A new method for creating stem cells for the human liver and pancreas, which could enable both cell types to be grown in sufficient quantities for clinical use, has been developed by scientists.
Using the technique, researchers have for the first time been able to grow a pure, self-renewing population of stem cells specific to the human foregut, the upper section of the human digestive system.
These so-called "Foregut stem cells" could then be developed further to produce liver or pancreatic cells. The method significantly improves on existing techniques for cultivating this type of stem cell, and raises the possibility that, with further work, they could be grown in large numbers in bioreactors. That would make it possible to use them for regenerative therapies, repairing damaged organs or tissues in the body, and treating conditions such as type I diabetes or liver disease. The scientists have developed a cell culture system which allows them to specifically isolate foregut stem cells in the lab.
These cells have huge implications for regenerative medicine, because they are the precursors to the thyroid upper airways, lungs, liver, pancreas, stomach and biliary systems. The scientists now have a system where they may be able to create all these cell types from the same starting population.
The approach marks a breakthrough because it overcomes some of the problems which currently limit scientists' abilities to grow cells associated with the liver, pancreas, and other parts of the foregut in sufficiently large numbers for clinical use. The scientists were also able to show that these human foregut stem cells do not form tumours, which means that they can be safely injected for therapeutic purposes, without having adverse side effects. Although the procedure does not improve scientists' ability to produce pancreatic or liver cells specifically, it does provide a much purer source population for doing so. The researchers are now building on the research by studying the mechanisms to further improve the production of these cell types for regenerative medicine.
Using the technique, researchers have for the first time been able to grow a pure, self-renewing population of stem cells specific to the human foregut, the upper section of the human digestive system.
These so-called "Foregut stem cells" could then be developed further to produce liver or pancreatic cells. The method significantly improves on existing techniques for cultivating this type of stem cell, and raises the possibility that, with further work, they could be grown in large numbers in bioreactors. That would make it possible to use them for regenerative therapies, repairing damaged organs or tissues in the body, and treating conditions such as type I diabetes or liver disease. The scientists have developed a cell culture system which allows them to specifically isolate foregut stem cells in the lab.
These cells have huge implications for regenerative medicine, because they are the precursors to the thyroid upper airways, lungs, liver, pancreas, stomach and biliary systems. The scientists now have a system where they may be able to create all these cell types from the same starting population.
The approach marks a breakthrough because it overcomes some of the problems which currently limit scientists' abilities to grow cells associated with the liver, pancreas, and other parts of the foregut in sufficiently large numbers for clinical use. The scientists were also able to show that these human foregut stem cells do not form tumours, which means that they can be safely injected for therapeutic purposes, without having adverse side effects. Although the procedure does not improve scientists' ability to produce pancreatic or liver cells specifically, it does provide a much purer source population for doing so. The researchers are now building on the research by studying the mechanisms to further improve the production of these cell types for regenerative medicine.
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