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The amazing power of Muse cells: How do they renew themselves without genetic modification?
Muse cells, or multilineage differentiation stress-tolerant cells, are a type of endogenous non-cancerous pluripotent stem cells. These cells are found in the connective tissue of nearly every organ, including the umbilical cord, bone marrow, and peripheral blood. Muse cells can be isolated in small quantities from commercially available mesenchymal cells such as human fibroblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. According to research, Muse cells can spontaneously generate cells representing the three germ layers from a single cell, and this process does not require genetic modification intervention, which makes them have broad application prospects in regenerative medicine.
In 2010, Mari Dezawa and her research team discovered Muse cells for the first time and confirmed that they can be used in clinical trials for diseases such as acute myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke and spinal cord injury.
The notable features of Muse cells include their lack of propensity to form tumors, in part due to their low internal telomerase activity, which reduces the risk of tumorigenesis due to unrestricted cell proliferation. In addition, these cells have excellent sensing capabilities for various genetic damages and can effectively activate the DNA repair system, which makes them particularly resilient when dealing with external environmental stress.
Differentiation and self-renewal
Muse cells not only have pluripotency, but also have the ability to self-renew. Studies have shown that these cells can differentiate into ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm cells, such as key neurons, hepatocytes, etc., spontaneously or under the induction of cytokines. The differentiation ability of these cells enables them to play a significant role in the self-repair of damaged tissues.
Muse cells are able to function like macrophages in vivo, engulfing damaged cells and recycling their differentiation signals, thereby rapidly differentiating into the same cell type as the damaged cells, which has been confirmed in animal models.
According to the experiment, when Muse cells enter damaged tissues, they move along a specific signaling pathway, a process controlled by sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptor S1P receptor 2 (S1PR2). Regulation. This property enables Muse cells to be precisely directed to the repair site during disease treatment.
Non-neoplastic features
One of the main differences between Muse cells and many other stem cell types is their low telomerase activity, a feature that makes them less likely to form tumors in a transplant setting. Experiments showed that, unlike other pluripotent stem cells, transplanted Muse cells did not form teratomas in the testicles of mice, confirming the non-tumor properties of Muse cells.
Even if these cells interact with the external environment, they will not cause unwanted consequences due to their potential proliferation ability, which provides additional safety for their application in regenerative medicine.
Clinical application prospects
Given the characteristics of Muse cells, a number of clinical trials are currently underway around the world, including trials for diseases such as acute myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke. The results of these trials show the potential of Muse cells in promoting repair and restoring function. Such clinical applications do not require genetic matching or long-term immunosuppressive treatment, which undoubtedly reduces the difficulty and risk of clinical applications.
Conclusion
From the current research and clinical trials, Muse cells have demonstrated a multi-level potential. They are not only able to self-renew without genetic modification, but can also effectively respond to the challenges of hundreds of diseases. As our understanding of these cells deepens, will we likely discover more applications in the future that are perhaps waiting to be explored?
