University of Houston biomedical scientist Robert Schwartz has recently
presented his latest research, which promises to make treating heart conditions
easier and more efficient than ever before. He argues that the future is in stem
cell research, and showcases a method in which skin cells are taken from a
patient's skin, reverted to their initial, pluripotent state, and then made to
differentiate into early-stage heart cells. These are then
implanted into the heart of the same patients, where they take to growing and
fixing the initial issue. The real advantage is that this can be done without
any risk of the immune system stepping in to stop the reaction.
This carries the considerable advantage that patients will no longer need to
undergo immunosuppressive therapies, which stifles the action of the body's
defense mechanisms. Heart implants are therefore protected, but that particular
individual becomes extremely vulnerable to various infections, and can easily
die because of them. Matters are made even worse by the fact that some of the
most dangerous strains of bacteria in the world, such as the methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), find it appropriate to live and flourish in
hospitals, where they can influence much more people than otherwise possible. A
healthy immune system usually prevents MRSA infections.
“Professor Schwartz’s work will save lives, and his decision to pursue this
pioneering research at UH is a big leap forward on our way to Tier-One status.
Together with the many other outstanding scientists we’ve assembled here,
Schwartz will help make this university a major player in medical research,”
says of the new work the dean of the UH College of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics, John Bear. Among the many diseases which the new work could
address, the expert includes Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and muscular dystrophy,
which are all devastating in themselves. Schwartz is the Cullen Distinguished
Professor of Biology and Biochemistry and head of the new UH Center for Gene
Regulation and Molecular Therapeutics.
“We’re trying to advance science in ways folks never even dreamed about. The
idea of having your own bag of stem cells that you can carry through life and
use for tissue regeneration is at the very cutting edge of science,” the expert
says. “Dr. Schwartz will expand [the UH] expertise in promising new areas of
scientific discovery to alleviate human disease. By recruiting premier
scientists like Schwartz, UH is fast becoming a major player in the regional
biomedical research community,” adds the assistant vice president of University
Health Initiatives at UH, Kathryn Peek.
Source : news.softpedia.com
