New method spurs proliferation of adult stem cells

Scientists at MIT have perfected a new method for encouraging the proliferation of adult stem cells, improving their effectiveness as a therapy for repairing damage to the body. The researchers focused on the growth factor EGF, which has demonstrated an ability to encourage stem cell proliferation after attaching itself to stem cell receptors. The problem with EGF in the past is that the cell eventually absorbs EGF. At MIT, though, the group "tethered" EGF to a scaffold, preventing absorption.

"Putting them on a scaffold is appealing because then you can control the concentration and location and so forth," MIT professor Linda Griffith said. The ceramic and polymer scaffold, which remains in the patient's body during healing but then resorbs, also provides structure for the stem cells as they grow into new bone cells. "We found that when EGF was tethered to the surface it elicited different cell responses than it did when given to cells in the usual soluble form," Griffith said. "When tethered, it protected the cells from being killed by pro-death inflammatory signals. The soluble version of the factor did not protect cells."

- read the report on the MIT study

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