Research conducted by medical biologist Guido Krenning of the University Medical Center Groningen find a method whereby the cells can be instructed. This is a amazing advance in curing numerous life-threatening diseases. Krenning will be awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen on 29 April 2009.
Till now it has not been possible to control stem cells in such a way that:
a)they could be grown into new blood vessels outside the body,
b) When injected into an organ could influence the creation of new small blood vessels and tissue repair.
Krenning new technique can transform one type of stem cell from the blood into several cell types that together can form a new blood vessel.
Krenning has discovered that these stem cells do not act as building blocks but as a conductor that encourages the organ to regenerate itself.
This finding resulted in a better understanding of the processes behind organ repair and these can be better and more quickly applied.
At present arteriosclerosis therapies mainly aims to restore blood flow, for improving the overall functionality of the affected organs. To restore the blood flow a blood vessel from somewhere else in the body is used, or a synthetic tube. But own vessels is having a chance to be effected by bodies own illness, and synthetic materials may gradually slits up and create new blockage.
But as this new stem cell technique could creates blood vessels from patients own stem cell hence there will no chance of the occurrence of above problems.
Krennings research has produced so much knowledge about the functioning of these stem cells in controlling tissue regeneration, that tissue repair can also be instigated by imitating the instruction that stem cells give to the damaged tissue.
It is expected that Krennings research will very soon be applied in the prevention of or relief of patients who are suffering from diseases like Cardiovascular disorders.
Source: ScienceDaily