Stem cells are increasingly used in the development of new treatment methods. For example, according to the editors of the portal Neurosciencenews, a group of researchers from Monash University in Australia were able to restore neurons in damaged areas of the spinal cord paralyzed aquarium fish, returning the animal the ability to move.
For the experiment we selected the fish of the carp family zebrafish, or as it is called, “lady’s stocking”. This fish was chosen because its body is transparent, and scientists could directly observe the regeneration process in real time. After spinal cord injury experts recorded the activity of stem cells. The full recovery process took about two days. As stated by the head of the experiment Dr. Jan of Caslin,
“We collected a database of 6200 zebrafish, and now, having studied this information, we will be able to transfer the data to the processes that occur in the human body. The fact that regeneration of nerve fibers in fishes involves the same group of cells that are in humans. Only the person they, for some reason, not active.”
In the course of the experiment it was found out that the regeneration process is divided into 2 phases. During phase 1 cells migrate to the injury site, and after all they have reached the right place, start phase 2, which is their activation of cells and restore the nerve fibers.
Now scientists want to look more deeply at this process at the molecular-genetic level in order to understand how to make human body to do the same. And if their finding will be successful – it can open up a range of possibilities for the treatment of people with brain and spinal cord.
Scientists have reconstructed the spinal cord with stem cells
Vladimir Kuznetsov