More Evidence for Exosomes to be Important in the Outcome of Stem Cell Therapies

Stem cell therapies produce benefits, but for most of the presently available treatments this appears to be the result of changes in the signaling environment rather than any other activity on the part of the transplanted cells. The newly introduced stem cells fail to integrate with local tissues and typically don't last long after transplantation. So what exactly produces the observed beneficial changes in cellular behavior, level of inflammation, and degree of regeneration? There are no doubt many distinct mechanisms, as nothing is ever simple when it comes to cell biology, but of late researchers have focused on a role for exosomes. These are membrane-wrapped packages that cells pass between one another, and they appear to be involved in many cellular processes, though at present are only very partially cataloged and understood. If it turns out that they are a primary mechanism by which transplanted stem cells alter the behavior of local cells, then it should be possible to build therapies that deliver only exosomes: Exosomes are tiny membrane-enclosed packages that form inside of cells before getting expelled. Long thought of as part of a cellular disposal system, scientists have more recently discovered that exosomes are packed with proteins, lipids and gene-regulating RNA. Studies have shown that exosomes from one cell can be taken up by another by fusing with the target cell's membrane, spurring it to make new proteins. Exosomes also facilitate cell-to-cell in...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs