A Protein That Induces Stem Cells Found To Stimulate Muscle Regeneration
A protein called Wnt7a has been found to increase the number of stem cells in muscle tissue, leading to accelerated growth and repair of skeletal muscle. This has been found in a study research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa.
The finding shows that, by targeting stem cells to boost their numbers, we can improve the body’s ability to repair muscle tissue, senior author Dr. Michael Rudnicki was reported saying.
Rudnicki is the scientific director of Canada’s Stem Cell Network and a professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa.
Stem Cells Creted From Pig Cells In China
Scince Daily had reported via EurekaAlert a research published in journal of molecular cell biology that scientists have managed to induce cells from pigs to transform into pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent cells aare cells like embryonic stem cells, are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body.
It is a breakthrough. It is the first time in the world that this has been achieved using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves or ungulates. Read more
Stem Cell Therapy May Spell End Of Transplants
British scientists have developed a new technique that can rebuild a severely damaged heart, and one day, might replace the need for transplantation.
Researchers at Imperial College London revealed that stem cell heart surgery can help repair damaged hearts using progenitor cells derived from patients’ own cardiac muscle.
They have discovered a way to extract grow in the laboratory and then graft on a patient’s own muscle-building ells which then can be used to patch up the heart and increase its pumping power. Moreover it can increase the quality of life for people who suffer a heart attack.
“This could transform the care for patients who have had heart attacks or have heart disease,” the Telegraph quoted Nicholas Boon president of the British Cardiovascular Society as saying.
“Because the cell therapy uses a patient’s own cells it negates the risks or complications associated with other treatment options such as rejection linked to transplantation,” he said.
Source: TOI
Stem Cell Research To Get A Boost – Obama To Reverse The Limits
Stem cell research is poised to become better. A boost to stem cell research is about to arrive when President of USA, Mr Barack Obama would announce the reversal of restriction imposed by Bush government.
The news has been reported by American Constitution Society Blog today.
President is likely to announce this on Monday. Today is Saturday. Two more days to go.
Earlier, Bush government had limited the lines of stem cells that scientists can study. This, while being hailed by religious groups was opposed by scientists.
Obama said the Bush order limiting stem cell research “handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations.”
This is a welcome news in science. Stem cell is the most promising research that medicine could ever take.