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OHSU researchers find gene that may control human brain cell formation Tuesday, December 20, 2005 Researchers at OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center in Hillsboro have discovered a gene that appears to control how stem cells become brain cells. The finding will affect the studies of Parkinson's disease, brain and spinal cord injury and the possibility of fighting other conditions or diseases by replacing lost or damaged brain cells. "In the early stages of brain development prior to birth, brain stem cells, also known as neural stem cells, will differentiate into neurons," explained Larry Sherman, an associate scientist in the neuroscience division at the primate center and an associate professor of cell and developmental biology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "In later stages, these same stem cells suddenly start becoming glial cells, which perform a number of functions that include supporting the neurons. We wanted to find out what factors cause this switch and to determine if the process can be controlled and used as a possible therapy. What amazed us is that it turns out a single gene may be responsible for this incredibly important task." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn