For years now Stem Cell research has been one of the hotter topics in new medical research. Certainly the media portrays stem cell research as the next miracle- working stage of medicine where we will be able to grow new livers cure all kinds of diseases and disorders.
But how close are actually to using stem cell research in practical healthcare?
In a letter published by Nature this week, a research group in New York, NY has given us a good insight into how far stem cell research has come. They have focused on using stem cells to treat Parkinson’s Disease, a well-known genetic disorder caused mainly by the death and degeneration of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Substantia Nigra. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with a large number of functions, but is important in controlling movement. As Dopaminergic neurons degenerate this effects our control over our movement, hence the shaking symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.
The objective of the research is to see how effective using stem cells to grow new Dopaminergic neurons might be. This team took Pluripotent Stem Cells (PSC, the type of stem cell that can grow into anything) and exposed them to Wingless (WNT) and Sonic Hedgehog signalling molecules (SHH, also not a joke!) which directed the cells into becoming Mid-Brain Dopaminergic neurons. After 25 days of growth they had neurons that could be used in vivo (in actual living animals, as opposed to in vitro- in the lab).
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| Pluripotent Stem Cells: the type that can grow into almost any cell in the body |
The study then used lesioned Mice and rats to simulate the effects of Parkinson’s (mice with part of their brain removed, this can then simulate Parkinson’s in animals). They reported that the subjects showed improved motor skills and less akinesia (uncontrolled shaking) in tests, suggesting that the implanted stem cells were improving symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.
All in all this is a remarkable and interesting experiment. They have shown it is possible to grow Dopaminergic neurons, maintain them for months in a living thing and even that they could be planted into monkeys. There is promise here that this treatment may also help to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Before we get too excited however there are still clear limitations: there are still safety concerns with Stem cells and we still have yet to try this in humans, a huge leap in research that I suspect will have to overcome massive ethical questions before it can go ahead.
Still, this experiment is one of many that suggests, one day, we might be able to grow ourselves better.
original paper:
picture (from Popsci.com)
