Mature Blood Stem Cells can Communicate With Their Stem Cell 'Parents'

A new study by researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has pointed out that it is possible for mature blood cells to communicate with their stem cell 'parents'.

The discovery of a blood cell 'feedback loop' in the body opens up new avenues of research into diseases caused by stem cell disorders, and the potential for new disease treatments.

Egg Donation
The term ‘Egg Donation’ is commonly used to refer to the contribution of her eggs by a woman to another, who is incapable of producing her own.

Dr Carolyn de Graaf and Professor Doug Hilton from the Molecular Medicine division and Professor Warren Alexander from the Cancer and Haematology division led the research.

Professor Hilton said the findings, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed a relationship between the blood cells that wasn't known to exist until now.

"We know that blood stem cells give rise to all the mature blood cells, but the standard assumption was that external factors control blood cell production and the two populations exist in isolation," Professor Hilton said.

About Cord Blood
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives general info about Cord Blood

"This study shows that the mature cells actually communicate back to the stem cells, changing their gene expression and influencing their behaviour."

The researchers found that blood cell disorders can cause disturbances in the feedback loop, with profound effects on the blood stem cells.

Creating Stem Cells Now Possible Thanks to Rare Disease
By mimicking a rare genetic disorder in a dish, they can rewind the internal clock of a mature cell and drive it back into an adult stem-cell stage, Harvard researchers have found.

The discovery was made while studying the effect of the loss of Myb, a transcription factor that represses platelet production, in animal models.

Dr de Graaf said the loss of the Myb gene meant the animals had very high numbers of platelets in their blood, which caused changes in the signaling pathways that control stem cell maintenance.

Own Stem Cells Could be Used as Treatment for Heart Disease
It has emerged that scientists are revolutionizing treatment of cardiovascular disease by using patients' own stem cells to regenerate heart and vascular tissue.

Source-Eurekalert