Spinal cord has successfully been grown in a lab
By Dr. Matthew Watson
Researchers from the University of Dresden have usedembryonic stem cells to grow an intact spinal cord in a petri dish, the team reported this week. Its an enormous achievement in a field that has long viewed neural tissue as the ultimate challenge, and one which could give hope to millions of people suffering fromspinal cord injuries.
Neurons, the cells that form the thinking matrix of your brain and carry its orders to the rest of your body, are very difficult to grow. For a long time growing neurons was thought to be impossible, but then it was discovered that olfactory neurons regrow. This is why you can lose your sense of smell for a few days then slowly regain it; the neuron ends, basically open-ended synapses facing into your nasal cavity, areburned away by corrosive smells, butslowly growback. Intense study followed this discovery, as scientists tried to track down how our olfactory neurons regrow, and others packed them directly into severed spinal cords with real success. In the image above, olfactory neurons have granted a lab rat regains some ability to walk again after being paralyzed (though to be fair, those same researchers are the ones who paralyzed it).
Even if you can grow one, the spinal cord still needs to form connections with an incredible number of body parts.
Now, rather than trying toforceour spinal neurons to act like nasalones, this German teammay have a way of making new ones from scratch. Certain diseases and massive injuries could easily render a spine beyond all hope of repair, but in such a situation a full replacement might still work. Remember, though, that one of the reasons neurons are hard to work with is that they must form complex synaptic connections with other neurons to work properly; just growing the spinal cord is only half the battle, and the patients body still has to accept the new routing hardware and integrate it properly.Still, even just the ability to closelyobserve the growth ofa full spinal cord could move neuronal research forward by leaps and bounds.
This technique worked essentially by letting the stem cells go to work and getting as far out of the way as possible; rather than introducing some novel new growth factor, the researchers basically just created an environment where the spine could grow just like it would in a body. Their setup involved inserting small bubbles of stem cells into a nutrient-rich growth mediumand letting them go from there.Given all the opportunities they required, the cells naturally started coordinating andshuntinggrowth factors around most notably the trio of hedgehog signaling molecules.
The teams diagram shows inserted ESC colonies growing into larger cysts which eventually associate.
The most famous of the three-member band, both for its name and its function, is Sonic Hedgehog, which can stimulate directed neuron growth through itsconcentration gradient. A high concentration of Sonic Hedgehog leads the cord to growmotor neurons tocarry the brains muscular commands, while a lower concentration near the top of the cord will lead to interneurons that wire up the spine itself. This is roughly analogous to growth factors in trees, where the widen the trunk molecule is made at the bottom and ferried up, and the split the trunk into branches molecule is made at the top and ferried down; the two opposing concentration gradients lead to the tree-shaped trees we all know so well, with branches becoming less common toward the bottom, where trunk-width takes priority.
In this case, the stem cells and spinal cord were froma mouse, which allowed for lower cost and ethical considerations, butthe principles of growth and signaling should bethe same. This technique made use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which in humans must be collected from fertility clinics and similar, but the ultimate human progenitor cell might not be necessary to further research. As scientists come to understand the mechanics of this breakthrough better, and replicate its results a few more times, it would presumably become possible to begin thisprocesswithinduced stem cells made from adult tissue. If not, this will remain an interesting research tool with little real-world applicabilitydue to the costs and regulatory problemswith ESCs.
Star Trek had a spinal transplant episode but even in the 24th century, its an experimental procedure.
Lab-grown organs are coming far, fast. Somewhere in the world today there are gel baths and petri dishes growing human bladders, eyes, and penises, esophagi, livers, and breasts. Even the quest for lab grown meatfalls under the same basic research umbrella, as scientists use similartechniques to create high quality chicken andbovine skeletal muscle. As with this spinal cord, each of these areas of research is trying to create laboratory conditions that perfectly mimic the body, so cells grow and develop normally.
See the original post here:
Spinal cord has successfully been grown in a lab
- 001 Paralyzed rat walks with own stem cells in 11 wks. [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2011]
- 002 Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury: Community Outreach San Diego 2011 - Trish Stressman [Last Updated On: August 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 9th, 2011]
- 003 Non-controversial Stem Cells: Rationale for Clinical Use: Neil Riordan, Ph.D. - Miami, FL [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 004 Cure for blindness - retina repair using stem cells. Future health keynote speaker [Last Updated On: September 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 5th, 2011]
- 005 Geron's Embryonic Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Spinal Cord Injury [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2011]
- 006 William Rader MD - Paralyzed Spinal Cord Injury Patient Walks Again [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2011]
- 007 Adult Stem Cell Sucess Stories - Laura Dominguez [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2011]
- 008 Spinal Cord Injury Treatment With Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2011]
- 009 Over Comes Spinal Cord Injury - No Surgery or Stem Cells http://www.releasetechnique.com [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2011]
- 010 Non-controversial Stem Cells: Rationale for Clinical Use - Dr. Neil Riordan [Last Updated On: September 11th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 11th, 2011]
- 011 Stem Cells Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury.flv [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2011]
- 012 Walking after Spinal Cord injury and Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2011]
- 013 Stem Cells May Reverse Paralysis, Brain Damage, and Organ Failure [Last Updated On: September 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 18th, 2011]
- 014 The Usefulness of Adult Olfactory Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 015 Stem cells for Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injury [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 016 Embryonal Stem Cells Promote Functional Recovery in Spinal Injured Animals [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 017 First Spinal-Cord Surgery With Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 018 Medra Inc - Paralyzed Spinal Cord Injury Patient Walks Again [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 019 Spinal Cord Injury - Embryonic Stem Cells - Dr. Keirstead [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 020 Stem cell treatment by Adiva Health Care India after Spinal Cord Injury [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 021 Embryonic Stem Cells Cure Spinal Cord Injury? [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2011]
- 022 Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 023 Stem Cells and Neurogenesis [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 024 Stemcells come alive: Fix Mouse with severed spine ABCnews [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 025 The Spinal Cord Journey - Stem cell therapy stories from three spinal cord injury patients [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 026 Spinal Cord Injury patient 10 years after injury after Stem Cell Treatment [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 027 StemCells Gains 5% on Neural Stem Cell Trial in Spinal Cord Injury [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 028 The Promises of Neural Stem Cells in Motor Neuron Disease [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 029 Stem Cell Series: Part 3 [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 030 Christopher "Kit" Bond - Spinal Cord Injury Stem Cell Patient [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 031 Roman Reed: What all patient advocates at the World Stem Cell Summit should know [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2011]
- 032 Noah Stem Cell Transplant Day 3 [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2011]
- 033 Spinal Patient Receives Stem Cells in First Experimental Treatment [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2011]
- 034 Health and Home Stem-1 [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2011]
- 035 UK's first approved adult stem cell bank Oristem® explained [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2011]
- 036 Stem Cells: Hope, Hype and Progress - Session 1b [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 8th, 2011]
- 037 Stem Cells: Hope, Hype and Progress - Session 3 - Video [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2011]
- 038 Human Trials of Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Beginning - Video [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2011]
- 039 (Film Trailer) - The Spinal Cord Journey: Stem Cell Therapy Stories of Recovery - Video [Last Updated On: October 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 26th, 2011]
- 040 Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury - Video [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2011]
- 041 Public Symposium: The Stem Cell Promise: Moving to the Clinic - Video [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2011]
- 042 Stem Cells: Hope, Hype and Progress - Session 1a - Video [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2011]
- 043 Stem Cell Treatment for T-6 Spinal Cord Injury - Video [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2011]
- 044 Tamara Marquis - SCI Stem Cell Patient - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2011]
- 045 Stem Cells - Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury - Video [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2011]
- 046 Electro-Medicine : Biological Physics - Paralysis Spinal Chord Injury Treatment - Video [Last Updated On: November 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2011]
- 047 Biological Physics : Stem Cells - Paralyzed Spinal Cord Injury Patient Walks Again - Video [Last Updated On: November 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 10th, 2011]
- 048 Innovative stem cell treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries - Video [Last Updated On: November 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 22nd, 2011]
- 049 Stem Cells Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries, Successfully Results, Stem Therapy - Video [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2011]
- 050 Gabi - SCI Stem Cell Patient - Video [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2011]
- 051 Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury - Patient Interview - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 052 StemCellTV Daily Report-November 22, 2011 - Video [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2011]
- 053 Which Stem Cell Will Win The Race To Repair The Spinal Cord? - Video [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2011]
- 054 China medical tourism--spinal cord injury--stem cells therapy - Video [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2011]
- 055 MouseVideo-SCI - Video [Last Updated On: January 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 1st, 2012]
- 056 Explaining stem cells - Video [Last Updated On: January 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 3rd, 2012]
- 057 China medical tourism--Spinal Injury--Stem Cell - Video [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2012]
- 058 Stem cell therapy at VMC - Video [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2012]
- 059 Breakthrough Spinal Cord Injury Treatment - Stem Cell Of America - Video [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2012]
- 060 Stem cell treatments change girl's life [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2012]
- 061 Neuralstem Announces Closing of $5.2-Million Registered Direct Offering [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2012]
- 062 Stem-cell scientists find right chemistry [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2012]
- 063 Panamanian-US Scientific Research Supports Using Fat Stem Cells to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2012]
- 064 Qatari students to present research on stem cells [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2012]
- 065 Bioethics Backlash [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2012]
- 066 Waisan Poon, "Clinical trial of umbilical cord blood stem cells in spinal cord injury" - Video [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2012]
- 067 Osamu Honmou, "Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells" - Video [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2012]
- 068 Dah-Ching Ding, "Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells support prolonged expansion of... - Video [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2012]
- 069 Stem Cell Action Coalition Opposes Virginia Personhood Bill [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2012]
- 070 Adding Six More, Omeros Now Has a Total of 33 Unlocked Orphan GPCRs in its Portfolio [Last Updated On: February 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 29th, 2012]
- 071 It's not pulp fiction [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2012]
- 072 Cryo-Cell's Affiliate, Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Releases Pre-clinical Data Indicating That Cord Blood Stem Cells ... [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2012]
- 073 Will StemCells Walk The Talk? [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- 074 Young aims for spinal injury 'cure' [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- 075 Doctor looks to China for spinal injury 'cure' [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- 076 Fourteenth Patient Dosed in Neuralstem ALS Stem Cell Trial [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- 077 Neuralstem Shows Solid Progress in Spinal Cord Neural Stem Cell Trial for ALS [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2012]
- 078 Oklahoma bill proposes umbilical cord blood bank [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2012]
- 079 Research suggests new therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2012]
- 080 Doctor looks to China for spinal injury ‘cure’ [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2012]
