A stem cell scientist speaking at a meeting of more than 500 stem cell experts in London has said that stem cells offer a realistic hope of treatment for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Addressing the meeting was respected Swedish researcher Professor Olle Lindvall, who said: “I am convinced that stem cell technology can become, in the future, a cure for conditions leading to brain injury – but I think we have a long way to go.” Lindvall said that research using stem cells from aborted fetuses has already shown that it is possible to improve the symptoms of the disease by partially replacing the cells that it destroys. He also talked about his own research that revealed that in the weeks following a stroke rats’ brains produce new brain cells, which then migrate to the damaged tissue. If scientists can find out what triggers this repair process, it opens up the possibility of developing drugs that could actually encourage the brain to repair itself if damaged by stroke, trauma, or disease.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 15th September 2003.
