Cell: Neurons
grown from embryonic stem cells can contribute to repair of the damaged
cerebral cortex in adult mice after brain transplant
As
stem cell transplants show increasing promise to repair eye diseases of
the cornea and retina, one of the next frontiers of regenerative
medicine is using stem cells grown in the laboratory to repair neurons
within the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, which is the target of
many brain insults following trauma or stroke. For the first time,
scientists at the University of Brussels in Belgium, led by
neurobiologist Pierre Vanderhaeghen, show
that if the specific neurons found in the vision center of the cerebral
cortex can be grown in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, then
these neurons can reestablish a substantial part of the circuits that
were lost because of the damage. Thereby, the transplanted neurons could
contribute to the repair of the injured cortical tissue after
transplantation.
The
researchers note that the same neurons did not have the same
regenerative effects when transplanted in parts of the brain where they
are not usually found, emphasizing the importance of the proper
engineering of the cells before transplantation. The transplanted
neurons were integrated successfully in the damaged brain, and some of
them were even able to respond to visual stimulus, confirming the
translational potential of the laboratory-grown neurons; however, much
more research is needed before any clinical application in humans.
Michelsen
et al.: "Area-specific reestablishment of damaged circuits in the adult
cerebral cortex by cortical neurons derived from mouse embryonic stem
cells." Neuron. (March 4, 2015) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.001