West 42nd Street NYC

West 42nd Street NYC
Originally uploaded by Charlie Roberts

Taliah Lempert

New Stem Cell Research Findings Could Lead to Cure of Spinal Cord Injuries, Brain Injuries, and ALS

by Glenford Robinson

Many people have suffered from spinal cord and brain injuries, not to mention amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig disease, a debilitating disease characterized by muscle weakness in the arms and legs, followed by difficulty swallowing, talking, and breathing, (Dorland's Medical Dictionary (DMD)). Eventually muscles become completely useless and the patient becomes a quadriplegic, (DMD). With all this said, scientists have discovered how to use stem cells to generate new nerve cells in the brain of mice.

Neuroscientists at Stanford Medical School Transplanted neurons (nerve cells) grown from embryonic stem cells and integrate them into the brains of mice, according to new research in the Jan. 20 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The study states that healthy brains have stable and precise connections between cells that are necessary for normal behavior in animals, including human. This new finding is the first to show that stem cells can be directed to become specific brain cells. In fact, the stem cells not only become specific brain cells, but they link correctly, the research states. This is welcoming news for people suffering from neurological disorders, brain, or spinal cord injuries. Such discovery sets the stage for a possible cure of nerve-related diseases.

The research focused primarily on cells that transmit information from the cortex of the brain, including some that are responsible for controlling muscle movements. It is these nerve cells or neurons that are lost or damaged in spinal cord injuries and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to the study. These neuron-like stem cells can produce nerve fibers or nerve tissue between the cerebral cortex of the brain and the spinal cord, according to the research. This study therefore confirms the use of stem cells for medicinal use, (The Journal of Neuroscience).

In order to integrate new cells into the experimental brain successfully, the researchers first had to condition unspecialized stem cells to become specialize cells in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Stem cells that were precursors to brain-cortex nerve cells (neurons) were grown in a Petri dish until they displayed many of the same characteristics as mature nerve cells. The young nerve cells were then transplanted into the brains of newborn mice, specifically into regions of the brain's cortex that is responsible for vision, touch, and movement, (The Journal of Neuroscience).

Such successful neurological transplantation was never possible before until now. The reason is that researchers would usually encounter major fundamental problems in nervous system transplant therapy or experiment. It is therefore a blessing to see an experiment of this nature successful.

Just as in the developmental stages of a brand new fetus when different types of precursor cells know exactly where they should go and what they should do, the experimental stem cells-induced neurons in this study perform their duties accordingly-extending to appropriate brain structures, while avoiding inappropriate ones. For instance, neuron-producing stem cells transplanted into the visual cortex of the brain reached two deep brain structures called the superior colliculus and the pons, but did not reach the spinal cord; on the other hand, neuron-producing stem cells placed into the motor of the cortex stretched into the spinal cord, but totally avoided the colliculus, according to the study. This feat is simply amazing in already fully developed animals. Granted, it is not unusual in newly developing fetuses; however, it is certainly next to impossible in fully developed animals, such as mice-and soon to be human.

This study is particularly incredible given that it was only one out of two techniques capable of growing transplanted stem cells that gave the desired result. That is to show us that it was not an easy task coming up with a successful experiment of this nature. It is therefore a huge advance in the use of these cells, (The Journal of Neuroscience).

The use of stem cells to develop nerve cells in mice is quite a feat that has never been done before. This discovery definitely set the stage for a possible cure for spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and ALS. Therefore, people who suffer from these ailments can be best assured that there could be relief in the not so distant future.

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- For the first time in the United States, stem cells have been directly injected into the spinal cord of a patient, researchers announced Thursday.

Doctors injected stem cells from 8-week-old fetal tissue into the spine of a man in his early 60s who has advanced ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It was part of a clinical trial designed to determine whether it is safe to inject stem cells into the spinal cord and whether the cells themselves are safe.

ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes the deterioration of specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurons, which control muscle movement. About 30,000 Americans have ALS at any given time, according to the ALS Association.

There is no cure for ALS, which is better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, named after the New York Yankees' first baseman and Hall of Famer who retired from baseball in the 1930s after being diagnosed with the disease.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists at Stanford University have succeeded in creating brain nerve cells directly out of skin cells taken from the tails of adult mice.

The new approach could revolutionize human stem cell therapy and science's understanding of how cells choose and maintain their specialized roles in the body, the researchers said.

The findings also seem to radically upturn established thinking about how cells become cells, and potentially avoid the controversial approach of using embryonic stem cells for cellular therapy. And the research could conceivably open new doors in the future to treating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the researchers said.

The researchers had not actually expected to succeed in the endeavor.

"We were blown away," said Dr. Marius Wernig, senior author of a paper appearing online Jan. 27 in Nature and a member of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

JEAN GEORGES

JEAN GEORGES
Originally uploaded by Charlie Roberts

JEAN GEORGES

JEAN GEORGES
Originally uploaded by Charlie Roberts

I HOPE SO

As I was walking to my apartment, my neighbor's mother (who I have never met - I've never even spoken to my neighbor) my neighbor's mother focused on me as I caned down the hall and just as I passed her she said

"Jesus loves you".

I was taken aback, I wasn't expecting it. I said, "I hope so".

And she stayed with me, eager and anxious, like she'd been waiting around hours to say "we'll be praying for your healing."

I felt like my privacy was invaded but I guess I'm not being too private stumbling around with canes. She's is showing love. She is on my side so I released my defensiveness and said "thank you" because I could use some prayers toward my healing.

-CR

Chelation

Chelation
Originally uploaded by Charlie Roberts

Tocqueville NYC

Tocqueville NYC
Originally uploaded by Charlie Roberts

THE WINNING LIFE

Dennis-

I have the book "The Winning Life". I will take it out and look at it again.

YES! I will make it to a free introductory meeting. I am interested.

Thank you for your information about the 80 -10 -10 diet. I WOULD SO do it if I could. But I think I would shrink to nothing eating only eating fruits and vegetables. When I get well, I'll try a raw diet - just the kind of thing that gets me revved up!

Diets confuse me. I have removed sugar, glutten and most dairy from my diet.

Parmesan cheese. How can I have my rice pasta with out parmesan cheese? Will eating a little parmesan cheese ruin the chemistry toward detoxification?

I order two boxes of organic fruit and vegetables from Urban Organics every week and I try to juice twice a day.

Juicing gives me a kick. I eat a lot of olive oil and organic coconut oil and rice.

I've been working on getting my system more alkaline. I ordered low acid coffee on line.

I AM interested in your diets and colonics! Any information you can pass along regarding what you've learned would be greatly appreciated. I've alway been interested in diet. I did the ZONE diet ten years ago and never felt better.

I'm back on my bike.

It wasn't working but I cabbed up to the upper east side and picked it up from the repair shop last night.

I biked home in the dark through Central Park. It's getting trickier and trickier to ride the bike. But I will continue to do it. I'm off for a ride today!

BEST - Charlie

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