Stem Cell Therapy Allows Mice With MS-Like Condition To Walk Again

Sunday, June 22, 2014 SPORK! 0 Comments

In a study published recently in Stem Cell Reports, a team of scientists have demonstrated that transplantation of human stem cells into disabled mice with a multiple sclerosis (MS) - like condition resulted in rapid and sustained clinical recovery. Within just two weeks of the treatment the mice were able to walk again, raising the possibility that this technique could eventually be applied to treat MS patients.

MS is a chronic and progressive inflammatory condition that results in the loss of myelin, the fatty insulating layer that forms around neurons. Myelin serves to ensure that electrical impulses that transmit information to and from the brain are transmitted efficiently. This demyelination and damage to neuronal cells results in a variety of clinical symptoms, from difficulty walking to blurred vision.

Over 2.3 million people worldwide suffer from MS, but current treatments have demonstrated little long-term benefit. There is therefore a need for therapies that bestow sustained improvements in patients, and previous studies using cell therapies in animal models have suggested that this could be a promising avenue.

Read the full article at IFLScience