April 25, 2024

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Artificial embryonic heart system that can grow hematopoietic stem cells on demand

Artificial embryonic heart system that can grow hematopoietic stem cells on demand



 

Researchers demonstrate artificial embryonic heart system that can grow hematopoietic stem cells on demand.

Hematopoietic stem cell donation is an important medical procedure, but it is suffering from persistent shortages.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have now shown how a microfluidic device that mimics an embryonic heart can produce hematopoietic stem cell precursors, which can then be produced on demand.

 

Artificial embryonic heart system that can grow hematopoietic stem cells on demand

 

 

As with organs and regular blood transfusions, patients receiving donated hematopoietic stem cells need to have the same blood type as the donor to prevent their immune systems from rejecting foreign cells. This has led to a shortage of viable donors, especially of rarer blood types.

 

Ideally, scientists would be able to grow hematopoietic stem cells in the lab and, in theory, make them available to anyone who needs them.

This can be achieved by culturing precursor cells, which themselves can differentiate into various cell types, including red and white blood cells.

In the new study, the UNSW team investigated this idea using a microfluidic device that pumps blood stem cells from embryonic stem cell lines.

 

“Part of the problem is that we still don’t fully understand all the processes that take place in the microenvironment during embryonic development that lead to the generation of blood stem cells around day 32,” said Dr. Jingjing Li, lead author of the study. , we built a device that simulates the beating of the heart and blood circulation and an orbital shaking system that generates shear stress — or friction — as blood cells move through the device or in a plate.

 

Sure enough, the device was found to be able to promote the development of precursor hematopoietic stem cells.

Not only that, but these precursor cells go on to give rise to differentiated blood cells, even cells like those lining blood vessels that are responsible for creating blood stem cells in developing embryos.

 

“Letting the aorta form, and then actually getting cells from that aorta into the circulation, is a critical step required to make these cells,” said co-author Robert Nordon. Blood cells. We also found that it is very closely related to the cells lining the aorta — so we know it’s originating correctly — and it can proliferate.”

 

The team hopes that this work will eventually lead to devices that can incubate large batches of hematopoietic stem cells, which will reduce reliance on donors and shorten wait times.

Right now, researchers are working to scale up the technology and use bioreactors to grow cells.

 

 

 

Artificial embryonic heart system that can grow hematopoietic stem cells on demand

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