Chinese scientists have claimed successfully growing muscle stem cells in a test tube, a breakthrough that could potentially save the careers of top athletes besides cure untreatable injuries caused from accidents and surgeries due to cancer.
“It can generate enough stem cells to heal permanent wounds, especially those caused externally,” said Hu Ping, a cell biologist with the Shanghai Institute for Biological Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Muscle stem cells are the ultimate way to cure muscle- related wounds or diseases,” Hu, who served as lead author of a paper on the subject published in the journal Cell Research, was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.
She said the technology would not only benefit athletes, but also address a wide range of medical issues such as treatments for people involved in car accidents, those who have had surgery for cancer, or sufferers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).