Over the years, researchers have found other sources of stem cells at a slightly later stage of development that can develop into specific cell types. For example, a type of stem cell destined to become kidney cells can be isolated from adult urine.
But babies born early might provide a better source, says Elena Levtchenko at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium.
She and her colleagues collected urine samples from premature babies born at between 31 and 36 weeks. The team then searched for cells with specific markers that flagged them as stem cells.
The team developed these stem cells into a range of types of kidney cell by changing the nutrients in which they were bathed. “They act like kidney cells, and do what kidney cells are supposed to do,” says Levtchenko.
There were also plenty of stem cells to be found – many more than the team collected from adult urine, says Levtchenko. The urine of premature babies is much more likely to provide a source of enough stem cells to be used in any potential therapies, she says. This could be because a fetus’s kidneys continue to develop right up to birth, so premature babies’ kidneys are still developing.
As good as new
The premature babies’ stem cells seem to be able to protect other cells from damage. When the team applied cisplatin – a toxic cancer drug – to adult kidney cells, all of the cells died. But when the team added stem cells to the mix, they found that although some kidney cells died, others regenerated and survived.
The team is testing their urine-derived stem cells on human organs that are too old or damaged to be used for transplantation. The aim is to regenerate damaged kidney tissue, pepping-up worn out organs.
Levtchenko will next test whether the cells have the same protective effect in living animals, and eventually people. In theory, the cells could be used to rescue kidney cells that are damaged as a result of disease, she says. If treatments work, it might make sense to bank stem cells from premature babies’ urine for future use, she says.
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