No matter how efficient the cells in our body are, they need something to hold them together and form tissues. This work is done by adhesive molecules, or cell surface proteins, that define individual junctions and help form cell matrices. This vital function keeps our body tissues strong, our immune system efficient, and nerve cells that continue to facilitate communication. Unfortunately, this system has its caveats: sticky molecules bind cells like this: them and in some systems (e.g. nervous system) adhesive molecules are not enough to repair damaged tissues.
A group of researchers aims to change this with outside intervention. A team of bioengineers and molecular pharmacologists at the University of California, San Francisco, developed what they call a cellular “glue.” Specially designed cells have already demonstrated the ability of scientists to help control how certain cells communicate with each other, offering a unique opportunity to manage tissue construction and regeneration.
The team’s research, published last week in the journal Naturedescribes the process by which they reprogram existing cells to accomplish specific purposes. By combining orthogonal (or in this case, unidirectional) molecular interactions outside the cell with natural molecular interactions inside the cell, the researchers discovered that they could use the cell’s existing adhesive properties in almost any way they wanted. This eventually allowed the researchers to control the intercellular adhesive interactions.
First author Dr. “The properties of tissues like your skin are largely determined by how different cells are organized within it,” Adam Stevens said in a statement. “We’re developing ways to control this cell organization, which is central to synthesizing tissues with the properties we want them to have.”
The researchers’ cellular “glue” could have important implications for regenerative medicine, where tissues and organs are repaired or replaced after certain types of damage. As mentioned earlier, the nervous system is notorious for being somewhat of a hopeless cause after injury or illness. But now that scientists can adjust the way these cells connect, there is hope of restoring the functions of damaged nerve tissue. The team’s engineering discovery could also lead to the creation of organ transplant or disease models for laboratory research. Source
Source: Port Altele
