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Ramping Up Repair
02 June 2014

Ramping Up Repair

Some people’s wounds simply do not heal. The use of undifferentiated cells, or stem cells, from the umbilical cord could promote healing in these individuals. Injured mice treated with stem cells show an improvement in wound healing rates. Mice not treated with stem cells showed fewer cells moving into the wounded area, a typical repair mechanism; this is seen in the bottom image that displays a greater proportion of ‘old’ red cells. Stem-cell-treated mice also exhibited better organisation of the new cells as they migrated to the wounded area, as can be seen in the more colourful top image. Taken together, these findings seem to suggest that stem cells work by improving cell-to-cell communication and promoting cellular growth. This effect has yet to be observed in humans but if it’s successfully reproduced, it could result in a clinically valuable treatment for those inflicted with such debilitating injuries.

Written by Cara Foley

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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