A&M's stem cell research could lead to better bone repair
Sam Craft/Texas A&M Health Science Center
Posted: Monday, November 23, 2015 12:00 am
By Elizabeth Kamenicky
Texas A&M Health Science Center researchers are experimenting with stem cell therapy as a method to repair and regrow bones more effectively than traditional procedures.
According to Dr. Carl Gregory, associate professor in the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at A&M's College of Medicine, research using a type of adult stem cells - called mesenchymal - has proven successful in the lab.
"Prototypes worked very well in rodent trials," said Gregory, who has 15 years of experience in stem cell research. "We have formed pilot studies and are currently working with large animals."
Although certain stem cell research is a source of controversy, Gregory said adult stem cells differ from embryonic stem cells - which are extracted from and destroy embryos - because they are taken from "stem cell niches" within certain tissues in a body without harming the subject. Cultured in a laboratory, these cells can differentiate into various types of other cells, essentially forming new tissue, he said.
Mesenchymal stem cells come primarily from bone marrow and when injected into the site of the bone injury can differentiate into connective tissues that can repair bone, he said.
Gregory said the process still needs to be modified to yield effective results for complex organisms, such as humans. Once approved, it has the potential to change how orthopedic surgeons treat traumatic bone injuries, spinal fusions and bone loss from certain cancers, he said.
According to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than 2 million bone graft operations - the transplanting of bone tissue from another part of the body to repair bone defects - happen worldwide each year, making bone the second most common transplanted tissue.
These procedures are costly and the resources are not always available, Gregory said.
"Stem cells extracted from adult tissue proliferate infinitely, which will provide a limitless supply for bone grafting," he said.
Gregory said he and his team are working with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to investigate the effects of mesenchymal stem cell bone repair in canines.
According to Gregory, the Food and Drug Administration will only consider two subjects of study to approve the procedure: sheep or canines.
"We went with canines because we have the expertise at the vet school," he said. "Also, dogs are easier to work with in terms of care."
Since joining the Institute of Regenerative Medicine in June 2008, Gregory said he has benefited from the partnerships available through A&M's vast network.
"A&M does a good job of providing resources and funding," he said. "Its size allows access from various investigators from different disciplines, and, as a result, we get innovation from combining these different disciplines."
For more information on Gregory and his research, log onto http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/mcm/faculty-/carl-gregory.html
Sam Craft/Texas A&M Health Science Center
Posted: Monday, November 23, 2015 12:00 am
By Elizabeth Kamenicky
Texas A&M Health Science Center researchers are experimenting with stem cell therapy as a method to repair and regrow bones more effectively than traditional procedures.
According to Dr. Carl Gregory, associate professor in the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at A&M's College of Medicine, research using a type of adult stem cells - called mesenchymal - has proven successful in the lab.
"Prototypes worked very well in rodent trials," said Gregory, who has 15 years of experience in stem cell research. "We have formed pilot studies and are currently working with large animals."
Although certain stem cell research is a source of controversy, Gregory said adult stem cells differ from embryonic stem cells - which are extracted from and destroy embryos - because they are taken from "stem cell niches" within certain tissues in a body without harming the subject. Cultured in a laboratory, these cells can differentiate into various types of other cells, essentially forming new tissue, he said.
Mesenchymal stem cells come primarily from bone marrow and when injected into the site of the bone injury can differentiate into connective tissues that can repair bone, he said.
Gregory said the process still needs to be modified to yield effective results for complex organisms, such as humans. Once approved, it has the potential to change how orthopedic surgeons treat traumatic bone injuries, spinal fusions and bone loss from certain cancers, he said.
According to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, more than 2 million bone graft operations - the transplanting of bone tissue from another part of the body to repair bone defects - happen worldwide each year, making bone the second most common transplanted tissue.
These procedures are costly and the resources are not always available, Gregory said.
"Stem cells extracted from adult tissue proliferate infinitely, which will provide a limitless supply for bone grafting," he said.
Gregory said he and his team are working with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to investigate the effects of mesenchymal stem cell bone repair in canines.
According to Gregory, the Food and Drug Administration will only consider two subjects of study to approve the procedure: sheep or canines.
"We went with canines because we have the expertise at the vet school," he said. "Also, dogs are easier to work with in terms of care."
Since joining the Institute of Regenerative Medicine in June 2008, Gregory said he has benefited from the partnerships available through A&M's vast network.
"A&M does a good job of providing resources and funding," he said. "Its size allows access from various investigators from different disciplines, and, as a result, we get innovation from combining these different disciplines."
For more information on Gregory and his research, log onto http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/mcm/faculty-/carl-gregory.html