What is it about?
While inflammatory molecules, produced by pathologic regions, are pivotal for attracting reparative stem cells, one would certainly not want to further “inflame” a diseased brain by instilling such molecules. Exploiting the fact that receptors for such cytokines (G protein-coupled receptors [GPCR]) possess two “pockets”—one for binding, the other for signaling—we created a synthetic GPCR-agonist that maximizes interaction with the former and narrows that with the latter. Homing is robust with no inflammation. The peptide successfully directed the integration of stem cells in a model of a neurodegeneration, ameliorating symptomatology but with no inflammation.
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Why is it important?
Regenerative Medicine now has its first tool for directing reparative stem cells to where a practitioner wishes them to be for therapeutic purposes.
Perspectives
Is the 1st tool for directing stem cells where one wants them to be. 1st proof of the concept for the chemical mimicry of a chemokine. Is the 1st of an exciting class of stem cell enhancing drugs. Such a “designer” drug also illustrates that treatments can be controlled and optimized by exploiting fundamental stem cell properties (e.g., “inflammo-attraction”).
Dr. Evan Yale Snyder
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Chemical mutagenesis of a GPCR ligand: Detoxifying “inflammo-attraction” to direct therapeutic stem cell migration, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, November 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911444117.
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