{"id":3315,"date":"2026-10-17T14:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T14:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=3315"},"modified":"2026-10-17T14:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T14:05:13","slug":"tufts-researchers-uncover-hidden-role-of-dormant-stem-cells-in-nasal-regeneration-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=3315","title":{"rendered":"Tufts Researchers Uncover Hidden Role of \u2018Dormant\u2019 Stem Cells in Nasal Regeneration"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a significant breakthrough for sensory biology, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) have unveiled a new three-dimensional model that provides a clearer view of how the human nose repairs itself. The study, published recently in Cell Reports Methods<\/em>, challenges long-held assumptions about stem cell behavior in the nasal cavity. Specifically, the team discovered that a specific type of stem cell, previously believed to be largely dormant, actually plays a vital, active role in preserving the sense of smell.<\/p>\n

Unlike the central nervous system, where neurons are notoriously difficult to regenerate, the sensory neurons in the nasal cavity possess a remarkable, lifelong capacity for renewal. This constant regenerative process allows humans to maintain their sense of smell despite the nose being a front-line barrier exposed to a relentless barrage of environmental toxins, pathogens, and pollutants. However, this biological resilience is not infinite. When faced with severe viral infections\u2014such as those caused by COVID-19\u2014prolonged exposure to toxins, or the natural process of aging, the regenerative capacity of these neurons can falter, leading to partial or total anosmia, the loss of smell.<\/p>\n

To better understand the mechanics of this decline, the Tufts research team, led by senior author Brian Lin, a research assistant professor in the Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, developed an easy-to-create 3D olfactory tissue model, or organoid. By utilizing this model, scientists can observe the intricate cellular dance required to form new smell-sensing nerve tissue. The research highlights a sophisticated communication network between two primary types of stem cells found in the nasal lining: horizontal basal cells (HBCs) and globose basal cells (GBCs).<\/p>\n

Redefining Stem Cell Roles<\/h3>\n

For years, the scientific consensus categorized HBCs as essentially dormant "reserve" cells, only activated in extreme circumstances to replace lost tissue. However, the Tufts study suggests this view was incomplete. "Our research suggests that these two stem cells may be interdependent," Lin explains. "One type that we thought was largely dormant\u2014HBCs\u2014may actually play a crucial role in supporting the production of new neurons and the repair of damaged tissue."<\/p>\n

Through their organoid model, the team identified a specific subpopulation of HBCs marked by the production of the protein KRT5. These cells were shown to be active participants in the generation of new olfactory neurons. When the researchers selectively depleted these KRT5-expressing HBCs from the organoid cultures, the generation of new neurons was significantly impaired. This outcome serves as a compelling piece of evidence that these cells are essential, not merely auxiliary, to the regenerative process.<\/p>\n

The implications of this finding are profound, particularly when considering the impact of age on sensory health. The team extended their study by comparing cells derived from mice of different ages. They observed a distinct decline in the regenerative capacity of cells taken from older subjects. "We found a decline in the ability of the older mice cells to generate new neurons," Lin notes. "We think this is due to a decrease in the GBC population as we age, but we need to do more work to test this hypothesis and, if so, develop ways to rejuvenate them."<\/p>\n

Democratizing Olfactory Research<\/h3>\n

The development of this 3D model was driven by a desire for accessibility. Juliana Gutschow Gameiro, the lead author of the study and a former visiting Ph.D. student at GSBS, spearheaded the effort to ensure the model was practical for laboratories that might not possess extensive funding or high-end equipment. Gameiro, who arrived at Tufts from the State University of Londrina in Brazil, focused her efforts on creating a robust but simple methodology that could be widely adopted.<\/p>\n

This democratization of research tools is timely. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the fragility of the sense of smell into the global spotlight, as millions reported olfactory dysfunction. Consequently, there has been a surge of interest from researchers across a variety of medical fields. "Because loss of smell is associated with COVID-19, as well as with Parkinson’s disease and other conditions, a much larger number of researchers from a variety of different fields have begun researching olfactory epithelial cells in the last few years," says Lin.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s primary goal was to provide a resource that allows non-stem cell biologists and those working in resource-constrained environments to investigate the complexities of neural regeneration. By making the process of creating organoids more accessible, the researchers hope to accelerate the pace of discovery regarding why the regenerative process fails in disease states and as humans age.<\/p>\n

The Path Toward Human Organoids<\/h3>\n

The current mouse-tissue model is viewed by the researchers as a vital stepping stone toward a much larger objective: the creation of a human olfactory organoid. Such a tool would revolutionize pre-clinical research, providing a platform to screen drugs and potential therapies for individuals suffering from chronic smell loss. Currently, developing treatments for olfactory dysfunction is hampered by the limitations of existing research methods. While whole-animal studies are common, they are often slow, costly, and do not always perfectly replicate human physiology.<\/p>\n

Human organoids have already proven to be effective research models for other vital systems, including the lungs and kidneys. However, creating a similar model for human olfactory tissue remains a significant technical hurdle. "It’s challenging to get pure olfactory tissue from humans," Lin admits.<\/p>\n

The collection process itself is invasive and complex. Clinicians typically use a brush, similar to those used for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, which is inserted deep into the nasal cavity to retrieve a sample. The difficulty lies in the biological composition of the sample. In human subjects, respiratory stem cells and olfactory stem cells are often intermingled in these samples, making it extremely difficult to isolate the specific cells needed for organoid development.<\/p>\n

The current challenge for the Tufts team is to refine a technique that is both simple and cost-effective for separating human olfactory stem cells from the surrounding respiratory tissue. Once they can reliably isolate these cells and coax them to thrive in a laboratory environment, the potential for drug screening and personalized medicine could expand exponentially.<\/p>\n

As the team looks toward future research, the focus remains on bridging the gap between basic cellular biology and clinical application. By uncovering the hidden roles of cells like the KRT5-marked HBCs and developing more accessible laboratory models, the researchers are laying the groundwork for a future where the loss of smell\u2014whether due to viral infection, neurodegenerative disease, or the natural progression of age\u2014might one day be a treatable condition rather than a permanent loss. The work highlights the necessity of peering into the often-overlooked components of our biological makeup, proving that even the most "dormant" cells may hold the key to restoring one of our most fundamental senses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a significant breakthrough for sensory biology, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) have unveiled a new three-dimensional model that provides a clearer view of how the human nose repairs itself. The study, published recently in Cell Reports Methods, challenges long-held assumptions about stem cell behavior […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[2672,4385,652,451,2485,3893,1166,653,1647,2671,2633,1160,651],"class_list":["post-3315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-wellness","tag-cells","tag-dormant","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-hidden","tag-nasal","tag-regeneration","tag-researchers","tag-role","tag-stem","tag-tufts","tag-uncover","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}