New approach moves cell therapy closer to treating many disorders

Medical Xpress September 3, 2024
Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell University

A new approach to manufacturing cells that secrete and deliver therapies to specific parts of the body has taken a big step toward one day repairing joints and damage after heart attacks, countering transplant rejection and healing currently untreatable lung conditions.

The cells, called mesenchymal stromal cells, can differentiate, like stem cells, to become connective tissue cells of cartilage, bone, fat and many organs. They can also be made to secrete mRNA drugs naturally produced by cells to induce repair and then deliver that payload to needed areas using a honing mechanism similar to immune cells.

While such cell therapies hold the promise to revolutionize treatment for many disorders, the research faces technology bottlenecks. Scientists have not completely understood the...