Original Article
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World J Biol Chem. Aug 26, 2013; 4(3): 71-78
Published online Aug 26, 2013. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v4.i3.71
Potent trophic activity of spermidine supramolecular complexes in in vitro models
Carlo A Ghisalberti, Alberto Morisetti, Alessandro Bestetti, Gaetano Cairo
Carlo A Ghisalberti, Gaetano Cairo, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
Carlo A Ghisalberti, Alberto Morisetti, Alessandro Bestetti, Tixupharma, 20124 Milan, Italy
Author contributions: Ghisalberti CA conceived experiments, acquired and analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript; Morisetti A acquired and analyzed data and co-wrote the manuscript; Bestetti A acquired and analyzed data and helped finalize the paper; and Cairo G analyzed data and wrote the manuscript.
Supported by Grants from the Italian Ministry of Education
Correspondence to: Gaetano Cairo, Professor, Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milano, Italy. gaetano.cairo@unimi.it
Telephone: +39-2-50315338 Fax: +39-2-50315338
Received: April 30, 2013
Revised: July 3, 2013
Accepted: July 23, 2013
Published online: August 26, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Previous in vitro studies showed that spermidine may have different, or even opposite, effects on cell survival, leading to either proliferation or apoptosis depending on a variety of factors. We showed that the inclusion of spermidine in supramolecular complexes with various polymers optimized its use for regenerative purposes. Spermidine-supramolecular complexes stimulated cell proliferation but did not cause significant alterations to vaginal tissue integrity. These results suggest that growth pathways in senescent or damaged tissues may be activated by the controlled release of spermidine from spermidine-supramolecular complexes to provide a faster recovery.