Researchers from the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD), led by Director Deepak Srivastava, MD, will collaborate with a Stanford research team led by Robert Robbins, MD, professor and chair of cardiothoracic surgery, to investigate the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to repair damaged heart muscle. The research consortium will be funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
iPS cells result from the “reprogramming” of adult cells into cells closely resembling embryonic stem cells. Like ESCs, they can develop into any cell type in the body. This technology was developed by Gladstone investigator Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD. the 2009 Lasker Award Recipient for Biomedical Research.
"Important gaps remain in our understanding of stem and progenitor cells," said NHLBI director Elizabeth Nabel, MD. "This consortium holds great promise to expand our knowledge and uncover therapeutic applications of great public impact.”
“This is an exciting opportunity to work with the most talented investigators in the field to accelerate the application of this promising technology to real patient benefits,” said Gladstone's Srivastava. Each research team will receive approximately $10 million dollars over 7 years as part of the larger NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium, which will bring together researchers from the heart, lung, blood, and technology research fields.
The joint Gladstone-Stanford project capitalizes on the synergy of Gladstone investigators expertise in guiding cardiac cell fate decisions and iPS technology, with the strengths of Stanford investigators in tissue engineering, use of large animals for pre-clinical trials and high-resolution imaging of cells placed into animal models for regenerative therapies.
Adapted from the Gladstone Institute announcement.
The technology is improving fast and it would not take long before the above statement comes true. The breakthrough in stem cell treatment will go a long way in saving many a lives throughout the world.
Posted by: nancy | November 28, 2009 at 07:03 AM