Press Releases from AlphaMed Press

Scientists report in the current issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine that they have been able to clone a line of defective stem cells behind a rare, but devastating disease called Fanconi Anemia (FA). Their achievement opens the door to drug screening and the potential for a new, safe treatment for this often fatal disease.

FA is a hereditary blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure (FA-BMF) and cancer. Patients who suffer from FA have a life expectancy of 33 years. Currently, a bone marrow transplant offers the only possibility for a cure. However, this treatment has many risks associated with it, especially for FA patients due to their extreme sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapy.

A new study published in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine reveals how a particular type of stem cell generated from fat tissue may outperform other types of stem cells in speeding up the healing of wounds caused by type 1 diabetes. In the study, ulcers in a mice model treated with these cells healed significantly faster than those treated with general types of stem cells.

Slow-healing wounds present one of the most common and perplexing complications associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, they can lead to amputation, and even death. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Despite this, there are very few consistently effective treatments for speeding the wound-healing process in patients.

Stem cells collected from placenta, which is generally discarded after childbirth, show promise as a treatment for heart failure. Found in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, a new study using mice determined that human-derived adherent cells (PDAC® cells) significantly improved cardiac function when injected into the heart muscle.

Currently, about 6 million people in the United States alone suffer from heart failure, which is when the heart’s pumping power is weaker than normal. Despite intensive medical care, almost 80 percent of people die within eight years of diagnosis, making it the world’s leading cause of death. Heart failure can be the result of coronary artery disease, heart attack and other conditions such as high blood pressure and valve disease.

The medical world is excited about the potential that stem cells have demonstrated in aiding the recovery of patients who have suffered a heart attack. Now, a new study appearing in the current issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine indicates that stem cells may also benefit those who suffer from hardening of the arteries.