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New research published in STEM CELLS demonstrates improvements in the survival and effectiveness oftransplanted stem cells . A variety of breakthroughs have been achieved through researchingdifferentiation. Scientists have harvested cells from one part ofthe body and genetically adapted them to fulfill a specializedrole, however, if the implanted cells are too similar to the cellsof the targeted area, they may not have the plasticity to engraftand repair the injured tissue. Research leader Dr Hsiao Chang Chan, from the Chinese University ofHong Kong explains: "Stem cell differentiation and transplantation has been shown toimprove function in conditions including degenerative diseases andblood supply disorders. However, the survival rate of transplantedcells in patients limits their overall effectiveness, which is abarrier to clinical use." Dr Chan and his team wanted to overcome this problem byinvestigating de-differentiation, a process whereby specialized,differentiated cells are reverted back to a more primitive cell. Researchers based their investigation on multi-potent stem cells(MSCs) that can be changed into a variety of cell types throughdifferentiation. Bone marrow MSCs have the potential todifferentiate into each of the three basic types of lineage cells,i.e. those forming cartilage (chondrocytes), bone (osteocytes) andfat tissue (adipocytes). The researchers first differentiated bone marrow MSCs towards aneuronal lineage. Then they removed the differentiation conditionsto enable the cell to revert back to a form with more basiccellular characteristics. After this process researchers notedincreased cell survival rates following transplants. They discovered that de-differentiated cells were more effective inimproving cognitive functions and in aiding recovery from strokes in an animal model compared with un-manipulated stem cells inliving specimens and in laboratory experiments. The study's findings confirm that de-differentiation is a workabletechnique for reengineering cells to a more primitive, earlierstate, however, with increased cell survival rates that increasetheir potential for clinical use. Dr. Chan concludes: "The finding that MSCs can be reprogrammed to have enhancedsurvival and therapeutic efficacy in an animal model with potentialapplication to patients is extremely exciting as it may provide anovel and clinically practical method to overcome low cell survivalin cell-based therapy. We are currently exploring other beneficialproperties of the reprogrammed MSCs for other therapeuticapplications." Dr Mark Pittenger, STEM CELLS Associate Editor adds: "Many investigators have speculated that differentiation shouldimprove the utility of stem cells for transplantation, but how farto differentiate the cells for the best outcome is a difficultquestion. Dr Chan's team has helped provide an answer by educatingmesenchymal stem cells by pre-differentiating to the desiredlineage before de-differentiation, making MSCs easier to manipulateand implant. Interesting questions still remain for future worksuch as which factors are expressed in the pre-differentiated stemcells that persist upon de-differentiation and can thede-differentiated cells be frozen for future use?" Written by Petra Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Oxygen Jet Machine , China ND Yag Hair Removal for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Tattoo Removal Machine.
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