Absence of male hormones extends transplanted cell survival, says new study
December 03, 2015
"Our model provides a starting point for systematically assessing the hormonal and other physiological requirements for trophoblast cells in vivo," concludes Dr. Binas and his colleagues.
This study, for the first time, demonstrates that long term survival of trophoblast cells in the absence of ovarian hormones is possible.
"These are exciting results and clearly show that the relationship of stem cells with the host or transplant recipient includes a complex interaction between the 'seed and the soil'," said section editor Dr. Stephen Strom, professor in the Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. "In the case described here, the "soil" or the natural female environment free of male hormones is an appropriate and supportive environment for TSCs, whereas, the presence of the male hormones proved quite unfavorable for the sustained engraftment of the cells.The good part is that this paper demonstrates that cells such as TSCs confer immunoprotection to another cell type when co-transplanted with the TSCs. However this benefit is only extended to female recipients - males need not apply".
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair