UCLA Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs in Bioengineering and Stem Cell Dynamics

The headline “UCLA Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs in Bioengineering and Stem Cell Dynamics” can be rephrased as follows:

“UCLA Research Questions Established Notions in Bioengineering and Stem Cell Behavior”

In this study, UCLA scientists investigated mesenchymal stem cells found in bone marrow, which have the potential to secrete therapeutic proteins for tissue regeneration. What they discovered challenges our conventional understanding of the genetic instructions responsible for triggering the release of these therapeutic proteins.

Typically, bioengineered cells are used in laboratories to produce proteins like antibodies for medical purposes. It was believed that increasing a cell’s DNA instructions for producing a specific protein would lead to more of that protein being released from the cell. However, this study challenges this assumption, particularly in the case of mesenchymal stem cells.

When researchers compared the amount of a growth factor called VEGF-A released by these stem cells with the genes responsible for coding VEGF-A, they found surprising results. Gene expression was only weakly correlated with the actual secretion of the growth factor. Instead, the study identified other genes that better correlated with the secretion of VEGF-A, including one associated with a protein found on the surface of some stem cells.

These findings, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, suggest a need to reevaluate a fundamental concept in biology and biotechnology. While it has been widely assumed that higher gene expression leads to greater protein secretion, this study shows that this isn’t always the case, opening up new avenues of inquiry.

This research has implications for improving the manufacturing of antibody-based treatments and enhancing cellular therapies. Understanding which genetic switches to activate could lead to the development of highly productive cells for therapy production.

The study utilized a novel technology called nanovials, which allowed researchers to analyze single cells and their secretions, connecting protein secretion to gene expression. This breakthrough offers exciting opportunities for advancing life science research and therapeutic development, potentially leading to more effective treatments for various medical conditions.

The identification of genes linked to VEGF-A secretion, particularly one associated with a cell-surface protein called IL13RA2, could have a significant impact on clinical applications. Separating cells with high VEGF-A secretion potential using this marker may lead to more effective therapies.

Overall, this UCLA study challenges existing paradigms in stem cell research and bioengineering, paving the way for new insights and potential breakthroughs in therapeutic development.

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• UCLA Study in Nature Nanotechnology
• UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
• California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI)
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• Partillion Bioscience