Science is progressing so fast that, with every new discovery, we get hope for a better tomorrow through advancements in health, technology, and many other aspects. In today’s post, we are going to talk about menstrual blood-derived stem cells, which have brought a revolution in the field of regenerative medicine.
What are menstrual-derived stem cells (MSc)?
As we know, stem cells are undifferentiated cells having the potential to differentiate into various types of cells.
They have 5 different groups based on their origin: multipotent, unipotent, pluripotent, totipotent, and oligopotent stem cells.
However, through research, it has been found that menstrual blood has a presence of stem cells, particularly these cells originate from the endometrium of the uterus. which is a layer shed during menstruation.
These menstrual-derived stem cells are multipotent (they have the ability to differentiate into the cells of a particular germ layer.
They are a type of adult stem cell that has the same properties as other adult stem cells; they can differentiate into nerve cells, bone cells, and cartilage cells.
They can be used to treat autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, nervous system repair, skin repair, and liver and lung diseases.
Also, they are easily accessible, free of ethical dilemmas, and abundant in terms of quantity as compared to other adult stem cells.
What research is backing the regenerative property of menstrual-derived stem cells (MSc)?
There have been multiple studies done; I’m going to list a few of them here:
Studies were done on primates, where there was a surgical resection of the endometrium that can support pregnancy, and complete regeneration of the endometrium was seen.
For women with menorrhagia (excessive blood loss during periods), electrosurgical ablation is used to remove the endometrial lining to reduce the symptoms. Pockets of endometrial tissue regenerate have been seen.
Some studies have found that a bit of endometrial tissue enters the circulation during the menstrual cycle, protecting other vital organs by aiding regeneration in them and reducing the risk of some conditions, as it is seen in post-menopausal women being at risk of developing hypertension, obesity, myocardial infarction, and other conditions as well.
The property of angiogenesis (forming new blood vessels) is seen in the endometrium.
What are the limitations of menstrual-derived stem cells (MSc)?
Their clinical relevance is limited to mice and rats; experiments using large animal models and then humans can make them clinically relevant.
After administration, only a few cells were able to integrate into tissues because diseased tissue hinders their integration in it.
They are prone to bacterial contamination during the process of isolation.
There is a lack of evidence for their sustained therapy.
What do you think about this discovery of stem cells in menstrual blood?
I think menstrual-derived stem cells can help in infertility and uterine repair. There should be further evaluations in this field to know its efficacy.
Although, there is more work to be done in this field but it is very interesting to evaluate if it can be implemented on human model. Because this can help in stem cell research breakthroughs.