Posted 03.29.2010 at 11:49 am
14 Comments
Embryonic Stem Cells from Mice
Immature neurons from mice can evolve into special inhibitory cells that allow the brain to undergo periods of "plasticity" in which it can rebuild neural circuitry just as it did during infancy.
The brain is the body's most complicated biological machine, and as such it can be very difficult to service when something goes wrong; after our neural wiring is put in place, at a very young age, altering or rebuilding it becomes extremely challenging. But researchers at UC San Francisco have figured out a way to induce a new period of "plasticity" -- a state in which neural circuitry is receptive to change -- in the visual cortices of mice, a breakthrough that could lead to treatments for brain circuits damaged by developmental problems or traumas.
All regions of the brain go through periods of high plasticity at various times in the development process during early life. During this time, neurons are highly responsive to signals -- in the case of the visual cortex, visual signals -- that shape the way they will function going forward. Through a process known as synaptic transmission, the cells rapidly relay signals from one appropriate cell to the next, creating the neural circuitry that enables functions like vision.
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Science, Clay Dillow, embryonic stem cells, health, medicine, neurology, neuroscience, stem cells, visual cortexThe answer, it seems, is yes. The team first took a group of mice during their normal period of visual cortex plasticity (at about four weeks of age) and deprived one eye of each mouse of visual signals, allowing one eye to develop fully while the other eye did not. They then transplanted some immature embryonic neurons into the animals' visual cortexes. As the embryonic cells matured over time, they dispersed throughout the cortex, grew into GABA-producing inhibitory neurons and began to make synaptic connections, catalyzing a second period of plasticity that allowed the deprived eye to recalibrate it's circuitry properly.
The study suggest that it may be possible in the future to transplant immature neurons into the visual cortex and other parts of the brain damaged by stroke, trauma, developmental disorders, psychiatric illness, or aging, allowing the brain a second chance to wire itself like new.
[UCSF]
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In regards to rewiring the brain damaged by stroke, trauma or aging, I wonder what effect that would have on the subjects personality and memory. Is it really fixing anything if you start to essentially create a new person?
Now if only they'd work on a biotic eye to replace a lost one.
A lot has been said over the years about Autism treatments being of limited effectiveness due to the fact that the brain's wiring was already set wrong. I'm now curious if this could have application for Autism.
is that why they eat baby fetus in China?
- wise up
...and the cells continue to grow into tumors that kill you.
Re: dahiteman
That is obviously something that would be taken into account well before human testing... the article doesn't say that there where any tumours formed though, and that would be something significant that would likely be reported if it had happened.
On another note, this is amazing news!! This has SO many implications! This could cure things like alzheimer's, brain damage from trauma, and so much more! This even has implications with regard to biological immortality! Neurons are one of the few cells that don't replicate, so even if you found a way to keep your body young, your brain would deteriorate, with this treatment this would no longer be a problem!
ah.. makes you think how far we can be with medical technology today if we approved the use of stem-cells long ago.
Did anyone here read the book "Flowers for Algernon"?... or see the movie based on that book?... called "Charlie"?..
@objective. what is it about
We've had approval for stem cells a long time now. Just no NEW stem cell lines but the several that were available were free to test and use. A stem cell is a stem cell. The only difference would be individualized stem cell made from your own skin cells. That would be ideal with no rejection.
just because we dont do research on stem cells does not mean the rest of the world does not as well. The whole world has brilliant people. The fountain of youth has been a priority #1 since the early days of alchemy and witchcraft. Don't think that little things like laws will stand in the way of greed and money.
Robert1234 "Charlie" sucked. Flowers is one of the world's finest books.
Yeah "Flowers for Algernon" is amazing. One of the first books that made me cry. Haven't seen the movie, but have heard from a few people that it wasn't a patch on the book. Cleverly written, with all the spelling mistakes at the beginning, and the gradual dawning of awareness...so sad! How about "The Curious Incident of he Dog in the Nighttime"? I don't think it's as moving as Algernon, but it's funny and interesting and often gets mentioned in the same breath...
Nice! Where can I get a dose of this stuff?
Lou
www.surfing-anonymity.br.tc