July 24, 2006
UCLA Researchers Transform Stem Cells Found in Human Fat Into Smooth Muscle Cells
ISCBM scientist Dr. Larissa V. Rodriguez and colleagues from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science today announced they have transformed adult stem cells taken from human adipose—or fat—tissue into smooth muscle cells, which help the normal function of a multitude of organs, including the intestine, bladder and arteries. The study may help lead to the use of fat stem cells for smooth muscle tissue engineering and repair. Reported in the July 24 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study is one of the first to show that stem cells derived from adipose tissue can be changed to acquire the physical and biochemical characteristics, as well as the functionality, of smooth muscle cells. 
ARTICLE: PDFfile.