http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_249000/249229.stm
5 January 1999
Embryo cell transplants to be more efficient
Rats with Parkinson's disease substantially recovered
Transplanting cells from embryos into adults to treat illnesses could
now be performed much more efficiently. Currently, only 5 to 10% of the
cells transplanted survive, but new research shows the success rate can
be quadrupled.
The transplant procedure is attracting much research interest as a
possible treatment for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, stroke and other
ailments. It provides new, young cells which mature into replacements
for older, damaged cells.
But the poor survival rate of the cells, combined with the shortage of
embryonic material, limits the possible usefulness of the therapy.
However, the Swedish and German scientists have increased the survival
rate of the transplanted brain cells in rats. They believe their method
"may reduce the number of embryos required to one-fourth the current
number."
Human cloning
The provision of embryonic material for medical purposes is also a
principle reason given by scientists wishing to clone human embryos.
However, this particular development is unlikely to slow the pace of
scientific research in that direction.
The researchers, based in the Wallenburg Neuroscience Centre, Lund,
Sweden and Konstanz University, Germany began by noting that the
transplanted cells perished as a result of apoptosis, a natural process
of cell suicide. Most cells are dead a week after an operation.
The scientists knew that caspase enzymes are fundamental to apoptosis.
Therefore, before transplantation, they incubated the embryonic cells in
a drug which inhibits the production of caspase enzymes.
The procedure not only increased the total number of cells which
survived, but in particular increased the survival of the cells which
had successfully grafted. This "substantially improved functional
recovery" in rats suffering from Parkinson's disease, the researchers
reported in Nature Medicine.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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