In a pioneering new study published in the journal Translational Research, Dr. Jilpa Patel and her research group at Hektoen Institute of Medicine and Cook County Hospital in Chicago have isolated and characterized adult stem cells from granulation tissue in rats. A granulation tissue is a new regenerating tissue formed in response to an inert foreign body placed in the subcutaneous tissue. This is the first time a study has shown that such a regenerating granulation tissue is replete with stem cells that are rich in growth factors. These stem cells called granulation-tissue stem cells (GTSC) can be easily obtained, and multiplied infinitely outside the body to get large number of stem cells. GTSC are ‘pluripotent’ stem cells meaning they are capable of becoming many different cell types like bone, cartilage and fat cells under the right conditions. When injected into the body with an injured organ, GTSC engraft only to the injured organ and not a to normal organ, which shows that these stem cells have the propensity to recognize and reach injured organs in the body. This is vital since it would now be possible to give a peripheral (intravenous) injection of these stem cells for treatment of organ damage. Another important finding reported in this study is that GTSC can be frozen for long-term storage without loss of potency. According to Dr. Patel, GTSC can serve as an excellent source of stem cells for the treatment of damaged organs because they are pluripotent stem cells that can be easily obtained from the patient’s own body, multiplied infinitely outside the body, and can be stored long-term.