Chula scientists develop cardiac tissue from embryonic stem-cells

[Lite Beer]

Chula scientists develop cardiac tissue from embryonic stem-cells
Thanapat Kitjakosol
The Nation on Sunday

Kamthorn

BANGKOK: -- Embryonic stem cells are being developed into cardiac muscle tissue in promising new research currently being done in Thailand.

Conducted at the Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, the project has already moved beyond the experimental stage.

"Within three years, this project is expected to successfully turn embryonic stem cells into cardiac muscle tissue," said Assoc Prof Kamthorn Pruksananonda, who heads the stem-cell development research project.

If the project completes its intended goals, it will enable doctors to provide cardiac muscle tissue to patients in the very near future, said Kamthorn, adding that four doctors and scientists were involved in the project.

According to Kamthorn, embryonic stem cells can be developed into a variety of different cells, including nerve cells.

"Embryonic stem cells are better than adult stem cells because they can be manipulated and used to produce a variety of cells, and thus have numerous benefits," he said.

Kamthorn disclosed that the Bank of Embryos, Stem Cells and Sperm at the faculty's Chulalongkorn Hospital had over one million embryonic stem cells.

"There are five strains in all," he said.

He also disclosed that the bank had about 3,000 frozen fertilised eggs. "The oldest one is over 20 years old," he added.

Frozen fertilised eggs at the bank belonged to parents who deposited them there voluntarily. However, before collecting samples from any of the eggs, researchers must first ask the parents' permission.

"Depositing fertilised eggs or sperm at the bank has its benefits. If anything happens to a spouse, the surviving one will still be able to produce a child," he said.

Kamthorn is in charge of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Unit of Chulalongkorn Hospital's Faculty of Medicine as well as chief of stem-cell research. He said the unit had the technology to implant a fertilised egg in a woman's womb that could grow into a healthy baby.

"If developed in a laboratory, it can replicated continuously," he said, adding that embryonic stem cells were also useful in research that tested the causes of disease.

"With them [stem cells], we are able to discover new cures in many areas of medicine for hundreds of thousand of people," he said.

"Organ transplants are able to help people on an individual basis, but with stem-cell research and the discovery of new treatments, the number of beneficiaries can be in the hundreds of thousands."

Stem-cell research was already paving the way for the development of new anti-HIV/Aids cells as well as bone-marrow transplants, Kamthorn said.

-- The Nation 2013-06-23

[belg]

just a question... if your wife dies, would you still want a child with her? you think the future misses will agree with that?

thais seem to be very agressive concerning children of other or previous mariages

[Rorri]

Hasn't this already been done?

[hellodolly]

Hasn't this already been done?

I think the basic research is all ready in place.

They are just now learning how to proceed with it in many areas.

It is just another area in a proven field.

I wish them success with it.

[hhiser]

Hasn't this already been done?

I think the basic research is all ready in place.

They are just now learning how to proceed with it in many areas.

It is just another area in a proven field.

I wish them success with it.

Seems like more than just the basic research has been done.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105159.htm

[hellodolly]

Hasn't this already been done?

I think the basic research is all ready in place.

They are just now learning how to proceed with it in many areas.

It is just another area in a proven field.

I wish them success with it.

Seems like more than just the basic research has been done.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105159.htm

I was trying to be kind.

[atyclb]

Hasn't this already been done?

I think the basic research is all ready in place.

They are just now learning how to proceed with it in many areas.

It is just another area in a proven field.

I wish them success with it.

Seems like more than just the basic research has been done.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105159.htm

Typically Tailand does not do the groundbreaking/innovative scientific work. Often it is done somewhere else and thailand scientists reproduce the work. It's not like there are no smart or even brilliant people, it seems to be more the culture that does not promulgate innovation.

[newermonkey]

So where did they copy this from?

[geriatrickid]

Hasn't this already been done?

Yes. The activity described in the article is basically a repeat of existing work.

The Gepstein and Levenberg team was doing this back in 2007. I had to look for it, but they published

Engineering of Vascularized Cardiac Muscle From Human Embryonic stem cell tissue back in 2007. There are all probably hundreds of studies on the same subject.

[rookball]

Hasn't this already been done?

I think the basic research is all ready in place.

They are just now learning how to proceed with it in many areas.

It is just another area in a proven field.

I wish them success with it.

Seems like more than just the basic research has been done.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105159.htm

I was trying to be kind.

no you are not, you are misleading.

[atyclb]

So where did they copy this from?

Google it and others have posted links. Reproducing research like this is not low tech and they deserve some credit for doing it successfully. Typically Thai media will write the story as if the breakthrough/innovation was done nationally when I have yet to see and original high tech medical/scientific achievement. Its not as if other developing countries have not been at the forefront of medicine either.

Brazil; Dr Ivo Pitanguy is known as one of the world leading most innovative plastic surgeons that has developed procedures used worldwide.

Colombia; Dr Barraquer; father of modern refractive surgery currently evolved into LASIK. Another doctor developed the worlds first malaria vaccine and gave it away as a humanitarian gesture. They also have a literature Nobel Laureate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Other examples exist.

[Joe Mamma]

All the church groups in the US don't want stem cell research, and US is behind because of these zealots.

[Peabody]

The original article is an odd mix of two different technologies, IVF and stem cell differentiation. Other than the fact that this cell bank stores cells involved in both technologies, the IVF stuff has nothing to do with the cardiac tissue from stem cells material. The author demonstrates his confusion by alternating discussion of both topics in the article.

Plus, the title suggests actual tissue development, while the body states that they hope for success "within three years...".

The details can be seen in the Thai researchers' publication in an internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal, but somebody neglected the link to that article.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Peabody

[partington]

It's not an odd mix of different technologies, as unused embryos made by in vitro fertilisation in the course of IVF treatments are a major source of embryonic stem cells.

These same cells are then differentiated into cardiac cells. IVF is the source of the material. It's about as directly related as it's possible to be.

Edited June 25, 2013 by partington