What is Stem Cell: [StemCells] Have a 'new' body part, the Pentagon hopes

Saturday, March 28, 2009

[StemCells] Have a 'new' body part, the Pentagon hopes

USA: PENTAGON MAKES PROGRESS IN LIMB REGENERATION RESEARCH
Print Send this article(AGI) - Washington, 26 Mar.  The Pentagon has made a first step forward in its research into induced stem cells (those which do not come from embryos) to regenerate the amputated limbs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Researchers finally managed to transform epithelial cells in laboratory animals.
The cells were reverted to their primeval state, a sort of blastema, a mass of undifferentiated cells capable of developing into new body parts. Blastemas are found in nature in salamanders and tritons, animals which are capable re-growing limbs and associated body functions in the event of amputation. The final objective, which is still distant, is to replicate this extraordinary ability. Wired reports that research will focus on stage two before the final objective is reached. Stage two is the transformation of the cell mass into muscle tissue. The discovery was made by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Wpi), which received 570,000 dollars from Darpa, the Pentagons research department. Professor Raymond Page explained that The aim is that of effectively replacing lost muscle. The Darpa project, named "Restorative Injury Repair", aims to recover the full functionality of nerve and muscle tissues that have been damaged or loss because of combat wounds". The general programme was launched on April 20 of last year by the Pentagon which invested 250 million dollars over a period of five years. The military set up a new structure, the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (Afirm) to develop the new Japanese technique that is not object of controversy for the generation of stem cells by reverting adult epithelial cells from patients to a primeval state. This method produces stem cells which will not be rejected by the patient which would be exploited because of their capacity of transforming into any one of the 271 different types of tissue found in the human body.

http://www.agi.it/world/news/200903262107-cro-ren0099-art.html

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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
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