Stem cells: Insights into the secretome

Stem cells have been considered as possible therapeutic vehicles for different health related problems such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Secreted molecules are key mediators in cell–cell interactions and influence the cross talk with the surrounding tissues. There is strong evidence supporting that crucial cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, communication and migration are strictly regulated from the cell secretome. The investigation of stem cell secretome is accumulating continuously increasing interest given the potential use of these cells in regenerative medicine. The scope of the review is to report the main findings from the investigation of stem cell secretome by the use of contemporary proteomics methods and discuss the current status of research in the field. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: An Updated Secretome.

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► Stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell lineages and mediate tissue repair.
► Studies of stem cell secretome aimed to uncover their mechanism of function.
► These involved the investigation of human, murine, embryonic and adult stem cells.
► Proteomics and targeted (mainly immunoarrays) approaches have been applied.
► Secreted proteins could contribute to the regeneration properties of these cells.