Australian Team Reports Stem Cell Breakthrough
By Wendy Pugh
MELBOURNE, April 4, 2000 - (Reuters) - Australian scientists said on
Tuesday they had succeeded in developing nerve cells from early human
embryos which could lead to a cure for Parkinson's disease and a range
of other health problems.
The Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development said its research
team was the first to achieve the controlled, laboratory development of
nerve cells from embryonic stem cells.
``We hope that one day we will be able to produce pure populations of
specific types of nerve cells that could be used for screening new
medicines or for transplantation to correct specific diseases,'' senior
research fellow Martin Pera said.
``So for instance, if we made dopamine-producing nerve cells, those can
potentially be used to treat Parkinson's disease.''
Embryonic stem cells are building blocks which can turn into virtually
any type of cell in the body.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked with movement, attention span and
certain bodily sensations. Parkinson's disease, an incurable and fatal
brain disease, results when cells that usually produce dopamine die.
The Monash team worked in conjunction with the National University of
Singapore and Hadassah Medical Center, where the cells used in the
research were developed from human embryos.
The researchers said one of the problems facing scientists worldwide had
been to find a way to develop specific types of cells from the master
stem cells and then harness their medical potential.
The Monash center described its achievement as a major breakthrough in
the fight to use stem cells therapeutically.
``What we are doing is isolating precursors of nerve cells from the
embryonic stem cell cultures, growing them on and then getting them to
turn into mature nerves,'' Pera told Reuters. ''We are the first to show
you can do that in a controlled fashion.''
The University of Wisconsin reported in 1998 that it had isolated and
grown human embryonic stem cells, leading to the potential for them to
be used therapeutically.
Monash had been working along the same lines and in 1999 focused on
characterizing the nerve cells that were coming out of the stem cell
cultures.
Pera said clinical use of the technology would hinge on how well
scientists could manipulate the cells, how quickly they could produce
pure populations of specific cell types and evidence that the cells
would function effectively in the body.
``I think you will see a lot more effort worldwide in this area,'' he
said.
The treatment of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, strokes and
degenerative heart disorders were among a wide range of potential
medical applications for stem cell biotechnology.
It could also lead to a better understanding of early childhood
development disorders and the testing of new medicines could be hastened
with the availability of populations of specific cells.
``You would then have a very powerful resource, more powerful than
animal testing for the development of drugs,'' Pera said.
Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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