Bone-marrow Cell Transplantation Could Save Limbs (p 427)August 07, 2002Injecting a patient’s bone-marrow cells into their legs could help repair damaged circulatory systems in those with limb ischaemia, suggest authors of a trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET. Lower limb ischaemia is due to narrowing of the arteries and is a common condition, which if left untreated can lead to gangrene, amputation, and sometimes death. The disorder is usually associated with chronic peripheral arterial disease and can result in severe leg pain at rest and walking, as well as non-healing ulcers on the leg and foot. Certain cells from bone marrow (bone marrow-mononuclear cells), when injected into a patient’s leg, can start the growth of new blood vessels in the area, in a process called angiogenesis. These new vessels restore blood and oxygen supply to the damaged limb, which could reduce pain and help ulcers to heal. Eriko Tateishi-Yuyama from the Department of Medicine and cardiovascular centre in Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan, and colleagues tested their treatment for the constriction of blood vessels by injecting bone-marrow cells into one leg, and cells from peripheral blood or saline into the other. Four weeks after the procedure, 37 of 45 patients had their pain reduced or relieved completely, 15 of 20 were able to avoid scheduled amputation of a toe, and leg ulcers improved in six of ten patients. Positive benefits of the bone- marrow cell transplantation were still evident 6 months after the procedure. The authors comment: “Implantation of bone marrow-mononuclear cells could be a safe and effective strategy for achievement of therapeutic angiogenesis, because of the natural ability of marrow cells to supply endothelial progenitor cells and to secrete various angiogenic factors”. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Bone Marrow Current Events and Bone Marrow News Articles New 'control knobs' for stem cells identified Natural changes in voltage that occur across the membrane of adult human stem cells are a powerful controlling factor in the process by which these stem cells differentiate, according to research published by Tufts University scientists. Genetic breakdown in Fanconi anemia may have link to HPV-associated cancer A genetic malfunction that causes DNA instability in people with the blood disorder Fanconi anemia may put them at high risk for squamous cell carcinomas linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study posted online ahead of print by Oncogene. Gene therapy corrects sickle cell disease in laboratory study Using a harmless virus to insert a corrective gene into mouse blood cells, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have alleviated sickle cell disease pathology. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features tissue culture methods for immune cells and neurons The complexity of vital organ systems makes them difficult to study in living organisms. Tissue culture methods for specific cell types allow researchers to break these systems down into component parts that can be readily manipulated and observed. Adult stem cell breakthrough The first tissue-engineered trachea (windpipe), utilising the patient's own stem cells, has been successfully transplanted into a young woman with a failing airway. The bioengineered trachea immediately provided the patient with a normally functioning airway, thereby saving her life. First trachea transplant without immunosuppression After 4 years of going from consultation to consultation, Claudia Castillo finally found a solution to her respiratory problems. The young Colombian woman suffered from a cough that took a long time to be diagnosed as tuberculosis. First Trial in the U.S. to Treat Both Ischemic & Non-Ischemic Heart Failure to be Performed by U of U Researchers Using Patient's Own Stem Cells Researchers at the University of Utah are enrolling people in a new clinical trial that uses a patient's own stem cells to treat ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure. UNC researchers find clue to stopping breast-cancer metastasis If scientists knew exactly what a breast cancer cell needs to spread, then they could stop the most deadly part of the disease: metastasis. New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine takes a step in that direction. Intraspinal implant of mesenchymal stem cells may not heal the demyelinated spinal cord Multiple sclerosis is a disease caused by the loss of the myelinated sheath surrounding the nerve fibers of the spinal cord. Mayo Clinic Researchers Find Predictive Tests and Early Treatment Delay Progression of Blood Cell Cancer Mayo Clinic researchers say they have moved closer to their goal of providing personalized care for a common blood cell cancer. More Bone Marrow Current Events and Bone Marrow News Articles |
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