Fungus Toxin Triggers Stem Cells to Become Bone
Imagine you’re riding your bike and an unseen tree root sends you flying over the handlebars. You stick an arm out to break your fall, except the force is too much. The bones in your forearm snap like a twig.
A trip to the hospital means you’ll either get a cast or surgery to realign the broken bones so that they can heal properly. Afterwards, it can take up to six months before the bones fully recover. Now, though, University of North Carolina School of Medicine doctors say there might be something on the horizon to significantly decrease the time it takes for bones to reform after injury.
In an unexpected find, they watched a toxin called cytochalasin D (CytoD), which is produced by certain molds, cause stem cells to transform into new bone cells. The process can be seen in the gif , with a stem cell exposed to CytoD beginning the process of turning into a bone cell. After seeing this change occur in cultured cells, Dr. Janet Rubin and colleagues injected it into mouse shinbones, where they witnessed “abundant bone formation” after just one week.
Article:
http://txchnologist.com/post/133409270950/fungus-toxin-triggers-stem-cells-to-become-bone
Paper:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/stem.2090/full
#research #stemcells #bone #medicine
Maybe 'Wolverine' is possible after all
ReplyDeleteWe have only just begun to understand the fungi, mushrooms, and other eukaryotic organisms. Surprises await at every turn.
ReplyDeleteFungus and mushrooms are quite fast growing creatures. If the toxin spotted has effect on human bones and or tissues it would be great.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't this toxin will cause more side effects than benefit ??....and wouldn't antibodies will be produce??...jusr curious..
ReplyDeleteWhen used in humans..
ReplyDeleteAmruta Kale -- probably, but if it's cytostimulatory in a week it'll have done what it needs to do before a full immune response is formed, at least the first time. Sure would suck if it managed to provoke an immune reaction against bone material, though.
ReplyDelete