What are Muse Cells?
- Lisa Matthews
- Sep 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 13
Muse stem cell therapy is a cutting-edge approach in regenerative medicine that uses a special type of adult stem cell called Muse cells—short for Multilineage-differentiating Stress-Enduring cells. These cells are naturally found in the body and have some remarkable properties that set them apart from traditional stem cells.
What Makes Muse Cells Unique?
Pluripotency: They can differentiate into all three germ layers—ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm—meaning they can become almost any cell type in the body.
Stress Resistance: Muse cells survive in harsh environments like low oxygen or inflammation, which makes them ideal for healing damaged tissues.
Spontaneous Differentiation: Unlike induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), Muse cells don’t require genetic manipulation to become other cell types.
Homing Ability: They naturally migrate to sites of injury when injected into the bloodstream.
Low Tumor Risk: They have a significantly lower risk of forming tumors compared to embryonic stem cells or iPSCs
What Can Muse Therapy Treat?
Muse stem cell therapy is being explored for a wide range of conditions, including:
Stroke and brain injuries
Heart attacks (myocardial infarction)
Spinal cord injuries
Skin and muscle regeneration
Autoimmune diseases and organ damage
How Are Muse Cells Sourced?
They’re typically harvested from:
Bone marrow
Adipose (fat) tissue
Skin
Umbilical cord blood2
These cells are then isolated using specific markers like SSEA-3, which helps distinguish them from other mesenchymal stem cells
Clinical Advantages of Muse Therapy
Natural pluripotency without genetic modification means fewer safety concerns.
Stress endurance allows Muse cells to survive and function in damaged or inflamed tissues.
Targeted repair: Muse cells respond to “SOS” signals like sphingosine-1-phosphate and migrate directly to injury sites.
Lower tumorigenic potential compared to iPSCs and ESCs
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