Pittsburgh Researchers Identify Population of Adult Stem Cells Found in Blood Vessels With Broad Ability To Regenerate Other Tissues

Results of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC study published in journal Cell Stem Cell

Pittsburgh, Pa. – September 22, 2008 –

In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle.

The scientists, led by Bruno Péault, PhD, deputy director of the Stem Cell Research Center at Children’s Hospital, identified cells known as pericytes that are multipotent, meaning they have broad developmental potential. Pericytes are found on the walls of small blood vessels such as capillaries and microvessels throughout the body and have the potential to be extracted and grown into many types of tissues, according to the study.

“This finding marks the first direct evidence of the source of multipotent adult stem cells known as mesenchymal stem cells. We believe pericytes represent one of the most promising sources of multipotent stem cells that scientists have been searching for in the quest to make regenerative medicine possible,” Dr. Péault said. “The encouraging aspect of this source is that blood vessels are the one structure that all tissues in the human body have in common. These cells can be extracted easily and painlessly from convenient sources such as fat tissue, dental pulp, umbilical cord and placental tissue, then grown in culture to large numbers and, possibly, re-injected into the patient to heal a broken bone, a failing joint or an injured muscle.”

Results of the study are published in the September issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.

In their laboratory in the John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, researchers were able to identify pericytes in all human tissues they analyzed, including muscle, fat, pancreas, placenta and many other samples. Through purification in the lab, these pericytes could then be coaxed into becoming whatever type of tissue the scientists desired. For instance, the researchers took pericytes from the pancreas and then reinjected them into an injured muscle. The cells immediately began regenerating muscle tissue.

Dr. Péault’s research includes the identification, characterization and purification of several categories of human stem cells: hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial stem cells, and pancreas and respiratory epithelium stem cells. He also is a scientist at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Prior to joining Children’s Hospital and McGowan, Dr. Péault served as research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and department head at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale in Paris.

Stem cell treatment in paralyzed woman

Stem cell treatment in paralyzed woman

Report by Christina Leavenworth, WALA Photojournalist: Hal Scheurich PENSACOLA, Fla.  –  Tara Blackwell graduated from Pine Forest High School, she was a star athlete. During a college softball tournament, she did a flip and broke her neck, leaving her paralyzed. Adult stem cells were taken from her bone marrow and injected into her spine. She says she’s starting to have feeling in her legs. Tara Blackwell told FOX10 News, “They inserted 9,000 stem cells into my spine. I can feel my left thigh, and what’s really weird when I itch my right shoulder, I can feel it in my hip. A small sensation means the world to her. Tara believes one day she will walk. She says she’s heard stories of people walking again after the treatment.

Adult Stem Cells for Stroke

Researchers at Texas A&M have shown that adult stem cells injected into the brain can repair stroke damage. They injected human bone marrow stem cells into the brains of mice that had induced stroke, and found that the adult stem cells could alleviate the damage caused by the stroke. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also indicated the mechanism of action of the adult stem cells in the brain. Previous studies have shown that mesenchymal stromal cells (a type of bone marrow stem cell) can reverse neural degeneration in the brain caused by disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke, but the mechanism was unclear. Dr. Darwin Prockop, the senior investigator, noted that “Our paper provides for the first time a molecular explanation of how adult stem/progenitor cells can ameliorate ischemic (reduced blood flow) damage to the brain.” The adult stem cells act primarily by signaling other cells in the brain, stimulating the brain cells to block inflammation that can lead to cell damage and death. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. This result, and the mechanism uncovered for adult stem cells, could lead to significant treatments not only for stroke and other brain disorders, but also for diseases and injuries to other tissues throughout the body.

\While not the first to suggest this mechanism of action for adult stem cells, Dr. Prockop has been a leader in investigating the actions of adult stem cells to repair tissue damage. Previous research includes the potential of adult stem cells to stimulate repair of the pancreas and kidneyy, to promote growth of new neural stem cells in the brain, and to form new airway cells for potential lung repair. One of his recent papers discussed at length the potential mechanisms used by adult stem cells for tissue repair.

Adult Stem Cells Help Liver (No Onions)

September 29 2008

Adult Stem Cells Help Liver (No Onions)

Doctors at Imperial College, London have published results showing improvement in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, after treatment with their own adult stem cells. Nine patients had their adult stem cells from blood collected, the numbers were boosted in the lab, and then the cells were injected into their livers. Positive results were seen within one week. Seven of the nine patients showed significant improvement up to 12 weeks (the extent monitored for this study), with three patients showing almost complete resolution. Dr. Nagy Habib, the senior author, said “We are encouraged that the majority of patients in this study experienced a significant improvement in their liver functions.” These latest results were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The new results using adult stem cells to treat liver damage are a follow-up to previous work done by Habib’s group and reported in 2006 and in 2007. Positive results using adult stem cells to treat liver damage in patients has also been reported by another group in Greece and in Japan.