Scientists discover tissue treatment properties of neuropeptide

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean researchers said Monday they have found properties that can help heal damaged tissue in a neuropeptide responsible for transmitting pain information in the body.

The findings, published in the latest online edition of Nature Medicine, showed
that substance P (SP) not only transmits pain signals, but also helps activate
mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in bone marrow to facilitate the healing of damaged
tissues.
MSCs are so-called multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety
of cells that can repair damaged cells, although they are relatively inefficient.
In addition, there is a lack of understanding of how they are activated that has
effectively limited their use in treatment.
Researchers led by Kyunghee University life science professor Son Young-sook said
the SPs bypass the nervous system, which usually gets information first, and
directly send information to the marrow, with the speed and amount of the
neuropeptide mobilized depending on extent of the damage.
Son conducted the research as a member of the Stem Cell Research Center, funded
by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the health ministry.
Kim Dong-wook, head of the stem cell center, said the latest discovery is
noteworthy because it identified for the first time how MSC are activated. In the
past, scientists were aware that stem cells helped treat damaged tissues without
understanding the exact triggering mechanism.
He said experiments on healthy laboratory animals showed the injection of SP into
the blood helped build bone cartilage, while the neuropeptide helped tissue
repair in rabbits with damaged eyes.
Local researchers, meanwhile, said the latest discovery has received patents in
South Korea and Europe, with applications having been submitted in the United
States, Japan and China.
yonngong@yna