Bone Marrow Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells: New Generation of Autologous Cell Therapy Soon Ready for Prime Time?

Abstract

Very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) are major pluripotent stem cells described in human and mouse. In this issue of Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, Shaikh and colleagues show in a valuable work that mouse bone marrow collected after 5FU treatment contains VSELs able to undergo in vitro multi-lineage differentiation into cells from all three germ layers and also in germ and hematopoietic cells. These findings are robust since no confounding factor such as feeder cell fusion with VSELs can occur here. This paper allows one to better appreciate bone marrow-VSELs differentiation potential and opens new perspectives for autologous cell therapy. Furthermore, it might help explaining lots of contradictive data from the past 20 years, in particular related to ability of bone marrow cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

Why are hematopoietic stem cells so ‘sexy’? on a search for developmental explanation

“…19,51,52, In further support of this notion, we observed that VSELs highly express mRNA for the Flt-2 receptor (data not published).…”

“…Therefore, based on the assumption that HSCs are derived from VSELs and most likely are direct descendants of PGCs migrating during embryogenesis, 12,17,19,30 my group tested the responsiveness of HSCs to several factors that stimulate VSELs and PGCs. One group of such factors was the gonadal and pituitary sex hormones.…”

“…In sum, the expression of functional sex hormone receptors on PGCs, VSELs, and HSCs connects these two provocative concepts, 12,17–19 and this somewhat challenging point of view about hematopoiesis will be critically discussed in the current review.…”

Is COVID-19 a New Hematologic Disease?

“…If MSCs are an efficient treatment of Covid-19, other allogenic stem cells could be helpful in future of virus-inducible cytokine release syndrome: these are very small embryonic like stem cells (VSELs). Indeed, VSELs have the ability to support endothelial cells angiogenic potential [44] and also ability to have their own endothelial differentiation [45,46]. Therefore, VSELs have been proposed as a promising cell for cardiac and vascular regeneration [46][47][48].…”

“…Indeed, VSELs have the ability to support endothelial cells angiogenic potential [44] and also ability to have their own endothelial differentiation [45,46]. Therefore, VSELs have been proposed as a promising cell for cardiac and vascular regeneration [46][47][48]. Moreover, VSELs are able to give rise to hematopoietic cells and could counteract lymphopenia and side effects of inflammation on hematopoietic cells.…”