Skin Stem Cells
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:15 am
I like the idea of being able to use skin cells to generate nerve cells.
Skin Stem Cells Aid Nerve Cells
July 14 - Toronto Star - Researchers are one step closer to repairing nerve cells and treating conditions such as spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
A new study says that stem cells found in adult skin can function after being transplanted into diseased mice.
"This shows that these stem cells found in adult skin are the real thing. We saw it in the culture dish, but now we know it's the bona-fide real thing," said an elated Dr. Freda Miller, senior scientist at Sick Kids hospital.
The research found that these stem cells, called skin-derived precursors or SKPs, can produce nervous system cell types called Schwann cells. These cells in turn make insulation, or myelin, and allow nerve cells to function efficiently.
Miller, who is also a University of Toronto professor, spent the previous five years of research dealing with SKPs in culture dishes and their more basic biology.
"Our finding that we can efficiently generate and isolate these Schwann cells from SKPs raises the possibility that we could treat humans with Schwann cells derived from human skin stem cells, and perhaps even use the patient's own skin to generate Schwann cells for treatment," Miller said.
The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGT ... 8-sun.html
Skin Stem Cells Aid Nerve Cells
July 14 - Toronto Star - Researchers are one step closer to repairing nerve cells and treating conditions such as spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
A new study says that stem cells found in adult skin can function after being transplanted into diseased mice.
"This shows that these stem cells found in adult skin are the real thing. We saw it in the culture dish, but now we know it's the bona-fide real thing," said an elated Dr. Freda Miller, senior scientist at Sick Kids hospital.
The research found that these stem cells, called skin-derived precursors or SKPs, can produce nervous system cell types called Schwann cells. These cells in turn make insulation, or myelin, and allow nerve cells to function efficiently.
Miller, who is also a University of Toronto professor, spent the previous five years of research dealing with SKPs in culture dishes and their more basic biology.
"Our finding that we can efficiently generate and isolate these Schwann cells from SKPs raises the possibility that we could treat humans with Schwann cells derived from human skin stem cells, and perhaps even use the patient's own skin to generate Schwann cells for treatment," Miller said.
The study is published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGT ... 8-sun.html