Menstrual blood may have place in regenerative medicine

Blood produced during the menstrual cycle may prove to be a useful source of stem cells for regenerative medicine, new research has revealed.

According to a study completed at the of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine and published in Cell Transplantation, the tissue and blood vessels discarded during the cycle could provide a less controversial approach to stem cell treatment.

Amit N Patel, MD, MS, director of cardiac cell therapy at the university, claimed that the cells exhibited properties similar to those found in bone marrow.

"Stromal stem cells derived from menstrual blood exhibit stem cell properties, such as the capacity for self-renewal and multipotency," he said.

"Uterine stromal cells have similar multipotent markers found in bone marrow stem cells and originate in part from bone marrow," Mr Patel added.

Dr Dwaine Emerich, a section editor for Cell Transplantation, praised the find, claiming that the cells could be harvested safely and widely used in regenerative medicine.