In Toronto scientists are eagerly trying to unveil the methods to regenerate organs and tissues that have suffered from damages due to diseases or other health pathologies.
Dr. Ian Rogers at the Mount Sinai Hospital is dedicated in finding ways to replace the worn-out pancreas causing Type 1 diabetes, thereby re-stabilizing the generation of insulin. Moreover, Dr. Rita Kandel is even examining the possibility to re-grow knee joints and hips.
The current goal according to Rogers is to re-grow tissues that would last for a year or two. This would help people to treat their Type 1 Diabetes. Parents are happy with such breakthroughs as they are currently required to perform regular checkups to analyse glucose and insulin levels for their children suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. Taking a rest for a year could soon be achieved as re-growing tissues are becoming a reality.
Currently, pancreas is being produced from a surgical sponge, which is a three dimensional structure having insulin-generating islet cells. The potential treatment is to grow pancreas in the laboratory and then place them beneath the skin of individual suffering from Type 1 diabetes. This is expected to re-stabilize the insulin level in the human body.
Rogers highlighted that creating pancreas is extremely difficult. Currently, the most advanced research in his laboratory is only capable of completing easier tasks such as regenerating blood vessels, which help people with Type 2 diabetes. In other words, people who might face damaged toes or fingers do not necessarily have to undergo amputation.
Dr. Andras Nagy says that in theory any damaged cell can be repaired. Even brain cells related to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, heart damage to insulin-producing cells in diabetes can be re-grown. The secret to succeed lies in stem cells therapies created from blood, embryos or skin cells.
According to Nagy, if a potential way to restore cell back to their initial state is found then cells could circumvent dangerous effects resulting from diseases.
As up to June 2010, stem cell-based therapies were approved for two U.S companies, which have been applying it to 18 spinal cord patients.
Dr. Rita Kandel from Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute is already working on re-growing knee joints and hips. This is being done with white pieces of cartilage expanded from bone substitute which behaves like a type of scaffold for these cells.
Kandel’s goal is to establish a complete biological join replacement therapy preventing pain and assuring mobility for people.
The far-reaching vision of Kandel is to cure aging and reap the fountain of youth. However, she acknowledges that there is still a long way to go.
Currently, most of these re-growing therapies are only in a test tube stage, like as it is in Toronto as well as several other laboratories across the world.
Source: CBC News and the Longevity Meme
Fri, Jul 30, 2010
Anti Aging, Stem cells