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The bacteria that origin leprosy person been recovered to reprogram liver cells successful armadillos and marque the organ regrow, offering clues that could pb to caller treatments
Health 15 November 2022Computer artwork of Mycobacterium leprae bacteria Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo
The bacteria that origin leprosy tin reprogram liver cells to turn caller tissue, an quality that whitethorn assistance to make treatments to rejuvenate ageing and diseased livers.
Leprosy is caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae, which tin infect the nerves, skin, eyes and nose, starring to the condition’s main grounds of severely disfiguring sores, lumps and bumps.
Anura Rambukkana astatine the University of Edinburgh successful the UK and his colleagues person discovered that M. leprae performs what they telephone “biological alchemy” successful bid to turn and dispersed done big tissue.
In 2013, they reported that M. leprae hijacks the genes of Schwann cells, which signifier a fatty substance that insulates peripheral nervus fibres. The bacteria reactivate developmental genes, causing the Schwann cells to revert to a migratory, stem cell-like authorities and determination astir the body, enabling the bacteria to infect much cells.
In their latest study, Rambukkana and his colleagues amusement that M. leprae can likewise “reprogram” liver cells, too.
“Leprosy bacteria tin turn the liver tissues astatine organ level and this could construe to make therapies that could regenerate liver transplantation,” says Rambukkana.
The researchers infected 9 armadillos, the earthy big of leprosy bacteria, and recovered that corruption reprograms the full liver into a developmental state.
Infected animals had importantly larger livers containing ample numbers of dividing immature liver cells, arsenic good arsenic a proportionate enlargement of humor vessels and biliary ducts, which produce, store and secrete bile.
Importantly, the enlarged livers were perfectly healthy, showing nary signs of thickening, scarring oregon tumour growth. Infection besides activated anti-ageing genes and deactivated those associated with ageing.
Tissue reprogramming is simply a promising country of probe successful regenerative medicine, but determination are large information concerns. A wide utilized method for turning mature cells into stem cells successful the laboratory tin origin assertive cancers, says Rambukkana. “In contrast, our humble leprosy bacteria people induce partial reprogramming of big tissues.”
Unlocking the secrets of M. leprae could truthful assistance to make safer reprogramming methods.
“This survey provides a caller instrumentality to survey liver rejuvenation and regeneration,“ says Luca Urbani astatine the Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology successful London. “It whitethorn assistance america to recognize however to activate liver regeneration and maturation successful a harmless way, maintaining intact organ operation and functionality without the improvement of unwanted effects, specified arsenic tumour enactment and scarring.”
Journal reference: Cell Reports Medicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100820
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