Researchers Use Adult Stem Cells To Create Soft Tissue
Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 29 Jun 2007 - 0:00 PST
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center received a $2.5
million grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering to use stem cells to engineer soft tissue, developing
a process that should ultimately allow scientists to use a patient's
own stem cells to develop tissue for facial reconstruction following
disfiguring injuries from war, cancer surgery or accidents.
The Columbia research team, led by Jeremy Mao, D.D.S., Ph.D.,
associate professor of dental medicine, aims to create long-lasting
soft tissue implants from mesenchymal stem cells harvested from the
patient's own bone marrow or adipose tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells
can differentiate into bone, fat, cartilage and other types of cells.
"Our research has shown that mesenchymal stem cells can create tissue
that is biocompatible with the host and that the continuous
generation of these cells can replenished the implant to reduce
shrinkage," said Dr. Mao.
Currently, surgeons often graft from the patient's own tissue, which
creates additional wounds. Grafted cells also fail to stay alive,
causing implants to shrink up to 70 percent and lose their shape and
volume. Attempts have also been made to use fat cells left over after
liposuction, but those cells also have a limited lifespan.
The Columbia team of biologists, biomedical engineers, biomaterial
scientists, imaging experts and surgeons has shown that human
mesenchymal stem cells can create long-lasting implants in mice. The
implant is created by placing the stem cells into an FDA-approved
scaffold that mimics the conditions needed to turn stem cells into
fat cells. Because stem cells have the ability to replicate and
differentiate, they can regenerate the soft tissue, keeping the
implant from shrinking. In mice, these cells have successfully
created fat cells that could be implanted and retained their size and
shape for at least a month.
Because the implants can be molded into any size or shape, they could
also be used for breast reconstruction.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership
in pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences
education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future
leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians,
scientists, nurses, dentists, and public health professionals at the
College of Physicians & Surgeons, the College of Dental Medicine, the
School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the
biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
and allied research centers and institutions.
Columbia University Medical Center
701 W. 168th St., HHSC 206
New York, NY 10032
United States
http://www.cumc.
http://www.medicaln
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
____________________________________________
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Earn your degree in as few as 2 years - Advance your career with an AS, BS, MS degree - College-Finder.net.
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment