Maryland scientists have discovered promising evidence that stem cells could one day save the lives of heart attack patients ? thanks in part to the audacity, persistence and intelligence of one Howard County teenager.
As a rising sophomore at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Rushi Talati, then 15, approached W. Jonathan Lederer, director of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute?s Medical Biotechnology Center, asking for an internship to research stem cells at a place that usually employs graduate students, post-doctoratal students and professors.
“At first, I discouraged him, because it?s hard work and most students would bail out once they saw how difficult this is,” said Lederer, whohad focused on cardiology before Talati approached him about stem cells.
“But he?s both driven and thoughtful and could be one of the scientific stars. He could do anything.”
Talati first had to learn the basics of conducting research in the Baltimore laboratory, from using high-tech microscopes to manipulating cultures, often on weekends and during holiday breaks.
But after three years of experiments, Talati and Lederer, along with Terry Rogers of UMB and Aarif Khakoo of the University of Texas at Houston, came across a tremendous breakthrough: Stem cells, obtained from adult bone marrow, can work as a repair kit for damaged heart cells, signaling a potentially life-saving procedure for patients with heart problems.
Their work paid off.
The state awarded the team a $1.7 million, three-year grant ? one of a handful given out ? to publish its findings and replicate its experiments. With lawmakers slashing $18 million from $23 million in stem cell funding last week, such grants might be even harder to win in the future.
“This is very much a credit to Dr. Lederer for having the confidence in a sophomore to pursue a project ? stem cell research ? outside of his lab?s primary focus,” said Talati, now 18 and a pre-med student studying biomedical engineering as a freshman at Stanford University.
Talati said his interest in the controversial world of stems cells was sparked after his uncle suffered a heart attack five years ago.
Barbara Jewitt, Talati?s high school science teacher at River Hill, a school known for its magnet science and technology program, praised Talati for his work ethic.
“He would go down to that lab after school and on Saturdays,” she said. “He?s just focused.”
