Humanceller i mushjärna
The Danish research group at University of Copenhagen transplanted in so-called progenitor cells from humans in mouse brains. Progenitor cells are a type of stem cells that can differentiate between several different cell types as needed.
Human progenitor cells (hCGPs) develop into several subspecies, among others astrocyter and oligodendrocyteras specialized cells with definite functions.
Important for signal exchange
The majority of our cells in the central nervous system are astrocytes, which protect the neurons, transport nutrients and remove waste products. Oligodendrocytes establish and maintain the fatty myelin, which protects nerve fibers, which transmit impulses or brain signals.
It is when astrocytes and oligodendrocytes age or become diseased that various neurodegenerative and neuropathic diseases can occur. Therefore, it is ground-breaking news that they can now be re-established.
Wipes out diseased and aging glial cells
The researchers already knew from previous experiments that it was possible to get healthy human glial cells (supporting cells for the neurons) to replace glial cells in mice with Huntington’s disease. It is a rare but fatal and hereditary disease, which gradually destroys the neurons in the brain.
In the new experiment, the Danish researchers implanted human progenitor cells into mice, which had received stem cells taken from people with Huntington’s disease.
“We transplanted the healthy stem cells from humans and observed that the healthy cells deleted and replaced the diseased glial cells,” explains Steven Goldman, an American physician and scientist affiliated with the University of Copenhagen and one of the researchers behind the study.
Not only did they outcompete the diseased cells – they did the same to healthy cells that were just worn out.
“If we can replace diseased and worn-out cells, we can to some extent re-establish normal function in the context of degenerative diseases, as we have previously demonstrated in our trials with Huntington’s disease,” says Steven Goldman.
The researchers hope to be able to carry out similar human trials within a couple of years. If all goes as planned, it will be possible to replace diseased or exhausted brain cells in humans simply by adding healthy stem cells, which can differentiate the different cell types that need to be replaced.
2023-07-31 11:45:28
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