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October 12, 2004

Adult Stem Cell Research Continues to Progress

Adult stem cells are used regulary and are increasingly showing substantial potential for treating additional diseases. For example,

The possible discovery of adult stem cells in the pancreas could offer hope for diabetics who take insulin shots to make up for defective cells.

Scientists from the University of Toronto believe they have found adult stem cells in the pancreas of mice that are capable of creating insulin-producing beta cells. Those cells can compensate for defective pancreatic islets, which are comprised mostly of beta cells. [LifeNews]

Reuters reports:

"Infusing patients with bone marrow cells can reinvigorate their dying hearts and grow tiny new arteries and heart muscle tissue, a treatment that may one day make many heart transplants unnecessary, Brazilian researchers said on Friday.

Dr. Hans Fernando Dohmann, coordinator of the research carried out at the Pro-Cardiac Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, told Reuters four patients out of the five studied no longer needed transplants after being treated with stem cells.

'It was the first time we saw that stem cells actually generate new arterioles, although we have indirectly observed that before via tests. That eliminated the need for transplants in four patients who had had indisputable transplant indications,' he said.

The experiment, to be detailed to a weekend meeting of heart researchers and submitted to the journal Circulation, adds to a growing body of research that suggests such treatments can someday avoid the need for many transplants…."

With good reason, Sozo states, "Adult stem cells continue to yield pleasantly surprising results while those of the embryonic variety are not delivering as much as promised. Pragmatism would dictate that the research dollars get spent on what works, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Why is that?"

Posted by Blogorithm at October 12, 2004 02:35 AM

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