Featured Articles

First‐in‐human high‐cumulative‐dose stem cell therapy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with rapid lung function decline
Alexander Averyanov, et al., STEM CELLS Translational Medicine

The results of this first‐in‐human clinical trial revealed that a high cumulative dose of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is safe and well tolerated by patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with a rapid lung function decline. During the treatment period, the patients in the main group experienced increased lung function; however, the patients in the placebo group experienced a continued decline in lung function. Thus, this study shows the safety, tolerability, and potential benefits of greater doses of MSCs than those used earlier in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and these findings might move future trials toward a new step in stem cells transplantation.

Developing a simple method to enhance the generation of cone and rod photoreceptors in pluripotent stem cell‐derived retinal organoids
Darin Zerti, et al., STEM CELLS

The generation of retinal organoids from human pluripotent stem cells provides an in vitro model for disease modeling and replacement therapies. To date, the efficiency of protocols for generating retinal organoids is variable, resulting in the emergence of all retinal cell types, including photoreceptors, but in different ratios and at different maturation stages. Our data show that the addition of retinoic acid in combination with T3, levodopa, or (2S)‐N‐[(3,5‐Difluorophenyl)acetyl]‐L‐alanyl‐2‐phenyl]glycine1,1‐dimethylethyl ester2L at specific time intervals promotes cone and/or rod formation.