24. Stem Cells
Shahin Rafii
Shahin Rafii, Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, and colleagues at the Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics showed that stem cells in adult testes provide an alternative to controversial embryonic stem cells for organ regeneration in a breakthrough study in mice. These easily obtained and manipulated adult stem cells found in a male’s testicles have the same capability to form new tissue as embryonic stem cells. Using spermatogonial progenitor stem cells (SPCs) obtained from mice testes, the researchers were able to redirect the cells’ development in the lab to form multi-potent adult spermatogonial-derived stem cells (MASCs). These cells developed into working blood vessel (endothelial) cells and tissue, as well as cardiac cells, brain cells, and other cell types. The mouse SPCs do not require any addition or tweaking of genes to get them to form the multi-potent cells (MASCs) that produce all of these cell types. However, more work is needed. Experiments need to be replicated in humans, and researchers need to find the exact “switch” that allows control of SPC development on demand. The researchers look forward to designing clinical strategies for regenerating failing organs in patients with heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, macular degeneration, and infertility induced by chemotherapy and irradiation. The research may also provide a novel strategy to target tumor blood vessels and inhibit cancer growth and metastasis.