Recently, ectoderm-derived mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs), which can differentiate not only to the mesodermal lineage cells but also to the ectodermal lineage cells such as neural and epithelial cells, have been shown to reside in bone marrow. In this study, we are now investigating physiological factors, designated as KOI2, which will be released from injured tissues, mobilize EMSCs from bone marrow, and recruit EMSCs to the injured tissues. We have been identified several canonical KOI2 factors, and now investigating their roles and mechanism to recruit EMSCs in the damaged tissues to induce scarless and functional tissue repair.
Understanding molecular mechanism of KOI2 will enable us to develop a strategy for scarless and functional tissue regeneration, resulting in providing novel therapeutics for intractable tissue damages, i.e. brain and heart attack, severe burn, intractable bone fracture, and so on.
