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Titolo	Paracrine/endocrine mechanism of stem cells on kidney repair: role of microvesicle-mediated transfer of genetic information
Autore	Giovanni Camusi a, Maria Chiara Deregibus a and Ciro Tetta b - aDepartment of Internal Medicine, Center for Molecular Biotechnology and Center for Research in Experimental Medicine (CeRMS), University of Torino, Torino, Italy and bFresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany
Referenza	Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension 2009; DOI:10.1097/MNH.0b013e328332fb6f
Contenuto	Purpose of review The mechanism of stem cell-induced kidney repair remains controversial. Engraftment of bone marrow-derived stem cells is considered a rare event and several studies point to paracrine/endocrine processes. This review focuses on microvesicle-mediated transfer of genetic information between stem cells and injured tissue as a paracrine/endocrine mechanism. Recent findings The following findings support a bidirectional exchange of genetic information between stem and injured cells: microvesicles shuttle defined patterns of mRNA and microRNA, are actively released from embryonic and adult stem cells and are internalized by a receptor-mediated mechanism in target cells; transcripts delivered by microvesicles from injured cells may reprogram the phenotype of stem cells to acquire specific features of the tissue; transcripts delivered by microvesicles from stem cells may induce dedifferentiation of cells surviving injury with cell cycle reentry and tissue self-repair. Summary Transfer of genetic information from injured cells may explain stem cell functional and phenotypic changes without the need for transdifferentiation into tissue cells. On the contrary, transfer of genetic information from stem cells may redirect altered functions in target cells suggesting that stem cells may repair damaged tissues without directly replacing parenchymal cells.
Data	26.10.2009

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