Retinoic Regeneration
The RLR pathway gives us another immune clue in the search for regenerative growth
From starfish and salamanders to fictional clawed superheroes, regeneration is a trait that has fascinated many – not only because it’s cool, but also because of its potential to revolutionize therapeutics. A team of researchers from Stanford University, Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Emory University School of Medicine, brought biomedicine slightly closer to realizing the dream, when they discovered another immune signaling pathway that could be manipulated to reprogram cells into pluripotency (1).
The investigators used loss- and gain-of-function studies to reveal that the retinoic acid-inducible gene 1-like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway is essential in the nuclear reprogramming of cells, which allows them transform into other organs or tissue. Could manipulation of the RLR pathway allow scientists to tap into regenerative properties by inducing the creation of pluripotent stem cells? Sounds like a positive next step.
The recent research adds to a growing body of knowledge in the field of regenerative medicine – the researchers previously showed the significance of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in nuclear programming (2) – deepening our understanding of the role that immune signaling pathways play in cellular manipulation. Though the ability to regrow whole limbs or eject bullets from gunshot wounds is some way down the road, we do appear to be one small step closer to a regenerative revolution...
- N Sayed et al., “Retinoic acid inducible gene 1 protein (RIG1)-like receptor pathway is required for efficient nuclear reprogramming”, Stem Cells, [Epub ahead of print] (2017). PMID: 28204086.
- J Lee et al., “Activation of innate immunity is required for efficient nuclear reprogramming”, Cell, 151, 547 – 558 (2012). PMID: 23101625.
My fascination with science, gaming, and writing led to my studying biology at university, while simultaneously working as an online games journalist. After university, I travelled across Europe, working on a novel and developing a game, before finding my way to Texere. As Associate Editor, I’m evolving my loves of science and writing, while continuing to pursue my passion for gaming and creative writing in a personal capacity.