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April 22, 2005

Spleen Stem Cells Produce Potential Cures

Previously, researchers discovered that adult stem cells taken from the spleen could regenerate the insulin-producing islets of the pancreas. The finding is significant because it provides a potential cure for diabetes.

The same team is now reporting that spleen adult stem cells have properties previously believed to be present only during the embryonic development of mammals [more].

"There may be a previously undiscovered pocket of primitive stem cells in the spleen that are important for healing several types of damage or injury," says Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory and senior author of the SAGE KE report. "If so, these cells could have much broader therapeutic applications than suggested by our earlier work."

The successful application and potential uses for adult stem cells continue to grow and expand. Imagine the progress that could be made if the same public support for embryonic stem cell research were directed toward adult stem cells.

Source: bLogicus

Posted by Diabetologica at April 22, 2005 12:09 AM