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Transplants Could Treat Parkinson's |
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Researchers are studying brain-cell
transplants to help treat some Parkinson's patients. The new work focuses on brain cells called neural stem cells. These cells, which can be grown in batches in the lab, can give rise to a variety of specialized brain cell types and scientists are studying how to control that process to produce the kinds of cells they want. The new study, reported in the July issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, used stem cells from mice. Researchers said they were able to produce brain cells that pump out the chemical dopamine, and that's the kind of cell that is transplanted in Parkinson's disease. The researchers are from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Harvard Medical School and elsewhere. They gave the stem cells genes that encourage development of dopamine-making cells, and exposed them to other cells called astrocytes that provided chemical signals for proper development. Unfortunately, the resulting dopamine cells didn't survive well when transplanted into mice. The results are important but there is still a long way to go. The source of those cells is problematic. Getting them from aborted fetuses is controversial, and taking cells from animals raises concern about introducing new diseases into people. |
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