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Page 2 of 2 In both cases, the human cells worked even better than the mouse stem cells, the scientists reported, repairing tissue and extending life. The results show "the first successful use of human embryonic stem cells in treating a human degenerative disease, significantly preserving and extending life," Snyder said. Wise Young, a spinal cord researcher and stem cell expert at Rutgers University, said he was fascinated by the researchers' achievement of comparing three types of stem cells in the study. "Apparently, all three types of cells worked," said Young, reached in China. "Also, it appears that the (mice) are not rejecting human cells even though the animals were not immune-suppressed. This is surprising." The researchers also were able to double the lives of the mice when they gave them, in addition to the stem cell injections, an oral drug that boosted the efficiency of the cells' ability to process fat. "In the future, the most successful therapies -- including those employing stem cells -- will likely involve the use of multiple strategies in concert," Snyder said. "Indeed, the stem cell may be the 'glue' that ultimately holds these therapies together in an effective manner by virtue of its fundamental biology." Sandhoff disease, which does not afflict any specific ethnic group, results from a genetic mutation that reduces the body's supply of an enzyme called "hex" used by brain cells to process excess fatty material. It usually strikes infants by the time they are six months old and kills them before they are 6 years old. Deposits of unprocessed fat produced by the disease destroy the brain cells instrumental in controlling and coordinating body movement. Tay-Sachs also is brought about by deficiencies in the body's supply of the hex protein. Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff are part of a much more common group of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, autism and cerebral palsy. The work is expected to give insights into these diseases, as well. On the Web at http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html. Kitta MacPherson may be reached at (973) 392-5836 or at [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn