An Australian researcher has successfully tracked the movements of stem cells in the human body by making them emit light. The technique could help doctors understand where each stem cell goes after a patient has received a stem cell transplant.
The research was conducted by a student named Richard Tan, from the Han Research Institution in Sydney. He created bioluminescent that could be tracked using medical scanners.
The technique will allow doctors to monitor the path that stem cells take in the body, how many stem cells reach the correct destination, how different stem cells interact, and much more. Doctors will have immediate feedback on the success of a stem cell transplant, which will help them understand if the patient requires another transplant.
One treatment that will benefit greatly from this new technique is pancreatic regeneration using stem cells. Doctors will be able to monitor how many stem cells reach the pancreas and turn into insulin-producing cells. Pancreatic regeneration using stem cells is a promising treatment that may lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes.
One of the key challenges of using this treatment is that doctors don’t always know if the stem cells have successfully migrated to the pancreas and are helping it produce insulin.
In addition to bioluminescence, Richard added biomaterial scaffolds to the stem cells. This helped the stem cells adhere to the pancreas. This technique may greatly improve how doctors perform stem cell transplants.
Source: Live stem cell imaging technique opens new windows into pancreatic regeneration
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