Growing Neurons To Order
(From EurekAlert!). One aspect of research into controlling cells to keep an eye on: growing neurons to order. How much support can a carefully controlled supply of new neurons provide for an aging brain? Researchers are applying their first efforts to answer this question towards the repair of named neurodegenerative conditions: "The team used gene therapy to guide the development of endogenous stem cells in the brains of mice affected by a form of Huntington's. The mice that were treated lived significantly longer, were healthier, and had many more new, viable brain cells than their counterparts that did not receive the treatment. ... While the promise of stem cells is broadly discussed for many diseases, it's actually conditions like Huntington's - where a very specific type of brain cell in a particular region of the brain is vulnerable - that are most likely to benefit from stem-cell-based therapy ... Once we worked out the molecular signals that control the development of these brain cells, the next logical step was to try to trigger their regeneration in Huntington’s disease."
Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-09/uorm-scs092407.php