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Another Stem Cell Success Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist September 30, 2003 A type of monkey stem cells has proved a rich source of tissue which could be used for brain repair and other medical benefits. There's currently much excitement over stem cells - primitive cell types that can be transformed into specific cells like neurons. Stem cells could be used to repair damaged human tissue, in the brain, skeleton and elsewhere. Researchers at Wake Forest University now report on a new source of stem cells called Cyno-1. They developed Cyno-1 from a monkey egg during a process called parthenogenesis, which bypasses the need for sperm. These eggs cannot implant in the womb, so no embryo is involved. Stem cells can be obtained from embryos, but their use is fraught with ethical problems. Cyno-1 cells can develop into two kinds of neuron, heart, smooth muscle and cilia cells. (Cilia are the tiny hairline extensions that line the airways). Needless to say the potential applications are very wide and include treatment for Parkinson's disease, by transplanting dopamine-producing neurons. The Cyno-1 cell line has now been going for two years, say the researchers. At the start of the project, it wasn't known how long they could survive. The fact they are so long-lived suggests they could be an excellent resource for stem cell applications in medicine. Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on-line 22nd September 2003 SOURCE: HealthandAge http://tinyurl.com/paxk * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn