Stem cell therapy boosts body's ability to heal itself
A groundbreaking medical treatment that could dramatically enhance the body's ability to repair itself has been developed by a team of British researchers.The therapy, which makes the body release a flood of stem cells into the bloodstream, is designed to heal serious tissue damage caused by heart attacks and even repair broken bones. It is expected to enter animal trials later this year and if successful will mark a major step towards the ultimate goal of using patients' own stem cells to regenerate damaged and diseased organs.When the body is injured, bone marrow releases stem cells that home in on the damaged area. When they arrive, they start to grow into new tissues, such as heart cells, blood vessels, bone and cartilage.Scientists already know how to make bone marrow release a type of stem cell that can only make fresh blood cells. The technique is used to collect cells from...
Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science
More from The Guardian - Science
Related
- Scientists call up stem cell troops to repair the body using new drug combinationsThu, 8 Jan 2009, 10:30:11 EST
- UF scientists program blood stem cells to become vision cellsFri, 31 Jul 2009, 9:59:56 EDT
- Can stem cells heal damaged hearts? No easy answers, but some signs of hopeTue, 7 Oct 2008, 19:35:57 EDT
- Adult bone marrow stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can repair heart tissueThu, 28 May 2009, 11:46:14 EDT
- After heart attack, bone marrow stem cells increase blood flow within heartMon, 30 Mar 2009, 9:57:37 EDT