A key element of the popular children's toy Silly Putty could help scientists develop stem cell treatments for nerve and brain disorders such as motor neurone disease and Alzheimer's, a study suggests.

Researchers used the molecule that gives Silly Putty its unusual properties to grow working spinal cord cells on a soft, ultra-fine carpet.

They found that motor nerves grew faster and more often on the material than they did on a normal rigid surface.

The neurones also showed electrical activity comparable with that of motor nerves in the body.

The study is the first to show that physical, as well as chemical, signals directly affect the development of human embryonic stem cells.

Silly Putty, created by accident during Second World War research into potential rubber substitutes, bounces but also flows like a liquid and breaks when hit sharply.

A silicone polymer molecule called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is mainly responsible for the odd properties that have made Silly Putty a hit with children around the world.

The new research involved coaxing embryonic stem cells to grow and develop on a soft "carpet" made from PDMS threads.

After 23 days, colonies of spinal cord motor neurones appeared that were four times purer and 10 times larger than those grown on traditional plates.

Lead scientist Dr Jianping Fu, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said: "This is extremely exciting. To realise promising clinical applications of human embryonic stem cells, we need a better culture system that can reliably produce more target cells that function well.

Excerpt from:
Weird Life