Another use for neural stem cells
We talked about using neural stem cells - from embryonic, fetal, adult and other sources - to create new neurons, replacing those lost in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
This paper talks about using another property of stem cells - stem cells migrate towards sites of disease and injury. Once they arrive, they may make new cells to replace those lost.
The paper talks about using stem cells to deliver drugs to sites of disease, for example taking chemotherapy drugs to the site of brain tumours. This would make chemotherapy much less damaging to the patient, as a lower, targeted dose would produce fewer side effects.
The idea of (some) stem cells as highly mobile and their differentiated daughters as static seems to fit in with the potential vs function dichotomy.
Stem cells have great potential/'potency', but cannot perform specialised cell functions. Neurons have a highly specialised function, but no potential for further differentiation.
If you can't get to the paper, DesignBot, I can email you a pdf if you would like :).
And yeah, I may use cheesy song lyrics in the titles. The bad pop-culture reference is a time-honoured tradition in scientific writing.
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Yea a pdf would be awesome :) I have to subscribe to look at it otherwise, I as we speak doing some starter drawings, which wont be jewellery yet but will be familiarizing myself with the tupe of shapes and the mood we are going for.
ReplyDeleteI will post them or a link to them here:)
Awesome. I look forward to seeing the drawings :)
ReplyDeleteHave just sent pdf, sorry for delay.