Forming new blood vessels
Using adult human stem cells, researchers have induced the formation of new blood vessels in mice with reduced blood flow (ischemia) to their limbs. The breakthrough treatment resulted in fully functioning limbs that showed both increased blood flow to previously damaged areas and an increase in the number of blood vessels. The study, published in Blood, paves the way for the stem cell based treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in humans, a painful condition common in diabetic patients that can lead to amputation, said co-author Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Stem Cell Program. Nolta and a team at the UC Davis Vascular Center hope to begin clinical trials for a PAD treatment in the coming year, as well as to continue basic and clinical research on the potential use of stem cells to treat heart attack and stroke.