Scientists have used stem cells to make a breakthrough in the fight against Muscular Dystrophy

DogFlu.Ca ^ | 02.12.07

[Coleus]

It is being reported that scientists have made a breakthrough in the fight against Muscular Dystrophy thanks to stem cell research. The scientists from Italy, claim that using mice, they have been able to promote muscle growth using adult stem cells.  GIULIO COSSU is the director of the Stem Cell Research Institute in Italy, and states:" The major finding is the identification of a subset of parasite able to repair dystrophic muscle in an immunodeficient dystrophic mouse."  "Given the fact the these cells has so far have appeared to have a better myogenic potential than the corresponding dog or mouse cells. We are relatively optimistic that they may do the same job inside a human muscle. We're not rushing to a clinical trial but we think now we have all the
elements, the basic science elements in hand to proceed in this direction."

Dr Robert Kapsa is the Senior Research Scientist with the National Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre in Melbourne and states: The research coming out of Italy is extremely exciting for people with muscular dystrophy as it represents a novel approach, and the fact that they were able to get the cells into the muscles through the arterial network is a very important point. It's extremely hard to treat muscular dystrophy given that muscular dystrophy involves the loss of a large proportion of the muscle over the entire body.  So, the importance of this work is that the cells that the Italian researchers have identified are able to be injected into the bloodstream and they seem to go to a large proportion of the muscle tissues throughout the body of the animals that they've applied this too.

The debate over the use of stem cells is being hotly contested in various parts of the world. Scientists are striving to be allowed to do research using stem cells, in order to enhance their ability to create vaccines, that will treat diseases that currently have no cure.  On the other hand, many people are of the belief that using stem cells is not only immoral, but wrong, thus they oppose the use of embryoes for any sort of scientific work.

[Bigh4u2]

Man that would be great.

It could also possibly lead to cures of other diseases like, hopefully, Rheumatoid Arthritis which my wife suffers from.

Too bad that clinical trials are so far away.

[SunkenCiv]

Please add me to the Stem Cell list.

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[neverdem]

IMHO, the author should have stopped before the last paragraph.

The debate over the use of stem cells is being hotly contested in various parts of the world. Scientists are striving to be allowed to do research using stem cells, in order to enhance their ability to create vaccines, that will treat diseases that currently have no cure.

I have never read about using stem cells to make vaccines before.

On the other hand, many people are of the belief that using stem cells is not only immoral, but wrong, thus they oppose the use of embryoes for any sort of scientific work.

I would have thought that if something is immoral, then by definition it is wrong. Maybe something was lost in translation. What am I missing?

[Coleus]

I have never read about using stem cells to make vaccines before.  >>>>

 

embryonic stem cells no, aborted fetuses, yes. 

 

 

[MHGinTN]

Well I'm sure liberals won't want to use this cure since it isn't made with embryonic stem cells.

[Coleus]

yea, right, LOL,

they'll be the first on line using their authority and arrogance to make sure they're first. Don't you know, they're so important and knowledgeable, we need them to survive.

[Coleus]

Stem cells may ease muscular dystrophy

 

Muscular Dystrophy: Reprogrammed Human Adult Stem Cells Rescue Diseased Muscle In Mice

 

Scientists report that adult stem cells isolated from humans with muscular dystrophy can be genetically corrected and used to induce functional improvement when transplanted into a mouse model of the disease. The research represents a significant advance toward the future development of a gene therapy that uses a patient's own cells to treat this devastating muscle-wasting disease.  Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a hereditary disease caused by a mutation in the gene that codes for a muscle protein called dystrophin. Dystrophin is a key structural protein that helps to keep muscle cells intact. DMD is characterized by a chronic degeneration of skeletal muscle cells that leads to progressive muscle weakness. Although intense research has focused on finding a way to replace the defective dystrophin protein, at this time there is no cure for DMD.

A research group led by Dr. Yvan Torrente from the University of Milan used a combination of cell- and gene-based therapy to isolate adult human stem cells from DMD patients and engineer a genetic modification to correct the dystrophin gene. "Use of the patient's own cells would reduce the risk of implant rejection seen with transplantation of normal muscle-forming cells," explains Dr. Torrente.  Muscle stem cells, identified by expression of the CD133 surface marker, were isolated from normal and dystrophic human blood and skeletal muscle. The isolated human muscle progenitors were implanted into the muscles of mice and were successfully recruited into muscle fibers. As expected, the CD133+ cells isolated from DMD patients expressed the mutated gene for dystrophin and gave rise to muscle cells that resembled muscle fibers in DMD patients.

The researchers then used a sophisticated genetic technique to repair the mutated dystrophin gene in the isolated DMD CD133+ cells so that dystrophin synthesis was restored. Importantly, intramuscular or intra-arterial delivery of the genetically corrected muscle cell progenitors resulted in significant recovery of muscle morphology, function, and dystrophin expression in a mouse model of muscular dystrophy.  "These data demonstrate that genetically engineered blood or muscle-derived CD133+ cells represent a possible tool for future stem cell-based autograft applications in humans with DMD," says Dr. Torrente. The authors caution that significant additional work needs to be done prior to using this technology in humans. "Additional research will substantially enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this effect and may lead to the improvement of gene and cell therapy strategies for DMD."

This research is published by Cell Press in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell.  The researchers include Rachid Benchaouir, Mirella Meregalli, Andrea Farini, Marzia Belicchi, Maurizio Battistelli, and Nereo Bresolin, of the University of Milan, in Milan, Italy; Yvan Torrente of the University of Milan, in Milan, Italy, and UNISTEM, at University of Milan, in Milan, Italy; Giuseppe D'Antona and Roberto Bottinelli, of the Human Physiology Unit, University of Pavia, in Pavia, Italy; Aure´ lie Goyenvalle, of Genethon-CNRS, in Evry, France; and Luis Garcia, of Genethon-CNRS, in Evry, France.  Adapted from materials provided by Cell Press.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Your wife’s RH can be cured now. I know. I’ve done it and so has my sister. It has to be done nutritionally. Look up “leaky gut syndrome”.

[Bigh4u2]

Thanks for the information.

I told my wife to ask her doctor about it because she is having other problems in her stomach and they can’t seem to find the cause.

Maybe this is it.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Has your wife been on a lot of drugs, antibiotics, etc? Does she have yeast infections?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I'm sure your doctor will pooh pooh the idea. When my sister was at Mayos she asked the doctor there and he had never heard of it.

The doctors nearly killed her before we took matters into our own hands.

Whether is's leaky gut syndrome or something else, the diet worked.

[Bigh4u2]

Has your wife been on a lot of drugs, antibiotics, etc?

She takes Enbril. Shots, twice a week.

She can’t use antibiotics because she has a bad reaction to them.

And no yeast infections either.

She also has fibro mialsia (sp?), restless leg syndrome, and possible Lupus (sp?), but they’re not sure about the Lupus.

[Bigh4u2]

“Whether is’s leaky gut syndrome or something else, the diet worked.”

Who provided the diet?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

We started with a diet outlined by Dr. Walt Stoll on his website. www.curezone.com is also a very good website. You have to get reading and studying.

I used megadoses of Vit C, Pantothentic acid and Vit E. Mine was not as bad as my sister's but mine was bad enough. I have found now that Vit C, and glucosamine, msm, chondroitin work for a hip problem. If I would give up all sugar, it would help.

[Bigh4u2]

Although I don’t know if the diet would work for her or not, I do know that without the Enbril, she would be bed ridden and be in a lot of pain.

Her sister died from it and that was after many years of pain and replacing and removing the joints in most of her body.

I will give this information to my wife, but she will have to decide if she wishes to try it or not.

Thanks again...

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

At the very least, I want to urge you to do all kinds of reading. I sincerely believe that my sister would no longer be with us if we hadn't done this.

She still has fibromyalgia but her liver is healed and there is no sign of RA. It's been a very long struggle but she looks healthy and even her medical doctor admitted it was good to see her looking healthy.

[VOA]

"Curses! ADULT Stem Cells to the rescue again!!!"

My oft-repeated impression of what some well-intentioned biological
researchers (and ESC fans) say to this sort of article.

Gad, this is getting old.