- Tissue regeneration is the process of restructuring damaged tissues and organs in the body for healing or replacement.
- The field of regenerative medicine is still new, and researchers are investigating how they can use tissue regeneration for certain diseases.
- Researchers from the Spanish Biomedicine Research Institute found that vitamin B12 plays an important role in tissue regeneration.
- Scientists also reported that vitamin B12 supplementation accelerated tissue repair in an ulcerative colitis model.
These tissues and organs may be injured due to aging, trauma, disease, or congenital defects.
The field of regenerative medicine is still new and experimental.
Now researchers from the Biomedicine Research Institute in Spain report evidence showing that vitamin B12 plays an important role in cellular reprogramming and tissue regeneration.
The findings were recently published in the journal
The scientists tested their theory in a model of ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and showed that intestinal cells trying to repair themselves may benefit from vitamin B12 supplementation.
Dr. D., who was a researcher at the Biomedical Research Institute in Spain at the time of the research and recently moved to Altos Laboratories in the United Kingdom. According to Manuel Serrano, one of the co-authors of this study, Dr. Manuel Serrano, they decided to work. The effect of vitamin B12 on cellular reprogramming and tissue regeneration after an unexpected finding when they analyzed how the microbial population in the colon changes during reprogramming.
Dr. “The microbiota of mammals is in balance with the host,” Serrano said. Today’s Medical News. “If the host metabolism changes, it affects the microbiota and vice versa. We found that during reprogramming in mice, the microbiota presents changes that indicate nutrient deficiencies.” [vitamin] B12. [Vitamin] “B12 is essential for bacteria as well as mammals.”
Past research shows that vitamin B12 helps the body with repair, for example by stimulating neurological tissues.
Vitamin B12 has also been shown to play a protective role.
A study published in August 2022 found that vitamin B12 may help repair and regenerate damaged skin.
Using both mouse and cultured cell models, researchers found that vitamin B12 supplementation increased the efficiency of cell reprogramming, considered an early stage of tissue repair.
D., a researcher at the Biomedical Research Institute in Spain and co-chair author of this study. Marta Kovatcheva said: MNT How does vitamin B12 aid cellular reprogramming and tissue regeneration?
“[Vitamin] B12 is involved in only two metabolic reactions in mammals, including mice and humans, and one of these reactions is vital. [producing)] a chemical label, more technically ‘a’
Dr. “This ‘tagging’ is very complex and dynamic, and although not yet fully understood, it is key to determining the behavior of cells, including their ability to repair or regenerate tissue,” Kovatcheva said.
“During critical periods such as injury, cells require large amounts of ‘methyl tag’ and therefore B12. So much so that reprogrammed mice experience partial B12 deficiency despite their normal healthy diet. B12 supplementation facilitates reprogramming and tissue repair; faster and more widespread happens as “.
–Dr. Marta Kovatcheva
Dr. Serrano and Kovatcheva also led their team in testing their theory of vitamin B12 on a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.
The researchers found that the intestinal cells that initiate repair undergo a process similar to cellular reprogramming and may benefit from vitamin B12 supplementation. And they reported that vitamin B12 supplementation accelerated tissue repair in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.
Both scientists believe these findings could open new doors for regenerative medicine.
Dr. “B12 supplementation is simple, inexpensive and safe,” commented Serrano. “I’m very curious how this will affect the recovery of surgery patients, for example.”
Dr. “There are also diseases that can be beneficial, such as colon ulcers,” Kovatcheva added. “Theoretically, any disease that involves an active injury process could benefit from this. But of course this would require appropriate clinical testing.”
Dr. Serrano was also part of them
Dr. “In this study conducted by Prof. Rosa Lamuela and Ramon Estruch from the University of Barcelona, we found that high levels of B12 in the blood of volunteers were associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers,” said Serrano.
“These inflammatory markers reflect the presence of ongoing injuries and damage that can occur on a very local scale. The relationship between high B12 and low inflammation is consistent with the idea that high B12 helps the body resolve and repair tissue damage,” he added.
After reviewing this study, Dr. Rosario Ligresti, associate professor of medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Rosario Ligresti said: MNT He found the research fascinating.
“Much is known about how cells repair themselves, but much is unknown. This study sheds some light on the complex processes involved. When the gastrointestinal tract is injured, the body quickly mobilizes to repair itself. Part of the repair process involves the recruitment of stem cells. But these stem cells “In order to replace lost or injured cells, they must go through a process called reprogramming.”
–Dr. Rosario Ligresti
“As highlighted in this paper, this depends on two functioning systems in the gastrointestinal tract: the microbiome and adequate levels of vitamin B12,” he added. “If any of these two factors are missing or altered, the regeneration of the intestinal tract will not be as effective as it could be.”
D., a board-certified gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. Babak Firoozi agrees and said it adds to our current knowledge of regenerative medicine.
“Especially for gastroenterology, which is my field, because intestinal cells need to regenerate at a very constant level, when there is any damage you want to repair that damage properly, so you need to have the right tools,” Dr. explained. Firoozi. MNT. “And especially with vitamins, you need to have the right nutrients for this to be done effectively and optimally.”
Dr. Firoozi said he would like to see a treatment developed using B12 for ulcerative colitis.
“The problem with ulcerative colitis is that you have a lot of inflammation and very high cell turnover,” he added. “And it would be nice to see if you could not only stop this but also reverse it and have normal tissue again.”
Dr. According to Ligresti, vitamin B12 deficiency is mostly seen in societies with vegan diets, in the elderly due to malabsorption, and in people with chronic diseases. Helicobacter pylori infection.
Dr. Firoozi said that for those looking to increase their vitamin B12 intake, they would essentially do the following:
However, dairy products and eggs also naturally contain vitamin B12. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly sources of B12 include fortified plant milks, nutritional yeast, fortified cereals or supplements.
Dr. Firoozi also noted: “Elderly patients may find that visiting their doctor for a monthly B12 shot is the easiest way to supplement their intake; oral B12 supplementation is largely ineffective in older patients.”