X-Message-Number: 14700
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 21:39:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Advance in growing brain cells

http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,382794,00.html

Robin McKie, science editor 
Sunday October 15, 2000 

Scientists have discovered how to grow human brain
cells in the laboratory.

They have isolated neurones from several key areas of
the cortex and plan to transplant them into patients
suffering from epilepsy and strokes, as well as
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Transplants of
human brain cells have already been demonstrated in
clinical trials. However, each requires neurones that
have been taken from at least six aborted foetuses.
Scientists believe their breakthrough research has
solved this crucial problem of supply. 

'We could satisfy the demands of every Parkinson's
patient in Europe and the United States with cells
grown in one small laboratory,' said Dr George Foster,
of Cardiff University. 'That's the immense potential
of this technology.' 

The technique employed by the group - based at Cardiff
and Sheffield universities - involves the
immortalisation of brain cells in culture dishes.
Neurones are bathed in chemicals that switches on a
gene that keeps the cells dividing indefinitely. The
end result is an abundant supply of human neurones.
'Other groups have managed to grow rat and mouse brain
cells in the laboratory,' said Dr Brad Stringer of
Sheffield University.

'We were the first to succeed with human neurones.' 
The human cells isolated come from the striatum,
cortex, hippocampus and brain stem. When neurones die
in these areas, they produce, respectively: the fatal
Huntington's disease; Alzheimer's; strokes and 
epilepsy; and Parkinson's disease. 'That means we now
have a supply of specialised brain cells that could be
used to replace the cells lost in these conditions,'
said Foster. 

The group has taken out a string of patents to protect

their technologies and have launched their own
biotechnology company, CellFactors. 'We have also
developed a parallel technique for growing bone cells
- called human hypertrophic chondrocytes - in the
laboratory,' added company chief executive Dr Iain
Cubitt.

The firm has launched pre-clinical brain cell trials,
at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, on stroke
victims, and intends to begin clinical trials on
transplants for Parkinson's disease patients by the
end of next year. 
***************

Best regards,

Scott Badger

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