'Bionic' Nerve To Repair Damaged Limbs and Organs

University of Manchester researchers have transformed fat tissue stem cells into nerve cells -- and now plan to develop an artificial nerve that will bring damaged limbs and organs back to life. In a study published in October's Experimental Neurology, Dr Paul Kingham and his team at the UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration (UKCTR) isolated the stem cells from the fat tissue of adult animals and differentiated them into nerve cells to be used for repair and regeneration of injured nerves. They are now about to start a trial extracting stem cells from fat tissue of volunteer adult patients, in order to compare in the laboratory human and animal stem cells.

ALS/MND

[emjoi_gently]

I'd be interested to know if this would be helpful for people with ALS, where nerves slowly degenerate.
It might not be a cure to the fundamental problem, but might extend a life.

Embryonic vs. adult stem cells

[dcobra]

It seems all the successful new treatments with stem cells that we keep hearing about use the adult type, which also have the great advantage of not causing rejection. It makes me wonder why there is so much pressure to use embryonic stem cells, when the research with the adult type is so promising and is far from being exhausted. Perhaps it is because the adult cells, being collected from the patient him/herself, don't need to be bought, so there is no profit incentive, while embryonic stem cells hold the promise of a very lucrative new pharmaceutical/medical market?

Bionic?

[Aladrin]

There's nothing bionic about it. They are using a man-made tube to help a real nerve grow from stem cells. There's no electronics, not even any moving parts. It doesn't augment or affect the nerve in any artificial way. The end result is... A normal nerve.

Re:genetic memory

[riffzifnab]

Wait, what? We are talking about taking stem cells from fat and turning them into nerve cells. Where does tinkering with the DNA we are passing on to our offspring come into the picture? If it doesn't affect that, its not doing anything to our future generations.

On the lighter side, at least the US has plenty of these stem cells. McDonald's is the savior of the world! [gag]

Re:Embryonic vs. adult stem cells

[foniksonik]

There's billions of dollars that go into embryonic stem cell research around the world. If there were amazing results being found with their use we'd be hearing about it. The US is not like some super advanced technological society that other countries and their scientists dream of becoming in centuries to come... they are just as advanced in medical science... and yet we rarely hear of break-throughs in ESCs...

So reality check. Just because you'd like it to be so, doesn't make it so. Adult stem cell research is decades ahead of embryonic stem cell research because it is easier, cheaper and works better for the patient and will probably always do so. The parent poster is correct.... ESCs are the more lucrative line of research as if/when they do solve the rejection problem it will enable mass-production of general purpose therapies.

Re:Embryonic vs. adult stem cells

[pQueue]

Honestly I can't see how any reasonable person can see the destruction of microscopic cells as an ethical issue, when they are otherwise thrown away in the trash. Yes, they can become humans but so can sperm.