Stem Cells Follow The Music

Frankfurt, Germany -

One of the main issues with stem cell therapy is induction of their migration to area of need. In a report published recently (Aicher et al. Low-Energy Shock Wave for Enhancing Recruitment of Endothelial Progenitor Cells. A New Modality to Increase Efficacy of Cell Therapy in Chronic Hind Limb Ischemia. Circulation. 2006 Dec 4) a novel way of inducing migration was reported.

Investigators demonstrated that administration of low frequency sound waves increased expression of the stem cell chemoattractant genes SDF-1 and VEGF specifically in the area of administered sound waves.

More interestingly, they also demonstrated that migration of exogenously administered endothelial stem cells was markedly enhanced specifically to the area exposed to sound waves.

Augmentation of efficacy in a rat chronic limb ischemia model was also shown.

This study suggests that various means of "stressing" cells in vivo may induce upregulation of local stem cell chemoattracting factors.

We wonder
- by what mechanism does sound make SDF-1 get upregulated?
- would this actually cause more damage to already damaged tissue in clinical situations?
- what is the effect of localized growth factor administration on the sound-induced stem cell migration?