This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

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Go to The Myelin Repair Foundation homepage to watch the video.


March 23, 2009
The Promise of Stem Cells and Myelin Repair

President Obama’s lifting of federal restrictions on the use of embryonic stem cells in scientific research has generated considerable news coverage and many questions from our supporters about the impact of this reversal on our own research.

While MRF research to date has not involved embryonic stem cells, we are working with more mature stem cell types including adult neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Both of these stem cell types are typically harvested from a patient’s bone marrow. Some of our most promising new stem cell investigations, however, are on “induced pluripotent” stem cells (iPS) that are created by “reverse-engineering” cells from more readily available skin samples. These new tools will be enormously beneficial to MS research.

MRF COO Rusty Bromley made this brief video about MRF’s use of stem cells in myelin repair and the potential they offer for myelin repair in MS.