Pittsburgh scientists identify human source of stem cells with potential to rep...(he Department of Pediatrics Cell Biology...)

Date:9/4/2007

he Department of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, recognized the importance of determining the origin of these muscle-derived stem cells. His team applied, among others, techniques of confocal microscopy and cell sorting by flow cytometry which led to the discovery in human muscle biopsies that these myoendothelial cells are located adjacent to the walls of blood vessels.

According to their study, myoendothelial cells taken from the blood vessels are much more efficient at forming muscle than other sources of stem cells known as satellite and endothelial cells.

A thousand myoendothelial cells transplanted into the injured skeletal muscle of immunodeficient mice produced, on average, 89 muscle fibers, compared with 9 and 5 muscle fibers for endothelial and satellite cells, respectively. Myoendothelial cells also showed no propensity to form tumors, a concern with other stem cell therapies.

Drs. Huard, P ault and colleagues in Children's Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC) are researching and developing numerous therapeutic uses for the population of stem cells the SCRC team identified. One of the most promising uses could be for the treatment of DMD, a genetic disease estimated to affect one in every 3,500 boys. Patients with DMD lack dystrophin, a protein that gives muscle cells structure.

Dr. Huard is an internationally recognized cell biologist conducting laboratory research into the therapeutic use of stem cells to treat a variety of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic diseases and injuries. In the lab, Dr. Huard is developing cutting-edge therapies to regenerate bone and cartilage and to repair damaged muscle. The application of these therapies could range from the repair of heart muscle damaged by heart attack to the repair of sports-related bone, cartilage and muscle injuries.

Dr. Pault is internationally recognized principally for his work on the prospective
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Contact: Marc Lukasiak marc.lukasiak@chp.edu 412-692-7919 Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Source:Eurekalert

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