Scientists create nerve stem cells
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have
announced the successful creation - in conjunction with the University of Milan
- of nerve stem cells, hailing the breakthrough as a great leap towards possible
treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have announced the successful creation - in conjunction with the University of Milan - of nerve stem cells, hailing the breakthrough as a great leap towards possible treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The initial application for the cells will be to test the effectiveness of new medicines. Lead boffin professor Austin Smith told the BBC: "We're already talking with the bio-technology and bio-pharmaceutical companies about taking these cells into screening systems for new drugs. Hopefully that will come to pass within two to three years."
The long-term aim, however, is to use the cells for transplantation, although Smith admitted: "In terms of the possibility of using the cells for transplantation, that's a much more difficult and longer term thing and I think there we're talking more of the five to ten year range."
The teams biggest problem was in developing specialized cells. Explained here:
It’s nice to see this kind of research encouraged -- even if a portion of that encouragement comes from the absence of competition from US scientists handicapped by a 19th Century government.
Posted: Wed - August 17, 2005 at 12:03 PM