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Pioneering research into how our bodies manufacture the cells that make blood has moved us closer to regrowing tissues and organs. The findings also may let doctors grow the cells for transplantation into people to battle cancer, blood disorders and autoimmune diseases.
Researcher Karen K. Hirschi, PhD, of the Department of Cell Biology and the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, has developed a simple and efficient way to generate hemogenic endothelial cells. These cells are the first step in the production line of blood cells, and Hirschi s new findings provide a blueprint for creating them outside the body.