Scientists Create Stem Cell Breakthrough

SCIENTISTS have helped develop molecular tools that can transform stem cells into other forms of tissue.

The groundbreaking research will be used in drug development programmes and could help reduce the number of animals used in research.

Stem cells are a special type of cell that have the ability to renew other cells in the body.

One of the challenges facing stem cell scientists is to find out how these may be re-programmed to become different tissue types.

The collaborative team of scientists from Durham University’s Stockton campus and the North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) has developed two synthetic molecules to coax stem cells to transform into other forms of tissue.

The new molecules, called EC23 and EC19, have been found to be far more stable than the naturally-occurring molecule currently used.

EC23 was found to be effective at producing nerve cells which can be used in testing for drugs for brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

EC19 was found to be particularly effective at producing epithelial cells – the cells that line the inner and outer surfaces of the body.

Stem cell biologist, Dr Stefan Przyborski said: “Because the results will be more scientifically robust, this will accelerate drug development using human stem cell-derived tissues and potentially reduce the numbers of animals used in such research.”

The scientists are now developing a “molecular toolkit” of compounds which are tailor-made for stem cell and drug development work.

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