By Hilary White
TALLAHASSEE, November 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A biomedical device that grows stem cells from adult bone marrow may dramatically increase the availability of the cells for research and therapies. The device, called a perfusion bioreactor, mimics the conditions encountered by adult stem cells within the human body and increases the nutrients required for them to develop.
Teng Ma an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at Florida A&M University-FSU College of Engineering says, “The perfusion bioreactor can be used to reproduce mesenchymal [bone marrow] stem cells and to direct their differentiation into bone, cartilage, muscle, heart muscle, fat or nerve tissue,” Ma said. “The tissues grown then will be suitable for clinical transplantation.”
Ma was careful to point out that the research that developed the device did not use cells derived from embryos or foetuses, but only from adult donors.
“All of their donors are adults between the ages of 19 and 49. Essentially, each donor undergoes a medical procedure in which a small amount of bone marrow is extracted from his or her pelvic bone.”
Bruce Locke, chairman of the department of chemical and biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering said, “By addressing one of the key issues constraining this research – a limited supply of stem cells – he could help advance the development of numerous medical therapies by years.”