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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Accelerated tissue repair. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
A newly discovered compound helps damaged tissue regenerate in lab mice. In the journal Science, researchers from several institutions report that the compound healed damaged bone marrow, liver, and colon tissue. University of Texas oncologist James Willson was co-author of the report. He says the drug increases levels of a naturally-occuring compound called prostaglandin E2.
JAMES WILLSON (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center):
It acts like a vitamin for the tissue’s stem cells, and demonstrated its ability to restore the bone marrow’s normal function much quicker than other mechanisms.
HIRSHON:
The team also found that it could quickly regrow liver tissue and repair the ulcers in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis. Willson says the next step is testing with larger lab animals, before clinical trials with humans. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.