TUESDAY, June 1 (HealthDayNews) -- Mouse fat cells can be turned into functional nerve cells, says a Duke University Medical Center study in the June 1 issue of Experimental Neurology. This finding suggests it may be possible to use fat cells, which offer a practically limitless resource, to create nerve cells to treat injury and disease damage in human central and peripheral nervous systems. The Duke researchers used a combination of growth factors and induction agents to transform the mouse fat cells into two types of nerve cells -- neurons and glial cells. Neurons transport electrical signals from cell to cell. Glial cells surround neurons like a sheath. "We have demonstrated that within fat tissue there is a population of stromal cells that can differentiate into different types of cells with many of the characteristics of neuronal and glial cells," study first author Kristine Safford said in a prepared statement. "These findings support more research into developing adipose (fat) tissue as a viable source for cellular-based therapies," Safford said. More information The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about nerve injuries. (SOURCE: Duke University, news release, June 1, 2004) Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder® does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit the healthfinder® health library. |