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No cancer will form? How does the low telomerase activity of Muse cells ensure no tumor risk?
Since their discovery by researcher Mari Dezawa in 2010, Muse cells (Multi-lineage differentiating stress enduring cells) have been leading the research trend in regenerative medicine. The widespread distribution of these endogenous non-cancerous pluripotent stem cells in connective tissues, including the umbilical cord, bone marrow, and peripheral blood, reflects their strong regenerative potential, especially their low telomerase activity, which makes them inefficient in cell proliferation. May cause risk of tumor formation.
The low telomerase activity of Muse cells is key to their ability to not form tumors; their proliferation is driven by a natural, controlled mechanism.
Muse cells have strong self-renewal ability and can generate various cells representing the three germ layers from a single cell spontaneously or under the induction of cytokines. This enables their application in a variety of pathological conditions, such as acute myocardial infarction, stroke, acanthosis, spinal cord injury, and acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The latest randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial results show that Muse cells show good potential in the treatment of stroke patients.
Characteristics of Muse Cells
Muse cells have several notable characteristics, including strong stress resistance and non-tumorous properties. These cells can effectively sense DNA damage and initiate repair systems, making them more resistant to genotoxic stress. Furthermore, Muse cells are identified by expressing markers such as SSEA-3, which is a known high-level human embryonic stem cell marker.
Why don't Muse cells cause tumor formation?
The non-tumorous characteristics of Muse cells are mainly attributed to their low telomerase activity. Compared to some highly tumorigenic cells, such as HeLa cells and iPS cells derived from human fibroblasts, the telomerase activity of Muse cells is almost equivalent to that of somatic cells. This means that they do not undergo unlimited cell division, eliminating the risk of tumor development.
The study showed that "Muse cells did not form teratomas after implantation in the testicles of immunodeficient mice," further emphasizing their safety.
Regenerative potential of Muse cells
Muse cells show ideal potential in treating injuries, and can replenish new functional cells by flocking to the injured site and spontaneously differentiating into tissue-compatible cells. For example, in animal models, Muse cells have shown good integration capabilities in damaged tissues such as the liver, nervous system, and muscle.
Collection and Application
Muse cells can be obtained from bone marrow aspirates, adipose tissue, skin fibroblasts, and umbilical cord. Its easy accessibility creates good prospects for its application in clinical regenerative medicine. Without the use of cytokine induction or gene manipulation, Muse cells can be directly injected into the blood for treatment, which makes the current clinical application very promising.
Challenges of prospective studies
Although Muse cells have shown so many attractive advantages, they still face challenges in clinical transformation. How to optimize the collection, culture and application of these cells to facilitate wider clinical implementation remains an area that researchers need to continue exploring.Combining the above factors, we can expect Muse cells to play a greater role in future regenerative medicine, and people will have more thoughts and expectations about the unlimited potential behind these small cells. Will this change our treatment? What about the disease?
