Japan team create pituitary glands from mouse cells

Japanese scientists have successfully grown pituitary glands in the lab using embryonic stem cells from a mouse. They are the world's first pituitary glands created in a lab.

A team of researchers led by Kobe-based RIKEN and Nagoya University says it used special chemicals that stimulated growth of a mouse embryo's stem cells. The resulting 3-dimensional tissue became the pituitary gland. Pituitary glands, located in the brain, regulate the balance of various hormones.

The tissue was then transplanted into mice with pituitary gland defects. The scientists say they observed changes in the amounts of hormones present and increased activity levels in the mice.

They say the lab-grown tissue functioned just like natural pituitary glands.

Research director Yoshiki Sasai said that there has been no fundamental treatment up until now for such diseases as growth hormone deficiencies that prevent people from growing taller. He believes the team's success is a step in the right direction for future treatments.

Sasai said their work is also significant in the sense that it resulted in the successful creation of such a complex organ, expanding the potential of regenerative medicine.

The work will be published in the British science journal Nature on Thursday.

Thursday, November 10, 2011 11:25 +0900 (JST)