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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Scientists at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are creating an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based research library that opens the door to invaluable sickle cell disease research and novel therapy development.

The library comprises blood samples from ethnically diverse patients with sickle cell disease from around the world and represents the major genetic backgrounds on which the sickle cell mutation occurred. The library is outlined in the current online issue of the journal Stem Cell Reports.

iPSCs are cells that can renew indefinitely as undifferentiated cells and later can be directed to grow into any type of tissue or organ. These stem cell lines can then be used to create disease models in a lab, which allows researchers to better understand how the disease occurs and develop and test new, effective treatments against the disease.

"Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide and is an emerging global health burden," said George Murphy, PhD, co-founder of the CReM and assistant professor of medicine in the division of hematology-oncology at BUSM who is leading the project. "iPSCs have the potential to revolutionize the way we study human development, model life-threatening diseases, and eventually treat patients."

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin in blood. Hemoglobin is a red blood cell protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. Red blood cells that contain normal hemoglobin are disc shaped and can easily move through the blood vessels. Sickle-shaped cells are not flexible and can stick to vessel walls, causing a blockade that can slow or stop blood from flowing properly. The lack of tissue oxygen can cause severe, chronic pain and organ damage.

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