Make it a smooth trip down memory lane
Scientists are blazing a trail to find a cure for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, writes Sasha Gonzales
When US scientists introduced stem cells to the damaged brains of live mice, they were surprised by the results: the treated mice scored significantly better on learning and memory tests than their untreated peers.
The study is among a few that offer some hope of methods to heal brain impairment and prevent memory degradation.
The mice experiment, conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and published in this month's issue of Nature Biotechnology, is the first to show that human stem cells can successfully heal "neurological deficits", according to the lead author, Professor Zhang Su-chun.
The researchers from the university's Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Centre damaged a part of the mice brains involved in learning and memory. Then they transplanted lab-cultured human embryonic cells ("mother cells" that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body) in the brain, where the stem cells formed two vital types of brain cells.
"These two neuron types are involved in many kinds of human behaviour: emotions, learning, memory, addiction and other psychiatric issues," says Zhang, a pioneer in this field.
Though stem-cell therapy is unlikely to completely repair the brain, it does hold promise for disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression and addiction.