Improved stem cell process monitoring 'could accelerate treatment development'RSS Feed

Scientists believe they have discovered a new means of monitoring stem cell development in the body, which could help with the development of spine and brain injury treatment.

Amino acids capable of being genetically incorporated into natural stem cells have been used to differentiate proteins in cells by researchers at the Salk Institute in California.

This could provide a new technique for tracking the renewal process undertaken by cells and how they produce other cells in the body, helping scientists to better understand how stem cell signalling works.

Senior author Dr Lei Wang underlined the potential of the research for developing new treatments, such as for brain injury.

More specifically, the researchers were interested in finding out how voltage sensitive ion channels, which help to form proteins, work in neurons.

Dr Wang noted: "We are trying to understand how the electric field of cell membranes can turn on or turn off protein activities - like a switch in a house turns on or off lights."

Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic medical geneticist Andre Terzic explained that stem cell research has so far promised therapies "far faster than science could produce".

He added that research into treatments needs to be accelerated for the benefit of patients.

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