Scientists are designing stem-cell-based therapies for degenerative retinal diseases.
VesCell uses adult stem cells that are harvested from approximately ½ pint of the patient’s own blood. In the lab, these stem cells are transformed into millions of cells called Angiogenic Cell Precursors (ACPs). ACPs are stem cells that induce the growth of blood vessels in diseased areas of the body. Emerging research suggests that ACPs may also form additional cell types and secrete compounds conducive for growth. It is being used to treat heart and artery disease.
Research into the protein p16INK4a and the gene producing it should be watched. They can be used to switch off aging in stem cells
If you asked before these studies whether you could delete a single gene and rescue stem cell function in multiple tissues, and neurogenesis in an old brain, many people would have said that aging is such a complex phenomenon that you would not get a significant effect.
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Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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