biotech
Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Repair Retinal Damage
Filed in archive Stem Cells by ruth on June 12, 2006
Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Repair Retinal Damage
It is widely believed among scientists that like brain cells, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a cell layer that plays a vital role in eyesight is a nonrenewable resource. In diseases of the retina, including age-related macular degeneration, it is thought that the damage cannot be reversed.

Researchers have found evidence, however that in mice, RPE cells are indeed regenerated in small amounts from bone marrrow stem cells.
"Compared to RPE transplantation, there are a lot of advantages if someone's own bone Marrow could supply the cells, because it's a ready source and the cells would not be rejected by the patient. Further, if bone-marrow progenitors circulating in the blood could be attracted to sites of disease, surgery could be avoided."

Researchers are now trying to discover ways to mobilize an elderly patient's own cells (stem cells in the bone marrow) to travel to the injury site (retina) to make repairs.
More details from University of Florida News.

[Photo: Medem]

Permalink: Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Repair Retinal Damage
Tags: stemcells  eye  cells  stem  biotech  stem+cells  bone+marrow  retinal+damage 
Trackback: http://publish.creative-weblogging.com/publish/mt-tb.pl/24425
img Addthis img Ask img Blinklist img del.icio.us img Digg img Fark img Facebook img Google img Lycos img Ma.gnolia Add this page to Mister Wong Mr Wong img Netscape img Netvousz img Newsvine img Reddit img StumbleUpon img Slashdot img Tailrank img Technorati img Wink img Yahoo

Vote for Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Repair Retinal Damage:

  • Currently 8.00/10
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
Rating: 8.00 out of 4 vote(s) cast.
Subscribe
Share It
RSSrss
See all blog subscribe options
Google google
What is RSS?
Yahoo! yahoo
Addthis Subscribe using any feed reader!
Bloglines Bloglines
Newsletter

TwitterFollow us on Twitter!