Liver/Digestive/Urinary System
- Oct. 6, 2011 - A small study at Stanford University has shown that several patients who had kidney transplants were able to forgo immune-suppressing drugs after being treated with adult stem cells. The drugs required after transplants carry a risk of hazardous side effects.
- Jan. 11, 2011 - A study testing the safety of using bone marrow adult stem cells to treat patients suffering from liver failure showed some benefit to the 48 patients involved.
- Oct. 30, 2010 - The BBC reported that University of Wake Forest researchers have created functional miniature livers using adult stem cells. They hope they will eventually be able to create livers large enough for patient transplants.
-
Apr. 8, 2010 - Reuters reported that Biotech company Celgene has used adult stem cells from placentas in a clinical trial to treat Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. The preliminary trial tested safety of the procedure and resulted in remission in four of 12 patients. Umbilical cord blood and placentas are usually thrown away if not donated after birth.
-
Jan. 24, 2008 - Scientists were able to use adult stem cells from a kidney donor’s bone marrow to help kidney recipients live without taking drugs that suppress their immune system. The scientists discovered the transplanted stem cells multiplied and protected the transplanted organ from the patients’ immune systems.
-
May 21, 2007 - Researchers have used adult stem cells from the muscle tissue of patients to treat urinary incontinence.
-
Mar. 27, 2007 - The United Kingdom’s Daily Mail shared the story of how researchers have used adult stem cells from the hip bones of patient and then injected those cells into the liver of patients with liver cancer. This allowed the patients’ livers to grow so they could remove the cancerous part of their livers.
-
Oct. 31, 2006 - Researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have used stem cells from umbilical cord blood to create “mini-livers.” They hope these “mini-livers” could be used to test drugs and think they could be used to treat patients in possibly 10-15 years.