A safe alternative to living stem cells
Researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the first academic clinic of Zhengzhou University, working under the guidance of Associate Professor Ke Cheng, have created the first artificial analogue of cardiac stem cells. The therapeutic effect provided by artificial cells is comparable to the effect provided by real stem cells, while their use in clinical practice will reduce a number of risks associated with traditional approaches to cell therapy. In addition, such cells are more stable during storage, and the technology of their creation can be used to obtain other types of stem cells.
Cell therapy exerts its effect by stimulating endogenous recovery processes. Such therapeutic approaches can be very effective, but they are associated with a number of risks, such as the formation of tumors and the development of an immune rejection reaction. In addition, stem cells are quite delicate and require storage under strictly controlled conditions, as well as a multi-stage typing process and evaluation of characteristics before clinical use.
The analog of stem cells developed by the authors is devoid of all these disadvantages. It consists of microparticles from a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer of lactic and glycolic acids (polylactide-co-clicolide, PLG). In this polymer, the researchers encapsulated growth factors isolated by cultured human cardiac stem cells. The finished microparticles were covered with a membrane of cardiac stem cells.
When tested in in vitro experiments, both cardiac stem cells and microparticles imitating them contributed to the growth of cardiac muscle cells. And when a mouse model of myocardial infarction was introduced, microparticles bound to the heart tissue and contributed to the growth of its cells. At the same time, the registered effect was comparable to the effect exerted by cardiac stem cells. It is important to note that microparticles are not capable of reproduction, which eliminates the risk of developing tumors, often associated with the introduction of stem cells.
Microparticles imitating stem cells are also much more durable than human cells and tolerate harsh freezing and thawing conditions well. In addition, there is no need to use the patient's own cells to obtain them, and the production process itself can be applied to stem cells of any type.
The authors hope that their development can be the first step towards the appearance of the first product suitable for mass production with the properties of stem cells. It can be used immediately to treat patients in need of cell therapy.
Article by Junnan Tang et al. Therapeutic microparticles functionalized with biomimetic cardiac stem cell membranes and secretome is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru Based on the materials of North Carolina State University: Synthetic Stem Cells Could Offer Therapeutic Benefits, Reduced Risks.
09.01.2017