South Korean Researchers Test Adult Stem Cells to Treat Lung Disease

Yonhap English News
January 31, 2006

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean researchers has successfully conducted animal tests that can lead to treatments for various human lung diseases, the group said Tuesday.

The team of experts from the Samsung Medical Center and biotechnology company Medipost Inc. said they have extracted blood from animal umbilical cords and cultivated mesenchymal stem cells that seem to be effective in treating lung ailments.

Adult stem cells have treatment potential for blood, bone, heart, and nervous system-related ailments, but this is the first report of an application that extends to a key organ.

The research team said that the stem cells, implanted in test animals through the respiratory system, started to differentiate like existing lung tissue and became assimilated into the organ.

"In the test, the stem cells started to repair parts of the damaged lungs in animals," said Chang Yun-sil, a doctor at Samsung Medical.

Chang, a pediatrician, cautioned that it was too soon to say whether the animal tests are conclusive or if human tests would have the same results.

The team plans further tests to see if the discovery is applicable to finding cures for currently untreatable human lung diseases. The new discovery is expected to be submitted to the patent office on Wednesday.

Samsung Medical is one of South Korea's largest hospitals, and Medipost is a leader in umbilical cord blood use and hematopoietic stem cell research.

------------------------------------------------------------------------