Friday, April 16, 2021

Stem Cells Transported by Viruses

 

New research has begun to surface in the face of stem cells. Stem cells are now being tested to treat genetic diseases at the source rather that in a dish. Stem cells are essentially blank cells that have not yet being given a "job" to do. This practice however with not be easy as the stem cells will need to be kept alive during extraction, editing and re-entry into the body. There have been tests that use a virus called adenoid-associated virus (AAV) to transport these cells to the source. Luckily, these viruses are not disease causing.

This research has been found to be 60% effective and it's only the beginning. Stem cells have the potential to save many lives and regenerate functions in the human body that have since diminished. If this research continues to progress positively, then we can possibly see major breakthroughs in various spinal and muscle injuries.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6496804/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/06/breakthrough-harvard-research-shows-stem-cell-genes-can-be-edited-in-living-systems/


1 comment:

  1. I always like reading about stem cells. It is interesting to me because there can be so much done with stem cells. I like how you mentioned various spinal and muscle injuries. I believe that stem cells can play a huge role in repairing damaged neurons.

    ReplyDelete