Lipid Attraction of Stem Cells

Montreal, Canada -

Stromal Derived Factor (SDF)-1 is one of the cell-to-cell communication signals that is involved in stem cells (mesenchymal and hematopoietic) migration to sites of injury. In a recent paper, (Meriane et al. Cooperation of matrix metalloproteinases with the RhoA/Rho kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways is required for the sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced mobilization of marrow-derived stromal cells. Stem Cells. 2006 Nov;24(11):2557-65) the mechanisms by which platelet derived shingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), causes mesenchymal stem cell chemoattraction was elucidated.

The investigators demonstrated that S1P-induced migration of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro require the activities of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Rho kinase (ROCK), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) signaling molecules.

Treatment of cells with S1P caused remodeling of the mesenchymal stem cell cytoskeleton through formation of actin stress fibers via activation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway in a MMP dependent manner.

Since several pharmaceutical drugs work on the S1P pathway, including the transplant anti-rejection drug FTY720, which inhibits this pathway , it would be interesting to see whether natural healing processes are inhibited in patients taking this drug.

Even more interesting would be to see if circulating endothelial stem cells are decreased in patients taking this drug !!

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