U.S. researchers discover human lung stem cell
时间：2011-05-12 08:19:04
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WASHINGTON, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at Brigham and Women 's Hospital (BWH), a teaching affiliate1 of Harvard Medical School, have identified(鉴定) a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung. This research will be published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"This research describes, for the first time, a true human lung stem cell. The discovery of this stem cell has the potential to offer those who suffer from
chronic2 lung diseases a totally novel treatment option by
regenerating3 or repairing damaged areas of the lung," said the study's corresponding author Piero Anversa, who is also director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the hospital.
Using lung tissue from
surgical4 samples, researchers identified and
isolated6 the human lung stem cell and tested the functionality of the stem cell both in vitro and in vivo. Once the stem cell was isolated, researchers demonstrated in vitro that the cell was capable of dividing both into new stem cells and also into cells that would grow into various types of lung tissue. Next, researchers injected the stem cell into mice with damaged lungs. The injected stem cells
differentiated7 into new bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary
vessel8 cells which not only formed new lung tissue, but also integrated
structurally9 to the existing lung tissue in the mice.
The researchers define this cell as truly "stem" because it
fulfills10 the three categories necessary to fall under stem cell categorization: first, the cell renews itself; second, it forms into many different types of lung cells; and third, it is transmissible, meaning that after a mouse was injected with the stem cells and responded by generating new tissue, researchers were then able to
isolate5 the stem cell in the treated mouse, and use that cell in a new mouse with the same results.
"These are the critical first steps in developing clinical treatments for those with lung disease for which no therapies exist. Further research is needed, but we are excited about the impact this discovery could have on our ability to
regenerate11 or recreate new lung tissues to replace damaged areas of the lungs," said Joseph Loscalzo, chair of the Department of Medicine at BWH and co-author.
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