Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Stem Cell Res Ther. 2019 Jan 11;10(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s13287-018-1114-8.
Although stem cells have emerged as promising sources for regenerative medicine, there are many potential safety hazards for their clinical application, including tumorigenicity, an availability shortage, senescence, and sensitivity to toxic environments. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have various advantages compared to other stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); thus, MSCs have been intensely investigated in recent studies. However, they are placed in a harsh environment after isolation and transplantation, and the adverse microenvironment substantially reduces the viability and therapeutic effects of MSCs. Intriguingly, melatonin (MT), which is primarily secreted by the pineal organ, has been found to influence the fate of MSCs during various physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we will focus on the recent progress made regarding the influence of MT on stem cell biology and its implications for regenerative medicine. In addition, several biomaterials have been proven to significantly improve the protective effects of MT on MSCs by controlling the release of MT. Collectively, MT will be a promising agent for enhancing MSC activities and the regenerative capacity via the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the release of immune factors in regenerative medicine.
虽然干细胞已成为再生医学有前途的来源，但它们的临床应用存在许多潜在的安全隐患，包括致瘤性、可用性短缺、衰老和对有毒环境的敏感性。间充质干细胞（MSCs）与其他干细胞（如胚胎干细胞（ESCs）和诱导多能干细胞（iPSCs））相比具有多种优势，因此在最近的研究中受到了广泛关注。然而，它们在分离和移植后处于恶劣的环境中，不良的微环境大大降低了 MSCs 的活力和治疗效果。有趣的是，主要由松果腺分泌的褪黑素（MT）已被发现会影响 MSCs 在各种生理和病理过程中的命运。在这篇综述中，我们将重点介绍 MT 对干细胞生物学的影响及其在再生医学中的应用的最新进展。此外，一些生物材料已被证明通过控制 MT 的释放，显著提高了 MT 对 MSCs 的保护作用。总的来说，MT 将成为一种有前途的药物，通过调节活性氧（ROS）的产生和免疫因子的释放，增强 MSC 的活性和再生能力，从而应用于再生医学。
