Date:9/3/2008

ch longer life span than we expected," Dominko says. "In fact, they undergo a 30-fold increase in their ability to continue dividing, while still continuing to express the pluripotent marker genes. This is quite important, because if we are to use these cells to heal large wounds or create new organs, they must be able to retain their ability to grow and ultimately differentiate into multiple cell types. But," she adds, "they are not immortal. In other words, they are not capable of dividing endlessly, as cancer cells do.

"If we are successful, this study will produce a significant breakthrough that could establish the basis for a practical and safe technology for cell therapy," Dominko adds. "It will be the goal of future research to show that a patient's own adult cells can be used to heal traumatic injuries through regeneration and to reverse the effects of degenerative diseases that affect millions of individuals. We are grateful to the NIH for this opportunity to pursue this exciting idea further."

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Contact: Michael Dorsey mwdorsey@wpi.edu 508-831-5609 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Source:Eurekalert

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