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Technion researchers succeeded for the first time in causing embryonic stem cells to differentiate into cells that form blood vessels, and even create the blood vessels themselves under laboratory conditions. The head of the team of researchers, Professor Yosef Itzkovich-Eldor from the Baruch Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion and director of the women's and obstetrics department at the Rambam Medical Center, said that this breakthrough will allow the creation and growth of blood vessels that will heal defects in the heart and various organs, and will open a new path in the study of the formation Blood vessels and the development of new ways to curb cancer." The study was published in the journal Laboratory Investigation.
Embryonic (human) stem cells have the ability to divide and differentiate into any type of cell in the body - nerve cells, muscle, liver and more. However, it is not easy to direct the cells to differentiate into the desired cell type - a necessary process in the creation of tissue to replace damaged tissues in the body. The Technion team was able to induce embryonic stem cells to differentiate into blood vessel cells through several steps, which have been tried successfully so far. This research work was done by the research student Sharon Grecht-Nir as part of the requirements for receiving a Doctor of Science degree.
The first step, already developed by other researchers, was growing the stem cells on a collagen substrate, which is a component of human body tissue. This substrate "encouraged" the cells to divide into mesodermal cells (which make up one of the three basic layers in the embryo and can develop into muscle cells, blood vessels and more).
Sharon Grecht-Nir discovered that the cells that produce blood vessels are the smallest cells in culture. She isolated these cells by filtering them through a "sieve" that allows only them to pass through and not larger cells.
The second step - these small cells were placed on another vessel, also coated with collagen, in which growth factors were added which "encouraged" the mesodermal cells to differentiate into two types of cells that build the blood vessels.
"We have seen that we succeed in producing both the delicate endothelial cells that surround the blood vessels, and the smooth muscle that surrounds them, protects the blood vessels and regulates the passage of blood," explained Professor Itzkovich-Eldor.
In the last step, the researchers put the blood vessels that were formed into a three-dimensional culture consisting of two substances that encourage the formation of blood vessels. Indeed, upon introducing the cells into the same culture, they organized into small tubes of blood vessels.
Blood vessels produced from stem cells may have important clinical uses. In bypass surgery today, blood vessels taken from different areas of the body are used to replace the damaged blood vessel. With the new method it is possible to avoid this and replace the damaged blood vessels with those produced in the laboratory.
In addition, studies have shown that the cells injected into mice spontaneously formed networks of small blood vessels, in a way that may improve blood flow to organs suffering from insufficient blood supply.
The new discoveries will lead to the identification of drugs that may help inhibit the formation of blood vessels. In cancerous tumors, the tumor must encourage cells to become blood cells to increase the blood supply to the tumor itself. Stem cell cultures may help discover how to stop this process.
Support from the US Department of Health (NIH)
The Technion's research group is one of the most advanced in the world in embryonic stem cell research. Recently, the group led by Prof. Itzkovits-Eldor received three grants from the US Ministry of Health to finance three years of research for a total of about 2.5 million dollars. The first grant supports the establishment of the infrastructure for stem cell research; The second grant supports stem cell learning centers shared by Israel and the US and in collaboration with scientists from the US Department of Health; The third grant supports research on growing cells that produce blood vessels.
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