Posted on 12/12/2005 5:45:58 PM PST by xzins
Researchers find adult cells that mimic embryonic stem cells December 12th, 2005
Researcher Mariusz Ratajczak and his team have found adult stem cells that behave like embryonic stem cells. In a discovery that has the potential to change the face of stem cell research, a University of Louisville scientist has identified cells in the adult body that seem to behave like embryonic stem cells.
The cells, drawn from adult bone marrow, look like embryonic stem cells and appear to mimic their ability to multiply and develop into other kinds of cells, said Mariusz Ratajczak, director of the stem cell biology program at U of L’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, who led the research project.
The finding, presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta, was announced Dec. 12 at the society’s news conference.
Stem cells are naturally-occurring living cells that haven’t yet developed into the specialized cells that form body parts.
A study by Ratajczak’s team published last year in the journal “Leukemia” was the first to identify a type of stem cell in adult bone marrow that acts differently than other marrow stem cells. The newly-identified cells, called “very small embryonic-like” (VSEL) stem cells, have the same structure and protein markers as embryonic stem cells.
Ratajczak and several other researchers from U of L will present a paper Dec. 13 showing that VSEL stem cells mobilize into the bloodstream to help repair damaged tissue following a stroke.
His team also has grown VSEL cells in a lab and has stimulated them to change into nerve, heart and pancreas cells. If other scientists can duplicate the process on a larger scale, it could reduce the need for embryonic stem cells in research and eliminate rejection problems associated with using stem cells from an outside donor.
“We are very excited about the tremendous implications of this discovery,” Ratajczak said. “Our preliminary success in growing and differentiating these cells is very encouraging.”
Researchers worldwide have said that various types of stem cells hold great promise for understanding and treating a wide variety of diseases. They also could become a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues that could be used to treat such illnesses, conditions and disabilities as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, burns, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and arthritis. The use of embryonic stem cells, which can evolve into any type of cell in the body, has been surrounded by controversy.
Now, all those folks who wanted to carve up embryos and decant their stem cells can line up for a flensing themselves.
It this is true and being developed, it's big. Thanks for posting.
A key advantage adult stem cells is that they can be cultured from the patients themselves, avoiding the need for transplantation of someone else's cells and the lifetime of anti-rejection drugs that will require.
Thanks be to God.
This sounds like it could be a huge victory for both health and ethics this good doctor has it right.
This sounds like it could be a huge victory for both health and ethics IF (correction) this good doctor has it right.
No, they'll just have to figure out some other reason to carve up embryos.
Still, I think Orrin Hatch, among others, could use a good flensing ~ but this article suggests we only need to take him apart a limb at a time!
Can you imagine the ol'gals who'd be waiting in line to donate an egg cell for purposes of raising up one of Orrin's stem cells?
Sure wouldn't date any of them myself~
ping
Well, Shazaam!
This researcher is kinda late to the party, huh? I've been reading about this for over a year. People are being healed of physical ailments in other countries because stem cell treatment using ADULT stem cells is not allowed in the US. I hope this research, and the media covering it, will push the availability of the treatment here in the US.
I think we're dealing with something different in Ratajczak's research. He has discovered within bone marrow very small stem cells that are similar to embryonic stem cells.
They're ADULT stem cells; I hope that will be enough to get folks' attention, and make them realize that adult stem cells of ALL sorts have been healing people while embryonic stem cells have NOT.
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Well, there's still the huge market for baby body parts. So, we will still have to follow the money.
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