(embryonic) Stem Cells Reverse Parkinson's in Monkeys

[JMac]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells taken from tiny monkey embryos and implanted in the brain reversed some of the Parkinson's symptoms in monkeys used to study the disease, Japanese researchers reported on Monday.

Their study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, supports arguments that stem cells taken from days-old embryos can be used to replace damaged tissues in a range of diseases, experts said.

But they also cautioned that the study was preliminary and needed much more follow-up.

Yasushi Takagi and colleagues at Kyoto University grew stem cells from early monkey embryos and coaxed them into becoming, or differentiating into, neurons. They then transplanted these into the brains of monkeys who had been given a Parkinson's-like condition using chemical damage.

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