MDI Biological Lab explores use of ‘immortal’ cells in potential new medical treatments

Immortal cells that can generate new tissue and fix damaged organs? Sounds like a sci-fi movie.

But researchers at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor are now looking at “germ” cells as a source of potential medical treatments, the lab said Wednesday in a news release. The cells, precursors to human sperm and eggs, are considered immortal because they are the only ones in the body with the potential to create an entirely new organism.

And they could offer a new approach to promoting tissue regeneration in organs damaged by disease or injury.

The research into germ cells contrasts with another approach in recent years, which focuses on stem cell therapies that reprogram the body’s own cells to replace damaged tissue. That’s a complicated process because it involves turning genes in the cell’s nucleus on and off. Read more

Related Posts

Husson creates institute for leadership and workforce development

Husson University in Bangor has launched an institute dedicated to strategic leadership and workforce development training and education.  Founded by the...

21 February 2023

Swiss optics supplier acquires Portland-based Gray Optics

The acquisition of Gray Optics in Portland by a Swiss photonics firm expands the latter’s presence in the U.S. while allowing...

17 February 2023

ElleVet Sciences, the Leading Pet CBD+CBDA Brand in the United States, Expands into Europe 

PORTLAND, Maine, Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ElleVet Sciences announced today that it is expanding its global reach with its new European Headquarters...

15 February 2023