Why cloning if you have bone marrow?

Laboratory Virola.

USA President, George Bush, has recently made a brave action. He has permitted to American scientists to carry out investigations on embryonic stem cells obtained from cloned human embryos. Human embryonic stem cells obtained by Thomsons team in 1998 in USA can differentiate into many cell types of the organism under special culture conditions. Using these cells, researchers try to develop new technologies for producing different tissues needed for transplantation in the cases of organ injures. Certainly, Presidents action could be compared with a declaration of war if there were no alternative to embryonic stem cells.

Bone marrow stromal cells in culture.
Neuroblasts differentiated from bone marrow stromal cells in condition medium.

So called bone marrow stromal cells, which have recently been shown to be pluripotent stem cells, i.e. able to differentiate into cells of liver, bone, fat, cartilage, heart, and even into neurons, can be considered as such an alternative.

We have developed techniques to differentiate in vitro mouse bone marrow stromal cells into progenitor cells of nerve cells and hepatocytes. We selected stromal cells among other cells of bone marrow, cultivated and induced them under special conditions into different types of neuronal and glial cells. The neurons formed networks on the culture flasks. The output of nerve cells in the technique used is about 80%.

Glial cell and spindle-shaped neuron induced by retinoic acid from stromal cells.
Pyramidal neuron with an axon in 6-days culture of bone marrow stromal cells induced by retinoic acid.

To develop similar methods for human bone marrow stromal cells we need some financial support to acquire growth factors, markers and inductors.

Progenitor - cells of hepatocytes differentiated from bone marrow stromal cells in condition medium. Staining by methylene blue and methylene violet.
Progenitor - cells of hepatocytes differentiated from bone marrow stromal cells in condition medium. Staining by methylene blue and methylene violet.

Stromal cells can be obtained from a little sample of patients bone marrow. After short proliferation and induction they are implanted into the patients injured organs. Thus, patient himself can be the donor of cells requested for transplantation at diabetes, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and other diseases. Complex and expensive technology of obtaining embryonic stem cells, which includes human embryo cloning, can be replaced, at last.

So we sponsors to promote our research program for effective and fast application of the results obtained in cell therapy. The benefit to all will be the result.


You are welcome to send your proposals to:

Elena Shchegelskaya, PhD

e-mail: shcheglik@rambler.ru

tel. 38 (0572) 110285

Lab. Virola, 58, Korchagintsev, Kharkov, Ukraine.






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