ByRobert A. Emmanuel

Officials at the StemCell Medical Center believe that Antigua and Barbuda could become the leadingnation for stem cell export and research.

The centers Chairman,Dr. Bruce Murphy made the disclosure during a press conference on Tuesday.

There is certainlythe potential that, because of the sophisticated nature of the scientificprocesses that we are using, Antigua and Barbuda could be the source of stemcells for a lot of different countries.

Dr. Murphy noted that,for the time being, the facility will be importing stem cells from the UnitedStates.

These stem cells aregoing to be derived from fetal cord blood, which is the part of the umbilicalcord attached to the placenta that is thrown away; it is full of young,healthy stem cells.

It will be sourced inthe US; there are multiple companies right now that take a healthy [young]woman who is pregnant, test her to be sure that she is absolutely healthy and,at the time of an elective caesarean section,get the placenta and the cord blood.

He noted that theimported stem cells will be incubated and stored on island once the clean roomhas been completed in July.

The chairman furtherexplained that the facility will be working with pluripotent stem cells, whichcan develop into bone, cartilage, muscle, an organ tissueliver, kidneyandskin and nervous tissue.

He added that thepluripotent stem cells are looking for a signal from a place in the body thatis generally inflamed and sending out inflammatory signals for them to go toand repair or call in other cells to make new tissue.

He said that everyperson is made out of stem cells and you depend on stem cells every day, yourblood everyday has to depend on stem cells out of your bone marrow to make newred blood cells, new white blood cells, new platelets.

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A&B could become premier stem cell producer - Antigua ...