Stem cell preparation made easier

Scientists have uncovered a new method for culturing adult stem cells which could help in developing therapy for conditions such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

By The Newsroom

Published 18th Jul 2011, 07:00 BST

A nanopatterned plastic surface, developed and fabricated at the University of Glasgow, is designed to offer a method of stem cell expansion which is easier to manufacture and use than anything currently available.

Created by an injection-moulding process similar to the method used to produce Blu-ray discs, the surface is covered with 120-nanometre pits.

Researchers at the universities of Glasgow and Southampton have found the process more effective in allowing stem cells, taken from sources such as bone marrow, to grow and spread.

They believe the new nanoscale plastic could cheaply and easily make the expansion of stem cells for therapeutic purposes possible.

The research is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and is published in the journal Nature Materials.