New liver without transplant, from bone marrow stem cells

[Guest guest]

New liver

without transplant, from bone marrow stem cells

27 Sep 2007

NEW

DELHI: There's finally some hope for patients across the

globe needing an urgent liver transplant but are unable to find a compatible

donor organ.

Scientists have, for the

first time, found that stem cells, taken from the patients' bone marrow and

injected into the diseased liver, can keep them alive until donor organs

become available. Miraculously, the cells can also

support liver function, until the organ is able to regenerate itself,

eliminating the need for a transplant at all.

The demand for liver

donors is very high and many patients die waiting for one or are taken off

because their condition deteriorates to the extent that they would not

survive the operation when their turn finally arrives. A

longstanding goal in hepatology has been to achieve

suppression of liver cell death until regeneration could occur.

In a series of animal

studies, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers successfully treated rats

with liver diseases by manipulating their immune response. If

this procedure can be repeated in humans, it could potentially reduce the

number of donor organs used in urgent transplant procedures, thereby

increasing the number available for patients on waiting lists.

For example in India, 15,000 people require a liver

transplant every year. Shockingly, only 150 get

lucky. India requires 22,000 donors annually. Doctors say they get only 50 donors a year.

Eminent liver transplant

specialist Dr A K Soin from Sir Gangaram Hospital said, " This therapy can be

promising for patients with acute liver failure in whom the effect of liver

failure can prove fatal before the patient's liver has had a chance to

regenerate. The technique can be an important bridge

to liver recovery. If it can support liver function

for a few weeks, then it will give time for the patient's liver to

regenerate. "

The researchers used mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

— cells from the bone marrow that develop into tissues supporting blood

cell development in the marrow cavity. Previous

research has shown that MSCs are able to inhibit

several immune system activities, apparently by putting a break on the

movement of immune cells to areas of damage. The

researchers tested several ways of using the cells to treat rats with liver

failure. Simply transplanting MSCs

into the animals' livers did not work. Two

subsequent methods of delivering molecules secreted by cells lessened

inflammation within the liver and halted cell death.

With love, Barb in Texas - Together in the Fight, Whatever it Takes!

Son Ken (33) UC 91 - PSC 99 - Tx 6/21 & 6/30/07 @ Baylor in Dallas

[Guest guest]

That's the best thing I've read in a long time! Where did this article come

from? I wonder when this will be done in the US. Since the stem cells come

from the patient's own bone marrow, this should be able to happen in the US,

right?

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>New liver without transplant, from bone marrow stem cells

>27 Sep 2007

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ine2

[Guest guest]

I attended a presentation on cell stem research about 18 months, where

this idea was discussed. However, it is unlikely that we'll see the

use cell stems as a treatment for liver disease in our lifetimes. Note

that the article only discusses studies in animals (rats). We have a

long way to go in this area, and we've yet to resolve the ethical issues.

Naperville, IL

[Guest guest]

If the stem cells are taken from the patient's own bone marrow, how can

there be an ethical problem?

-Marie

We have a

>long way to go in this area, and we've yet to resolve the ethical issues.

>

>

>Naperville, IL

>

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[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----

If the stem cells are taken from the patient's own bone marrow, how can

there be an ethical problem? Marie

I agree with you Marie and even though we may be a long way away from

using our own stem cells - it's still very good news. With every break

through, no matter how small, it's good news, a rat today, a dog

tomorrow, a human to follow. Even if this turns out not to be an answer

for us, it's possible it could help an alcoholic or Hep C patient.

Which would in turn free up more organs. Hey....we got to take good

news where we find it...even if it's a tiny little ray of hope.

With love, Barb in Texas - Together in the Fight, Whatever it Takes!

Son Ken (33) UC 91 - PSC 99 - Tx 6/21 & 6/30/07 @ Baylor in Dallas