News & Politics - Stem cells help dogs with dystrophy

Lexis · 11-15-2006, 07:09 PM

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In promising new research, stem cells worked remarkably well at easing symptoms of muscular dystrophy in dogs, an experiment that experts call a significant step toward treating people.
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"It's a great breakthrough for all of us working on stem cells for muscular dystrophy," said researcher Johnny Huard of the University of Pittsburgh, who wasn't involved in the work.

Sharon Hesterlee, vice president of translational research at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, called the result one of the most exciting she's seen in her eight years with the organization. Her group helped pay for the work.

She stressed that it's not yet clear whether such a treatment would work in people, but said she had "cautious optimism" about it.

Two dogs that were severely disabled by the disease were able to walk faster and even jump after the treatments.

The study was published online Wednesday by the journal Nature. It used stem cells taken from the affected dogs or other dogs, rather than from embryos. For human use, the idea of using such "adult" stem cells from humans would avoid the controversial method of destroying human embryos to obtain stem cells.

The Nature paper focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle-wasting genetic disorder that occurs in about 1 in every 3,500 male births. It's the most severe and most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy and the best-known. In theory, the stem cell treatment might also help other muscle dystrophies or even age-related muscle wasting, Hesterlee said.

Children with the disorder have trouble walking as early as preschool, and nearly all of them lose their ability to walk between ages 7 and 12. Typically, they die in their 20s because of weakness in their heart and lung muscles. There is no known cure.

The dog study was done by Giulio Cossu, director of the stem cell institute at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, with colleagues there and elsewhere.

Stem cells help dogs with dystrophy - Yahoo! News

This looks promising. It would be incredible if this same technique could be used to cure humans.

S.A.S.H.A. · 11-15-2006, 08:47 PM

Aww!

Sasha

Lexis · 11-16-2006, 12:33 PM

More interesting news:

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Scientists for the first time have grown human heart valves using stem cells obtained from the fluid that cushions fetuses in the womb, offering a revolutionary approach that may be used to repair defective hearts in the future.

The idea is to create these valves in the lab while the pregnancy progresses and have them ready to implant in a baby with heart defects after it is born.

The Swiss experiment follows recent successes at growing bladders and blood vessels and suggests that replacement heart parts that are more durable and effective than artificial or cadaver valves may one day be grown for infants and adults.

"This may open a whole new therapy concept to the treatment of congenital heart defects," said Dr. Simon Hoerstrup, a University of Zurich scientist who led the work, which was presented Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference.

One percent of all newborns, or more than 1 million babies born worldwide each year, have heart problems. They kill more babies in the United States in the first year of life than any other birth defect, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Heart valves grown from cells in womb

Love & Passion · 11-18-2006, 04:25 AM

thanks!!! i feel sorry for the children!!! but i've always been FOR stem cell research helping to find cures like this....


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