Stem cells use "first aid kits" to repair damage

Neural stem cells - master cells that can develop into any type of nerve cell - are able to generate mini "first aid kits" and transfer them to immune cells, according to a study published today. It represents a significant advance in understanding the many levels of interaction between stem cells and the immune system, and a new molecular mechanism to explain how stem-cell therapy works. Dr Stefano Pluchino Stem cells hold great promise as a means of repairing cells in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke or injuries of the spinal cord because they have the ability to develop into almost any cell type. Now, new research shows that stem cell therapy can also work through a mechanism other than cell replacement. In a study published today in Molecular Cell , a team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge has shown that stem cells "communicate" with cells by transferring molecules via fluid filled bags called vesicles, helping other cells to modify the damaging immune response around them. Although scientists have speculated that stem cells might act rather like drugs - in sensing signals, moving to specific areas of the body and executing complex reactions - this is the first time that a molecular mechanism for this process has been demonstrated. By understanding this process better, researchers can identify ways of maximising the efficiency of stem-cell-based therapies.