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Breakthrough Points to New Stem Cell Source
By Nicola Boden, PA
Press Association Newswire
24 March 2006
A scientific breakthrough may have discovered a way of creating stem cells without using human embryos, a study released today by the journal Nature has revealed.
Researchers in Germany were able to isolate stem cells that exhibit properties similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells from the testis of adult mice, the study claims.
They now propose these could also be extracted from men to provide an alternative source of stem cells for growing genetically manipulated therapeutic cells.
The method, involving a simple testicular biopsy, would mean the ethical and technical difficulties traditionally associated with generating human embryos as sources of stem cells could be avoided.
Researchers already knew certain cells in the testis of newborn mice were able, like ES cells, to generate numerous different tissue types.
Until now, they had not been able to show the same cells existed in adults but Gerd Hasenfuss and his colleagues at the Georg August University of Gottingen in Germany have now achieved this.
The team isolated sperm-producing stem cells from the testis of adult mice and were able to show that, under certain culture conditions, some of them grew into colonies much like ES cells.
They called these cells multipotent adult germline stem cells (maGSCs).
Like ES cells, maGSCs can spontaneously differentiate into the three basic tissue layers of the embryo, and contribute to the development of multiple organs when injected into embryos.
The study said: 'Human SSCs may have great potential for cell-based organ regeneration therapy and for studying genetic diseases in various cell lineages.
'Therefore, development of a culture system for establishing human maGSCs from testicular biopsies is of paramount importance.''
These findings could fuel a change in attitude to the use of embryonic stem cell research which has previously always been seen as hugely controversial.
Opponents argue that it is morally wrong to experiment with embryos, even if they are created in a science lab, because they all have the potential to become a fully-fledged human.
Scientists, however, think the ability of stem cells to turn into other types of cells with more specialised functions could be harnessed, making them a 'repair kit'' for the body.
Stem cell therapy could eventually be used to treat conditions including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, burns and spinal cord damage, they believe.
It is theoretically possible that stem cells could be used to generate healthy tissue to replace that either damaged by trauma, or compromised by disease.
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