Researchers at Japan’s “Osaka Metropolitan University found that stem cells from fat tissue can repair breaks similar to those common in people with the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis,” reports UPI.
“This simple and effective method can treat even difficult fractures and may accelerate healing,” says researcher Dr. Shinji Takahashi, an orthopedic surgeon at OMU. “This technique is expected to become a new treatment that helps extend the healthy life of patients.”
As UPI observes,
The new method has only been tested in mice so far, and results may differ in people, but researchers said the approach could offer a minimally invasive way to treat bone diseases.
Researchers noted that these cells are easy to collect, even from elderly people, with little strain on the body, making the technique a gentle way to treat bone disease.
They tested the method in rats with spinal injuries similar to the fractures seen in people with osteoporosis.
Stem cells can develop into various types of tissue, including bone.
Researchers coaxed stem cells from fat tissue to develop into structures called spheroids, 3-D cell clusters that mimic various types of tissue, including bone. They then paired those clusters with a bone-rebuilding material called beta-tricalcium phosphate.
Lab-grown stem cells could be a breakthrough for fighting cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. “Human blood stem cells have been made in a laboratory for the first time, which could significantly improve how we treat certain types of cancer,” reports New Scientist.
“After over a decade of research, a wave of stem cell treatments are now showing promising results in trials, including for vision loss, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injuries,” reports The Doomslayer.
Genetically-engineered skin bacteria keep some mosquitoes away. A genetically-engineered apple doesn’t turn brown when you slice it, the way most apples do.
