We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Coating Increases Clinical Utility of Cardiac Stem Cells

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 22 Jan 2018
Print article
Image: Cardiac stem cells (magenta) decorated with platelet vesicles (brown) (Photo courtesy of North Carolina State University).
Image: Cardiac stem cells (magenta) decorated with platelet vesicles (brown) (Photo courtesy of North Carolina State University).
The effectiveness of cardiac stem cells for repairing heart disease damage is dramatically increased when the cells are covered with a coating of platelet adhesion molecules.

Stem cell transplantation, as used clinically, suffers from low retention and engraftment of the transplanted cells. Inspired by the ability of platelets to recruit stem cells to sites of injury on blood vessels, investigators at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, USA) hypothesized that platelets might enhance the vascular delivery of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) to sites of myocardial infarction injury.

To test this hypothesis, the investigators generated cardiac stem cells and then covered their surface membranes with nanovesicles prepared from platelet adhesion glycoprotein molecules.

The investigators reported in the January 10, 2018, online edition of the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering that CSCs with platelet nanovesicles fused onto their surface membranes expressed platelet surface markers that were associated with platelet adhesion to injury sites. The modified CSCs selectively bound collagen-coated surfaces and endothelium-denuded rat aortas, and in rat and pig models of acute myocardial infarction the modified CSCs increased retention in the heart and reduced infarct size.

“Platelets can home in on an injury site and stay there, and even in some cases recruit a body’s own naturally occurring stem cells to the site, but they are a double-edged sword,” said senior author Dr. Ke Cheng, associate professor of veterinary medicine at North Carolina State University. “That is because once the platelets arrive at the site of injury, they trigger the coagulation processes that cause clotting. In a heart-attack injury, blood clots are the last thing that you want.”

“The nanovesicle is like the platelet’s coat,” said Dr. Cheng. “There is not any internal cellular machinery that could activate clotting. When you place the nanovesicle on the stem cell, it is like giving the stem cell a tiny GPS that helps it locate the injury so it can do its repair work without any of the side effects associated with live platelets. Platelet nanovesicles do not affect the performance of the cardiac stem cells, and are free from any negative side effects. Hopefully we will be able to use this approach to improve cardiac stem cell therapy in clinical trials in the future.”

Related Links:
North Carolina State University

Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Specimen Collection & Transport
POCT Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer
FIA Go
New
Gold Member
Plasma Control
Plasma Control Level 1

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.