Clumps of Cells as a Novel Basis for Regenerative Medicine

Source https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2023/12/clumps-of-cells-as-a-novel-basis-for-regenerative-medicine/

Researchers here note an interesting project, the production of self-assembling, mobile clumps of cells propelled by cilia, formed from lung epithelium. These mobile bodies can encourage growth in nerve cells, at least in vitro. How exactly that happens remains to be determined, but the usual mechanism is via release of pro-growth factors, either directly, or encapsulated in extracellular vesicles. Whether this is a useful basis for future regenerative therapies remains to be seen; one might imagine concerns attending the introduction of large numbers of these epithelial cell bodies into other tissues. The full paper is nonetheless an interesting read.

Researchers had previously developed tiny robots using clumps of embryonic frog…

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