Researchers have improved technology used to transform stem cells into brain cells. This breakthrough may lead to new treatment for people with Alzheimer's, a disease characterized by dementia, impairing memory, thinking and behavior. These stem cells can be used to test new drugs and, eventually, for the creation of transplantations to restore memory. For the meantime, this will allow researchers to study key aspects of the disease and the way it affects neurons, or brain cells.
Dr. Jack Kessler of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and former doctoral student Christopher Bissonnette have implanted newly grown nerve cells into mice, resulting in the formation of normally functioning brain cells. The stem cells were able to make new axons and the chemical acetylcholine, which retrieves memories from other parts of the brain. Because researchers are able to grow these neurons, they can better study cells.
Stem cells, also known as pluripotent cells,, are reprogrammed into an embryonic state. These are called iPS cells, and they can be further converted into brain cells for someone suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Eventually, it may be possible to replace memory cells, a saving grace for the 26 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
-compiled by Fiza Hashmi
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