Five major functions of stem cells, each of which is crucial

Five major functions of stem cells, each of which is crucial

1. Replace and repair damaged and dead cells

Stem cells have the characteristic of automatic homing. After being injected into the human body, they can gather in damaged organs and corresponding parts and differentiate into specific cells of these organs and parts.

Under the influence of the target tissue microenvironment, it can differentiate into new cells and tissues and repair damaged tissues.

New tissue cells are grown through the differentiation function of stem cells themselves to compensate for the aging, death and damage of tissue cells, restore the health of diseased tissues and cells, participate in the repair of new blood vessels, and improve the microcirculation of damaged tissues.

2. Activate dormant and suppressed cells

As young newborn cells, stem cells bring a message of youth to adult cells that have left the cell cycle. Dormant cells and cells in an inhibited state stimulated by stem cells become activated, re-enter the cell cycle, and increase the number of newborn cells in the body through division and proliferation, which helps the body's metabolic process return to normal.

3. Paracrine effect

After being injected into the target tissue, stem cells can act on surrounding cells and exert paracrine effects by secreting various proteins, enzymes, and various factors (such as neurotrophic factors, anti-apoptotic factors, and other growth factors, cytokines), regulatory peptides, gas signaling molecules, and other bioactive factors. They promote cell proliferation, inhibit functional cell apoptosis, differentiate existing tissue progenitor cells, repair damaged tissues, and grow new tissues.

4. Immune regulation mechanism

Human immune diseases are the result of autoimmune cells "misjudging" and attacking their own important cells, tissues and organs. Stem cells themselves do not cause activation of immune cells, but can inhibit the proliferation of natural killer cells and exert immunosuppressive functions through cell-to-cell contact and the secretion of soluble factors. Stem cells have obvious immunosuppressive activity, and dynamically regulate the body's immune response through multi-molecule participation, multi-pathway regulation and paracrine effects, and interaction with the body's inflammatory microenvironment.

5. Promote the recovery of intercellular signal transduction

Signal transduction is an important basic life phenomenon. From the simplest single-cell organisms to the most advanced humans, all kinds of cells are constantly connected with the extracellular environment or other cells, conducting information and communicating, so that the organism maintains a balance with the extracellular environment and the organism itself. At the same time, signal transduction also regulates many life processes, such as cell proliferation and cell cycle, cell migration, cell morphology and functional differentiation and maintenance, immunity, stress, cell malignancy and cell apoptosis, etc. The proteins, enzymes, and bioactive factors secreted by stem cells can help repair and enhance intercellular signal transduction pathways. For example, mesenchymal stem cells secrete junction proteins to help cells connect and promote the opening of ion channels, so that the intercellular signal transduction pathways are unobstructed, the signal transmission is timely and accurate, and a healthy and stable signal transmission network is built to inhibit diseases caused by incorrect signal transmission.

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