Researchers have developed a plastic surface that conquers the troubles linked to growing adult stem cells. The normal surfaces have proved inadequate for growing huge quantity of stem cells and in retaining the useful trait of the stem cells. The invention could escort to new generation of stem cell therapies for re-growing bone and tissue.
At present, adult stem cells are harvested from a patient, and then they are cultured in a lab to increase the quantities of cells and make a batch of enough volume to initiate the process of cellular regeneration. At this moment they can be reintroduced back into the patient.
The process of culturing is become difficult as stem cells grown on standard plastic tissue culture surfaces do not always expand to generate new stem cells but in its place generate other cells which are of no use in therapy. However, the new surface called as nano-patterned was created using a manufacturing process analogous to that used to make Blu-ray discs.
The new surface was created by researchers from by Glasgow and Southampton universities and nano-patterned surface is covered with tiny pits, which the researchers said made it more effective in allowing stem cells to grow and spread into useful cells for therapy. This new nano-structured surface can be used to very effectively culture mesencyhmal stem cells, explained lead author Dr Matthew Dalby, from the University of Glasgow.
These cells are taken from sources such as bone marrow, which can then be put to use in musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and connective tissues. Whether the same procedure could be use used to culture other type of stem cell too, and this study is in progress in their lab.
Their technology could be the first step on the boulevard to developing large-scale stem cell culture factories, which would allow for the formation of a wide range of therapies for many common diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, added Dr Dalby.
The study co-author Prof Richard Oreffo from the University of Southampton, stated that it is significant to understand the ability to retain skeletal stem cell phenotype using surface topography, offers a step change in current approaches for stem cell biology. The insinuations for study and future intrusions for patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases are substantial. The study was published in the journal Nature Materials.