What if we could build organs from a single cell? This form of stem cell research has been
ongoing for years. With the successful
development of a new tissue “
scaffold” technology, this may finally become a
reality. The Universities of Bristol and
Liverpool led the research into the development of this scaffold, which is a
combination of cells that produce living tissue that scientists hope can
replace diseased parts of the body. One
roadblock the team faced was the oxygenation of cells in the center of the
tissue, which decreased as the overall dimensions increased. A new team of researchers found a possible
solution to this oxygen deficiency problem by synthesizing myoglobin, an
oxygen-carrying protein, and attaching it to the membrane of the stem
cells. These were used as a reservoir of
oxygen to the cells. Dr. Perriman from
Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine compared the proteins to a
scuba tank; the cells “use it to breathe from when there is not enough oxygen
in the local environment.”
The research opened new opportunities not only in creating new
cartilage, but muscle and bone as well.
This new protein development opens up “a wide range of biotechnologies,”
and is therefore a large step in the right direction for stem cell research. The long-term goal, of course, is to be able
to provide transplants of healthy tissue into patients with diseased or damaged
tissue.
