Studies reveal that cellular transplant to patients to aid the body in the fight against various diseases are proven to be more effective than the conventional infusion of laboratory-engineered cells. Cellular transplant of unpurified cells for immunotherapy results are unsatisfactory results.
There are a number of techniques when purifying the cells for infusion back to the patients. Cellular Transplant purification involves the removal of all other cell types in the structure. Nonremoval of these unwanted cells for cellular transplant will damage the cells and render the procedure useless.
Present cell purification procedures utilize antibodies binding them to the surface of cell receptors. Since receptors are common in many types of cell, they leave unwanted cells behind in preparation for the cellular transplant.
In Japan, Hirohide Saito and his team at the Center of Induced Pluripotent Stem (IPS) Cell Research and Application of Kyoto University, are in a study to zero in on methods that will allow the penetration of antibodies into the cells and not on the surface only. The tools of the team are searching for microRNAs (miRNAs), these are small molecules dwelling in plants and animals, reports Phys.Org.
According to NCBI, the miRNAs are not prone to damage as they require less handling. Dr. Saito and his team designed a tool for micro ribonucleic acid molecules that can turn the genes on and off. These molecules are active in silencing gene expression by repressing protein expression.
In a publication in a journal titled "Cell Stem Cell", a showcase of the results and plans of the team for further application of the engineered cells for cellular transplant are shown, reports Science Daily.
The miRNA had already purified various cell types and the team already has samples of different applicable cells like heart muscle cells, liver cells, those that line the blood vessels or ones that generate insulin.
