Sichuan Rivotek Co has printed 3D blood vessels with stem cell-based bio-ink. Blood vessels are ubiquitous in all living organisms; their creation, via bio-ink and 3D printing could portend widespread application across all fields of regenerative medicine. As 3D printing progresses, more patient specific parts and even organ systems may be developed. Earlier modes of 3D printing that have used titanium instead of bio-inks have created surgically implanted jawbones and rib cages in experimental settings, providing valuable information to guide future development.
According to new research from the National Yang-Ming University, mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] hold the ability to limit atherosclerotic plaque formation, thereby preventing the onset of harmful endothelial lesions. The research team, led by Shih-Chieh Hung, transplanted MSCs into animal models with atherosclerosis and observed significant reduction in plaque formation. They also saw an increase in blood vessel dilation, which prevents further plaque development, indicating good endothelial health.
According to new research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, hematopoietic stem cells [stem cells that produce blood] are directly regulated by megakaryocytes, the blood cells responsible for healing wounds. The researchers found that megakaryotes produce two growth factors; one that signals for hematopoietic stem cells to proliferate, and one that keeps them in an inactive state. This relationship controls the amount of blood being produced in the body.
Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine have developed a potential therapy for peripheral artery disease by transplanting autologous [the patient’s own] stem cells. In an animal model, the transplanted stem cells differentiated into new blood vessels, which then restored blood flow to damaged tissues in the body.
A research group led by Dr. Igor Slukvin, MD PHD, from University of Wisconsin-Madison has identified two transcription factors responsible for the differentiation of stem cells into numerous types of white and red blood cells. The team made use of messenger RNA to overexpress the two transcription factors, which allowed them to generate 30 million blood cells for every million stem cells, without the use of a virus or altering the genetic structure of the blood.
In a recent clinical study conducted in Beijing, researchers are testing a treatment for patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus by administering autologous [the patient’s own] mesenchymal stem cells. The researchers aim to capitalize on the unique abilities of MSCs to not only differentiate into a multitude of different cell types, but to reduce the autoimmune attack in patients affected by lupus as well.
Complex chemical polymers are currently being developed by scientists at Stanford University to protect and support the proliferation of stem cells during spinal cord transplantation procedures. The gels are designed to provide padding for the cells during injection, while also varying in viscosity and the biochemical signals contained within to offer stem cells an optimal environment for differentiation.
Researchers led by Dr. Habib Zaghouani from the University of Missouri have developed a potential cure to Type 1 Diabetes by utilizing mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]. Although researchers anticipated that the MSCs would differentiate into new insulin producing pancreatic beta cells, they discovered that the stem cells fulfilled the more critical function of repairing damaged blood vessels, which in turn facilitated the regeneration of insulin producing pancreatic beta cells and the distribution of insulin across the body.
A research team from Mount Sinai, Harvard Medical School, and Children’s Hospital in Boston has determined the function of protein Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in maintaining the regenerative ability of blood stem cells. The researchers found that young stem cells lacking SIRT1 exhibited a similar deficiency in rejuvenating blood as observed in older stem cells. These older, defunct blood stem cells are unable to refresh the body’s blood supply, resulting in vulnerability to age-related cancers and immune diseases.
A research team, led by Dr. Eric Darling of Brown University, has found a potential source of stem cells to protect children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia against the adverse effects of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate (MTX). Adipose-derived stem cells, which appear to be impervious to the bone-degenerative side effects of MTX, may allow children to undergo the chemotherapy treatment and then regain the lost bone tissue afterwards.