
Engineered nucleus-free mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to disease site
Specialized therapeutic delivery, or use of pharmaceuticals and other biomaterials to target specific parts of the body or diseased tissue, has long been sought as an ideal way of treating human diseases. A recent article published in Nature Biomedical Engineering revealed an innovative strategy to engineernucleus-free human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for targeted delivery of therapeutics to disease site. MSCs have emerged as promising vehicles of therapeutic delivery. MSCs are undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells derived from areas such as bone marrow and adipose tissue. MSCs are sought after for their chemotaxis, or ability to home towards a chemical stimulus, and capacity for modification with elements such as chemoattractant receptors and adhesion molecules. These properties allow for site-specific and minimally-invasive therapeutic administration and treatment.