31 Dec Stem Cells Can Be Grown From Blood Of Deceased Patients
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Dhruv Sareen, PhD
Director, iPSC Core Facility
Regenerative Medicine Institute
Research Scientist, Neurobiology Research
Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles CA
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Sareen: We have developed a novel method to re-create brain and intestinal stem cells from patients who died decades ago, using stored blood samples. Using the iPS cell technology at Cedars-Sinai this new method now allows us to apply to alive as well as deceased patient blood cells. Our study, published in the journal STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, highlights the power of this technology for many deceased patients that were diagnosed with debilitating diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and motor neuron diseases (spinal muscular atrophy and ALS). Patients had their blood samples stored away at Cedars-Sinai when they were alive decades ago. At that time all researchers could have done was collect and bank their blood cell lines for research purposes. The iPS cell technology wasn’t even on scientists radar then. With novel developments in my lab we have figured out how to reliably create new stem cell lines from patient blood samples stored away in large cell banks. We have also shown that these recreated stem cells can efficiently make neurons specific to the spine (motor) and cells of the gut. Since it is very difficult to get unlimited access to research affected cells and tissues from the patients, our discoveries now allow us such important capabilities. Thus, now we are not limited to animal models of disease, but can use these patient-specific stem cells to better pinpoint potential causes of these devastating illnesses.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Sareen: This research, published in the journal STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, could yield new therapies for people who suffer from aggressive motor-neuron and gut-related IBD conditions that proved fatal to the deceased patients who long-ago volunteered their blood samples. Using patient iPS cells that we can recreate unlimited number of cell types that are much more relevant as they are the ones affected during disease. This provides researchers with better platform systems to screen for thousands of candidate drugs in the future.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Sareen: The potential implications of this kind of research are vast. This significant development provides an easier modality for the creation of powerful patient-specific stem cells (iPS cells). Potentially, any patient at Cedars-Sinai can have their iPS cells created, thus allowing us to study a wider range of diseases. In the near term, this technology allows us to generate disease-relevant cell types (gut and brain) to guide us forward in identifying novel and yet unknown disease mechanisms in IBD and SMA. When the patient’s blood cells (LCLs) were stored years ago they were utilized in genetic studies to assess if specific alterations in their DNA code were responsible for their disease. By now obtaining their iPS cells, then creating affected gut and brain cell types we are correlating the clues these cells provide with the large wealth of knowledge gained previously from the genetic studies. This will ultimately allow us to design better drugs. Although we are unable to help the deceased patients, long term, these iPS cells will also allow us to create healthy versions of cell types that can regenerate the damaged tissue affected for patients currently suffering with such diseases. All of these future possibilities will allow us to design better therapies for patients suffering from SMA and IBD.
Citation:
Reliable Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines
Stem Cells Trans Med 2014; 3:1429-1434; first published on October 8, 2014; doi:10.5966/sctm.2014-0121
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Last Updated on December 31, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD