GUNA SpA and GUNA. We had some excellent conversations. I also spent time with Dr. Alessandro Perra the scientific director of GUNA. Dr. Perra and myself had a lively discussion of the use and importance of cytokines. We talked about some projects that we could possibly work on together.
One important aspect that we both shared is what is the most important organ in the body? This is somewhat a trick question which almost no one correctly guesses. Many people including most docs say the heart or the brain. We must think on a more basic level. The most important organ in the body is what we call the extra cellular matrix.
The Extracellular Matrix (ECM) is the part of the animal tissue that provides structural support to cells. The extracellular matrix maintains all aspects of the cell function. It is the environment of the cell and it includes essentially all cells. The ECM also prevents the immune system from triggering injury that would respond with inflammation and scar tissue, while facilitating surrounding cells to repair tissue. The extracellular matrix consists of the interstitial matrix and the basement membrane. The Interstitial Matrix is composed of polysaccharides (also called glycosaminoglycans or GAG for short) and fibrous proteins that are many times found in the form of gels. These gels fill the interstitial space and act as a compression buffer against the stress placed on the extracellular matrix. Hyaluronic acid is a very important polysaccharide which provides the ECM the ability to resist compression by providing a counteracting swelling force by absorbing a large amount of water. This is essentially the same as what is injected into knees. This is commonly called the “rooster comb” shoots. It comes with a number of different commercial names. Hyaluronic acid is far more than an inert substance. It can act as an environmental regulator of cellular behavior during body development, healing processes, inflammation and tumor development. We are now starting to realize the importance of Hyaluronic Acid, stem cells and how this all fits in with regenerative medicine.
The other portion of the matrix is the Basement Membrane which forms a sheet-like deposit of the extracellular matrix. It contains a variety of epithelial cells that rest there. The ECM is essential for intercellular communication and is instrumental for wound healing, growth and general well being. It also helps divide different tissue from one another.
One very important component of the ECM is collagen. Collagen is one of the major building blocks of cartilage, skin and other tissues. There are at least six different types of collagen. We must take into account when we are treating conditions with stem cells that collagen is one of the missing links. It is imperative that a source of collagen be provided to allow for repair to be accomplished. Collagen is the most abundant protein source of the ECM that also accounts for the majority of bone matrix content. They are present in the ECM’s fibrillar proteins and allow structural support to resident cells.
We must remember that without the ECM you would not be reading this blog because there would be no you or me. I am sure we will learn more about the ECM as time goes on. Thanks Dr. P