%0 Journal Article
%T The Regenerative Role of the Fetal and Adult Stem Cell Secretome
%A Sveva Bollini
%A Chiara Gentili
%A Roberta Tasso
%A Ranieri Cancedda
%J Journal of Clinical Medicine
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/jcm2040302
%X For a long time, the stem cell regenerative paradigm has been based on the assumption that progenitor cells play a critical role in tissue repair by means of their plasticity and differentiation potential. However, recent works suggest that the mechanism underlying the benefits of stem cell transplantation might relate to a paracrine modulatory effect rather than the replacement of affected cells at the site of injury. Therefore, mounting evidence that stem cells may act as a reservoir of trophic signals released to modulate the surrounding tissue has led to a paradigm shift in regenerative medicine. Attention has been shifted from analysis of the stem cell genome to understanding the stem cell ¡°secretome¡±, which is represented by the growth factors, cytokines and chemokines produced through paracrine secretion. Insights into paracrine-mediated repair support a new approach in regenerative medicine and the isolation and administration of specific stem cell-derived paracrine factors may represent an extremely promising strategy, introducing paracrine-based therapy as a novel and feasible clinical application. In this review, we will discuss the regenerative potential of fetal and adult stem cells, with particular attention to their secretome.
%K stem cells
%K paracrine effect
%K secretome
%K microvesicles
%K trophic factors
%K tissue repair
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/2/4/302