Scientists have announced that bone marrow stem cells have the ability to migrate to the brain and form functioning nerve cells. Although bone marrow is know to contain stem cells, it was previously thought that the cells only had the capability to mature into blood cells and cells of the immune system. The technique has not yet been attempted in humans, however, it raises the possibility that a patient’s own bone marrow could, one day, be used as a source of cells to repair neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Science 2000;290:1779-1782
