A new study led by researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children and the Institut Curie has significantly revealed how stem cells interact with their environment. Led by Dr. Meryem Baghdadi, Dr. Tae-Hee Kim, and Dr. Danijela Vignjevic, the study exposes a critical relationship between stem cells, mechanical signals. And their surroundings- one that could have major implications for diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
While some take it differently, basically, stem cells regulate main tissue health and organ functions through the continuous process of adoption. Via chemical signals and physical forces, to their immediate surroundings. Health-related problems would occur if there are problems in the way that a stem cell works. And issues such as IBDs and colorectal cancer show where diseases force many stem cells to proliferate endlessly into tumors.
Until now, researchers did not know how the cells sensed and responded to surrounding physical forces. That has changed with the insight from the recent study. It has come forward that for sensing by the stem cells, and thereby survival, they depend upon two particular ion channels: PIEZO1 and PIEZO2. These ion channels are critical in the functioning of the stem cells for maintaining their health.
Dr. Tae-Hee Kim, a SickKids senior scientist in the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology program, says the physical properties of a stem cell’s surroundings are important to health overall. The findings open doors for new ways to intervene to improve gastrointestinal regeneration, to prevent or repair damaged stem cells. With knowledge of how such cells interact with their surround, scientists might find ways to treat diseases such as IBD and colorectal cancer.
This work by this research team was informed by earlier studies, including that by Dr. Xi Huang of SickKids. In 2018, Dr. Huang showed that PIEZO channels played a role in the stiffening of tumors in brain cancers. Based on that, Dr. Kim and his team looked into how PIEZO channels affect stem in the intestines. They used this approach to create a preclinical model in which the PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 channels were knocked out in the intestines. The result was dramatic.
Without PIEZO channels, the stem could not perform their due functions. Consequently, the model was severely ill and died quickly. Contrary to the earlier thought of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 having different functions. The study demonstrates that both channels are important for maintaining stem cells. Their redundancy, though unexpected, proves vital for stem cell survival.
Further investigation showed that PIEZO channels help stem cells detect mechanical changes in their environment. For instance, they detect the stiffness or stretch of the environment. In the absence of such channels, stem cells lose the capability to recognize significant alterations in their immediate environment. This leads to an imbalance in the signaling pathways. And causes improper differentiation of stem cells, which may lead to various health disorders.
According to one of the lead researchers, Dr. Baghdadi, without PIEZO channels, the stem couldn’t just stay as stem cells. Rather, they would hasten to become other cell types and subsequently give rise to serious health problems.
This discovery has huge implications for human health. Diseases such as IBD, one of the fastest-growing diseases in Canada. Abnormal activities of stem cells associate with inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the country. How the stem interact with their environment may lead to the development of better treatments. And preventive measures against the diseases.
In the end, this study points out the critical role of mechanical signals in stem cell health. It demonstrates that stem cells are not just influenced by chemical signals but also by physical forces. As scientists continue to explore this relationship, they may uncover new ways to improve overall human health, from gut health to other areas of the body.
ANI
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