The researchers take stem cells from a single patient's blood and chemically wind them back in time, then forward again in a process called "directed differentiation," to eventually become insulin-producing cells.
"We need a stem cell solution that provides a potentially limitless source of cells," says James Shapiro, Canada Research Chair in Transplant Surgery and Regenerative Medicine and head of the Edmonton Protocol, which has allowed 750 transplantations of donated islet cells since it was first developed 21 years ago. "We need a way to make those cells so that they can't be seen and recognized as foreign by the body's immune system.
Shapiro says further safety and efficacy studies will need to be carried out before transplantation of stem-cell-derived islet cells is ready for human trials, but he is excited by the progress.
Education Education Latest News, Education Education Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: NewsMedical - 🏆 19. / 71 Read more »
Source: itvnews - 🏆 69. / 61 Read more »
Source: medical_xpress - 🏆 101. / 51 Read more »