Secrets behind the cells

Could our own stem cells repair damage to the heart after an attack, the brain after a stroke? How can the cells be manipulated to encourage self-healing throughout the body?

These intriguing questions were just some of the points raised at Mater Medical Research Institute's 2nd Annual Stem Cell Symposium, which was held on Mater campus on 10–11 March.

In contrast to embryonic stem cells, the cells under focus were mesenchymal and haematopoietic cells, which are both found in the bone marrow. Under the right conditions, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can be encouraged to differentiate into brain and cardiac tissue, bone and cartilage and it has been found that transplantation of MSC can promote repair of these tissues when damaged.

The role of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is to produce all blood cells, including red cells which transport oxygen to organs, immune cells to defend the body against infection and platelets which clot to stop bleeding. HSC can be used to help patients with leukaemia and cancer to recover more rapidly from chemotherapy. They can also be used to regenerate a healthy blood system in patients with leukaemia.

An impressive line up of scientists featured at MMRI Symposium, including keynote speaker, Dr Ed Horwitz from St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Tennessee, USA. He is internationally renowned for his landmark work where he showed that MSC could be transplanted into patients with "osteogenesis imperfecta"—brittle bone syndrome—and that they can now cure these patients from this lethal disease.

Symposium co-ordinator and leader of MMRI's Bone Marrow Transplantation Team, Dr Alison Rice, said the event delivered an exciting mix of presentations, which discussed the extraordinary biological and clinical potential of these bone marrow derived stem cells.

"The symposium offered an insight into the cutting edge research conducted in Australia that will shape the treatments of the future," said Dr Rice.

Approximately 100 delegates from across Australia attended the workshop style symposium, which encourages scientific interaction and discussion.

If you would like to learn more about MMRI and their research initiatives, please contact Rebecca Jorgensen on +61 7 3163 2555 or email rjorgensen@mmri.mater.org.au to receive their newsletter, Discovery.