The findings of a study published in the Boston-based journal Cell Stem Cell claims that the researchers and scientists of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have found a link between blood stem and progenitor cells.

According to the researchers, the blood stem and progenitor cells hold the potential of affecting the reproduction of mature blood cells after being exposed to stressors. The researchers are of the view that an advanced stem cell treatment for cancer, where inflammation is present, could be developed based on the findings.

While commenting upon the findings, Professor Phil Crosier from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology said, “People have, for a long time, speculated…yet how the infection communicates to stem cells has been poorly understood. We have identified a novel unexpected mechanism that functions as an important link between infection and stem cell behavior”.

It has been informed that the study has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The study would be conducted for a period of two years. However, at present the study has completed just one year. Based on the findings of the study, further study would be undertaken by the researchers.

Dr. Chris Hall from the Ministry of Science and Innovation said that while conducting an experiment over zebrafish embryo, the researchers found that the stem cells of the zebrafish had increased after it came in contact with infection.

This made the researchers to conclude that the inflammation increases the production of the stem cells. In the second step of the study, the researchers would be working towards proving that the same phenomena do work on mammals as well.

If the second step of the study proves successful then the researchers would be using the same phenomena to produce drugs which could boost the production of stem cell.