Translational strategies and challenges in regenerative medicine

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Abstract

The scientific community is currently witnessing substantial strides in understanding stem cell biology in humans; however, major disappointments in translating this knowledge into medical therapies are flooding the field as well. Despite these setbacks, investigators are determined to better understand the caveats of regeneration, so that major pathways of repair and regrowth can be exploited in treating aged and diseased tissues. Last year, in an effort to contribute to this burgeoning field, Nature Medicine, in collaboration with the Volkswagen Foundation, organized a meeting with a panel of experts in regenerative medicine to identify the most pressing challenges, as well as the crucial strategies and stem cell concepts that can best help advance the translational regenerative field. Here some experts who participated in the meeting provide an outlook at some of those key issues and concepts.

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Most cited references 51

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Young blood reverses age-related impairments in cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in mice.

Saul Villeda, Kristopher E Plambeck, Jinte Middeldorp … (2014)

As human lifespan increases, a greater fraction of the population is suffering from age-related cognitive impairments, making it important to elucidate a means to combat the effects of aging. Here we report that exposure of an aged animal to young blood can counteract and reverse pre-existing effects of brain aging at the molecular, structural, functional and cognitive level. Genome-wide microarray analysis of heterochronic parabionts--in which circulatory systems of young and aged animals are connected--identified synaptic plasticity-related transcriptional changes in the hippocampus of aged mice. Dendritic spine density of mature neurons increased and synaptic plasticity improved in the hippocampus of aged heterochronic parabionts. At the cognitive level, systemic administration of young blood plasma into aged mice improved age-related cognitive impairments in both contextual fear conditioning and spatial learning and memory. Structural and cognitive enhancements elicited by exposure to young blood are mediated, in part, by activation of the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (Creb) in the aged hippocampus. Our data indicate that exposure of aged mice to young blood late in life is capable of rejuvenating synaptic plasticity and improving cognitive function.

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Vascular niche for adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Theo Palmer, Andrew R. Willhoite, Fred Gage (2000)

The thin lamina between the hippocampal hilus and granule cell layer, or subgranule zone (SGZ), is an area of active proliferation within the adult hippocampus known to generate new neurons throughout adult life. Although the neuronal fate of many dividing cells is well documented, little information is available about the phenotypes of cells in S-phase or how the dividing cells might interact with neighboring cells in the process of neurogenesis. Here, we make the unexpected observation that dividing cells are found in dense clusters associated with the vasculature and roughly 37% of all dividing cells are immunoreactive for endothelial markers. Most of the newborn endothelial cells disappear over several weeks, suggesting that neurogenesis is intimately associated with a process of active vascular recruitment and subsequent remodeling. The present data provide the first evidence that adult neurogenesis occurs within an angiogenic niche. This environment may provide a novel interface where mesenchyme-derived cells and circulating factors influence plasticity in the adult central nervous system. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Notch-mediated restoration of regenerative potential to aged muscle.

Irina M. Conboy, Michael J. Conboy, Gayle M Smythe … (2003)

A hallmark of aging is diminished regenerative potential of tissues, but the mechanism of this decline is unknown. Analysis of injured muscle revealed that, with age, resident precursor cells (satellite cells) had a markedly impaired propensity to proliferate and to produce myoblasts necessary for muscle regeneration. This was due to insufficient up-regulation of the Notch ligand Delta and, thus, diminished activation of Notch in aged, regenerating muscle. Inhibition of Notch impaired regeneration of young muscle, whereas forced activation of Notch restored regenerative potential to old muscle. Thus, Notch signaling is a key determinant of muscle regenerative potential that declines with age.