Y-27632 is a biochemical tool used in the study of the rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) signaling pathways. Y-27632 selectively inhibits p160ROCK, although it does inhibit other protein kinases such as PKCs at higher concentrations.
It has been studied for its effects on corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and cardiac stem cells (CSCs).
The substance has been used as part of a chemical cocktail to turn old and senescent human cells back into young ones (as measured by transcriptomic age), without turning them all the way back into undifferentiated stem cells.
A mixture of methylcellulose (1%), ethylene glycol (10%), dimethyl sulfoxide (10%), and Y-27632 (10 μM), termed MEDY, has been shown to be an effective cryopreservation reagent for brain tissue, enabling tissue to resume growth and function after freezing using liquid nitrogen.
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