Boston Medical Center and BU researchers progress toward developing cell-based therapy for hypothyroidism
Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University, both members of the New England Council, have made a breakthrough that holds promise for developing new therapies to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones.
The research team, led by Darrell Kotton, MD, and Anthony Hollenberg, MD, developed a successful protocol for producing mature thyroid follicular epithelial cells, which are responsible for making thyroid hormones. These cells could someday help boost thyroid hormone in human patients and relieve hypothyroidism symptoms.
“Our findings offer a significant advancement in the ability to generate human thyroid cells in the lab. While further work is needed before this can become a clinical therapy, the protocol we’ve developed could pave the way for regenerative treatments for hypothyroidism,” said Dr. Hollenberg, president of BMC and Professor of Medicine at the school.
The New England Council commends Boston Medical Center and Boston University for their innovative efforts.
Read more via Boston Medical Center.