According to a new study, scientists have found a way to develop stem cells from the patients' own cells to treat cardiovascular disease.
Scientists have discovered cells in our body which can be used to make "induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells" from a routine blood sample unlike previously where iPS cells were made using skin or other tissues which needs a surgery like biopsy says a report in Science Daily.
The iPS cells have a unique feature of turning them into any other body cell including blood vessels and heart cells, using various techniques. Dr.Amer Rana and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge grew and isolated patients' blood into 'late outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells' (L-EPCs) to turn in iPS cells.
Shannon Amoils, Research Advisor at the BHF, told Science Daily: "iPS cells offer great potential -- both for the study and potentially the future treatment of cardiovascular diseases. As iPS cells are made from the patient's own tissue, they can be used to study diseases and hopefully one day to repair damaged tissue without being attacked by the body's immune system."
"We are excited to have developed a practical and efficient method to create stem cells from a cell type found in blood. Tissue biopsies are undesirable -- particularly for children and the elderly -- whereas taking blood samples is routine for all patients," Dr. Rana said in a report in Science Daily.
"Researchers can freeze and store the blood cells, and then turn them into iPS cells at a later stage, rather than having to transform them as soon as they are sourced, as is the case for other cell types used previously. This will have tremendous practical value -- prolonging the 'use by date' of patient samples."
Scientists grow these iPS cells into tissues and anticipate repairing the damage caused by cardiovascular disease. Although the technique can help a lot in a way but the scientists are evaluating the pros and cons involved with this technique.
"Being able to efficiently produce iPS cells using cells from a blood sample will make it easier for researchers to push this technology forward. But there are still many hurdles to overcome before this kind of technique could be used to treat patients," Amoils said in the same report.
