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AlphaGalileo
--- A Swedish case where a certain type of stem cells
has been transplanted to a foetus with a serious disease,
was made public today. The results suggest that fetal
mesenchymal stem cells may be a valuable source for
transplantation and cell therapies.
A
female foetus with multiple intrauterine fractures,
diagnosed as severe osteogenesis imperfecta, was transplanted
with HLA-mismatched mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
in the 32nd week of gestation. At 35 weeks, the baby
girl was delivered by caesarean section. At nine months
of age patient lymphocyte
proliferation against donor MSCs was not observed
in co-culture, indicating that the patient was not
immunised against the allogeneic cells.
During
the first two years of life three fractures were noted
and growth followed the same curve. Thus, allogeneic
mis-matched MSCs can be safely transplanted in utero
to a patient with severe OI, where the cells engraft
in bone.
MSCs
are present in various tissues of fetal and adult
origin. Fetal MSCs differentiated into osteogenic,
chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages when induced
in vitro, which means that they have the capability
to mature into bone, cartilage and fat tissue.
This
study is part of a doctoral dissertation defended
by Cecilia
Götherström at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden,
today, Friday December 17, 2004. In the thesis is
presented detailed studies on fetal and adult MSCs.
The
results suggest that fetal MSCs are immunologically
privileged cells and have potentials for allogeneic
transplantation.
To
conclude, fetal MSCs may be a valuable source for
transplantation and cellular therapies.
Notes
:
Author:
Cecilia Götherström, Department for laboratory
medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, phone +46
8 585 814 87, +46 70 471 23 00 or mail: cecilia.gotherstrom@labmed.ki.se
For
questions regarding the transplantation, please contact:
Professor Magnus Westgren, Karolinska Institutet,
Sweden, phone +46 8 585 816 27, +46 70 497 3247 or
mail: magnus.westgren@klinvet.ki.se
Peer reviewed publication and references
Thesis title:
Characterisation of human fetal mesenchymal stem cells
Thesis
abstract:
http://diss.kib.ki.se/2004/91-7140-139-3/
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