Stem cells 'halt nerve disease' {in mice} (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

An injection of stem cells has been used to cure mice with a normally fatal nervous system condition.

The therapy which helped repair faulty nerve wiring raises hopes of treatments for children with rare and deadly nervous leukodystrophy disorders.

A UK expert said human treatments were still some way off - but potentially the technique could be used to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

The US study features in the journal Cell: Stem Cell.
***
Professor David Attwell, from University College London, said the study represented an "important proof of principle" that transplantation of these "precursor" cells could help restore myelin not only within people with leukodystrophies, but in theory within those affected by other conditions involving loss of myelin, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7435137.stm

[aquart]

1. It will be too late for my aunt. But omigod.

Look what the world has been doing while we waged war.

[Igel]

2. Reporting on US research?

"... The scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center believe it may be the first time that this type of "shiverer" mouse has been cured ... The US team did not use "true" stem cells, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body, but precursor stem cells, which can become one of a limited number of cell types...."

That's in the US--granted, along the northern tier, and it snows a lot. And it's not *on* the might Gennessee, but maybe a mile away, but it's all downhill to the river.


It didn't use HESCs, so it was almost certainly done with NIH funding dedicated to stem cell research.