Scientists identify the possible human lung cell

NEW YORK - scientists believe they discovered stem cells in the lung that can make a wide variety of tissues of the organ, a finding that could open new doors for the treatment of emphysema and other diseases.

When these human cells were injected into mice, they showed their versatility by rebuilding airways, air bags and the blood vessels within two weeks. An expert called as "amazing".

While stem cells have been found in the bone marrow and other parts of the body, it was not clear whether such a versatile cell existed in the lungs.

Experts not involved in the study stressed that the work must be confirmed by other research and that it is too early to make promises on therapies. But they said that this could be a significant advance in a difficult area of research.

"These are remarkable results and they have extraordinary implications, said Dr. Alan Fine, Boston University, who called the amazing results mouse." But it must be replicated. ?

Stem cells can produce a wide variety of specialized cell types. Scientists are trying to exploit as repair kits to repair the damage caused by diseases such as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. Most people have heard speak of embryonic stem cells, which caused controversy because embryos must be destroyed to recover.

However, the new cell of lung would be an "adult" stem cell, as others have found in the body. Adult stem cells maintain and repair the tissues where they are found. Bone marrow cells, for example, give rise to different types of blood cells, and have been used for years of transplants to treat leukemia and other blood diseases.

The work of lung is reported in issue of the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday by the Drs Piero Anversa and Joseph Loscalzo and his colleagues Brigham and women's Hospital in Boston. In a telephone interview, Anversa said that it is not clear of what lung stem cells normally done but he thinks that he is involved in the replacement of other lung cells lost life.

Loscalzo said that it is too early to say what lung diseases could be treated one day cells. He said at the outset, researchers are studying high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, called pulmonary hypertension and emphysema. Emphysema is a progressive disease that destroys the key parts of the lung, leaving of large cavities that interfere with the function of the lung.

Anversa said that cells can also be useful to accumulate the lungs after surgery for lung cancer. It is not clear if they could be used in the treatment of asthma, said he.

Although theoretically the strain lung cell could be used to cultivate a lung in a laboratory for transplantation, Loscalzo said it would be very difficult because the lung is so complex. Instead, he said, scientists will be first examine isolate cells from a patient, their multiplication in the laboratory and then by injecting their return into the lungs of the patient.

The mouse experiments showed "cells are more intelligent that we are", able to build structures of normal lung in an injured lung, he said.

The researchers found cell samples from surgical made a donation of adult tissues. The same cells appeared in tissue was donated by nine fetuses that died, give evidence that cells are present before birth and may participate in the development of the lung. To study the behavior of cells, researchers injured lungs of mice and then injected six doses of about 20 000 cells each.

In the 10 to 14 days, injected cells had formed airways, blood vessels and air bags. "We had a very large amount of regeneration" involving millions of new cells, Anversa said.

New tissues showed a "seamless" connection to the rest of the lung, and researchers believe that it would work, which has not been tested, said Loscalzo. The results appear in all 29 tested mice.

Dr. Brigitte Gomperts offshore Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California at Los Angeles, said scientific have been hotly debating whether a unique type of stem cells might give rise to more than 40 cell types in the cells of lung _ who are such different jobs to protect the body of inhaled germs and oxygen for carbon dioxide exchange of. It is technically difficult to investigate, said Gomperts, who was not involved in the work again.

If the new results can be confirmed, "this is a significant step forward" that will help understand normal and abnormal lung repair relief found in the disease, she said.

Simple checklist can identify signs of autism by age 1 (AP)

WASHINGTON - a simple checklist parents fill in the waiting room may help doctors to screen a day for warning signs of autism as early as the first anniversary of the baby.

San Diego pediatricians tested the tool with more than 10,000 babies to their 1-year exams, looking for items such as how toddlers babble, gesticulating and interact with others.

The research, being published Thursday, is a first step in the search for autism screening earlier. It is not ready for everyday use, as more work is needed to verify the accuracy. But it can also be useful to find babies at risk more to study what are the causes of the disorder of development.

"There are subtle signs of autism in a year if you just look for them, said neuroscientist Karen Pierce of the University of California, San Diego, who led the study." Just leave these children detected early and treated early. ?

Recent data suggest about 1,100 children U.S. has a shape any of autism, which ranges from mild to severe behaviour problems, socialization and communication. The American Academy of Pediatrics Urges already tours of screening for autism in the regular medical doctor at the age of 18 months and 24 months. However, a 2009 study found that children on average do not diagnosed that they're 5.

Experts say early therapy may reduce the severity of autism, even if they don't know exactly what will be best. "The sooner you start, better it is," said Dr. Lisa Gilotty of the National Institute of Mental Health, which contributed to funding the study.

Hence the interest of younger screening.

"It is very, to think that we are able to identify the children with autism present from the beginning, exciting work," said Dr. Susan Hyman, of the University of Rochester and a specialist in autism paediatric academy, which was not involved in the new study.

But, she warned, it is not clear how best to do so: "I think screening for Autism at 12 months is ready for the first time.".

Study of Thursday uses a 24-question written in terms easy to understand that parents may respond in five minutes approximately. It was developed a few years ago to detect wider sign language or developmental delay. Pierce signed 137 pediatricians to use the questionnaire in the balance sheet of each year and return the baby that is not to further testing. These young people have re-evaluated every six months at the age of 3, where a diagnosis could be certain.

Of currently selected babies, 184 were sent for further testing followed - and finally 32 have been diagnosed with autism, Pierce said Thursday in the journal of Pediatrics.

Which is consistent with expected that young detection rates; Hyman of Rochester said that some forms of autism become apparent until the age of 2 or even later.

Many other children have been diagnosed with language delay or some other problems of development, so that ultimately the screening predict with accuracy a problem some 75 per cent of these children, calculated Pierce. But there is 1 to 4, with no false alarm problem.

The children began treatment to approximately 19 months. Pierce program also MRI and other tests in broader research in the biological basis of autism studies now limited by the number of babies being identified as at risk when they are young.

A large puzzle: only a fraction of 1,318 total babies with no initial screening has received follow-up. The study could not say how much this gap was registration error, or if doctors or parents worried enough to follow immediately, or if the families went elsewhere.

Yet the study shows early screening is feasible in the hectic daily regular pediatricians offices. This is important because scientists now develop various screening tests, said Geraldine Dawson, Officer Chief science of Autism Speaks, whose work has co-financed.

Pierce said other cities should consider screening - but doctors must first know where to send the families for follow-up testing. That can cost several thousand dollars, and the programs of the State for a free assessment of children at risk can have waiting lists.

For now, what should worry parents? Top concerns of Pierce.

_Lack of what she calls "shared attention." 1 Year of age, babies should try to "pull your attention in their world," pointing to a bird and look to see if you look, for example, or to provide you with a toy, she said.

_Lack of shared enjoyment, where a baby can smile to mom, but not intervene if other people try peek-a-boo.

The behaviour of _Repetitive as a wheel of spinning, instead of playing with the toy.

Language delays are worrying if they accompany other signs of problem, she said: "if they wave and they point, it is a good sign the brain is characterized to be ready to take the floor."