Media attention is increasing :)Extract from article in...

Media attention is increasing

Extract from article in phys.org
By John Hewitt
28 Mar 2020

One of the latest dispatches, coming to us courtesy of EMBO Reports, describes a curious situation in which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transfer mitos directly to T cells in order to tamp down an overactive immune system and curb an inflammatory response. More specifically, the Chilean authors report that mito uptake by CD+ T cells induces regulatory T cell differentiation and activation through increased expression of FOXP3, IL2RA, CTLA4, and TGFb mRNAs. Mesenchymal stem cell transfer had been well established in earlier disease models of acute respiratory distress (ARDs), in which transfer to macrophages through tunneling nanotubes upregulates their phagocytic capability.

Similarly, intratracheal administration of MSCs resulted in transfer of mitos to the alveolar epithelium to boost metabolic activity and mitigate lung damage. Other research has shown that bronchoalveolar fluid normally contains many mitos encapsulated in extracellular vesicles, and that myeloid-derived regulatory cells transfer mitos to CD4+ T cells using these exosomes. The donated mitos then integrate directly with the T cell mitochondrial network syncytium, suggesting some tantalizing possibilities for treating inflammation in the lungs.

Could we be talking about a potential new way to treat Covid-19 induced respiratory distress, here?