Tuesday 18 January 2011

Stem Cells to Treat Diabetes ?

Stem Cells to Treat Diabetes?

In what may pave the way for better treatments for diabetes and heart diseases, scientists claim to have developed the first adult-induced pluripotent "stem cell lines" using skin biopsies from patients suffering from rare genetic disease Friedreich Ataxia (FA).

The study was conducted by the University of Melbourne and Monash Institute of Medical Research and is published in the 'Stem Cell Reviews and Reports' journal.

It is the first time adult pluripotent stem cells, known as iPS cells have been developed for a specific disease in Australia, allowing for the development of new treatments for FA and related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, say the scientists.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells result from the reprogramming of adult cells, such as skin cells, and are similar to embryonic stem cells in that they have the potential to generate any cell type of the body.

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