Neural Transplants Can Address Brain Diseases

In a paper published in the latest issue of the top journal Science, experts from the Harvard University announce that they were able to normalize functionalities in the brains of mice suffering from a hard-to-treat brain disorder. This was done through the innovative use of neuron transplants.

By using this approach, the team was able to repair damaged neural pathways in the brains of lab rats, allowing the tiny rodents to experience significant improvements in brain functionality. The study could have important implications for a large number of severe disorders, PsychCentral reports.

These include Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), epilepsy, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and autism, among others. The research was conducted by experts at the Harvard University, the Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard Medical School (HMS).

“The finding that these embryonic cells are so efficient at integrating with the native neuronal circuitry makes us quite excited about the possibility of applying similar techniques to other neurological and psychiatric diseases of particular interest to our laboratory,” Beth Israel HMS professor of pathology Matthew Anderson says.