STEM CELLS REGENERATE NEW FINGER!

BIOLOGY 100

DECEMBER 2013

BY: MARY HUBERT

IntroductionIn this area of science, regeneration, scientists along with researchers are successfully regenerating fingertip for people as well as preparing for and are hopeful to do the same for skin on other limbs and even internal organs.  This regrowth process is made possible from a tissue found in pig bladder.  They have found success in combining this pig bladder tissue with a connective tissue, to make what is called extracellular matrix (ECM).  What happens is the ECM jump starts the body to regrow.  This ECM changes the body's thinking from fixing inflamed or injured cells to instead regrow them.  Researchers are hopeful that they can eventually, successfully, regrow entire limbs.  Along with researchers and doctors, the U.S. military has invested millions into this project to hopefully help injured soldiers regain lost limbs, muscle and burnt skin.

Statement/Hypothesis

What happens is the ECM jump starts the body in telling it to regrow, as opposed to fixing inflamed or injured cells.

Materials

Pig bladder (in powder form)Connective tissueBroken/lost skin, muscle or arterieClinical/surgical tools

Methods/Clinical Trials• Spray on own patient’s cells onto a burn to

signal the skin to start regrowth (currently being done in Germany).

• Conforming a tube made of ECM (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.b.20081

• /full) to insert into patients with throat cancer.

• A bandage type material constructed of ECM to act as a band aid to fix people's damaged arterie tissue that resulted from a heart attack

• Actual trial: A woman underwent surgery, she was injected with her own (adult) cells into certain regions of her heart to regrow her arteries and tissue.

Results• If surgery outcomes are successful,

and new cells can be grown via ECM then "...there will be less need for surgery" (Mary Jo Babo).

• Lee Speevak’s finger tip was completely regrown in four weeks with ECM so researchers are dreaming of the day when regenerated limbs will replace prosthetic limbs, regrown tissue replaces surgery, when the body does its healing from the cells from within ().

DiscussionAS research expands, we are seeing that animals aren’tthe butt of it anymore. The outcomes of Speevak’s andBabo’s medical miracles gives hope to more and morePeople, like Babo mentioned in the CBS News video.The fact that doctors and researchers are innovatingnew tools to help heal patients with cancer, burns,autonomy and tissue damage is amazing to be able towitness.

Scientific Pathways

Scientists are using members of the community like Speevak And Babo to test their hypothesis on ECM. They are also collaborating with doctors and other medical professionals and labs and universities to gain opinions and ideas and to explore, discover, communicate and apply for succession. While utilizing community members and professionals for answers and ideas, researchers also undergo significant trial and error as they create new products and diagnoses. “The process of science involves testing ideas about the natural world with data from the natural world”-Lucy Loyd

Sources & Credits(video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_OI4TtzlDw

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.b.20081/full