Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells Help Brain Function in Animal Studies
Here's just another indication of the potential power of ethically derived stem cells to alleviate human suffering. In rat studies, the stem cells improved the creation of adult stem cells and improved inflammation in aged animals. From the study:
The results demonstrate that a single intravenous injection of UCBMC in aged rats can significantly improve the microenvironment of the aged hippocampus and rejuvenate the aged neural stem/progenitor cells. Our results raise the possibility of a peripherally administered cell therapy as an effective approach to improve the microenvironment of the aged brain.This obviously opens up hope for treatment of serious neural conditions associated with aging. But don't tell the ALF. Rats were euthanized and their tissues studied in these experiments. The scientists had better be careful that the liberationists don't nonviolently burn down their lab.
Labels: Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 10:16 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Hey thats Great news!
Its good to see ASCr progressing in Rats.
Here is another stem cell success using hESCs.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13404-cancers-inhibited-by-embryonic-stem-cell-protein.html
Human embryonic stem cells produce a protein which shows some anti-cancer properties in the lab, according to a new study.
The potential for stem-cell therapies to cause cancer is a major concern, but now researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, US, say a protein produced by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can inhibit the growth and spread of breast cancer and malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer...
Significantly, Hendrix notes that Lefty is secreted only by hESCs, and not by any other stem-cell type tested – including stem cells isolated from amniotic fluid, cord blood or adult bone marrow – or placental cells.
"After all the controversy about using embryonic stem cells, this shows how potentially important such research is," she says.
Good for researchers making progress on all fronts!
Support for ALL forms of stem cell research are encouraging.
I think it's pretty amazing how *fast* these developments are showing up. Yes, I know, these are all based on research and study of several years, but have you noticed that, medically speaking, these advances are really on a roll? We're starting to pick up momentum.
AS to "Lefty" (I hope I'm using the right word here, Dark Swan - I think that "Lefty" is the protine's name that you were talking about [having read your post through twice] but if it's not, lemme know that I goofed):
I'm going to suggest further research on non hESCs be done before we put paid to the notion that only hESCs can produce "Lefty." It seems to me that I've heard researchers say that only hESCs were capable of doing certain things and that hASCs weren't, and then later have that disproved. Since we know that adult skin cells can become ESCs, we should wait for more research to see if they're not capable of producing "Lefty," too.
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