Cell research to lead to novel brain and spinal injury treatment?RSS Feed

A breakthrough in cell research could lead to new treatments for brain and spinal cord injury, according to the authors of a study.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin - Madison have been able to transform embryonic and induced human stem cells into astrocytes in the lab, according to journal Nature Biotechnology.

Astrocytes are the most common cell in the human nervous system and have many functions in the brain and the spinal cord.

Researcher Su-Chun Zhang explained that not a lot of attention has been paid to these cells in the past because they have been "hard to get".

This research opens up the possibility of transplanting the cells to treat conditions including brain and spinal injury and Parkinson's disease.

"Without the astrocyte, neurons can't function," explains Zhang.

"Astrocytes wrap around nerve cells to protect them and keep them healthy. They participate in virtually every function or disorder of the brain."

In other news, research published in the Journal of Physiology has revealed that a molecule known as KCC2 has a protective function in the brain and could be used to treat the brain injury seen in conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's.

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Posted by Matthew Heap
 

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