'Language of stem cells' discovered
The authors showed that human pluripotent stem cells communicate with other cells by emitting signal proteins. These signals activate cells in the surrounding tissue, causing them to move from where they are and to migrate through the body (invasion) to eventually carry out specific functions at other locations. "It is really fascinating to see the effect of the changes triggered by stem cells on somatic cells," says Margit Rosner, lead author of the publication. Dozens of international clinical trials have already attempted to use these stem cells to develop new treatments for such conditions as heart attacks, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's and diabetes, as well as a large number of rare genetic diseases. The basic principle is to produce very specific human cells (heart muscle cells, nerve cells, islet cells, etc.) in the laboratory for transplantation into the patient, in the hope that this will help to regenerate damage...