Headline Makers: Bone Marrow Stem Cells Repair Vital Tissues and Organs

Date: December 1, 2002

Center researchers have found that a mouse bone marrow stem cell is capable of developing into the specialized cells lining the intestines, lung, and skin. Though the research is currently in animals, it offers the first clear evidence that transplanted bone marrow stem cells can not only reform the bone marrow, but also may play a role in healing other tissues and organs. “An infusion of stem cells after toxic cancer treatment may be able to repair damaged tissue throughout the body, and could serve as treatment for a variety of other diseases characterized by tissue and organ damage, such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis,” says Saul Sharkis, Ph.D., professor of oncology and director of the study.