 |
| Piotr Walczak |
A team of scientists at Johns
Hopkins University recently reported the successful delivery of stem cells to
an animal brain with unprecedented precision by threading a catheter through an
artery.
The Johns Hopkins scientists were
able to infuse the cells under real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
guidance. The scientists hope that their tests in anesthetized dogs and pigs
are a step toward future human trials to potentially treat Parkinson’s disease,
stroke and other brain-damaging disorders.
“Although stem cell-based
therapies seem very promising, we’ve seen many clinical trials fail,” Dr. Piotr
Walczak, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine’s Institute for Cell Engineering, said. “In our view, what’s needed
are tools to precisely target and deliver stem cells to larger areas of the
brain. The therapeutic promise of human stem cells is derived from their
ability to develop into any kind of cell and, in theory, regenerate injured or
diseased tissues ranging from the insulin-making islet cells of the pancreas
that are lost in Type 1 diabetes to the dopamine-producing brain cells that die
off in Parkinson’s disease.”
During the procedure, the Johns
Hopkins team injected both small stem cells and large mesenchymal stem cells
from bone marrow into the animals under MRI guidance. The team found that in
both cases, the pre-injected contrast agent and MRI allowed them to accurately
predict where the cells would end up. The team could also tell whether clumps
of cells were forming in arteries to avoid letting the clumps build up and pose
a danger.
“If further research confirms our
progress, we think this procedure could be a big step forward in precision
medicine, allowing doctors to deliver stem cells or medications exactly where
they’re needed for each patient,” Walczak said.
https://lifesciencedaily.com/industry-innovation/18718-johns-hopkins-scientists-use-mri-guidance-deliver-stem-cells-animal-brains/
No comments:
Post a Comment