Laboratory of Cell-Based Therapies for Neuropathologies, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2011;713:161-75. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-0763-4_10.
Cell fusion is a natural process implicated in normal development, immune response, tissue formation, and with a prominent role in stem cell plasticity. The discovery that bone marrow stem cells fuse with several cell types, under normal condition or after an injury, introduces new possibilities in regenerative medicine and genetic repair. Cell fusion has been shown to be implicated in regeneration, and the complementation of recessive mutations affecting the liver, brain, muscle, lung and gut, under appropriate conditions. However, we should be cautious and better understand the mechanisms that govern cell fusion during regeneration before to consider it as clinically relevant. In this chapter, we will present the current evidences about the role of cell fusion in tissue regeneration and its future potential as therapy. Cell fusion is an exciting and promising research field. In addition, we will review the challenges that should face the fusion process to become therapeutically effective and safe.
细胞融合是一种自然过程，涉及正常发育、免疫反应、组织形成，在干细胞可塑性中起重要作用。骨髓干细胞在正常条件下或受伤后与多种细胞类型融合的发现，为再生医学和基因修复带来了新的可能性。细胞融合已被证明与再生有关，并在适当条件下可以补充影响肝脏、大脑、肌肉、肺和肠道的隐性突变。然而，在考虑将其作为临床相关治疗方法之前，我们应该谨慎并更好地了解细胞融合在再生过程中的调控机制。在本章中，我们将介绍细胞融合在组织再生中的作用的最新证据及其作为治疗方法的未来潜力。细胞融合是一个令人兴奋和有前途的研究领域。此外，我们还将回顾融合过程面临的挑战，以使其成为有效的和安全的治疗方法。
