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Stem Cell Drug Hopes
Posted on: Wednesday, 3 September 2008, 18:00 CDT

SCIENTISTS have designed stem cell tools to aid the development of drugs to fight brain disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The breakthrough was announced today by a team of scientists from Durham University and the North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI).

They have developed and tested two synthetic molecules which can be used to coax stem cells into transforming into other forms of tissue and are more reliable than those already in use.

The scientists say one of the two new molecules was found to be particularly effective at producing nerve cells which can be used in laboratory testing for drugs for brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.

Stem cells biologist Dr Stefan Przyborski said: "The key thing about these synthetic molecules is that they remain stable and are the same every time you use them, ensuring more reliable scientific experiments.

"Because the results will be more scientifically robust, this will accelerate drug development using human stem cell-derived tissues.'

(c) 2008 Evening Chronicle - Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.



Source: Evening Chronicle - Newcastle-upon-Tyne