Could Marrow Cells Replace
Embryonic Stem Cells?

Tufts scientists are among those exploring the possibility that a type of cell found in human bone marrow shares the potential of embryonic stem cells.

Boston [02.09.05] Facing federal limits on the use of human embryonic stem cells in research, scientists are hunting for innovative alternatives that offer similar hope for treating and curing various diseases. In a recent study, researchers at Tufts isolated a bone marrow cell that they believe might equal the health potential of embryonic stem cells to help rebuild organs or fight disease..

"[Bone marrow] is like a repair kit,” Douglas W. Losordo, M.D. the Tufts cardiologist who led the study, told The Washington Post. “Nature provided us with these tools to repair organ damage."

According to the study – which was published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation – Tufts researchers found that these marrow cells could transform into the numerous different kinds of cells that comprise the human body, much like embryonic stem cells do. In a laboratory study, Lorodo found that the marrow cells helped build new heart muscle and blood vessels following heart attacks with less interfering scar tissue.

"I think embryonic stem cells are going to fade in the rearview mirror of adult stem cells," Losordo told the newspaper. In addition to being an associate professor of medicine at Tufts, Lorordo is chief of cardiovascular research at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, a Tufts teaching hospital.

Similar work is being done at the University of Minnesota, where a biologist has isolated a marrow cell that appears able to grow into any sort of tissue.

The research has been received warmly, though cautiously.

"This is a really very nice piece of work," James F. Battey, chief of the stem cell program at the National Institutes of Health, told the Post. "It's very impressive, very interesting and I think very significant."

Scientists acknowledge, though, that there is a lot of work to be done.

"It still remains the case that we're very early in the game, and I can't say the [new] results are absolutely airtight,” Battey added.

However, while scientists continue the debate as to whether or not these marrow cells are as pliable as stem cells, Losordo and his team are taking advantage of the ease with which they find they can cultivate them.

"We've got freezers full of these things now," he told the Post.