I remember reading this article http://uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat2.asp?newID=4590 saying they can essentially fix schizophrenia by injecting stem cells into the hippocampus, so my question is anyone here know what is taking so long to try it in humans?
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Hmmmm… Sounds to good to be true. I really wouldn’t want that injection either.
I have read about something like this. The article was talking about cloning and replacing the entire brain. Maybe I mistook for that when its more in line with what your talking about. I’m totally would do this but I’m afraid I would lose my most cherished memories.
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Yeah You most definitely would… enhancing the brain is one thing. To replace it though is to create a new human mind.
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Unfortunately in the USA you have great basic research like this you mentioned above - and you have lots of money in product development (e.g. medications/ drugs), there is little money in what is called translational research - research that translates from basic research into something closer to products (or what is called R&D or research and Development). So there is a lot of interesting research that sits in the basic research stage getting more and more data on its effectiveness - until finally some company is willing to take the risk on the R&D.
This one study on stem cells and schizophrenia is interesting - and very positive - but its still just one study. It will take a number of more studies before any company is willing to take the risk on development.
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From the looks of it there will be several options to offer. An instructor told me years back olfactory stem cells match all stem cells in the human body.
The thread article names Dr. Daniel Lodge as the researcher. Lodge states his lab has identified a key pathology in schizophrenia. At the faculty website, there are more recent publications to read through concerning his approaches.
http://pharmacology.uthscsa.edu/faculty/Lodge.asp
There is also another approach. This one by Alan Mackay-Sim: Concise Review: Patient-Derived Olfactory Stem Cells: New Models for Brain Diseases. The abstract and text are free to read.
A portion of the abstract is quoted.
Neural stem cells are present in the olfactory mucosa, the organ of smell in the nose. Patient-derived olfactory mucosa has demonstrated disease-associated differences in a variety of brain diseases and recently olfactory mucosa stem cells have been generated from patients with schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and familial dysautonomia. By comparison with cells from healthy controls, patient-derived olfactory mucosa stem cells show disease-specific alterations in gene expression and cell functions including: a shorter cell cycle and faster proliferation in schizophrenia, oxidative stress in Parkinson’s disease, and altered cell migration in familial dysautonomia.
A portion of what will happen is quoted.
Additionally, for each disease, the requirements of the patient-derived cell “model” vary and researchers may choose to focus on different aspects. For example, in schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental disease, ONS cells were used to investigate neurogenesis and neural development [25, 45], whereas iPS cells were used to investigate aspects of neuronal connectivity [59]. In idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease, patient-derived ONS cells demonstrated dysfunctional regulation of oxidative stress [25, 47], consistent with dopaminergic neurons derived from iPS cells from patient with a familial form [57] but not patients with idiopathic forms of the disease [58]. In familial dysautonomia, there is significant convergence in disease-associated cell pathology in patient-derived olfactory “ectomesenchymal cells” and in “neural crest cells” differentiated from patient-derived iPS cells: mis-splicing of the IKBKAP gene, reduced levels of IKBKAP protein, defects in cell migration, and correction of the mis-splicing by kinetin treatment [50, 56].
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Wonder what`s holding that R & D up?
I would sell everything I have to get that for my son.
There is so much talk about stem cell research. A person can use their own cells!
Does sound promising!
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I would like a cure please thanks
Sitting with one foot on the break, one on the throttle falling asleep with writers block in the parking lot of McDonald’s
Oh noes! Turn the car go to sleep.
I was kidding I’m home in bed on my phone. I secretly like McDonalds but I only go there once a year with my drunk friends or if I feel like poisoning myself, which I sometimes do about 20 times a day when I light a cigarette
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