Scientists have reported in a new study that neural stem cells can be multiplied and raised in vitro and that they used such cells to greatly reduce symptoms in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.
The study is the first to show that neural stem cells grown outside the body can form specific kinds of neurons--in this case, dopamine-producing cells--and that these neurons can survive and function normally when they are transplanted into the living brain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The cultured cells may ultimately prove useful in treating Parkinson's and other nervous system diseases.
"Cells are the ultimate device for delivering substances to the brain, so this could become one of the most widely used therapies in medical research," said Ronald McKay, PhD, of the NINDS, who reported his findings with colleagues Lorenz Studer, MD, and Viviane Tabar, MD, in the August issue of Nature Neuroscience (1998;1:290-295).
In the study, the researchers grew neural stem cells from the brains of rat embryos in the laboratory with basic fibroblast growth factor. After the growth factor was removed a week later, the neurons began to develop functioning connections with each other and began to produce dopamine and several other kinds of neurotransmitters. Spheres of neurons were injected into the brains of rats that were missing the dopamine-producing region on one side of their brains. The rats' symptoms of Parkinson's disease gradually diminished, and most rats showed about a 75% improvement in motor function 80 days after receiving the neurons, the NINDS said.
Although similar research has been conducted with human embryonic dopamine-producing cells, its potential widespread use has been limited by difficulty obtaining embryonic tissue. "The new study shows that it now may be possible for researchers to grow their own easily controlled supply of stem cells," the NINDS said.
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