A new step in creating alternative organs for humans

It seems that scientists have taken a step closer to "cultivating" alternative medicine for medicine - by identifying the important impact of Meox1 on muscle development in humans. . The above protein can be found in stem cells.

Finding a way to create alternative organs would be a major revolution for the current medical industry. Because this will save thousands of people without organs for replacement every year.

Researchers from Monash University, Australia, have found the link through studying zebrafish , a fast-growing fish that lives in Southeast Asia. This fish has a lot of similarities with humans in terms of visceral - even 70% of human genes can be found in zebrafish.

Picture 1 of A new step in creating alternative organs for humans
70% of human genes can be found in this fish.

"Before participating in the study, we did not even know the existence of this type of stem cell development. This type of stem cell opens the potential for control and activates them to Recovering damaged muscle tissue, "said lead researcher Peter Currie.

The cultivation of organs in the laboratory is a topic that has been researched by scientists for many years. However, the effects of stem cells, as well as how they can form many living cells in the body, remain a mystery. Unless this is resolved, we will not be able to create alternative organs for humans.

The study of zebrafish shows that stem cells do not divide and develop randomly. Only selected stem cells are capable of making up most of the other cells. And Meox1 protein plays an important part in selecting the cells mentioned above.

Picture 2 of A new step in creating alternative organs for humans
Researching zebrafish shows that stem cells do not divide and grow randomly.

Of course, it is still very long before we can cultivate our own heart or liver in the laboratory as required by the patient. At the present stage, scientists only have a better understanding of the mechanism of human activity at the molecular level. According to the team, the process of organ cells developed under stem cell effects is considered "an important problem of the end of developmental biology".

Scientists are taking relatively firm steps in this area - last year a US research team succeeded in regenerating the heart muscle of the human body, using the cells of a heart. donated. And thanks to zebrafish research, we now have one more step.

The results of the study are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.