STEM CELLS in the brain were able to repair damaged areas and restore function when stimulated by a growth- inducing protein, study by researchers at UC Irvine's College of Medicine has found. Study, conducted in rats shows that adult brain stem cells can develop into nerve cells in adult animals, leading to replacement of damaged brain tissue.
If the results can be replicated in humans, they may result in new and natural stem-cell based treatments for stroke, nervous system and spinal cord injury and diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's that are marked by degeneration of nerve cells. The study appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
James Fallon, professor of anatomy and neurobiology along with his colleagues at UCI and researchers at Stem Cell Pharmaceuticals found that injecting a human protein called transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-a) into damaged areas of the brain stimulated stem cells to multiply, migrate and differentiate into a massive number of normal, fully developed nerves.
These cells were then able to repair damage and restore the rats' movement ability.
"The stem cells are already in the brain and other organs in small numbers.
They can be stimulated in the brain to develop by a growth factor without the need for transplanting stem cells, embryonic tissue or altered cells from outside; instead, we've just stimulated cells that are already there."
The researchers found that when they injected TGF - a into the forebrains of rats, only those with damaged tissue showed signs of significant cell division, cell migration toward depleted and damaged areas, and specialization of cells into new cells in the brain.
The new cells appeared to be drawn into damaged areas, replacing destroyed cells.
Scientists think that the process of stem-cell stimulation may occur naturally to replace damaged brain tissue.