Study: Stem Cell Transplant Holds Promise

U.S. researchers said they found a way to transplant blood-forming stem cells into the bone marrow of mice, effectively replacing their immune systems.

The discovery is a small but significant step in mouse studies aimed at transplanting adult stem cells to create a new immune system for people with autoimmune or genetic blood diseases, Stanford University researchers said in a news release.

Many aspects of the technique must be adapted before testing can begin on humans, said Dr. Irving Weissman, a co-senior author of the study and director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

Weissman said the work was done on mice that offered a poor mimic for the human immune system. Still, he suggested the remaining hurdles could eventually be overcome.

It is essentially a surgical strike against the blood-forming stem cells, Weissman said of the technique his team studied.

The team injected mice with molecules that latch on to specific proteins on the surface of the blood-forming stem cells, effectively destroying the cells.

The study was published in the latest issue of Science.