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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>. >> >> To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from this list, go to >> <http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USNIH_1>. >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2858 - Release Date: 05/06/10 >> 14:26:00 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >> mailto:[log in to unmask] >> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn >> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn