Nonclinical Studies: The Latest in Adult Stem Cell Research in Mice
In the latest issues of Nature and Science, two articles report on promising therapies using adult stem cells.
American and German researchers demonstrated that embryonic stem cells can mend post-infarction heart muscles without causing ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Following cardiomyocyte implantation, mice were protected against the induction of ventricular tachycardia. This was not evident when adult and bone marrow stem cells were used in the engraftment. The reason may be the fact that embryonic heart stem cells have a high degree of expression of the gap-junction protein connexin 43. Bone marrow stem cells engineered to express this protein afforded similar protection [1].
In another in vivo study, researchers successfully treated sickle-cell anemic mice using adult murine stem cell lines. The test mice were genetically-engineered to have a sickle-cell hemoglobin allelle, producing a “humanized sickle cell anemia mouse model.” The adult stem cells from these animals were reprogrammed to become pluripotent and their faulty allele was corrected by gene-specific targeting. Following transplantation of these reprogrammed and corrected cells, treated mice exhibited higher RBC counts and hemoglobin levels than control mice [2].
The results of these studies demonstrate potential cell-based therapies using adult stem cells.
[1] Roell, W. et al. Nature 450, 819-824 (6 December 2007)
[2] Hanna, J. et al. Science doi:10.1126/science.1152092 (6 December 2007)
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