HSC transplants are used to treat diseases where the bone marrow is unable to produce healthy blood cells, but limited growth of these cells in the laboratory is a problem. Previous attempts using specific proteins and signaling molecules had only short-term success.
The research team looked for alternative methods and found that a synthetic polymer could replace albumin, a protein used in previous approaches. They also found that adding chemicals to activate vital signaling molecules greatly increased the growth of HSCs.
By combining UM171 and a specific polymer, they created a chemically defined cell culture medium that supports long-term growth of HSCs.
Transplantation of these expanded cells into mice has shown successful inoculation and growth.
Source: Ferra
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