Human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) were immortalized via retrovirus-mediated gene transfer of the E6 and E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 16. An immortalized fibroblast (IF) cell line which was morphologically akin to the parental cell line was isolated. The IF cell line was evaluated for permissiveness to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection after the IF cell line surpassed the normal pas...

Background: Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells that can be readily cultured in the laboratory and play a significant role in epithelialmesenchymal interactions, secreting various growth factors and cytokines that have a direct effect on epidermal proliferation, differentiation and formation of extracellular matrix. They have been incorporated into various tissue-engineered and used for a variety...

background: limited resources for adult stem cells necessitate their in vitro culture prior to clinical use. investigating mitochondrial dna (mtdna) and telomere shortening has proved to be important indications of stem cell validity. this study was designed to investigate these indicators in multiple passages of three adult stem cell lines which were produced in our stem cell laboratory. metho...

Human foreskin epithelial cells were transformed to an anchorage-independent state of growth (in soft agar) and neoplasia (invasion of chick embryonic skin in vitro). Aflatoxin B1, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, propanesultone, beta-propiolactone, or ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm were used successfully as carcinogens. These foreskin epithelial cells, like human foreskin fibroblasts, w...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a cysteine-rich peptide synthesized and secreted by fibroblastic cells after activation with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) that acts as a downstream mediator of TGF-beta-induced fibroblast proliferation. We performed in vitro and in vivo studies to determine whether CTGF is also essential for TGF-beta-induced fibroblast collagen synthesis. ...

Bile acids are elevated in the blood of women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and this may lead to fetal arrhythmia, fetal hypoxia and potentially fetal death in utero. The bile acid taurocholic acid (TC) causes abnormal calcium dynamics and contraction in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a drug clinically used to treat ICP, prevents adverse effects of ...

This study demonstrates that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) binding C-type lectin DC-SIGN is coexpressed with CD4 and CCR5 on dendritic cells/macrophages in human foreskin. It is hypothesised that DC-SIGN may contribute to the sexual transmission of HIV in the foreskin, by enabling infection of permissive cells in cis and/or in trans.

BACKGROUND Feeder cells are frequently used for the early-stage of derivation and culture of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines. METHODS We established a conditionally immortalized human foreskin fibroblast line that secreted basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). These cells were used as feeder cells for hESC culture and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell derivation and expansion. This ...

background: infection with parvovirus b19 may cause fetal losses including spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death and non-immune hydropsfetalis. the aim of this study is to determine the frequency of parvovirus b19 in formalin fixed placental tissues in lost fetuses using real-time pcr method.   methods : in this cross-sectional study, 100 formalin fixed placental tissues with unknown c...

Numerous epidemiologic studies have found significant associations between lack of circumcision and HIV-1 acquisition in men. To our knowledge, this is the first study of human foreskin tissue that examines biologic mechanisms that increase susceptibility of uncircumcised African men to HIV-1. Foreskin specimens from 20 men with and 19 men with no history of sexually transmitted infections were...