LOS ANGELES: Scientists say they have discovered new ways to grow human tissues and organs for transplant.
An international consortium called Project Grandiose is looking at how specialized body cells can be reprogramd to behave like cells from an early embryo.
It could be the first step in implementing successful regenerative medicine therapies, where a small sample of a patient’s cells could be used to grow new tissues and organs.
Humans develop from just one cell, the fertilized egg, and this cell contains within its DNA a series of instructions to make all of the different types of cells in the body.
“The new type of stem cell we identified and characterized is easier to grow and manipulate, which will aid in drug screening efforts and disease modeling in the laboratory,” said researchers.
“This kind of work will speed up the development of treatments for many illnesses that currently have no cure.
“It could one day lead to treatments for age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injury, stroke, diabetes, blood and kidney diseases, and many others which are associated with tissue damage and cell loss.”…