http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/include/print.asp?newsIdx=70681

A Seoul hospital said Monday it has created enough new embryonic stem cell lines for use in transplants for up to 25 percent of all Koreans. The report, published in peer-review journal, Cell Transplantation, was touted as a potential breakthrough in developing new therapies to combat difficult and degenerative diseases.

The Cha Medical Center’s study was based on an evaluation of 28 embryonic stem cell lines it had acquired through 2008 and their potential for use in unrelated patients.

The tests for blood and immune matching between the stem cell lines and data from 6,740 donated umbilical cord blood samples suggested that about 16 to 25 percent of possible Korean recipients would find one or more donor cell lines among the 28.

The hospital currently has 43 embryonic stem cell lines and roughly calculates it will need between 100 and 160 lines to cover stem cell therapies for the entire Korean population. Its eventual goal is to establish a stem cell bank large enough to provide embryonic stem cell lines to global patients.

“The results of the current study reinstate the fact that the establishment of banks for embryonic stem cell lines is needed to develop new stem cell therapies. Unlike the more rigid adult stem cells, a single embryonic stem cell line would be more than enough for transplants and therapies in a large number of people, and this makes them ideal for the banks to be based on,” said Lee Dong-ryul, who headed the research team.

“Embryonic stem cells are also ideal for mass cultivation, and with further advancements in the techniques for cell differentiation as well as studies on how to improve the stability of the process, embryonic stem cells could be used for treatment in patients.”

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable of developing into any of the 200 different types of cells in the human body. They are derived from embryos, umbilical cords, or the scarce stem cells in adults or children.

Embryonic stem cells have garnered particular attention from scientists for their strength and flexibility in differentiation. According to researchers, the list of conditions that might be treated by transplanting tissues generated from embryonic stem cells include Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, heart diseases, and some brain and liver conditions.

However, immune matching is expected to be a difficult problem to overcome, as even in the securing of a carefully matched donor, the risk remains that the patient’s body could still reject the new cells.

Aug. 2, 2010 (Korea Times)