I had ovarian cancer when I was 43 and don't have any endometrial cells nor
does anyone who has had a complete total hysterectomy.or "oophorectomy" or 
salpingo-oophorectomy

Ray
Rayilyn Brown
Past Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Nic Marais" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 12:43 AM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Fw: ENDOMETRIAL STEM CELLS RESTORE BRAIN DOPAMINE LEVELS

> Looks promising... I might even regret being a man;-))
>
> Nic 58/16
>
> On 7 May 2010 15:18, Mary Ann Ryan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> Folks, a nurse friend sent this article to me. Thought all of you might
>> find it interesting. Since it is from the NIH, I didn't think we would
>> run into trouble posting it.
>> ----------
>> Mary Ann
>>
>> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
>> NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
>> Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
>> Development (NICHD)<http://www.nichd.nih.gov/>
>> For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 6, 2010
>>
>> CONTACT: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller,
>> 301-496-5133, <e-mail:[log in to unmask]
>>
>> ENDOMETRIAL STEM CELLS RESTORE BRAIN DOPAMINE LEVELS
>> Mouse Study May Lead to New Therapies for Parkinson's Disease
>>
>> Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a
>> laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the
>> functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease.
>>
>> The finding raises the possibility that women with Parkinson's disease
>> could serve as their own stem cell donors. Similarly, because endometrial
>> stem cells are readily available and easy to collect, banks of
>> endometrial stem cells could be stored for men and women with Parkinson's
>> disease.
>>
>> "These early results are encouraging," said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D.,
>> acting director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child
>> Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH Institute that funded the
>> study. "Endometrial stem cells are widely available, easy to access and
>> appear to take on the characteristics of nervous system tissue readily."
>>
>> Parkinson's disease results from a loss of brain cells that produce the
>> chemical messenger dopamine, which aids the transmission of brain signals
>> that coordinate movement.
>> (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/parkinsons_disease.htm).
>>
>> This is the first time that researchers have successfully transplanted
>> stem cells derived from the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus,
>> into another kind of tissue (the brain) and shown that these cells can
>> develop into cells with the properties of that tissue.
>>
>> The findings appear online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular
>> Medicine.
>>
>> The study's authors were Erin F. Wolff, Xiao-Bing Gao, Katherine V. Yao,
>> Zane B. Andrews, Hongling Du, John D. Elsworth and Hugh S. Taylor, all of
>> Yale University School of Medicine.
>>
>> Stem cells retain the capacity to develop into a range of cell types with
>> specific functions. (http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/) They have
>> been derived from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, embryonic tissue,
>> and from other tissues with an inherent capacity to develop into
>> specialized cells. Because of their ability to divide into new cells and
>> to develop into a variety of cell types, stem cells are considered
>> promising for the treatment of many diseases in which the body's own
>> cells are damaged or depleted.
>>
>> In the current study, the researchers generated stem cells using
>> endometrial tissue obtained from nine women who did not have Parkinson's
>> disease and verified that, in laboratory cultures, the unspecialized
>> endometrial stem cells could be transformed into dopamine-producing nerve
>> cells like those in the brain.
>>
>> The researchers also demonstrated that, when injected directly into the
>> brains of mice with a Parkinson's-like condition, endometrial stem cells
>> would develop into dopamine-producing cells.
>>
>> Unspecialized stem cells from the endometrial tissue were injected into
>> mouse striatum, a structure deep in the brain that plays a vital role in
>> coordinating balance and movement. When the researchers examined the
>> animals' striata five weeks later, they found that the stem cells had
>> populated the striatum and an adjacent brain region, the substantia
>> nigra. The substantia nigra produces abnormally low levels of dopamine in
>> human Parkinson's disease and the mouse version of the disorder. The
>> researchers confirmed that the stem cells that had migrated to the
>> substantia nigra became dopamine-producing nerve cells and that the
>> animals' dopamine levels were partially restored.
>>
>> The study did not examine the longer-term effects of the stem cell
>> transplants or evaluate any changes in the ability of the mice to move.
>> The researchers noted that additional research would need to be conducted
>> to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the technique before it could be
>> approved for human use.
>>
>> According to the researchers, stem cells derived from endometrial tissue
>> appear to be less likely to be rejected than are stem cells from other
>> sources. As expected, the stem cells generated dopamine producing cells
>> when transplanted into the brains of mice with compromised immune
>> systems. However, the transplants also successfully gave rise to dopamine
>> producing cells in the brains of mice with normal immune systems.
>>
>> According to Dr. Taylor, because women could provide their own donor
>> tissue, there would be no concern that their bodies would reject the
>> implants. Moreover, because endometrial tissue is widely available, banks
>> of stem cells could be established. The stem cells could be matched by
>> tissue type to male recipients with Parkinson's to minimize the chances
>> of rejection.
>>
>> In addition, Dr. Taylor added that endometrial stem cells might prove to
>> be easier to obtain and easier to use than many other types of stem
>> cells. With each menstrual cycle, women generate new endometrial tissue
>> every month, so the stem cells are readily available. Even after
>> menopause, women taking estrogen supplements are capable of generating
>> new endometrial tissue. Because doctors can gather samples of the
>> endometrial lining in a simple office procedure, it is also easier to
>> collect than other types of adult stem cells, such as those from bone
>> marrow, which must be collected surgically.
>>
>> "Endometrial tissue is probably the most readily available, safest, most
>> easily attainable source of stem cells that is currently available. We
>> hope the cells we derived are the first of many types that will be used
>> to treat a variety of diseases," said senior author Hugh S. Taylor, M.D.,
>> of Yale University. "I think this is just the tip of the iceberg for what
>> we will be able to do with these cells."
>>
>> The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth;
>> maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population
>> issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the
>> Institute's Web site at <http://www.nichd.nih.gov/>.
>>
>> The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research
>> Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the
>> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal
>> agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational
>> medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures
>> for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
>> programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.
>>
>> ##
>>
>> This NIH News Release is available online at:
>> <http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2010/nichd-06.htm>.
>>
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>>
>>
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