Lab notes
Check out recent research developments at UF Health
Stem cell studies approved
A series of stem cell studies that could potentially lead to breakthroughs in medicine has been approved to take place at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville. The research will use adipose-derived stem cells taken from a patient’s own body fat, mainly from areas around the abdomen. The first study will last for one year and will attempt to determine whether human adipose-derived stem cells will retain their original relevant biological characteristics after they are isolated from the body.
Stopping Type 1 diabetes
UF Health researchers have found a way to preserve and expand certain umbilical cord blood cells as a potential treatment for Type 1 diabetes. The findings involve thymic regulatory T cells, or Tregs — a type of white blood cell that prevents autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. The researchers found that Tregs can be frozen at birth and later multiplied in a lab. Having a large, pure population of Tregs is a crucial step toward the ultimate goal of stopping type 1 diabetes in its early stages.
Testosterone treatment effects
A team including UF Health researchers has discovered that a year of testosterone treatment improved bone density and anemia among older men with low testosterone but also increased coronary artery plaque and had no effect on patients’ cognitive function. They found bone strength was especially improved in the spine of those who received testosterone treatment.