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Scientists grow blood vessels using stem cells
16 January 2012
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Scientists have used human stem cells to grow smooth muscle cells (found in blood vessels) that could potentially be used as new treatments for heart and artery problems, according to a study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
The scientists used skin cells from people undergoing plastic surgery to grow three types of embryonic cells that make up smooth muscle cells. These cells could be used to grow different types of blood vessels in a laboratory.
They suggest that being able to grow these specialised cells may help improve future treatments for people with heart and artery problems.
The scientists also suggest that different types of blood vessels could be grown to be used in surgery, for example, during a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) to treat coronary heart disease. In this operation, a blood vessel is usually taken from the chest wall, leg or arm and used to bypass a narrowed or blocked coronary artery. The scientists suggest that these specialised cells could be grown in a laboratory to create a blood vessel, instead of grafts being taken from other parts of the body.
Dr Virginia Warren, Assistant Medical Director, Bupa, commented: “This study emphasises the importance of stem cells in their potential for improving treatments. These findings are very interesting and encouraging in their potential to develop future treatments for people with heart problems.
“It’s important to note that these findings are in their infancy, but are an encouraging next step in the use of stem cells for the treatment of vascular diseases.”
Produced by Natalie Heaton, Bupa Health Information Team.
Key facts
- Various sorts of stem cells exist in the body, both in different tissues and at different stages in life. Unlike blood, muscle and nerve cells, stem cells are able to reproduce themselves and divide into cells that transform to work for example, as blood or muscle.
- Embryonic stem cells come from embryos that have usually been fertilised at a hospital or clinic. They are not derived from eggs fertilised in a woman's body.
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Read the study
Cheung C, Bernado AS, Trotter MWB et al. Generation of human vascular smooth muscle subtypes provides insight into embryological origin-dependent disease susceptibility. Nat Biotechnol 2012. www.nature.com
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