Calgarians lead stem cell breakthrough
Published: May 17, 2006
Calgary researchers are behind a breakthrough which will for the first time ideally lead to ample samples of human stem cells to be analysed in the quest for a cure for breast cancer.
University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering researchers will soon begin supplying scientists with enough of the scarce breast stem cells — believed to be the leading cause of breast cancer tumours — for large-scale experiments.
The stem cells will for now come from lab mice, but hopefully from humans in the future.
That breakthrough comes after biomedical engineering PhD candidate Benjamin Youn developed a successful process to grow a potentially unlimited supply of breast cancer stem cells in the lab.
That is done by adapting bioreactor technology used previously for protein production to reproduce the stem cells.
The process easily sees production capacity hiked by hundreds if not thousands of times over current approaches, Youn said.
Because research into a breast cancer cure is hampered by a lack of those stem cells to study, Youn said the ability to see more available for studies is a promising development.
Ultimately it could lead to the development of more effective drugs and treatments for the disease which kills more than 5,000 Canadian women annually.
Biomedical engineer Dr. Leo Behie said the development is one part of a multi-disciplinary approach to try to combat the disease which strikes one- in-nine women in Canada.
The findings will be published in an upcoming Journal of Biotechnology Progress.
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