Bone marrow cells may now provide ingredients for a stem cell soup for brain damage. Rachel Okolicsanyi, a scientist from Genomics Research Centre at QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, may provide a solution to the vexing problem of brain cell re-population. Brain cells only reproduce in select areas of the brain. Damage to the brain can take a long time to overcome, if ever.
From the ScienceDaily.com article, "Unlocking the potential of stem cells to repair brain damage," the doctor says:
'In the short-term it is proof that simple manipulations can influence
the stem cell and in the long-term it is about the possibility of
increasing the neural potential of these stem cells.'
This is a stepping stone to a more powerful medical technology. The applications to brain health are wide ranging, from stroke patients to car crash victims, and could change the way we treat people with intractable brain damage.
