Stem Cell Treatment For Brittle Bones In The Womb

Osteogenesis imperfecta (also called Brittle Bone Disease) is a genetic bone disorder. In osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), collagen, the building block for bones, fails to develop properly. Therefore, this leads to the condition of having brittle bones and may cause fractures during childhood and even in the womb. Fortunately, scientists at the Action Medical Research have announced a breakthrough where a stem cell treatment is possible for embryos with brittle bones. The breakthrough originated from a group of scientists that transplanted stem cells from the fetus blood into two-week old mice fetuses. After experimentations, the researchers discovered a decrease in bone fractures by two thirds within the treated mice compared with untreated group of mice. This study suggests that we can apply the same method to humans. Not only can this breakthrough help patients with OI but also patients diagnosed with other diseases such as muscular dystrophy. I think this discovery is fascinating because it shows that if stem cells could be transplanted in a baby in the womb, this could lead to a great improvement in the baby’s health.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125455.htm