Vesicles from Young Cells Reverse Measures of Aging in Old Stem Cells

Much of the constant signaling that takes place between cells is carried via microvesicles and exosomes, membrane-bound packages of molecules. Researchers are finding that the contents of vesicles change in characteristic ways with advancing age, one of the many cellular reactions to rising levels of molecular damage and environmental stress. Some of these changes might be useful as a marker of cellular senescence, one of the more important changes in cell state associated with age. It should also be possible to use suitably formed vesicles to adjust cell behavior in situ, such as to spur greater regeneration. Perhaps these vesicles are harvested from young cells, or perhaps they might be manufactured directly. Many of the current class of widely used cell therapies might in theory be replaced by delivery of vesicles, as the cell therapies achieve their beneficial results via signaling, not other cell activities. Another of the more important changes in cell state that occurs with age is the decline in stem cell activity. Stem cells are responsible for providing a supply of somatic cells for tissue maintenance and regeneration, and the progressive loss of that supply contributes to the gradual failure of tissue and organ function in later life. There is ample evidence to suggest that, at least in the stem cell populations most studied to date, such as those supporting skeletal muscle tissue, this is at least as much a problem of signaling as it is a problem of damage t...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs