A new study, published today in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces, has found a new method for growing human embryonic stem cells, that doesn't rely on supporting human or animal cells.
Traditionally, these stem
cells are cultivated with the help of proteins from animals, which rules
out use in the treatment of humans. Growing stem cells on other human
cells risks contamination with pathogens that could transmit diseases to
patients.
The team of scientists led by the University of Surrey
and in collaboration with Professor Peter Donovan at the University of
California have developed a scaffold of carbon nanotubes upon which
human stem cells can be grown into a variety of tissues. These new
building blocks mimic the surface of the body's natural support cells
and act as scaffolding for stem cells to grow on. Cells that have
previously relied on external living cells can now be grown safely in
the laboratory, paving the way for revolutionary steps in replacing
tissue after injury or disease.
Dr Alan Dalton, senior lecturer
from the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey said: "While
carbon nanotubes have been used in the field of biomedicine for some
time, their use in human stem cell research has not previously been
explored successfully."
"Synthetic stem cell scaffolding has the
potential to change the lives of thousands of people, suffering from
diseases such as Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease, as well as
vision and hearing loss. It could lead to cheaper transplant treatments
and could potentially one day allow us to produce whole human organs
without the need for donors."
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