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Saturday, October 08, 2005Stem cells from amniotic fluid have been used to repair windpipe defects in unborn lambs while still in the womb. A team at the Children's Hospital Boston used the cells to grow sections of cartilage tube, which were then implanted into the unborn lambs. ....They collected a small quantity of mesenchymal stem cells from the amniotic fluid. These cells have the potential to develop into many different tissues, such as muscle, bone and cartilage. A biodegradable scaffold before receiving the mesenchymal cells from sheep amniotic fluid. The cells were cultured in the lab, "seeded" onto biodegradable tubes and exposed to growth factors to stimulate them to differentiate into cartilage tissue. Once the grafts had matured they were used to reconstruct defective windpipes in seven foetal lambs. Five lambs survived to term, all were able to breathe spontaneously at birth - four of them with no sign of respiratory distress. Lead researcher Dr Dario Fauza said the windpipe is not needed before birth, so this would be an ideal time to carry out repairs. He added: "Foetal healing is very good - it's better than adult healing." In addition, using the body's own stem cells to grow a graft minimises the risk of rejection. Yet another stem cell advancement that doesn't involve sacrificing a life. posted by Sydney on 10/08/2005 07:17:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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