Seaweed Transformed Into Stem Cell Technology

Engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have transformed a polymer found in common brown seaweed into a device that can support the growth and release of stem cells at the sight of a bodily injury or at the source of a disease. The findings mark an important step in efforts to develop new medical therapies using **stem cells**. “We have developed a scaffold for stem cell culture that can degrade in the body at a controlled rate,” said lead researcher Ravi Kane, professor of chemical and biological engineering. “With this level of control we can foster the growth of stem cells in the scaffold and direct how, when, and where we want them to be released in the body.” #img_787#.<> *The new stem cell scaffold. Circled in black: a microbead degrades to release neural stem cells. Circled in white: a separate microbead releases alginate lyase that will break down the outer layer of the scaffold, releasing stem cells into the body. (Credit: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/Randolph S. Ashton)* Source: "http://www.sciencedaily.com":[ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109191538.htm]

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