Posted on 03/13/2006 6:30:48 PM PST by Coleus
Japanese researchers have harvested stem cells from human menstrual blood, a medical conference has heard. The researchers say these stem cells could be coaxed into forming specialised heart cells, which might one-day be used to treat failing or damaged hearts.
At the meeting of the American College of Cardiology, Dr Shunichiro Miyoshi reported that he and his colleagues at Keio University in Tokyo collected menstrual blood from six women and harvested stem cells that originated in the lining of the uterus.
They were able to obtain about 30 times more stem cells from menstrual blood than from bone marrow, Miyoshi says. The stem cells were then cultured in a way to induce them to become heart cells. After five days about half of the cells contracted "spontaneously, rhythmical and synchronously, suggesting the presence of electrical communication" between the cells, Miyoshi says.
That is to say, they behaved like heart cells.
The researcher explains that already stem cells derived from bone marrow have been improved heart function, mainly by producing new blood vessels rather than new heart-muscle tissue. He emphasises that it is important that these cells be obtained from younger patients, because they would have a longer lifespan than cells harvested from older donors.
- A Wichita doctor has found that adult stem cells can be harvested from a woman’s menstrual fluid and developed into nine different types of human tissue.
Dr. Meng of the Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning International made the discovery. His findings show the adult stem cells harvested from the fluid can be developed into tissues such as heart, lung, liver, bone, and others. The discovery is dramatic because it involves adult stem cells — not embryonic stem cells, which have been the source of recent controversy.
Researchers hope these harvested cells will one day work to repair dead and dying tissues in our bodies.
“If there is a part of the heart that is damaged, that is dead, you can inject some of the stem cell, which will repair the damaged part,” Dr. Xialong Meng, researcher, said. “Then you have whole new heart again.”
There are several years of research still ahead in the stem cell arena, but researchers believe this latest discovery is very promising.
This is important, and many thanks to Coleus, but c’mon...
Actually, all deep thinking and middle school jokes aside, this is an incredible line of research and yields high promise. Adult stem cells from a easily obtainable, renewable source.
Filet, medium rare? Heck yeah!
Well, you’ve been around for, what, almost nine months now? ;’) ;’) :’D
Let’s not give anyone any ideas, K? :-D
Me neither. Blood is a remarkable tissue no matter what its source. And to quiet the pansys on this thread they are taking the specimen from inside the uterus not off some pad or tampon.
You’re messing up the thread. [rimshot!]
Just dam! ;-D
Where do I donate? I’ve been waiting for someone to come up with a good use for this stuff.
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