Stem cell proteins can regenerate bones
25 Jun 2015 by Evoluted New Media
By using proteins from stem cells, scientists have developed a method to regrow bone tissue.
A research team the Gladstone Institutes used proteins produced by stem cells rather than the stem cells themselves to stimulate bone reconstruction.
“This proof-of-principle work establishes a novel bone formation therapy that exploits the regenerative potential of stem cells. With this technique, we can produce new tissue that is completely stem cell-derived and that performs similarly with the gold standard in the field,” said Dr Todd McDevitt at Gladstone Institutes.
In the study, published in Scientific Reports, the scientists extracted the bone-forming proteins – bone morphogenic protein – from stem cells and treated them with a chemical to coax the proteins into early bone cells. Next, they injected the proteins into the muscle tissue of mice to facilitate bone growth.
The results showed that the proteins were effective in creating new bone tissue. The team suggested that the injected substances could be a consistent and reproducible source material for tissue regeneration.
The scientists suggested that unlike current treatments, which include cell transplantation or tissues from cadavers or donors, this method is much safer as the risks of cells being rejected and tumour formation is much lower.
“These limitations motivate the need for more consistent and reproducible source material for tissue regeneration. As a renewable resource that is both scalable and consistent in manufacturing, pluripotent stem cells are an ideal solution,” said research leader Dr McDevitt.
