UZH researchers treated human blood stem cells with a protein for one hour, improving their ability to regenerate blood after transplantation into mice.
Researchers at UZH’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Schlieren and the University of California, Santa Cruz used activated protein C to protect human blood stem cells during laboratory preparation. The treatment helped cells remain in a resting state instead of prematurely developing into specialised cells, preserving properties needed for long-term regeneration.
In mice, the treated cells produced more human blood cells and sustained blood formation through repeated transplantation. The work could improve preparation for stem cell transplants and gene therapies, where laboratory handling can impair cell function. These are preclinical findings: benefits for patients have not yet been demonstrated. The study was published in EMBO Molecular Medicine on 9 October.