Scientists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have uncovered possible mechanisms for healing and vesicle function. The team demonstrated this ability by researchersCells after a heart attackNot only were they able to resuscitate patients, but they were also able to keep them functioning despite a lack of oxygen during their illness. They demonstrated this functionality in human tissue using an organ-on-a-chip system with embedded sensors that continuously tracked such tissue contractions.
Repair ischemic stroke through vesicle function
The team also showed that these intercellular travelers can originate from endothelial cells, which line the surface of blood vessels and are easier to maintain than stem cells. The technology used is so advanced that scientists can use it to develop medicines. In this study, researchers mimicked heart disease using tissue-on-a-chip with human cells. In addition, a novel therapeutic approach can be developed to treat heart disease. Heart attacks or myocardial infarctions occur when blood flow to the heart is blocked. Of course, the best way to treat a heart attack is to restore blood flow. However, this process can actually cause more damage to the cells in the heart. One like thatischemic reperfusionor reoxygenation occurs when blood supply returns to tissues after a period of oxygen deprivation.
The cellular response to this involves multiple mechanisms such as calcium and proton overload, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and more. These complex processes present a challenge to the development of effective therapies that can address each of these problems. In this case, endothelium-derived vesicle function may come into play. Because these vesicles come from vascular tissue specifically adapted to hypoxic stress, the researchers hypothesized that the cargo they carry could directly protect the heart muscle. Many of these proteins are related to metabolic processes such as respiration, signaling and homeostasis. In other words, many processes relate to the heart's response to stress.
Research results
The researchers found that cardiomyocytes in tissues treated with vesicle function adapt better to stressful conditions. This allowed them to maintain a higher workload. The team created an artificial injury through three hours of oxygen restriction, followed by 90 minutes of reoxygenation. They then measured the proportion of dead cells and the contractions of the tissue. The treated heart tissue had half as many dead cells and four times the force of contraction as the untreated tissue after injury. The research team also found that injured cardiomyocytes treated with extracellular vesicles had a number of proteins that were more similar to uninjured compared to untreated cells. Surprisingly, the scientists also observed that cells treated in this way continued to contract even without oxygen.
DieStudy results show, that vesicles supplement the injured cells with proteins and signaling molecules. This supports various metabolic processes and thus paves the way for new therapeutic approaches. Such cell therapies could be beneficial if the traditional model of a molecule fails to cure heart disease. In the future, medicine will be able to therapeutically use synthetic exosomes that are more efficient and accessible.
