Anjali Kariyarath Valappil^1,#, Reshmi Akter^2,#, Muhammad Awais², Dong Uk Yang³, Daehyo Jung², Li Ling⁴, Eun Kim⁵, Kyu Hyeong Yoon⁵, Yoon Ok Lee⁵, Deok Chun Yang^1,2,4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.9, pp. 1771-1795, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.069145 - 25 September 2025

Abstract Objectives: The phytochemical investigation of traditional herbal medicines holds significant promise for modern drug discovery, particularly in cancer therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity, apoptosis induction, and immune-modulatory activities of extracts from three herbal medicines with historical use in traditional medicine—Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, Phragmites communis, and Pinus densiflora, as well as their combined extract (GMAS 01/COM), on human lung cancer cells (A549) and normal cell lines, including murine macrophages (RAW 264.7) and human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Methods: Plant extracts were prepared using aqueous extraction, sonication, and rotary evaporation. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified using the… More >

XIN TIAN, XIANGLING HE^*, SHUQIN QIAN, RUNYING ZOU, KEKE CHEN, CHENGGUANG ZHU, ZEXI YIN

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 1085-1093, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027090 - 10 April 2023

Abstract Background: The immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their exosomes have been receiving increasing attention. This study investigated the immunoregulatory effects of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) and their exosomes on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods: The hAMSCs used in the experiment were identified by light microscopy and flow cytometry, and the differentiation ability of the cells was determined by Oil Red O and Alizarin Red staining. The expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and interleukin (IL)-6 were detected by quantitative… More >

Fatemeh Bayati^1,*, Maryam Valadi^1,*, Armin Ahmadi^1,2, Farangis Najaf¹, Bita Ansaripour¹, Ehsan Sharif-Paghaleh^1,3

European Cytokine Network, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 70-78, 2022, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2022.0482

Abstract Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exhibited promising immunomodulatory potential in preclinical studies, clinical studies have revealed variable results. These results often depend on environmental cues. Pre-conditioning MSCs with cytokines is one of the methods used to enhance their immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we harvested adipose-derived MSCs from mice and cultured them with different doses of the cytokine, IFN-γ, and the corticosteroid drug, dexamethasone, in order to investigate their effects on MSC immunosuppressive function. We found the co-culture or supernatant of MSCs, pre-conditioned with IFN-γ, together with spleen mononuclear cells resulted in a significant More >