18 January 2010, Boennigheim - Hohenstein Institute scientists
have developed a special coating that allows adult human stem cells to colonize
on the surface of medical textile implants which are then used to treat
patients in a variety of procedures.
In a theoretical stem cell therapy situation, mesenchymal
stem cells are harvested from the patient and inserted into Hohenstein’s
special biomaterial coating. The stem cells reproduce within the coating and
populate the surface of the medical textile. The surgeon then implants the
coated medical textile into the patient to repair the injured tissue. Over
time, the medical textile and the coating dissolve and are absorbed harmlessly
into the patient’s body.
Hohenstein scientists are working to optimize the biomedical
coating to maximize the number of stem cells which grow on the textile
implant’s surface. Concentrating the stem cells at the injury site is believed
to improve the cells’ ability to successfully repair tissue damage. The
scientists are also focused on adapting the biomedical coating technology to
work on the diverse materials used for medical textile implants.
Hohenstein says that stem cell therapy shows tremendous
promise as a treatment for heart attacks, spinal cord injuries, and damaged
bones and joints as stem cells can transform into different kinds of cells and
can regenerate damaged tissue. Medical textiles are used as implants in many
surgical procedures and not only does the textile transmit stem cells,
medicines, or other compounds but the textile structure also stabilizes and
patches the injured tissue.
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