For the first time in the world, British scientists, from the Edinburgh University, have successfully cultured human brain cells in the laboratory. Through the use of chemicals, the researchers converted embryonic stem cells into nerve stem cells.
“It is the first proof of principle of converting embryonic stem cells into more restricted tissue stem cells - brain stem cells,” said Dr Steve Pollard, who was involved in the experiment. He added that the breakthrough has positive connotations for those working towards the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
The development is pathbreaking because so far scientists who have managed to grow such cells have not been able to obtain pure brain stem cells. “You end up with a mixed culture at the end which has not just neural stem cells, it has a lot of contaminating embryonic stem cells,” Dr Pollard added.
Besides helping in the development of medicines for degenerative brain disorders, the experiment can also help grow replacement brain tissue for those suffering from neurological disorders, mainly because the cells are pure.
A patent for the process has already been obtained, with an Edinburgh-based pharmaceutical company checking the options for practical applications for the experiment. “We're already talking with the bio-technology and bio-pharmaceutical companies about taking these cells into screening systems for new drugs,” said Austin Smith, lead researcher of the experiment.
“The remarkable stability and purity of the cells is something unique in the field of tissue stem cells and a great step forward. We have already had a number of approaches from pharmaceutical companies interested in using these cells to test and develop new drugs, and are looking forward to working with them to further develop and license the technology,” said Tim Allsopp, chief scientific officer of Stem Cell Science, which has obtained a license for using the process for commercial applications.
According to Dr Pollard, in the research arena, the process would enable scientists to develop brain stem cells for their studies. “We'll use them in the basic biology sense to try to understand how stem cells work. It's a good opportunity to understand what the difference is between an embryonic stem cell, which can make anything, and a brain stem cell, which can just make brain,” he added.
The process has been explained in details in the journal
PLoS Biology.
