Scientists report stem cell wiring successRSS Feed

Scientists working at Stanford Medical School have reported success in transplanting neurons grown from embryonic stem cells into the brains of young animals.

The team looked into the possible transference and integration of cells that transmit information from the brain's central cortex, with these neurons commonly lost or damaged as a result of spinal cord injuries.

They found that after growing unspecified stem cells in a Petri dish until they displayed some of the main characteristics of mature neurons, they were then able to transplant them into the brains of newborn mice.

In particular, they were successful in integrating the cells into the regions of the brain responsible for movement, touch and vision.

Commenting on the findings, Life Technology stem cell biologist Dr Mahendra Rao concluded in the Journal of Neuroscience: "The authors show that appropriate connectivity for one important class of projection neurons can be obtained in newborn animals."

At the same time, the Michigan State Senate has passed new bills aimed toughening up reporting rules in the field of embryonic stem cell research.

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