Apr 5, 2013 | Weekly Articles
Embryonic stem cells can develop into any kind of tissue so can the adult stem cells but their differentiation potential is reduced.
However, Professor Marko Mihovilovic (Vienna University of Technology) and his research group has now managed to synthesize substances which control the differentiation process. The tailored chemicals were then tested on the progenitor cells of mice at the Medical University of Vienna, eventually turning the progenitor cells into heart cells, which further started beating in the petri dish.
The team at the Vienna University of Technology has already patented the new method. Synthetic chemistry will now help to overcome the problem that the heart tissue regenerates so poorly. If the therapy can used for humans, the patients’ quality of life could be increased dramatically, and health care cost could be reduced.