Scientists at UC San Francisco have generated and transplanted a type of human nerve-cell progenitor called the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cell into mice. Once transplanted into a certain strain of mice (one that doesn't reject human
tissue), MGE cells were able to survive within the mice's brain, merging into the brain by making connections with mice nerve
cells. In the mice's brains, MGE mimics what happens in human development. Thus, MGE cells could be the potential treatment for certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and maybe even Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say that they will soon be able to make huge amounts of human MGE cells and start clinical trials.NOS Themes:
- Role of motivation and curiosity: Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease could be cured if this experiment succeeds.
- Science is collaborative: Many scientists worked together in this experiment.
Link to article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130503230313.htm
Another theme: the importance of repeatability. Its great if this works in mice, but those trials are going to be very important in determining if this could actually be a treatment. Something I thought of, if it is a human nerve cell, why do we not already have them working? Is it something that people with these disorders are missing?
ReplyDeleteThis is a cool article. It's interesting that human brain cells can develop in mice (wow, we're probably related!)
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting aspect of his is the stem cell research, where they basically are hoping to be able to grow organs with stem cells. In this article they were able to take human stem cells, inject them into rats and have them differentiate into different types of brain cells;
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827903.600-human-brain-stem-cells-grown-in-rats.html