Stem cells may protect brain, nervous system Injections could one day treat neurological diseases, mice study concludes http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8564278/
Updated: 1:47 p.m. ET July 13, 2005 MILAN - Stem cells may protect the brain and nervous system against damage from tumors and conditions such as multiple sclerosis, researchers at Milan’s San Raffaele Scientific Institute found. Experiments with mice with a disease similar to multiple sclerosis showed that stem cells injected into the blood stream migrated to inflamed areas in the brain and spinal cord, killing inflammatory cells, the researchers said. This suggests that a single injection of stem cells could be used to treat many different areas of damage in the body, reducing the clinical signs of the disease. “There is a therapeutic potential in this discovery, but it’s still too early to talk about a cure for humans,” head of research Gianvito Martino told a news conference. Mice treated with stem cells at the onset of the disease started to recover between one or two months, the team reported. Stem cells are primitive cells that can transform themselves into many specialized forms, such as blood cells. Their potential of regenerating organs or tissue has given hope to sufferers from nervous diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The researchers said the stem cells could also potentially be used as a natural anti-inflammatory drug to treat damage by diseases such as stroke, brain tumors, and spinal cord injuries. “With this discovery, we are moving closer to a targeted use of stem cell therapy without side effects,” researcher Stefano Pluchino said. “The interesting thing is that adult stem cells grow in vitro without becoming specialized, they are injected and they find the damaged organ by themselves and decide autonomously how to treat it.” The results of the study will be published in Nature magazine this week. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8564278/ New! Sign up for local CML support group meetings in your local community at http://cml.meetup.com Apply for Commercial Real Estate loans online and submit your deal to dozens of hungry lenders in just minutes. Loan programs for all types of business and commercial real estate. Apply anytime at http://realestatezoo.com CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Support List) --------------------------------- Part Of CMLHope.Com An International Community Of CML Patients For more information: http://cmlhope.com Post Message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To No Mail/Web: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Digest: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CML Group Web Site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
