CHINA: A Leap Forward In Medical Study ... (Adult Stem Cells Isolated)

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

CHINA: A Leap Forward In Medical Study ... (Adult Stem Cells Isolated)
 2003-12-26 09:30:08

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese researchers have found and isolated a 
rare group of adult stem cells from
mature tissues.

The group of stem cells is considered valuable because it may serve as the 
natural "repair" tool for worn, damaged or
diseased tissues ranging from fetal pancreas bone marrow to liver, skin and 
skeletal muscle.

Dr Zhao Chunhua, who heads the newly founded Centre of Excellence in Tissue 
Engineering in Beijing, detailed the
findings at the second International Symposium on Stem Cell Research in Beijing 
last week.

The group of adult stem cells helps replenish not only damaged tissues they 
reside in, but also other damaged tissues
through triggered migration, said Zhao, whose centre is an affiliate of the 
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and
Peking Union Medical Collage.

The symposium is an annual event that brings together medical scientists from 
China and around the world to discuss
current issues and progress on stem cell research.

This year, participants focused on understanding of the fundamental mechanisms 
of stem cells and their therapeutic
applications.

The theme followed several worldwide advances in stem cell research.

According to Nature magazine, the field has been "transformed" as scientists 
have achieved successes in "culturing
human embryonic stem cells," piecing together the puzzles for every tissue in 
human beings and "in manipulating their
differentiation in vitro."

"Stem cell research will change medicine significantly," said Dr Harald 
Neumann, the group leader of the
Neuroimmunology Unit of European Neuroscience Institute in Germany, in an 
interview with China Daily.

"It provides a new approach to cure many diseases."

Dr Mariusz Ratajczak, director of Stem Cell Biology Programme at James Graham 
Brown Cancer Centre at the University of
Louisville in the United States, agreed.

"Therapeutic applications of stem cells will definitely be the future as it 
will improve the quality of life for future
generations," Ratajczak said.

Blood-forming stem cells - vital elements in bone marrow transplants - have 
already been used extensively in treating
several types of leukaemia.

Now stem cells also offer hope as a renewable source of replacement cells and 
tissue to treat myriad diseases,
conditions and ranging from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's to spinal cord 
injuries, strokes, burns, heart disease,
diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In China, doctors have already conducted the clinical transplants of bone 
marrow stem cells to treat acute heart
infarction.

"A lot of clinical trials are being carried out, making further progress in 
stem cell research and therapies," said
Professor Liu Depei, president of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and 
Peking Union Medical College.

Zhao and his colleagues first announced their findings at the 32nd Annual 
Meeting of the International Society for
Experimental Hematology held in Paris in July.

Zhao said his group is using adult stem cells as seed cells in tissue 
engineering and will start clinical trials next
year.

Zhao emphasized that he and his colleagues focus on adult stem cells and 
isolate them from mature tissue, regardless of
the age of the donor, so that the patients themselves will get treatment via 
transplantation of their own stem cells.

"We are currently focusing on growing adult stem cells for blood diseases, 
heart diseases, acute hepatic failure and
diabetes," said Zhao.

They are applying for approval from the State Food and Drug Administration in 
China.

Zhao said Chinese researchers have won encouraging support from the central 
government.

Many Chinese scientists studying and working in the United States, Germany and 
elsewhere are returning home for the new
opportunity.

"I am one of them," said Zhao, who has worked for several years on stem cells 
as an assistant professor under the
leadership of Dr Catherine Verfaillie, director of the Stem Cell Institute at 
the University of Minnesota in
Minneapolis of the United States.

This year, Zhao's group has received high-technology research funding from the 
Ministry of Science and Technology after
fierce competition.

"Stem cell research is at its knowledge acquisition and experiment phases, and 
more studies are required to elucidate
the mechanisms prior to the actual clinical application," commented Dr Neumann.

"Currently there is no standard protocol for performing the therapy, and a lot 
more work needs to be done.

"We have done many pre-clinical studies and prepared to launch clinical trials 
with very strict protocols that we have
devised," Zhao said.

"China is one of the leading countries in stem cell research," said Dr 
Ratajczak.

SOURCE: Xinhua News Agency, China / China Daily


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