12-month-old CF1 male mice were subdivided [n=6/group] into normal aging control (NAC), saline vehicle control (SVC), Ch-DHA, EE, heat-inactivated HEK-CM (HIHEK-CM) and HEK-CM mice. Spatial working and reference memory were assessed using an eight-arm radial maze test and cognition using a novel object recognition test (NORT). Results: Spatial memory and cognition were decreased in normal aging mice. Aged mice exposed to dietary Ch-DHA or HEK-CM showed significant enhancement in spatial learning tasks, memory and cognition compared to the same in age-matched NAC mice. Ch-DHA and HEK-CM treated mice committed significantly lesser reference memory errors and attained a higher percentage of correct choices in spatial learning and memory tasks. Moreover, on testing for cognition in NORT, significantly higher number of visits to the novel object was observed in Ch-DHA supplemented and HEK-CM administered aging mice whereas HEK-CM and EE mice groups showed significantly greater number of visits to familiar object, when compared to same in age-matched NAC and HIHEK-CM groups, respectively. Conclusion: Supplementation of Ch-DHA and HEK-CM treatment strategies have a higher potential [~ 20—30%] for enhancing spatial learning, memory and cognition in normal aged mice, whereas exposure to EE seems to enhance only their short-term memory.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) arises from complex genetic and environmental interactions. Populations in South Asia remain underrepresented in ASD research despite high consanguinity rates, distinct cultural exposures, and widespread micronutrient deficiencies. We conducted a quantitative observational study in a sibling-matched Pakistani cohort. Sociodemographic predictors of ASD severity were evaluated in 48 children with ASD using binary logistic regression, with severity dichotomized as mild versus moderate–severe. Predictor variables included gender, family history of neurodevelopmental conditions, and screen time. Serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels were measured in 25 ASD–control sibling pairs. Binary logistic regression indicated that a positive family history of neurodevelopmental conditions was significantly associated with greater ASD severity (p = 0.044), suggesting a familial contribution to symptom burden. Gender and screen time were not significantly associated with severity. Biochemical analyses showed no significant differences in serum vitamin D or vitamin B12 concentrations between children with ASD and their unaffected siblings. However, within the ASD group, lower serum vitamin D levels were modestly but significantly associated with greater clinical severity (Spearman’s ρ = -0.432, p = 0.031). In this Pakistani cohort, family history of neurodevelopmental conditions was the only sociodemographic factor associated with ASD severity. While vitamin B12 levels did not differ between groups, lower serum vitamin D concentrations were associated with more severe clinical presentations. These findings highlight the interplay between familial risk and nutritional status and underscore the need for larger, longitudinal studies to clarify the directionality and clinical significance of these associations in South Asian populations.
Background: Chronic shoulder pain is a frequent musculoskeletal complaint that significantly affects function, productivity, and quality of life. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies have emerged as a potential regenerative option due to their anti-inflammatory and tissue-repair properties. This study aims to evaluate the safety and short-term effectiveness of intra-articular injections of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) in patients with chronic shoulder pain. Methods: A retrospective pragmatic observational study was conducted at the Regenerative Medicine Institute in Costa Rica. Medical records were reviewed to extract clinical, sociodemographic, and treatment-related variables. The primary outcome was functional improvement measured with the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score. Changes between baseline and the 3-month follow-up were analyzed using paired tests, effect size calculations, and regression models to explore predictors of treatment response. Results: Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria. A significant improvement in shoulder function was observed, with a mean ASES increase of 17.17 points, exceeding the minimum clinically important difference of 12. Sixty percent of patients achieved clinically meaningful improvement. Effect size estimates indicated a large magnitude of change. Regression analyses showed that baseline ASES predicted follow-up scores, while higher UC-MSC doses were associated with greater functional improvement. No adverse events were documented during the study period. Conclusions: The study shows that UC-MSC therapy is a safe, minimally invasive, and clinically beneficial option for chronic shoulder pain. These findings support the therapeutic potential of MSCs and highlight the need for larger controlled studies to validate long-term efficacy and optimize treatment protocols.
Here, we developed IronFist, a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter that enables dynamic tracking of labile ferrous ions (Fe2+) in live cells. IronFist is a bicistronic system combining the iron-sensitive hemerythrin-like (Hr) domain from the F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 5 (FBXL5), fused to the bright fluorescent protein (FP) mNeonGreen, alongside mCherry as a reference FP signal. When labile iron levels are low, Hr-mNeonGreen undergoes ubiquitination and degradation, leading to a low green-to-red fluorescence ratio. Conversely, as cytosolic Fe2+ levels rise and Fe2+ ions bind to Hr, the green fluorescence is stabilized, increasing the IronFist ratio signal. Using IronFist for end point measurements, we observed that most cells maintain low basal labile iron levels. However, upon treatment with iron(II) sulfate or iron carbohydrate nanoparticles, we detected significant elevations in the cellular labile iron pool (LIP). Cells responded faster and more strongly to iron(II) sulfate, whereas responses to iron carbohydrate nanoparticles were slower and weaker. Time-lapse imaging further revealed substantial cell-to-cell heterogeneity in iron handling. We conclude that IronFist fills a critical methodological gap in assessing cellular iron homeostasis and related pathologies by enabling high-content tracking of iron dynamics at the single-cell level.
