Early signs that adult bone-marrow stem cells could regenerate br...( Findings of a preliminary study in this...),Health

Findings of a preliminary study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggest that transplanted adult bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brains of human stem-cell recipients. These early findings, if confirmed in future research, have implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

Ethical concerns over the use of embryonic stem cells has focused attention on the potential of adult bone-marrow cells to stimulate new cell growth in transplant recipients. Previous research has shown that the transplantation of adult human bone-marrow cells can generate new nerve cells in the brains of mice; a recent Lancet study (Lancet 2003; 361: 1084/88) showed how adult male bone-marrow cells regenerated growth in the cheek cells of female stem-cell recipients.

Edward Scott from the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center, USA, and colleagues examined the brain tissue of three women who had received bone-marrow transplantation from male donors to help treat leukaemia. The investigators found that donor cells containing a Y chromosome (ie, from a male origin) were present in all three women's brains up to 6 years after bone-marrow transplantation. All recipients had transgender brain tissue, and in the longest survivor three different types of brain tissue including neurons were found.

Dr. Scott comments: "This study suggests that bone marrow could be used as a therapeutic source of readily harvestable cells for the regeneration of nerve cells, with potential application to various neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic central nervous system damage".

'"/>

Contact: Joe Santangelo
j.santangelo@elsevier.com
212-633-3810
Lancet
29-Apr-2004

Page: 1
Related medicine news :

1. Early onset of puberty the EU gets serious
2. Early HIV screening prolongs life and is affordable, Stanford study shows
3. Early supported discharge services can reduce long term dependency for stroke patients
4. Early surgical treatment not always necessary for patients with brain haemorrhage
5. Early seizures after epilepsy surgery predict more seizures
6. Early learning leaves lasting changes in brain, Stanford owl study shows
7. Early detection reduces threat of foot injury in college basketball players
8. Early results shed light on lung cancer screening advance
9. Early disclosure: Post-operative radiotherapy improves progression-free survival in prostate cancer
10. Early reports of thrombosis after insertion of drug-eluting stents
11. Early behavior problems linked with wheezing later in childhood