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Swedish Scientists Report Stem Cells In the Brain That Grow Into Nerve Cells By RON WINSLOW Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (see Cell Online www.cell.com ) 1/8/99 Swedish researchers say they have identified stem cells in the adult brain that can grow into nerve cells, a very early step in the quest to find treatments for such ailments as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and spinal-cord injuries. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Dementia and Parkinson's Disease account for nearly 40% of all nursing home admissions) The findings by scientists at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, add to a new but growing body of research that challenges long-held assumptions about the capacity of adults to produce new nerve cells, or neurons. The report also reflects a race among researchers at laboratories around the world to develop therapies by using stem cells -- primordial cells that give rise to the body's other cells -- to grow neurons that could be transplanted into the brain, or to encourage stem cells within the brain to grow new neurons. The hope is that the new neurons could replace or repair nerve cells damaged by disease or injury, in the way skin repairs itself after a wound. Other researchers, including a team at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif., recently reported finding evidence of new neurons in adults-a discovery that indicates active stem cells exist in the brain to manufacture the neurons. Scientists at another laboratory have reported isolating nerve stem cells from fetal tissue, but thorny ethical questions associated with fetal research are prompting scientists to look for other methods to corral stem cells. Finding them in the mature brain would be a boon to the effort. http://wsj.com [requires subscription] published in 1/8/99 LTC E-News [log in to unmask] Martin Bayne 48/45