STEM “CELL” SYNTHESIS: To create synthetic mesenchymal stem cells (synMSCs), the researchers start with human bone marrow-derived MSCs (1). They combine secretions from these cells with a biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) or PLGA, creating microparticles (2). The microparticles are then encased in cell membranes derived from human MSCs (3) to allow the synMSCs to anchor to tissues and gradually release secreted factors, mimicking real MSCs (4).© GEORGE RETSECK. REDRAWN FROM CIRC RES, doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.310374, 2017, WITH PERMISSION
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are typically derived from adult bone marrow and fat tissue and are currently being tested in hundreds of clinical trials. They secrete proteins and other molecules that, when released to tissues, can promote regeneration, acting “like a pharmacy that provides drugs for tissues to heal,” says Ke Cheng, a biomedical engineer at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
One limitation is that these cells need to be carefully frozen to keep them alive in storage, then defrosted, expanded, and gently maintained until used. “This process is tedious and sometimes can affect the potency of the cell,” Cheng says. He also points out that some cells will inevitably die during handling, and injecting dying or ...
